Celebrating Undergraduate Research

Celebrating Undergraduate Research

by Daniel Blackwell

From the strange mating habits of fruit flies to the surprising discovery of 18th-century American military buttons buried in the grounds of an estate in East Toronto, this year’s Research Day offered something for everyone. Overseen by Professor Shaun Ross, who also serves as Vic’s undergraduate research co-ordinator, Research Day is an annual, marquee event and one of the highlights of Vic’s undergraduate research program. It’s a day that offers Vic students the opportunity to present their research to their peers, Vic faculty and fellows, with awards given to the most outstanding research and presentations.

“Vic has really focused on making connections between academic disciplines, and to help students see that they are part of a richer intellectual community,” says Ross. “I’m not aware of any other event that creates the sort of multidisciplinary intellectual contact the way that Research Day does at Vic.” Under President William Robins, Victoria University has made substantial increases in investments to support services, grants and funding for undergraduate research, making it a cornerstone of the University’s identity and a key component of its Strategic Framework.

This year’s Research Day featured presentations by students from a wide range of academic backgrounds, including biology, psychology, nutrition and health studies, history and English. “It’s this variety that makes Research Day so special,” says Ross. “If you ask the average person what research is they would just say science,” says Ross. “Research Day allows you to see how diverse and different knowledge and research can be produced.”

In total, this year’s Research Day featured 20 presentations by undergraduate students, with six receiving awards.