From measuring corporate social responsibility performance to developing strategies for addressing loneliness and helping mothers hear their intuition in a digital world, Trinity Western University faculty researchers continue to advance knowledge that benefits society.
Their work continues to be recognized nationally.
This year, faculty members from across multiple disciplines received Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) research grants from the Government of Canada.
Congratulations to the following faculty members on their SSHRC Insight Development Grants and SSHRC Insight Grants in the 2025 competition.
Please see below to learn more about each awardee and their exciting research.
SSHRC Insight Development Grants
Dr. Yeeun Archer Lee
Beyond One-Size-Fits-All: Developing Targeted Strategies for Addressing Loneliness
Dr. Yeeun Archer Lee is developing a framework for targeted, evidence-based programs and policies that foster social connection in more inclusive and equitable ways, particularly for populations that have historically been underserved. Loneliness and social isolation are increasingly recognized as serious public health issues with wide-reaching consequences for both individual and societal well-being. While these experiences affect people from all walks of life, their causes and impacts may vary depending on factors such as age, gender, income, cultural background, health status, and living conditions. Dr. Archer Lee's will investigate how loneliness is experienced differently across diverse groups and re-evaluates existing strategies to determine which are most effective for specific individuals.
Dr. Cynthia Li
Navigating the Unknown: Regulatory Uncertainty and Corporate Social Responsibility Performance
Dr. Cynthia Li is examining how corporations are adapting their social responsibility practices. Her project explores how uncertainty around future government regulations affects companies’ efforts to act responsibly in areas like the environment, social issues, and corporate governance. When governments propose new rules, companies may struggle to plan ahead because they don’t know which rules will actually take effect. This uncertainty could either push companies to improve their public image through corporate social responsibility (CSR) or lead them to cut back on these efforts to save money. By studying how firms react to regulatory uncertainty, this research aims to understand whether such pressure ultimately helps or harms their responsible business practices. The findings will help explain whether companies use CSR to signal good intentions under pressure, or whether too much regulatory confusion discourages long-term investments in responsible practices.
Dr. Larissa Rossen
The Development of Maternal Intuition in a Digital World
Dr. Larissa Rossen wants to help mothers in a digital society feel less pressure and more confident to parent. Her project is about helping moms trust themselves in a world that’s constantly telling them how to parent. As a mom herself, Dr. Rossen knows how easy it is to get lost in the noise of social media and parenting "experts"—the endless advice, opinions, and “perfect” parenting images. She wants to understand how this digital world a mother’s ability to hear her own voice and trust her intuition. Through conversations with other moms, she hopes to uncover what helps mothers feel confident and grounded, and what makes mothers second-guess themselves. Dr. Rossen's hope is that this research will not only share moms’ real stories but also create tools that help them feel less pressure and more freedom to parent in a way that feels right for them.
Dr. Lyndsay MacKay
Developing an understanding of how parents of medically fragile infants experience stress and coping
Researchers: Lyndsay MacKay (TWU, Texas A&M), Margaret Currie (Mount Royal University), Tammie Dewan (University of Calgary), Andrea Johnson (University of Toronto), Mi-Yeon Kim (TWU Nursing), David Nicholas (University of Calgary), Andrea Orr (TWU Nursing), Sheryl Reimer-Kirkham (TWU Nursing), Kendra Rieger (TWU Nursing).
SSHRC Insight Grants
Dr. Kendra Rieger
Critical Explorations at the Nexus of Art and Spirituality: Sites for Equity and Reconciliation
Dr. Kendra Rieger along with an interdisciplinary team is investigating how people who experience structural disadvantage engage in artistic expression to connect to the spiritual dimensions of life. The project will use an arts-based engagement ethnography approach to explore how art and spirituality can advance equity and create new, inclusive pathways for spiritual well-being in community settings.
The team’s previous research revealed that art can help people to heal and access spiritual dimensions in public spaces, promoting equity and access. This project will engage with three community organizations who are integrating inclusive and accessible art initiatives to support spirituality for diverse populations, including individuals experiencing homelessness at Surrey Urban Mission, individuals affected by substance use at Semáth First Nation’s Healing Homes, and individuals with disabilities at St. Amant in Manitoba.
The interdisciplinary research team includes: Dr. Kendra Rieger (TWU Nursing), Dr. Sheryl Reimer-Kirkham (TWU Nursing), Dr. Anne Tuppurainen (Providence Healthcare), Dr. Madeline Burghardt (St. Amant and University of Manitoba), Flavia Cionca (TWU Nursing), Alysha Creighton (TWU SAMC), Miriam Duff (CancerCare Manitoba), Mabel Horton (Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation), Alysha McFadden (TWU Nursing), Lindsay McCombe (St. Amant), Myron Penner (TWU FHSS), Richard Sawatzky (TWU Nursing), Sonya Sharma (UCL London), Dionne Shaw (Semá:th First Nation), Sandi Smoker (Pender Islands Health Centre), Nathan Stein (Surrey Urban Mission), Switametelót Patricia Victor (Cheam First Nation and TWU), Dr. Katie Steeves (TWU FHSS), Andrew Terhoch (St. Amant), Dr. Gloria Woodland (ACTS Chaplaincy Program Director), and Dr. Christina West (University of Victoria); TWU Nursing PhD students Kathleen Lounsbury, Ibolya Agoston, and Briar Wiens; research staff Jessica Wilson, Krista Heide, and Abigail Broadhurst; and consultants from the Arts for Equity Team. Dr. Kendra Rieger is the grateful recipient of a Health Research BC Scholar Award that supports her program of research.
Dr. G. Cornelis van Kooten
Climate Mitigation: What role for forest carbon sequestration?
Dr. G. Cornelis van Kooten (University of Victoria) knows that climate change is a wicked problem of global concern. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and become carbon neutral (or 'net zero'), it is essential to adopt a comprehensive approach that combines emissions reduction and carbon sequestration strategies. Dr. van Kooten's proposed research focuses on forestry and land-use policies to reduce atmospheric CO2 and potentially offset remaining emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) to achieve the 'Net Zero' target, which is set to be fully achieved in Canada and other developed countries by 2050. The focus is primarily on forestry because, along with carbon capture and storage, forestry activities are considered one of the best options for enhancing carbon removals. The research is to be completed over four years. Dr. van Kooten is joined by a team of eight outstanding researchers, including four academics from three universities, three researchers from the government sector, and a private-sector economist.
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 dedicated to equipping students for life. Uniting faith and reason through Christian teaching and scholarship, TWU is a research institution offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in the humanities and sciences as well as in several professional schools. It has campuses in Canada in Langley, Richmond, 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.