St. Francis Xavier University’s annual Student Research Night reached a new milestone this year, with a record number of poster presentations showcased on March 24 in Scholars Walk, Mulroney Hall.
A total of 130 posters were presented, reflecting the strength and diversity of student research from academic departments across campus. The event offered visitors a chance to connect directly with student researchers, ask questions, and explore projects spanning a wide range of disciplines.
Each year, Student Research Night, which gives students the opportunity to showcase their research or advanced studies undertaken as part of their upper-year classes, advanced majors, honours, or graduate programs, continues to break records for student participation.
“Student Research Night at StFX provides students with a great opportunity to showcase the hard work they have done and offers the campus community an engaging way to get involved with research,” says Abby Jessome, a fourth year honours in applied forensic psychology student from Antigonish, NS, who presented her research, entitled “Risk of Intimate Partner Violence: Police Assessment Tools and Inclusion of Dynamic Factors.”
“My research project is supervised by Dr. Margo Watt and Dr. Christopher Lively and is being conducted through partnership with the local RCMP. I am investigating a risk assessment tool that is used by police officers in intimate partner violence cases to assess the risk of the perpetrator reoffending,” she says.
MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCE
“Being part of this event is meaningful to me as it allows me to share my research, engage with experts, and connect with individuals working toward innovative and sustainable solutions. It plays an important role in fostering collaboration, advancing knowledge, and driving innovation,” says Isaac Olowojaiye, a biology master’s student originally from Nigeria. He presented his work, “Evaluating the role of different sources of lipids and antioxidants on the quality (flavour and lipid profile) and oxidative stability of Plant-based Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) Analogues.”
His research focuses on developing healthier and more stable plant-based salmon alternatives enriched with omega-3 fatty acids. “I investigate how different plant-based oils and natural antioxidants can improve flavour, extend shelf-life, and enhance the nutritional quality during storage,” he says.
Jack Stinchcombe of Toronto, ON, who is in fourth year as an earth and environmental sciences student with a concentration in geoscience, says it was a meaningful event. He presented on his thesis project, using a p-XRF (portable X-Ray Fluorescence) gun to analyze the geochemistry of coal seams and surrounding rock layers looking for rare earth elements (REEs). Rare earth elements are an essential ingredient in magnets, he says, which are used in all of modern technology. China currently holds almost 87 per cent of the global supply of REEs. “If we find REEs in Nova Scotia’s coal seams and surrounding layers, then we may be able to repurpose old mining waste to extract rare earths, providing both a economic and environmental benefit to the province while allowing Canada to become more self-sufficient,” he says.
This year, Student Research Night is part of the inaugural StFX Research Celebration Week happening March 23-27.
“I’m thrilled to be launching StFX’s first annual Research Celebration Week. We have events that feature our research chairs, our undergraduate student researchers, our graduate student researchers, our faculty book authors, and the capstone panels on equity and access to post-secondary education and community-based Indigenous research. I hope that the entire campus and wider public community comes out to see the exciting work from our researchers,” says Dr. Erin Morton, StFX Associate Vice-President, Research, Graduate, and Professional Studies.
The week started with a Research Chairs Colloquium on March 23 featuring: Dr. Hugo Beltrami, Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences and Climate & Environment, Canada Research Chair in Climate Dynamics, "Climate from the Underground and other topics;" Dr. Cory Bishop, Department of Biology, W. F. James Research Chair in the Pure and Applied Sciences, "Symbioses in Biology: from curios to centre stage;" and Dr. Winston Black, Department of Religious Studies, Gatto Chair in Christian Studies, "Makers of Health: The African and Interfaith Roots of a Medieval Medical Revolution."
On Wednesday, March 25th, the 3-Minute Thesis Competition Event takes place from 2-4 p.m. at Vegso (Coady 150). The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an internationally recognized competition for thesis-based graduate students in which participants present their scholarly and creative activity and its wider impact in three minutes or less. The challenge is to present complex research in an accessible and compelling way with the assistance of one static slide.
A Book Launch Celebration takes place on Thursday, March 26th from 4-5:30 p.m. in the Hall of the Clans, Angus L. Macdonald Library. The Celebration of StFX Book Authors recognizes all those who published a book in the past three years.
The Capstone Research Celebration Week Panels concludes the week on Friday, March 27th.
Access & Equity in Higher Education in Rural Settings will take place both in Mulroney 3026 and through Teams from 9-11 a.m. The discussion will focus on access and equity in higher ed in rural place, from former youth in care to first-generation students. Moderated by Dr. Katie Aubrecht, CRC in Health Equity and Social Justice and Director of the Centre for Aging and Disability Justice and the Spatializing Care Lab, the panel features: Dr. Erin Morton, Associate Vice-President, Research, Graduate and Professional Studies, StFX; Dr. Jacqueline Gahagan, Associate Vice-President, Research, MSVU; and Dr. Ellen Carter, Assistant Professor, Teacher Education, Curriculum & Leadership, StFX.
Indigenous Research Day will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Bloomfield Council Chambers. The event will feature a kitchen table conversation about community-based practice and research. Moderated by Tyler Sack, Director of Research, Deveau Institute for Indigenous Governance and Social Justice, it will also feature: Dr. Terry Beaulieu, Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology; Dr. Katelynn Carter-Rogers, Assistant Professor, Gerald Schwartz School of Business; Krista Hanscomb, Program Teaching Staff, Coady Institute; Emily Peter-Paul, Mi'kmaq Indigenous Nurse Education Specialist, Rankin School of Nursing; and Simon Sylliboy, Lecturer, Department of Teacher Education
