Trinity Western University offers competitive research opportunities that enable students to deepen their academic development and grow as emerging scholars.
Fifteen outstanding TWU students have been awarded funding to pursue summer research under the guidance of faculty mentors. TWU congratulates the recipients of the 2025 student research awards.
Research experiences under faculty mentorship
The Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRAs) provide students with financial support and hands-on research experience in an academic environment. These awards are designed to foster students’ interest in research, support their development toward potential research careers, and encourage the pursuit of graduate studies.
Working closely with TWU professors throughout the summer, student researchers develop valuable skills in critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and problem-solving.
They also gain opportunities to present their work at academic conferences, including the annual TWU CREATE Conference, and may even publish their research findings.
The following are the recipients of the 2025 student research awards:
| Student Researchers | Faculty Supervisor | Title of Research Projects |
|---|---|---|
| Miriam Aldom | Chad Friesen, PhD | A Synthetic Path Towards Medicinal and Aerospace Applications |
| Sarah Demian | David Clements, PhD | Do flood mitigation measures further increase knotweed spread due to extreme flooding? |
| Dominic Nootebos | Andrew Park, PhD | Leveraging Machine Learning to Develop Optimized Strategies for Robot Soccer Games |
| Benjamin Chung | Laura Onyango, PhD | Exploring the effect of cuminaldehyde (CMA) & 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde (HMB) |
| Matthiew Poon | Richard Chandra, PhD | Assessing biomass factors that influence the properties of pure mycelium materials |
| Student Researchers | Faculty Supervisor | Title of Research Projects |
|---|---|---|
| Aiden Evans | Andrew Park, PhD | The Analysis of Criminal Behaviour Patterns Using British Columbia Court Database |
| Lawrence Isabella | Jaime Palmer Hague, PhD | Effects of Environmental Emotional Valence on Intepretation of Arousal in Women |
| Robert, C McEwen | Anita Coté, PhD | Exploring sex differences in the relationship between training adaptations to cardiac structure and skeletal muscle mass in youth athletes |
| Maia Olson | David Clements, PhD | Analysis of genetic diversity in Fraser Valley knotweed (Reynoutria spp.) populations |
| Jimy Ineza | Kelly Arbeau, PhD | The meaning of the experience of a structured physical activity program among users of a low-barrier homeless shelter in British Columbia |
| Gen Li | Richard Chandra, PhD | Growing the light: The use of fungi and waste to build sustainable luminescent materials |
| Seoyeong, J Son | Lyndsay MacKay, PhD | Exploration of clinical nurses’ engagement in research and evidence-based practice: A scoping review |
| Angie Tanabodee-umpon | Yeeun Archer Lee, PhD | Loneliness in Context: Identifying At-Risk Groups and Tailoring Solutions |
| Tanya Aggarwal | Sam Pimentel, PhD | Developing data science methods for glaciology |
| Khaled Habash | Kelly Arbeau, PhD and Rachel Baitz, PhD | An Investigation of Limerence in Cyber Dating Violence |
Congratulations to the 2025 student research award recipients.
About Research at TWU
At TWU, faculty mentor undergraduate and graduate students through a holistic approach that integrates faith with discipline specialization, research, internships, and skills training. Learn more at Research at TWU.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is a global Christian liberal arts university. We are dedicated to equipping students to discover meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. Drawing upon the riches of the Christian tradition, seeking to unite faith and reason through teaching and scholarship, Trinity Western University is a degree-granting research institution offering liberal arts and sciences as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has locations in Canada: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, and Ottawa. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Instagram @trinitywestern, Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn. For media inquiries, please contact: media@twu.ca.