Trinity Western University is pleased to announce the winners of the 2024 student research awards.
Fourteen TWU students have received funding to pursue summer research in collaboration with faculty-mentors.
Every year, students at Trinity Western have the opportunity to apply for research awards that recognize high-calibre students and support them to fully pursue their potential as researchers and scholars.
This year, 14 students have been granted research funding under two categories: the TWU USRA and the federally-funded NSERC USRA. Award recipients work as student researchers alongside faculty supervisors. They gain valuable experience in conducting research with the benefit of mentorship from a faculty supervisor who specializes in that field.
Student researchers are then invited to present on their projects at the next TWU CREATE Conference, an annual event that showcases student research to the campus community.
Congratulations to research award winners
| Student Researchers | Faculty Supervisor | Title of Research Projects |
|---|---|---|
| Miriam Aldom | Chad Friesen, PhD | A Synthetic Path Towards Medicinal and Aerospace Applications |
| Miriam Van Bergeyk | Enrique Torres Giese, PhD | The Topological Data Analysis of Cancer |
| Jenessa Butler | Miriam Buschhaus, PhD | Waxy coatings on intertidal rushes: insights to plant survival in fluctuating water levels |
| Benjamin Chung | Laura Onyango, PhD | Exploring the effect of sigma factor B (SigB) downregulating compounds on virulence attenuate |
| Jaylene Braithwaite | David Clements, PhD | Factors affecting establishment and influence of flood-dispersed native versus invasive plants |
| Student Researchers | Faculty Supervisor | Title of Research Projects |
|---|---|---|
| Finian Lugtigheid | Andrew Park, PhD | Measuring Walkability of the Urban Environment using Machine Learning |
| Benjamin Zubaly | Jaime Palmer Hague, PhD and Kelly Arbeau, PhD | What accounts for the association between disgust and religiosity? |
| Kirsten Kampman | Alyssa Fenuta | Development, Feasibility and Effectiveness of a Tailored Sleep Intervention for Varsity Athletes |
| Jabin Zuidhof | Richard Chandra, PhD | Innovative lignin-rich fungal composite materials |
| William Laframboise | Kelly Arbeau, PhD |
Faith/Spirituality Social Engagement, and Burnout in University Undergraduates |
| Gen Li | Julia Mills, PhD | ILK and Abl: Therapeutic Targets in Glioblastomas |
| Adina Cazacu | Julia Mills, PhD | Unravelling the Function of the ILK Interactome and Abl at Centrosomes in Mammalian Brain |
| Celedonia Lagrisola | Lyndsay MacKay, PhD | An exploration of psychological supports provided to children and their caregivers during admission to inpatient care units at a pediatric hospital: A scoping review |
| Hailey Hrvatin | Chelsea Beyer, PhD | Women's Experiences of Embodiment Across the Menstrual Cycle |
Gaining skills and experiences
From data collection and data analysis, to working in a lab and writing articles for academic journal publication, student researchers gain a variety of skills and experiences that will prepare them well for a future career in research and academia, or further pursuits in graduate or doctoral studies.
"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.”
Here are some examples of student research excellence at TWU:
- TWU CREATE Conference 2023 celebrates research by students and scholars
- TWU student wins Microbiology Murdock Poster Prize at the 2023 Murdock College Science Research Conference
- TWU 2024 Three Minute Thesis competition: graduate research in Counselling Psychology, Linguistics, and Interdisciplinary Humanities
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.