News 2022 Undergraduate Student Research Awards

Trinity Western Announces the Winners of the 2022 Undergraduate Student Research Awards

Supporting students through mentorship and hands-on research opportunities

Trinity Western University is pleased to announce the winners of the 2022 Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA). These awards recognize high-calibre students and support them to fully pursue their potential as researchers and scholars.


Every summer, students at TWU have the opportunity to apply for the Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA). Winners gain experience in conducting research under the guidance of a faculty-mentor while pursuing projects relevant to the students' areas of interest and specialization.

Two categories of USRA are available: the TWU USRA and the federally-funded NSERC USRA. The NSERC USRA provides funding for students to conduct research for 16 consecutive weeks on a full-time basis, while the TWU USRA provides funding for students to conduct research between 10 to 16 weeks on a full-time or part-time basis.

All USRA winners are then able to present on their research at the upcoming TWU CREATE Conference, an annual event that showcases student research to the campus community.

"Undergraduate research is one of the main pillars of the research activity here at TWU," Associate Provost of Research Dr. Richard Chandra remarked.

"The Undergraduate Student Research Awards provide Trinity Western students a unique opportunity to work closely with a TWU faculty member. The students gain invaluable experience in developing processes to answer key research questions, presenting the results of their research, and building connections that will help them in their future career paths.”

Below are the 2022 TWU USRA and NSERC USRA recipients. Congratulations to each and every outstanding student!

TWU USRA Recipients
Student Researchers Faculty Supervisor Title of Research Projects
Gabriella Collins Dr. Kendra Rieger Learning from the old ones: Exploring storytelling as a method with Indigenous older adults in health research
Christy Davis Dr. Tracy Stobbe The economics of British literature of the Industrial Revolution
Hannah Hube Dr. Kelly Arbeau Identifying the correlates of fear/anxiety responses and exercise avoidance in persons with pain-related chronic illness
Abner Kooner Dr. Angela Wolff Healthcare provider characteristics that influence the implementation of individual-level patient-centred outcome measure (PROM) and patient-reported experience measure (PREM) data across practice settings: A mixed methods systematic review with a narrative synthesis
Lillian Li Dr. Angela Wolff Healthcare provider characteristics that influence the implementation of individual-level patient-centred outcome measure (PROM) and patient-reported experience measure (PREM) data across practice settings: A mixed methods systematic review with a narrative synthesis
Sakher Habash Dr. Anita Cote Sex differences in the association between physical activity and risk of CVD
Benjamin Zubaly Dr. Jaime Palmer-Hague Sexual selection and offspring sex ratio: Facial width-to-height ratio, dominance, and prestige
Darren Eddings Dr. Enrique Torres-Giese Motion planning assisted by group actions
Chengzhe He Dr. Shane Durbach Synthesis and characterization of transition metal carbonate micro/nanoparticle templates for micro/nanocarbon formation from waste carbon sources for use as fillers for composite thin film materials
Holly Horngren-Rhodes Dr. Jaime Palmer-Hague Variance in perception of threat due to facial obstruction:How masks change our common projection of capacity for violence in people
     
NSERC USRA Recipients
Student Researchers Faculty Supervisor Title of Research Paper
Abigail Cunningham Dr. Julia Mills ILK and ABL in cancer cell survival and growth
Sarah Demian Dr. David Clements Characterizing the response of knotweed populations in riparian zones to extreme flooding
Micaela Horngren-Rhodes Dr. Shane Durbach Synthesis and characterization of copper oxide micro/nanoparticle templates for micro/nanocarbons
Maximillian Laurence Dr. Miriam Buschhaus Chemical analysis of plant surface waxes as biomarkers for solving ecological questions
Hannah Merritt Dr. David Clements Bohemian knotweed (Reynoutria x bohemica) rhizome responses to extreme temperatures and flooding