Explore the student projects
See our 2023-2024 JCURA student award projects on display in the Michelle Pujol Room and Upper Lounge, Student Union Building on March 20, 2024 from 11:30 – 3:00pm
Save the event to your calendar and learn more by visiting our website at uvic.ca/jcura.
Education
![Caitlin Mann](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Caitlin-Mann-Photo.jpg)
Caitlin Mann
Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education
Beyond the Surface: Exploring the Relationship Between Body Image and Perceptions of Physical Skill Competence in Female Adolescents
Bio
My name is Caitlin Mann and I am in my final semester of the BSc Kinesiology program and last season competing for the Vikes XC & Track varsity team. My interest in research began as being a research participant for studies exploring RED-S in female student-athletes. These experiences inspired me to pursue research in female psychological and physiological health. In the future, I wish to pursue a master’s degree in a healthcare-related field and continue conducting research in underrepresented areas with the goal to improve patient care. Apart from academics and athletics, I enjoy being outdoors with friends and exploring the island.
![Declan Sanders](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Declan-Sanders-Photo_Declan-Sanders.png)
Declan Sanders
Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education
Unlocking Athletic Potential: How Skin Exposure Impacts the Brain and Performance
Bio
My name is Declan Sanders and I am a BSc Kinesiology student completing my Honours project with the Theoretical and Applied Neuroscience Laboratory. Over the past four years at UVic, I have developed skills in research, data analysis, exercise prescription, movement analysis, and more. In addition to my academic studies, growing up on Vancouver Island has instilled in me a passion for outdoors and athletics that inevitably led to selecting Kinesiology as my degree. I am driven to pursue a career in the healthcare industry where I can make a meaningful impact on the health and well-being of others.
![Frances Rush](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Frances-Copithorne-photo_Frances-Copithorne.jpg)
Frances Rush
Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education
Running on Empty: Impacts of Endurance Exercise on Cognition
Bio
Frances is a fourth-year kinesiology student and research assistant in the Theoretical and Applied Neuroscience Laboratory at UVIC. When she is not busy with her two children, she can be found running, biking or hiking around Victoria. Prior to finding her renewed passion for science, Frances was a Visual Fine Arts Major at the University of Calgary and University of British Columbia. Her current field of study focuses of the intersection between physical and cognitive health. Her hobbies include dance, volunteering as an athletic trainer for the Vike’s Hockey Club, and the Women in Science peer mentorship program.
![Francesca Anderson](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Francesca-Anderson-picture_Francesca-Anderson.jpg)
Francesca Anderson
Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education
Dressing for Success: The Impact of Clothing on Somatosensory Processing
Bio
My name is Francesca Anderson, and I am a BSc Kinesiology student. For over two years, I have been a research assistant in Dr. Olave Krigolson’s Theoretical and Applied Neuroscience lab. The theoretical side of this lab explores the neural mechanisms that underlie human learning and decision-making while the applied side utilizes mobile neuroimaging technology to solve real-world problems. My goal is to integrate my kinesiology background and interest in applied neuroscience to focus on neurorehabilitation post-graduation. When I’m not in the lab, you’ll find me volunteering at Kids Physio, assisting in physiology labs, or training for powerlifting competitions.
![Mckinley Kemp](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Kemp-Mckinley-photo_Mckinley-Kemp.jpg)
Mckinley Kemp
Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education
Mind Matters: Neural Differences in Mild Cognitive Impairment
Bio
Engineering and Computer Science
![Adriel Ellis](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/adriel-ellis-photo_Adriel-Ellis.jpg)
Adriel Ellis
Mechanical Engineering
Shoulder Arthroplasty: Experimental Validation of Computer Generated Patient Specific Guides
Biography
Adriel Ellis is in their final undergraduate year studying Biomedical Engineering, under the mechanical stream. As a longtime resident of Vancouver Island, he moved to Victoria in 2020 to complete his degree. His academic interests include prosthetics, human factors design, project management and physiology. This JCURA project has allowed Adriel to develop new skills in research, including data analysis, procedure development, and other general technical skills. They are grateful for the professors, lab technicians, and students who helped them along the way. In their spare time, they enjoy reading and playing tabletop RPGs or video games with friends.
![Angadh Singh](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Angadh-Singh-Resume_Angad-R-Singh.jpg)
Angadh Singh
Computer Science
Solving Computationally Hard Problems Using Quantum Computing
Biography
Angadh, in his fourth year of Computer Science at the University of Victoria, has dedicated himself to the emerging field of quantum computing. His academic and professional pursuits are closely aligned with his interest in quantum software development, quantum algorithms, and software engineering. Through his research, coursework, co-op experiences, and personal projects, he explores these areas with a commitment to deepening his understanding. Angadh appreciates the collaborative spirit of his peers, acknowledging the invaluable learning gained from working together in this advanced domain.
![Celina Nguyen](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Celina-Nguyen-photo_Celina-Nguyen.png)
Celina Nguyen
Mechanical Engineering
Using Additive Manufacturing to Reinvent the Wheel: Non-Pneumatic Tire
Biography
Celina Nguyen completed her final academic semester in December 2023, earning a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Victoria. She possesses a strong interest in engineering design and 3D modeling. Outside of her academic pursuits, Celina places a high priority on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, engaging in activities such as weightlifting, biking, and hiking.
![Erwin Li](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Erwin-Li-photo_Erwin-Li.jpg)
Erwin Li
Mechanical Engineering
Hydrogen Liquefaction Facility in Kitimat to Supplement Hydrogen Injection into Natural Gas Pipeline
Biography
![Jonah Wright](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/jonah-wright-photo_Jonah-Wright.jpg)
Jonah Wright
Civil Engineering
Revising Building Design Practices and Policies via Mapping: A Response to the BC Housing Crisis
Biography
I am a 4th year civil engineering student in my last year at the University of Victoria. Main academic interests include structural, building science, building performance and policy with a focus on low-rise residential wood construction (and obviously the BC Housing Crisis). Have previous experience working in the consulting and construction industry through various co-ops and am eager to learn more! Downtime is filled with music, cycling, squash and pottery. Planning on going on a backpacking trip through Spain after graduation. If you have any interest in the project, don’t hesitate to reach out!
![Nathaniel Leonard](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/nathaniel-leonard-photo_Nathan-Leonard.jpg)
Nathaniel Leonard
Civil Engineering
Reverse osmosis at the nanoscale: investigating desalination membranes using classical molecular dynamics
Biography
A real BC kid, Nathaniel (Nathan) Leonard is a third-year chemistry undergrad who loves coffee, plants, morning dew, and complaining. Nathan is an enthusiastic chemist, who is chiefly interested in synthetic organic and main group chemistry. Nathan loves an excuse to apply math, and is fascinated with all the cool ways chemists can couple their synthetic work with computational methods to better understand their molecules.
![Noah Janssen](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/noah-janssen-photo_Noah-Janssen.jpg)
Noah Janssen
Computer Science
Developments in The Cubing Problem
Biography
My name is Noah Janssen and I am a 4th year-standing student at the University of Victoria in the Department of Computer Science. I grew up in Nanaimo, British Columbia, before moving to Victoria to attend Uvic. My interests are in theoretical computer science, specifically proving the existence or the lack of existence of algorithms to solve problems with certain speeds. My motivation for this is a lifelong obsession with finding truth and proving it with absolute certainty. This is my aim when I set out to discover or prove the impossibility of a new algorithm for a specific task.
![Siyi Liu](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Siyi-Liu-photo_Liu-Siyi.png)
Siyi Liu
Computer Science
Computer Classification of News
Biography
![Trong Hieu Vuong](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/TrongHieu-Vuong-photo_Trong-Hieu-Vuong.png)
Trong Hieu Vuong
Computer Science
Physical Data Visualization and Teamwork Accountability
Biography
Trong Hieu Vuong is a fourth-year Computer Science student at the University of Victoria, specializing in Software Systems. His experience spans Full-stack development, Software Testing, iOS development, and DevOps engineering. Motivated by his background in Computer Science and Visual Arts, he conducts research integrating technology and visualization. His project utilizes React.js, Arduino, 3D design, and printing to create a web-controlled physical system. Trong Hieu is passionate about utilizing technology to improve productivity.
![Anish Sivakumar](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Anish-Sivakumar-Photo_Anish-Sivakumar.jpg)
Anish Sivakumar
Electrical & Computer Engineering
Three-Phase PWM Schemes and Impacts on Motor Condition Monitoring
Biography
Anish is a 5th year Electrical Engineering student at UVic interested in motor drives and controls. He has completed co-op placements at companies building medical devices, nuclear fusion prototypes, quantum computers, and electric vehicles and batteries. The JCURA project has allowed him to explore his interest in motors and led him to intern on Tesla’s Motor Controls team. In his free time, Anish enjoys hiking, climbing, and training Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Fine Arts
![Ava Tompkins](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Ava_Tompkins_Photo_Ava-Tompkins.jpg)
Ava Tompkins
Technology and Society
The Metaverse
Biography
Ava Tompkins is an innovative and ambitious business student with a passion for organizational management and technology. Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Victoria, Ava has excelled in coursework focused on leadership and digital tools. With a keen eye for innovation and a collaborative spirit, she has actively participated in university-led initiatives designed to improve skills in communication and teamwork, such as business case competitions and networking events. Eager to make a positive impact in the business world, Ava strives to leverage her expertise to drive meaningful change and success in future ventures.
![Claire Jorgensen](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/claire-jorgensen-photo_Claire-Jorgensen.png)
Claire Jorgensen
Visual Arts
This is the Space I Take Up
Biography
![Dayne Pettyjohn](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Dayne-Pettyjohn-Photo_Dayne-Pettyjohn.jpg)
Dayne Pettyjohn
Writing
The Glass House: Creating and Maintaining Investment in Stories through Interactive Narrative
Biography
Hi! I’m Dayne, a fourth year English Honours and Writing student! Typically, my focus in writing is creative non-fiction, with my work exploring the way my Métis, Mexican, and Jewish ancestry intertwine, relate, and inform my world. However, interactive narrative is my absolute favourite way to tell a story! I love to write interactive narratives that incorporate adventure, fantasy, and horror genres. I hope you will enjoy reading and learning about this project as much as I have enjoyed the opportunity to create a board game in the name of academia!
![El Newell](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/El-Newell-Photo_El-Newell.png)
El Newell
Theatre
The Well-Made Porn: The Dramaturgies of Erotic Webcamming
Biography
El Newell is a third-year Theatre student focusing her studies in theatre creation and design, with a certification in American Sign Language. El’s research interests focus primarily on the intersections between theatre and the erotic, and spectatorship and theatricality in the unorthodox. Her passion for writing expresses itself both in her theatre research and her playwriting career. El is a multi-disciplinary creator, focusing on curating experiences of liminality while simultaneously sparking conversation- aspects she hopes to carry into her research. After El graduates, she hopes to move abroad and obtain an MFA in directing for the theatre.
![Elisabeth Hinshelwood](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/elisabeth-hinshelwood-photo_Liz-Hinshelwood.png)
Elisabeth Hinshelwood
Art History and Visual Studies
Interpreting Kali’s Complexities
Biography
![Heather Macnab](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Heather-Macnab_photo_Heather-Macnab.jpg)
Heather Macnab
Art History and Visual Studies
Decorating the Home of the Nouveau Riche: Establishing Legitimacy Through the Antique
Biography
![Lucas Hung](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Lucas-Hung.jpg)
Lucas Hung
Music
Who are We Playing for? Fairness in Piano Competitions
Biography
A sense of endless curiosity pervades Lucas Hung’s studies in musicology, Germanic studies, and piano performance at the University of Victoria. His research explores various modes of storytelling and how ideas are translated into perceivable reality; projects include analyzing atonal soundscapes in Pierrot Lunaire, youth in post-WWII German film, and challenges facing arts organizations in BC. Lucas also enjoys organizing concerts (Vancouver Recital Society, Early Music Society of the Islands) and performing in senior homes. He is grateful for the mentorship he receives from Dr. Joseph Salem, May Ling Kwok, and Dr. Peter Gölz.
![Rowan Watts](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Rowan-Watts-Photo_Rowan-Watts.jpg)
Rowan Watts
Theatre
Performing the Intercultural Archive: Lina de Guevara’s Puente Theatre in Special Collections
Biography
Rowan Watts is in his final year of a double major in Honours English and Theatre. Rowan is a Lowens fellow, a research assistant for the Braided Narratives project, the Vice President of the English Students’ Association, the Managing Editor of The Albatross, a staff editor at the Martlet Independent Newspaper, the recipient of the Beck Student Research Travel Award, and played Hason in Luis Alfaro’s Mojada (Phoenix Theatre). His research interests include the environmental humanities and ecological literary criticism. He is currently writing his honours thesis on digital environmental humanities approaches to network theory in contemporary eco-fiction.
Human and Social Development
![Adi G](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Adi-G-photo_Addy-Gawne.jpg)
Adi G
Nursing
Trans+ people’s experiences of in-hospital gender-affirming surgery: An interpretive description
Biography
Adi is a fourth-year student finishing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Additionally, he is a co-president of the UVic Nursing Student Society. Adi would like to thank Dr. Allie Slemon for her guidance, support, and unwavering enthusiasm for this project. Without her mentorship (and edits), this project would not have been possible.
![Karen Chiem](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Karen-Chiem-Photo_Karen-Chiem.png)
Karen Chiem
Nursing
Café Scientifique: Sharing Best Strategies for Inclusion of Mental Health Patients and Families in Research
Biography
![Amelie Wang](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Amelie-Wang-photo_Amelie-Wang.jpg)
Amelie Wang
Health Information Science
Exploring Language Availability, Understandability, and Readability of Patient Medication Information
Biography
![Erin Lavery](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Erin-Lavery-Photo_Erin-Lavery.jpg)
Erin Lavery
Public Health & Social Policy
Examining the Root Causes of Social Isolation and Loneliness in Community-Dwelling 2SLGBTQIA+ Older Adults
Biography
Erin Lavery (she/her) is a 4th year student in the Public Health and Social Policy faculty. Her academic area of interest is in aging and disability studies. Erin is passionate about community engagement and creating more equitable and sustainable communities. Outside of her academic interests, Erin enjoys reading and sustainable fashion.
![Naomi Dawson](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Naomi-Dawson-Photo_Naomi-Dawson.png)
Naomi Dawson
Nursing
Understanding Nursing Practice in the Age of the Electronic Health Record
Biography
Naomi (she/her) is a fourth-year student in the Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing Program at the University of Victoria and is currently completing her final practicum at the Victoria Child, Youth & Family Public Health Unit. Naomi is passionate about nursing research and advocating for population health. She plans to lead a career working with individuals throughout the lifespan, supporting harm reduction initiatives and guiding families throughout the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experiences. Naomi is exceedingly grateful to have conducted this research under the guidance of Dr. Petrovskaya, alongside an incredible team of fellow students and nursing professionals.
![Xinyi Wang](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Xinyi-Wang-Photo_Xinyi-Wang.jpg)
Xinyi Wang
Health Information Science
Artificial Intelligence and Primary Care: Perceptions and Applications in Medical Clinic Operations
Biography
Xinyi Wang is a fourth-year undergraduate student in Bachelor of Science in Health Information Science at the University of Victoria. She is interested in the use and potential applications of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence in healthcare. She is grateful for the opportunity to work on a JCURA project under the supervision of Dr. Dillon Chrimes. Outside of school, Xinyi enjoys playing piano, skating, and exploring new cuisines.
![Hana Kim](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Hana-Kim-photo_Hana-Kim.jpg)
Hana Kim
Nursing
Canadian Parental Attitudes on Infant Sleep Training: A Qualitative Secondary Analysis of Data.
Biography
Hana Kim is a fourth-year student majoring in Biology. In 2022, she first contacted Dr. Christine Ou in hopes of pursuing her interest in women’s health research. Through her work with Dr. Christine Ou, Hana found a passion for postpartum sleep research and decided to pursue further studies in public health. Hana is an advocate for equitable rural healthcare in Canada, women’s health, and cultural sensitivity in healthcare.
Humanities
![Alexander Wolffe](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/alexander-wolffe-photo_Alexander-Wolffe.png)
Alexander Wolffe
Medieval Studies
Thirteenth-Century Echoes Today: ‘Le Roman de Silence’ and Queer Medieval Studies
Biography
Alexander Wolffe (he/they) is a fourth year Art History honours/ Medieval Studies student and artist currently examining not only what it meant to be ‘Queer’ in the Middle Ages, but what these representations mean to people today, particularly in the context of visual arts. Their more modern work focuses on zines as assertions of identity, and the discourses regarding new generations of Queer or trans people disconnected from their history.
![Amy J Tarves](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Amy-Tarves-photo_Amy-Tarves.jpg)
Amy J Tarves
Linguistics
Open Worlds or Linear Paths: Exploring English-as-an-Additional-Language Oral Production Mediated by Minecraft
Biography
![Mack Costello](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Mack_Costello_Image.png)
Mack Costello
Gender Studies
Toyhood
Biography
Hi! My name is Mack (she/her) and I’m a settler of mostly Scottish, Irish, and British ancestry living on the stolen lands of the Lkwungen and WSANEC Peoples. My geographic location, as well as my social location within a body that’s read as thin, white, upper-class, and able-bodied, allows me the privileges to create Toyhood. From the computer I write my screenplay on, to the camera I use to film, to my ability to steal clothes from Value Village without being profiled, every tool and method of the filmmaking process is given to me because of my privilege of location. Equally, my experience of navigating the world as a queer and trans neurodivergent person informs the stories I tell and the way I tell them.
![Ash Nesbitt-Bottoms](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/ashNesbittBottomsPhoto_Ash-Nesbitt-Bottoms.jpg)
Ash Nesbitt-Bottoms
Religion, Culture and Society
Bridging the Great Divide: Integrating Experiential Learning into the Academic Study of Religion, Culture, and Society
Biography
Ash Nesbitt-Bottoms (she/they) is in their fourth year of study pursuing a degree in Religion, Culture, and Society with a minor in Anthropology. She is a settler of Scottish and Polish descent, a Queer woman, and spiritual-but-non-religious. They are currently a work-study student in the RCS department and a former Program Assistant & Meditation Club Executive at UVic’s Multifaith Centre. She is also a part-time Axe Throwing coach. In their free time, they enjoy sculpting, skateboarding with friends, and reading about New Religious Movements.
![Braedon Lowey](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/braedon-lowey-photo_Braedon-Lowey.png)
Braedon Lowey
English
Molly Molly Oxenfree: Uncovering Queer Poets of the 19th Century
Biography
Braedon George Lowey is in his final year as an Honours English student with academic passions for Victorian literature, children’s media, psychology, and queer theory. He currently works as a research assistant for Dr. Alison Chapman on the Digital Victorian Periodical Poetry Project (dvpp.uvic.ca). Outside academia, he makes whatever art he finds himself fixating on, which can be found at @George_Lowey wherever you get your social media content (when he has time to post it, anyways).
![Caleb Gordon](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Caleb-Gordon-photo_Caleb-Gordon.jpg)
Caleb Gordon
Linguistics
The Quirky Case of Quirky Case: Understanding Dative Subjects in Icelandic
Biography
Caleb Gordon is a fifth year linguistics student with a minor in psychology. He is in the final semester of his degree. His research interests include syntax, applicatives, and syntactic change over time. After graduation Caleb is looking forward to attending graduate school and continuing to pursue research in these topics. Outside of academics, Caleb is an avid reader and writer, hiker, swimmer, and constructed language enthusiast.
![Cat Watt](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/cat-watt-photo_Cat-Watt.jpg)
Cat Watt
Germanic & Slavic Studies
National Sexualism: German History, Identity, and Sexuality in the Political Spectacle of Rammstein
Biography
Cat Watt is a 21-year old UVic Germanic Studies major from Calgary, Alberta. His academic career has focused on German sexology, modern gender and sexual politics, and the evolution of Holocaust scholarship from the immediate post-war period to the present. His approach to this project comes from a personal interest in controversial political spectacle, informed by drag. He wishes to extend his thanks to the Germanic Studies department as a whole, and to Dr. Matthew Pollard in particular for his ongoing support and advisement in creating this project.
![Chloe Mee](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/chloe-mee-photo_Chloe-Mee.jpg)
Chloe Mee
English
How is Technology Repopularising Serial Publication? A Case Study of Wattpad
Biography
Chloe Mee is an English Honours student in her third year at the University of Victoria. Alongside her English major, she is pursuing a focus in Professional Communications and a certificate in French. Chloe is also an advisory board member in the English Students’ Association. Her research interests include Victorian-era serialised fiction, women’s writing, contemporary digital writing platforms, and social authors. Chloe enjoys working in the archives as part of her research. She also likes to run, hike, write, and read in her free time.
![Cynan Thompson](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/cynan-thompson-photo_Cy-Thompson.jpg)
Cynan Thompson
Linguistics
Head-Dependent Asymmetries in Central Salish Prosody
Biography
My name is Cynan Thompson, and I am in the fourth year of my Linguistics major. I grew up in a remote part of the West Chilcotin on Tsilhqot’in title land, moving here, to live on the traditional territory of the W̱SÁNEĆ people, in 2018. In the past few years, my interest in language and theoretical linguistics has begun to acquaint me with the Indigenous languages of the Salish Sea. This acquaintance has inspired me to continue my studies in Linguistics with a focus on language reclamation and revitalization. This project represents a transition between these two passions.
![Eleanor Vannan](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Eleanor-Vannan-Photo_Eleanor-Vannan.jpg)
Eleanor Vannan
Greek and Roman Studies
Revealed for Her Pleasure: Ontological Permanence of Female Ecstasy in Christian Erotic Metaphysics
Biography
Eleanor Vannan is a fourth-year student in the Greek and Roman Studies department honours program. Eleanor’s primary research area is Roman women’s history, focusing on the intersections between women and religion, law, and sexual ethics. In 2021, Eleanor published “The Queen of Propaganda: Boudica’s Representation in Empire” in the Arbutus Review. In 2023, Eleanor delivered a paper on translating the word pudicita to the Society for Ancient Studies at NYU and a paper on contemporary depictions of Roman women at the annual Antiquity in Media Studies conference. After graduation, Eleanor will pursue further studies in classics at the graduate level.
![Emily Gunn](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Emily-Gunn-Photo_Emily-Gunn.jpg)
Emily Gunn
Germanic & Slavic Studies
Examining Jewish Sociolinguistic Influence in the Russian Language: «От Талмуда до тюрьмы»
Biography
Emily is a third-year Slavic studies and History student at UVic, whose interests focus on the intersection of Jewish and Slavic history, language, and culture, as well as on Ukrainian and Israeli advocacy. She is hoping to achieve an academic career in Jewish history, but in the meantime is spending her time enjoying the opportunities that UVic’s department of Germanic and Slavic studies has to offer. Emily will be travelling to Eastern Europe this summer as part of the I-Witness Holocaust Field School, and hopes to examine Jewish history in Eastern Europe in depth.
![Ennis Lucy](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/ennis-lucy-photo_Ennis-Lucy.jpg)
Ennis Lucy
Greek and Roman Studies
Receptions of the Roman Emperor Elagabalus as a Queer Figure
Biography
Ennis is a Greek and Roman Studies major, with a focus on sexuality and gender in the ancient world.
![Eric Willis](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Eric_Willis_Photo_Eric-Willis.jpg)
Eric Willis
Gender Studies
Indigenous Decolonization and Queer Settler Colonialism at Music Festivals and Raves
Biography
Eric Willis is a queer, non-binary, white settler of German, Irish and Scottish descent, raised on Coast Salish Territories, home to the Snaw-naw-as and Qualicum First Nations. Today, they live in the territories of the Songhees, Esquimalt and W̱SÁNEĆ nations. They have a BA in Gender Studies with honours and a minor in Applied Ethics from the University of Victoria. Eric expresses themselves creatively by interweaving queer, feminist and anti-colonial theory with their artistic and activist practices. Some of their best memories at UVic are getting to apply their learning in the work they do for the Gender Empowerment Centre.
![Gabrielle Eisenberg](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Gabby-Eisenberg-photo.png)
Gabrielle Eisenberg
Greek and Roman Studies
The New Carthaginians
Biography
Gabrielle Eisenberg is a fourth-year Greek and Roman Studies major with a Film minor. For this JCURA project, she has combined both elements in her research on the reception of Carthage in the modern day.
![Hannah Giroux](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Hannah-Giroux-photo_Hannah-Giroux.jpg)
Hannah Giroux
Latin American Studies
An Attempt to Erase: Colonial Histories and Contemporary Indigenous Identities in Cuba
Biography
Hannah is a fourth year student in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Victoria. Her research interests include cultural anthropology, historiography, and counter-storytelling. This project was inspired by her experiences and observations during the 2023 Cuba Ethnographic Field School in Santiago de Cuba.
![Jasper van Weelderen](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/jasper-van-weelderen-photo_Jasper-Van-Weelderen.jpg)
Jasper van Weelderen
European Studies
Europe in the Sahel: Analysing the Failures of Capacity Building
Biography
![Kaila Lee](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Kaila-Lee-photo_Kaila-Lee.jpg)
Kaila Lee
Hispanic & Italian Studies
The Representation of Women’s Sexuality in Mexican Film from 1991-2001
Biography
Kaila Lee (she/her) is graduating this spring with a Bachelor of Arts in Hispanic and Italian Studies, and Gender Studies, alongside a certificate in American Sign Language. Her research interests include the intersections of gender and culture and the affects these subjects have relating to sexuality, violence, societal standards and language. Outside of school she enjoys spending time with her dog hiking, running, and going to beaches, competitively practicing judo, and doing photography.
![Kevin Royle](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/kevin-royle-photo_Kevin-Royle.jpg)
Kevin Royle
Latin American Studies
La Corneta China: A Musical Symbol of Santiago de Cuba
Biography
Kevin Royle is a fourth-year English Major and Anthropology Minor student at the University of Victoria. He is pursuing a career in Secondary school education and is excited to share his experiences to enrich the learning of future students. Kevin was privileged to visit Santiago de Cuba as part of the 2023 Cuban Ethnographic Field School, where he was introduced to the rich cultural landscape of the Oriente. When he is not writing papers, Kevin can be found near his moka pot, trying to recreate café Cubano.
![Maia Vasko](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Maia-Vasko-1.jpg)
Maia Vasko
Pacific & Asian Studies
四種唔同死法: The four phases of death in Victoria’s Chinatown
Biography
I am a Uvic undergraduate student double majoring in History and Pacific and Asian studies. I seek to use interdisciplinary methods and analysis to approach the topics I am interested in. My heritage as a Chinese-Canadian with a long family history in Victoria has shaped my interests in Chinatowns and the construction of racialized identities and histories.
![Maxwell Harris](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/max-harris-photo_Max-Harris.jpg)
Maxwell Harris
Greek & Roman Studies
Christology and Conspiracy: Boethius’ Fall from Grace
Biography
![Maya Wei Yan Linsley](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/maya-linsley-photo_Maya-Linsley.jpg)
Maya Wei Yan Linsley
English
Life After Canon: Dramione Fanfiction’s Literary Reconstruction in Harry Potter Fandom
Biography
Maya Wei Yan Linsley is a fourth-year English Honours major and Journalism and Publishing minor, a Loran Scholar, and a Lowens UVic Libraries Special Collections Fellow. Her academic interests include digital fandom, personal archives and postmodernist theory, with a particular focus on transformative cultures and communities. Maya edits for the Albatross English Undergraduate Journal and has worked as a research assistant for The Map of Early Modern London, Crafting Communities, and Historical Ecology of the Pacific Cod. She is a practicing creative writer and currently serves as the president of the UVic English Students’ Association.
![Mina Guan](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Mina-Guan-photo_Mina-Guan.jpg)
Mina Guan
Linguistics
“Don’t ditch the dialect”: Incorporating Learners’ Chinese Heritage Language Backgrounds in University Mandarin Classrooms
Biography
Mina Guan (she/her) is in her final year of an BA Honours in Applied Linguistics, a Minor in French, and a Certificate in Chinese Language and Cultural Proficiency. She is interested in the ways language education intersects with social justice, identity exploration, and linguistic ideologies. Her research is informed by her background as a heritage speaker of Mandarin and Cantonese and a settler on the unceded territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples. Outside of her studies, Mina chairs the Undergraduate Linguistics Course Union. After graduating, she hopes to pursue a master’s in library information studies.
![Pascale Grenier](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Pascale-Grenier.jpg)
Pascale Grenier
French
Les enfants de la Grande Noirceur: le nationalisme dans la littérature jeunesse des années 1930-1950
Biography
Pascale Grenier is currently completing a major in French and Francophone Studies and a minor in Professional Writing in Journalism and Publishing. Growing up in a French Canadian family, she has always been passionate about advancing her French language skills in British Columbia. Through her studies in the French department, she has been able to explore a variety of disciplines, including children’s literature studies. This project was inspired by the messages hidden in the books, which demonstrate how children’s books can provide insight into the ideologies of a time. After graduation, she is excited to pursue a degree in legal studies.
![Sarah Evans](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/sarah-evans-photo_Sarah-Evans.jpg)
Sarah Evans
Medieval Studies
Enchanted Avians
Biography
![Sarah Fowler](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/sarah-fowler-photo_Sarah-Fowler.jpg)
Sarah Fowler
English
Gallathea: A Semi-Diplomatic Digital Edition
Biography
Sarah Fowler is a fourth year English Honours student. Her area of research is Early Modern English drama—focusing on literature by the lesser known playwrights—and the digital humanities. She has been working on both her JCURA and her Honours project with Linked Early Modern Drama Online (LEMDO) to create a digital edition of Gallathea.
![Shawn Jung](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Shawn-Jung-photo_Shawn-Jung.jpg)
Shawn Jung
Linguistics
Open Worlds or Linear Paths: Exploring English-as-an-Additional-Language Oral Production Mediated by Minecraft
Biography
![Tristan Marquis](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/tristan-marquis-photo_Tristan-Marquis.png)
Tristan Marquis
Pacific & Asian Studies
Global Otaku: Labels and Japanese Pop-Culture in Translation
Biography
My name is Tristan Marquis, I am a 4th year Humanities student at the University of Victoria. I am currently majoring in Pacific and Asian Studies (PAAS) with a minor in film. I was initially a Computer Science student but shifted over to PAAS after Covid. I’m a very introverted person but love to meet new people. My research interests are primarily focused on Japanese culture and language, specifically learning about the ways people communicate across cultures and how technology plays a role in this interaction.
![Xi Zhang](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Xi-Zhang.jpg)
Xi Zhang
Pacific & Asian Studies
Social media perspectives on Chinese and Japanese housewives: Women at the intersection of patriarchy and feminism
Biography
![Mateo Serrano de la Paz](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Mateo-SerranodelaPaz-photo_Mateo-Serrano-de-la.jpg)
Mateo Serrano de la Paz
Philosophy
The Ethical and Political Implications of Suspending Civil Liberties in Times of Crisis: A Response to “State of Exception” by Giorgio Agamben (2003)
Biography
![Massimo Calabrese](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Massimo-Calabrese-photo_Massimo-Calabrese.jpg)
Massimo Calabrese
History
We Are Not Stones: Land, Indigenous Agency, and Colonialism in Williams Lake BC, 1821-1881
Biography
Massimo is a fourth year History Honours student from Williams Lake, BC. His specific area of interest is Indigenous-settler relations in British Columbia, though he has taken courses in as many historical topics as possible. In his free time, he plays the fiddle in an Irish band and goes to the movie theatre most Tuesdays for cheap night. Massimo would like to sincerely thank Dr. Lutz for sharing his knowledge and encouraging him to pursue this project from its humble beginning as a term paper to its current form of a 10,000-word thesis.
![Nathan Tonkin](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/nathan-tonkin-photo_Nathan-Tonkin.png)
Nathan Tonkin
Philosophy
Can there be a good scientific explanation that nobody understands?
Biography
Nathan is a 4th-year philosophy student, with academic interests including metaethics, naturalism, moral theories, and the relationships between ethics and science. He plans to pursue a graduate degree in philosophy, and later, a professorship. In his spare time he plays dungeons & dragons and reads fiction.
![Sarah Johnston](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/sarah-johnston-photo_Sarah-Johnston.png)
Sarah Johnston
History
Socio-economic Status in the Sanatorium: Tuberculosis in B.C. during the Interwar Period, a case study of Tranquille Sanatorium
Biography
![Thomas Simons](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Thomas-Simons-photo_Thomas-Simons.jpg)
Thomas Simons
Philosophy
Meaning in Language: Representation, Structure, and Wittgenstein’s Worksite
Biography
(He/him) I am a fourth-year math and philosophy student. I like chatting with people coming from different starting places than mine, intellectually and otherwise, so come see me at my booth!
![Sebastien Leroy](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/sebastien-leroy-photo_Sebastien-Leroy.jpg)
Sebastien Leroy
Philosophy
Do We Still Need Utopias?
Biography
![Amber Fill](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Amber-Fill-photo_Amber-Fill.jpg)
Amber Fill
History
Curiosity Killed the Cat: Vivisections in Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century England
Biography
Amber is in her fourth year of a double major in history honours and environmental studies. Her primary focus is on early modern England, with broader interests in environmental and social history. She is currently finishing her honours thesis on vivisections and sentimentality in eighteenth century England, with the hopes to continue her research on animal-human relationships in a masters program abroad. In recent years she has worked in varying positions at Carr House and the Ross Bay Villa, expanding her skills in curation, public outreach, collections, and restoration, among others. Amber is passionate about animal rights, environmental conservation, and sustainable fashion.
![Kaja Pedersen](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Kaja-Pedersen-picture_Kaja-Pedersen.jpg)
Kaja Pedersen
History
Sex on the Beach: Exploring Gender and Sexuality at British Seaside Resorts 1919-1939
Biography
Kaja Pedersen is a third-year Writing and History student at the University of Victoria. She is originally from Calgary and is a settler on the traditional lands of the peoples of Treaty 7, which include the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda. Her particular academic interests include queer and feminist history, personal journalism, and fiction. When she isn’t writing or studying, she can be found hiking, crafting, or eating her weight in cheese.
Medical Sciences
![Katerina Kurz](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Katerina-Kurz-photo_Katerina-Kurz.jpg)
Katerina Kurz
Medical Sciences
Does chronic stress alter reelin in the entorhinal cortex?
Biography
Katerina is almost done her undergraduate degree, working towards a BSc with honors in neurobiology. She has always loved science, but fell in love with neurobiology when she started learning about it in 3rd year. She started volunteering in Dr. Caruncho’s medical science lab the summer after 3rd year, and began her honours project the following fall. When not studying, Katerina loves reading, crafts, and being outdoors. After graduation, she plans on going to grad school and starting a MSc.
Science
![Aaron Dayton](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Aaron-Dayton-photo_Aaron-Dayton.jpg)
Aaron Dayton
Physics & Astronomy
Generation of Novel Wavelet Transformations towards applications in Tensor Network Algorithms
Biography
Aaron Dayton is a third year student at the University of Victoria in the combined Physics and Computer Science BSc program. He has three years of professional software development experience, including four co-op semesters. This work includes one year of research in theoretical quantum tensor-network algorithm development with Dr. Thomas E. Baker at the University of Victoria. Before returning to academics, he obtained one year of management experience.
![Amy Penney](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Amy-Penney-photo_Amy-Penney.jpg)
Amy Penney
Mathematics & Statistics
Counting Codes via the Container Method
Biography
Amy Penney is a Computer Science and Mathematics student, participating in both the honours and co-op programs. She is interested in studying the area of combinatorics. Her research project recently won first prize at UVic Science’s Honours Fest.
![Andrew Lane](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/andrew-lane-photo_Andrew-Lane.jpg)
Andrew Lane
Mathematics & Statistics
Proper Rainbow Saturation in Graphs
Biography
Andrew Lane is a third-year mathematics student at the University of Victoria from Portland, Oregon, U.S. He is interested in theoretical mathematics and enjoys the feeling of discovering mathematical patterns. He is particularly interested in discrete and combinatorial mathematics. Andrew loves to learn, and his hobbies include learning languages, playing musical instruments, spending time in nature, and more.
![Branden Aitken](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Branden-Aitken-Photo_Branden-Aitken.png)
Branden Aitken
Physics & Astronomy
Finding Particles in MATHUSLA Using Timing Information
Biography
![Clayton Smith](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/clayton-smith-photo_Clayton-Smith.png)
Clayton Smith
Chemistry
Implementing the Variational Quantum Eigensolver for Materials
Biography
Clayton is currently completing his honours degree in chemistry and mathematics at the University of Victoria. His primary research interests are theoretical and computational chemistry as they provide an interesting interface between chemistry, mathematics, and physics. During the final year of his bachelor’s degree, he has focused on the use of quantum computing algorithms to chemical problems, and better understanding the structures used in these algorithms. He looks forward to continuing theoretical research in his graduate studies.
![Daelin Peel-Smith](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/daelin-peel-smith-photo_Daelin-Peel-Smith-1.jpg)
Daelin Peel-Smith
Chemistry
Nickel Catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling: Reaction Screening and Catalyst Comparison via High-Throughput Experimentation
Biography
Hi, my name is Daelin! I am in the final year of my B.Sc in Chemistry at the University of Victoria. I began participating in research during 2021 in the Leitch group where I worked on organic synthesis oriented projects. In the spring of 2023 I completed a bachelor thesis in the OCC group at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Now, I am completing my honours thesis in the Leitch group focused on applying high-throughput experimentation to nickel-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura reactions. I am looking forward to joining the Nichols group at UBC in the fall as a PhD candidate!
![Dawson Jarvis](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Dawson-Jarvis-Photo_Dawson-Jarvis.png)
Dawson Jarvis
Biochemistry & Microbiology
Understanding how co-infection with Staphylococcus aureus impacts the replication of influenza A virus
Biography
Hi! My name is Dawson, and I am a 4th year honours student in the Biochemistry and Microbiology department. My research experience has taken place in the Goncheva laboratory where we investigate co-infections between the influenza A virus and Staphylococcus aureus. It has been a fulfilling experience getting to learn more about the interactions that occur between these two pathogens during infection. Outside of the lab, I enjoy hiking, photography, and playing volleyball! I believe its super important to have hobbies alongside your studies and strongly encourage other students to continue pursuing things that they enjoy doing.
![Em Creasy](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Em-Creasy-photo_Em-Creasy.jpg)
Em Creasy
Biology
Nitrate, proton, and ammonium uptake in fern gametophytes
Biography
![Fynn La Boucan](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Fynn-Owen-La-Boucan.jpg)
Fynn La Boucan
Biology
Examining 𝛼4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor expression in the substantia nigra
Biography
Fynn is a fourth year Biology student, with a concentration in Neurobiology. She is passionate about neuroscience and is specifically interested in developing treatments for neurodegenerative disease. Outside of school, she enjoys hiking and skiing and spending time with her family.
![Georgia Penner](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Georgia-Penner-photo_Georgia-Penner.png)
Georgia Penner
Mathematics & Statistics
Balancing Polynomials Under Permutations
Biography
Georgia is a second year mathematics student in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. While they were raised in Calgary, Alberta, they moved to Victoria to start their undergraduate degree in 2022. Their mathematical interests lie mainly in the realm of pure and discrete mathematics, especially algebra, analysis, and graph theory. They also care deeply about mathematics education, outreach, and communication. Outside of mathematics, they enjoy hiking and mountain biking, reading science fiction, and baking.
![Graham Arndt](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Graham_Arndt_photo_Graham-Arndt.png)
Graham Arndt
Earth & Ocean Sciences
Metal Enrichments During Magma-Carbonate Interactions in the Jurassic Bonanza Arc
Biography
Hello, my name is Graham Arndt. I am a fourth-year honours student in a combined Chemistry and Earth Sciences degree at the University of Victoria. Throughout my degree, I have become captivated by the complex interplay between the Earth, ocean, and atmospheric systems that shape the Earth’s crust. My interest is focused on the valuable use of chemistry to describe and quantify geological processes. Furthering my interest in earth systems, I have pursued an honours project studying magma-carbonate assimilation using geochemistry, while under Dr. Dante Canil and Rebecca Morris. I am very grateful for JCURA’s contributions which provided me the opportunity to conduct this research.
![Hailey Gray](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Hailey-Gray-Photo_Hailey-Gray.jpg)
Hailey Gray
Chemistry
Development of Novel Palladacycles for Synthesis Optimization of Drug Candidates
Biography
![Hayden Snauwaert](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/hayden-snauwaert-photo_Hayden-Snauwaert.jpg)
Hayden Snauwaert
Physics & Astronomy
Construction of a Magneto-Optical Trap to Create Ultracold Rubidium Ensembles
Biography
My name is Hayden Snauwaert, I’m a UVic student in his final year of an honours degree in physics. I grew up in Sarnia Ontario before coming here to Victoria. I have been working in the UVic Atomic Molecular Optical (AMO) lab over the last year on a variety of projects in AMO physics, including my current honours thesis/JCURA research project.
![Liz Bass](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/elizabeth-bass-photo_Lizzy-Bass.jpg)
Liz Bass
Biology
Intergenerational Effects of a Western-Style Diet on Reproduction in C. elegans
Biography
![Maya Thompson](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/maya-thompson-photo_Maya-Thompson.jpg)
Maya Thompson
Earth & Ocean Sciences
Cariboo Plateau Alkaline Lakes and Mineralogy
Biography
My name is Maya Thompson, and I am an Honours student in the Ahm Lab at UVic. My interests and research lie within geomicrobiology, with my current project being an investigation into the influence of soda lake microbes on carbon capture and carbonate precipitation. Outside of UVic, I will be receiving an award from the Geological Society of America for my poster on redox changes in marine basins through the Silurian-Devonian Transition this year. In the meantime, I embroider, cook foods that I can’t afford to eat at restaurants, and scuba dive with my partner.
![Meredith White](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Meredith-White-photo_Meredith-White.png)
Meredith White
Biology
False alarm: the effects of boat noise on the anti-predator behaviour in Pacific sand lance
Biography
![Paige Murray](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Paige-Murray-poster_Paige-Murray.jpg)
Paige Murray
Earth and Ocean Sciences
Taking the temperature of the Anahim Hotspot, British Columbia
Biography
Paige Murray is a fourth-year honours student in the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences. She is completing her final year of an Earth Science – Geology option degree with an honours project researching the origin of volcanism in British Columbia using olivine-spinel geothermometry supervised by Dr. Dante Canil. Outside of school, Paige enjoys hiking, trail running, skiing, baking, and looking for cool rocks at the beach. She is very grateful to have received support from JCURA for this project.
![Sarah Rozanski](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Sarah-Rozanski-photo_Sarah-Rozanski.jpg)
Sarah Rozanski
Biology
Understanding the elemental variation of threespine stickleback along the Sooke River
Biography
![Shaeleen Mihalynuk](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Shaeleen-Mihalynuk-photo_Shaeleen-Mihalynuk.png)
Shaeleen Mihalynuk
Biochemistry & Microbiology
Immunomodulatory Effects of Novel Antimicrobial Peptides Targeting Priority Avian Pathogens
Biography
My name is Shaeleen and I am completing a BSc. with Honours and CO-OP in Biochemistry and Microbiology. Over the past few years, I have been involved in PeptAID, a collaborative research project developing antibiotic alternatives to address the antimicrobial resistance crisis. My current work investigates the interactions between antimicrobial peptide-based drugs, bacterial endotoxins and the immune system. Outside of my studies, I can be found at the piano or in the studio dancing and teaching with a local ensemble.
![Simon Johns](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/simon-johns-photo_Simon-Johns.jpg)
Simon Johns
Mathematics & Statistics
Applying Hidden Markov Models to Batch Marked Bee Data
Biography
![Spencer Thomas](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/LearnAnywhere/wp-content/uploads/sites/4948/2024/03/Spencer-Thomas-Photo_Spencer-Thomas.jpg)
Spencer Thomas
Chemistry
Adaptation of Gold Nanoparticles for Zinc-Air Battery Applications
Biography
Spencer, an avid outdoor enthusiast, finds solace in hiking, camping, climbing, and snowboarding during his leisure time. His love for nature fuels his dedication to environmental preservation. With a background in chemistry, Spencer has embarked on a journey to safeguard the environment through his research. Currently, he focuses on developing innovative solutions for cleaner, renewable energy sources and storage technologies. Looking ahead, he aspires to contribute significantly to the fight against climate change through research and dedication.
Social Sciences
Allison Joyce
Psychology
School-based educational programs, cultural identity, and mental health among urban Indigenous youth
Biography
Audrey Lefort
Anthropology
A Time for Recollection: Exploring the Temporality of Victoria‘s Sea-to-Sea Green Blue Belt Campaign
Biography
My name is Audrey Lefort and I am a fourth-year anthropology honors undergraduate student. After graduating in the Spring of 2024, I plan on pursuing my studies in environmental anthropology to become a research consultant.
Camille Grafton
Sociology
Illuminating the Shades of Grey in the Black and White World of Consent Education
Biography
Camille is a third-year Sociology student at the University of Victoria hoping to pursue UVic Law following graduation in May of 2025. Consent education and researching the gaps within our current education, health and legal frameworks has been an interest of hers since taking Sociology 100A and delving into feminist and post-colonial theory. This project has allowed her to explore this topic further and gain experience gathering and analyzing qualitative data firsthand. In future studies and life pursuits, Camille hopes to explore the possibility of working in employment law, with a specific interest in analyzing policy regarding workers’ rights.
Cas Allen
Sociology
Transgender Travel: A Sociolegal Analysis of Safety and Risk
Biography
Cas Allen (he/they) is a fourth year student at the University of Victoria currently studying sociology. They are interested in all aspects of trans identity and hope to pursue further research surrounding trans issues. Cas envisions a future where all trans people have the right to exist just as they are. In his free time, Cas enjoys walking, watching hockey (let’s go Oilers!), and video editing. Cas has a major caffeine addiction and you can probably find him at a coffee shop when he isn’t on campus 🙂
Djuna Nagasaki
Anthropology
“Am I Japanese? Am I Nikkei?” An exploration of Yonsei and Gosei Japanese Canadian Identities
Biography
Ellie Curry
Psychology
Helping Each Other Up: Dyadic Experiences Underlying Enhanced Attachment Security in New Parents
Biography
Ellie (they/she) is a fourth-year BSc psychology student completing their Honours thesis. Her research interests include close relationships, emotion regulation, and the intersection between queer and trans identities and mental health. Ellie has been a member of the Healthy Relationships Lab for two years where they lead an observational coding team. They are active in the queer community in Victoria, working as a support worker for predominantly queer/trans youth with addictions. Their recent volunteer experience includes facilitating sapphic identity-based community circles through the Pride Collective on campus. Ellie plans to pursue a master’s degree in counselling psychology to build a career in community support and psychological research.
Emma-Jane Burian
Political Science
‘Mr. Speaker I don’t belong here’: The reality of institutional discrimination inside Canada’s Parliament
Biography
My name is Emma-Jane Burian (she/her). I am in the last semester of my double major in Honours Political Science and Environmental Studies at UVic. The courses I have taken throughout my degree and my experiences working within federal politics have inspired me to take on this research. I have seen first-hand the issues of discrimination within political spaces. After graduation, I plan to focus my professional work on equity and inclusion in Canadian politics. I am also interested in attending law school to pursue further education and career opportunities.
Jarica Kritsky
Political Science
How Consumer Choice is Influenced by Labor and Environmental Conditions in the Global Cosmetics Industry: A Study of Students’ Purchasing Decisions at the University of Victoria
Biography
Jarica is a fourth year honors student in the Department of Political Science at UVic. They are completing a dual-major in political science and environmental studies, and an honors thesis in conjunction with this JCURA project in the Department of Political Science. Jarica is interested in the politics of global supply chains and environmental policy. Jarica will start studying law at the University of Victoria in September 2024.
Jenna Inch
Political Science
Leveraging Affect in the Wake of Disaster: From “Hell or High Water” to Resilient Calgary
Biography
Larissa Bron
Environmental Studies
Mountains of Confusion: Evaluating Image Enhancement to Improve AI Landscape Classification
Biography
I’m Larissa, a 4th year BSc Biology student who spends a lot of time with the Environmental Studies and Geography departments at UVic. My passion is in applied biology for conservation, especially within the unique and biodiverse ecosystems neighbouring the Salish Sea. This JCURA project included a lot of firsts for me, such as working with artificial intelligence, coding Python functions, and data analysis and visualization in R. I am grateful for the opportunity to hone my research skills and I hope that it benefits the important work of the Mountain Legacy Project in quantifying ecosystem change over time.
Lu Zaki
Psychology
Does Ethnic Identity Salience Moderate Associations between Discrimination and Neuroticism Expression?
Biography
Lu is currently completing the final year of her BA in psychology, as well as her honours thesis under the supervision of Dr. Kelci Harris. Lu’s research interests focus on understanding personality development and mental health, especially among racialized individuals. Outside of her academics, Lu volunteers at the Vancouver Island Counselling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees, guided by her passion for amplifying the experiences of underserved communities. In the future, Lu hopes to attend graduate school to become a clinical psychologist with a specialisation in dialectical behaviour therapy for clients with borderline personality disorder.
Megan Ryan-Lloyd
Political Science
The Duty to Consult: A Philosophical and Historical Investigation
Biography
Megan is a fourth-year Political Science student working on her Honours thesis, which examines the duty to consult frameworks. She enjoys learning about Indigenous culture, governance traditions and legal orders. Megan has completed coursework in Canadian politics, philosophy and research methods. In her spare time, she likes reading and exploring the West Coast as a kayak guide. Megan is grateful for the support received and looks forward to the future of her research.
Nathaniel Hope Tucker
Economics
Burning Questions: Costing the Impacts of BC’s Wildfires on Carbon Stores
Biography
Obleo Demandre
Economics
Greenspace density and Rohingya refugee depression symptoms in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
Biography
My name is Obleo Demandre, and I am a fifth-year UVic Economics student from Saltspring Island, BC. My main research interests are applied microeconomics and econometrics, especially in environmental, development, and health economics. I am also interested in the application of spatial data to economics.
Saiyah Aujla
Political Science
Interrogating Racecraft: A Critical Analysis of the ‘Model Minority’ and Sikh Subjectivity in Canada
Biography
My name is Saiyah and I am a fourth-year Honours Political Science and Applied Ethics student. My scholarly and research interests include dynamics of race and Sikh identity. I’ve been published for my academic work in OnPol and more casually through Her Campus. I’ve worked as a Teaching Assistant with the Department of Political Science and I currently hold a project-based position as a legal assistant with a local law firm. After graduation, I plan to go to law school. In my free time, I enjoy beach walks with my dog Koda, reading a good book, and watercolour painting.
Sam Rae Harriss
Geography
Circular Economy Transitions: Informal Recycling and Expanding the Deposit Refund System in BC
Biography
Sam Rae Harriss graduated from UVic with a BA in Geography and a minor in Political Science in December 2023. In 2022/2023 she completed her honours thesis in the Department of Geography’s Community-Based Research Lab, and since graduating has been continuing her work in the lab through volunteering. Outside of academia, Sam works for BC Parks and spends her spare time hiking, running, and camping.
Sam Shipley
Economics
Financial constraints to YouTube success: Is Patreon the solution?
Biography
Sarah Jensen
Geography
Working Towards Improved Protection of Cave and Karst Environments, in British Columbia
Biography
Sarah is completing her fifth year as a Geography honours student. Her involvement with a local caving club steered her interests toward cave and karst research. She has worked three summers as a cave guide in Canmore and hopes to continue developing her skills to one day work in the field of karst conservation.
Sarah Mastromonaco
Geography
Canada’s Environmental & Social Due Diligence Legislative Landscape
Biography
My name is Sarah Mastromonaco (she/her) and I’m in my fifth and final year of my BA in Environmental Studies and Geography. I am passionate about localizing and creating sustainable food systems. My interests in environmental and social due diligence legislation for Canadian companies acting abroad was sparked by Sophia Carodenuto’s course Regional Studies of Africa. I was excited to further my understanding of the complex implications of Canada’s tropical food consumption through a directed studies with Sophia. Outside the classroom I enjoy spending time outdoors hiking, climbing, and growing food.
Sebastian Yerex
Geography
UAV data upscaling for soil erosion monitoring in high-latitude rangelands, northeastern Iceland
Biography
A fourth-year student in the geography department, Sebastian Yerex is interested in alpine and high-latitude geohazards, studying both contemporary events and those preserved in the geological record. With his research he aims to build an understanding of the processes shaping the Earth’s surface. Through hands-on experience Sebastian has developed a passion for conducting research in demanding environments. Beyond academics, he enjoys rock climbing, getting outdoors, art, and spending time with animals.
Shayla Frinton
Psychology
Perceptions of Psychedelics: University Students’ Attitudes and Motives for Psilocybin Use
Biography
Sunny Enkin Lewis
Sociology
The Faces Behind ‘JewBook’: An Exploration of Online Jewish Community
Biography
Sunny Enkin Lewis is completing an honours BA in Sociology. Throughout her degree, she has enjoyed using a sociological lens to explore elements of her own life. She has taken opportunities to further her academic engagement including presenting sociological research at the 2021 conference of Canadian Society for Jewish Studies. Her JCURA project was inspired by her sibling’s engagement with online Jewish spaces and her interest in understanding how to cultivate feelings of community.
Taylor Nishimura
Geography
From (Re)Enclosure to Resurgence: Evaluating the Plains Bison Reintroduction Project
Biography
Taylor is completing her final year of her degree in Geography (honours) and Political Sciences at UVic. She is a settler of mixed Korean, Japanese, and European descent. She was born and raised on Treaty 7 territory on the traditional land of the Tsuut’ina and Iyarhe Nakoda First Nations and the Blackfoot Confederacy. Her academic interests relate to her family’s history as both agents and victims of dispossession as Japanese farmers in Southern Alberta affected by Japanese internment. Her interest in researching buffalo in Banff National Park ties to her experiences growing up in the area and questions surrounding identity, settler complacency and solidarity.
Teale Weiss-Gibbons
Environmental Studies
Temporal change of pH in response to nutrient source and land type in agricultural soils
Biography
Teale Weiss-Gibbons is an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in biology at the University of Victoria. She holds a passion for environmental science and is eager to explore more in the field of soil biology and ecosystem dynamics. She is committed to growing her education, with an avid focus on sustainable practices for soil management and ecosystem health.
Mackenzie Duggan
Social Justice Studies
The Politics of Pedagogy
Biography
Mackenzie Duggan, in her fourth year at the University of Victoria, is pursuing an Honours degree in Political Science and a diploma in Social Justice Studies. Her research for JCURA delves into social justice pedagogy, but her other research interests include neoliberalism in Canada, affect politics, and environmental and human rights law. Her academic path was profoundly influenced by her recent participation in UVic’s Thailand Field School, run by the Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiatives and the Global Development Studies program. Outside of academia, Mackenzie’s hobbies include personal fitness and volunteering. Anticipating her graduation in Spring 2025, Mackenzie is eager to further advance her academic career, continuing her exploration of the fields of political science and social justice.
Cooper Bell
Anthropology
From the Ground Up: A Comparative Analysis of Virtual Reflectance Transformation Imaging and Traditional RTI in the Context of Cemetery Conservation
Biography
Cooper is in his fourth(ish) year of an Anthropology BSc, and is also working towards a minor in Computer Science. His interests lie in the intersection between Anthropology and technology, which has so far most often manifested in the field of mortuary archaeology. In his spare time he likes to paddleboard, sew, and make stained glass art.