Joshua Jones, PhD in Environmental Studies supervised by Dr Mick Smith

Topic: The Emptiness of Ecological Loss and Extinction.

Overview: The goal of my research is to rethink the notions of ecology and extinction so that we can better understand the connections they have to emptiness, as well as explore the ramifications of emptiness for both the human, and more-than-human, world. 

Rachel Kuzmich, PhD in Geography & Planning supervised by Dr Paul Treitz

Topic: Examining bird habitat structure across space and over time using remote sensing data.

Overview: My research will contribute to an enhanced understanding of habitat occupancy by using airborne laser scanning to describe and quantify relevant habitat structure. It will also make a methodological contribution to the emerging field of ecoacoustics by developing and testing a method for using bird recording data captured at survey points in the field.

Brittany Jennings and Andrew Evans, MEERL;

Topic: Everything you wanted to know about MEERL!

Overview: MEERL or Master of Earth and Energy Resources Leadership program. What is the significance of this program and how has it impacted industry?

Megan Tucker, M.Ed in Education, supervised by Dr Elizabeth MacEachren  

Topic: Experiences that inspires one to be an Environmentalist

Overview: The purpose of this research is to explore environmentalists’ perceptions and sense of oneness with the natural world. By listening to the stories of environmentalists, this study will explore participants’ significant life experiences, and the everlasting sensory impression of those experiences on current understanding of their sense of oneness with the natural world. Lastly, this study will explore the significance of environmentalists’ in sharing their personal stories.

Claudia Hirtenfelder, PhD in Geography & Planning, supervised by Drs Laura Cameron and Carolyn Prouse

Topic: Cast Out Urbanites: A comparative history and geography of how cows disappeared from Kingston and Cape Town

Overview: Today, while certainly not absent in all cities, cows are invisible as lively beings in many urban areas in which they once lived, illustrating the changing multi-species nature of urbanisation. Historically, cows were present in urban settlements and were used by humans as sources of milk, meat, leather, and labour. While humans continue to use cows for much the same, the spatiality and scale of these relations has undergone dramatic changes. In order to understand how urbanisation is shaped through processes of multi-species inclusion and exclusion, this research aims to unpack how cows became absent in two cities, Cape Town (South Africa) and Kingston (Canada).

Suyin Olguin, PhD in English Language & Literature, supervised by Dr  Brooke Cameron

Topic: What's it like being a student parent during Covid-19

Overview: Tips on how to keep your kids occupied, home schooled, feel special and still get your research done too.

Alastair Keirulf, PhD in Chemistry, supervised by Dr Diane Beauchemin

Topic: Working remotely

Overview: Tips on how to continue to move forward with your research, keep positive and look after yourself, family and friends.

Leo Erlikhman, Masters in Sociology & Public Administration, supervised by Drs Victoria Sytsma and Heather Murray

Topic: Youth Alcohol in Kingston

Overview: Recent evidence shows an increase in alcohol-related emergency department (ED) visits among youth. We sought to quantify the impact of ED visits (type and frequency, patient characteristics and resource use) related to alcohol in our centre

Leo Erlikhman, Masters in Sociology supervised by Drs Victoria Sytsma and Heather Murray

Topic: Youth Alcohol in Kingston

Overview: Recent evidence shows an increase in alcohol-related emergency department (ED) visits among youth. We sought to quantify the impact of ED visits (type and frequency, patient characteristics and resource use) related to alcohol in our centre

Zuhaib Mir, MSc in Epidemiology, supervised by Dr Patti Groome

Topic: Postoperative liver decompensation events following partial hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma among patients with cirrhosis

Overview: My research is focused on studying adverse outcomes after surgical resection of liver tumours. Specifically, the majority of patients with liver cancer also have underlying liver disease, called cirrhosis. So, the decision to remove the cancerous portion of their liver must also take into account the function of the remaining liver left behind

Jennifer Ritonja, PhD in Epidemiology, supervised by Dr Kristan Aronson

Topic: Night shift work, melatonin, and circadian gene methylation in the development of breast cancer

Overview: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Canada and globally. Breast cancer etiology is complex, and work environment as a risk factor is still poorly understood, particularly with respect to night shift work. It is estimated that 10-30% of the global working population are night shift workers. While research indicates that night shift work raises the risk of breast cancer, not all research is consistent, due to differences across studies. Further, it is still unclear how night work may make an individual more susceptible to breast cancer.

Jackson Pind, PhD in Education, supervised by Dr Theodore Christou

Topic: The history of Indian Day Schools in Ontario between 1920-2000.

Overview: My research will conduct oral history Interviews with Indian Day School survivors by using Indigenous methods of data collection. I will then contextualize these histories with additional archival research conducted at the Library and Archives of Canada. This research will inform our understandings of Canada’s colonial educational system and provide a voice for survivors to share their stories that have yet to be documented in Ontario.

Sherri Dutton, PhD in Public Health Sciences, supervised by Dr Colleen Davison

Topic: The use of arts-based methods in health research

Overview: I will be talking about my Master's work and what I intend to do with my PhD exploring the use of arts-based methods in health research and incorporating a collage activity into that research as well.

Morgan Lehtinen, PhD in Chemistry, supervised by Dr Guojun Liu

Topic: H2Only: Smart Filters for Efficient Oil/Water Separation.

Overview: In a world that relies heavily on the use of crude oil as an energy source, clean oil recovery and spill remediation is of dire importance. Removing oil from surfactant stabilized oil-in-water emulsions has become an issue in numerous industries as current separation processes are tedious and wasteful of resources. Our research group has developed functionalized 'smart' filters that can selectively and efficiently separate the oil from oil-in-water emulsions.  I will discuss the environmental and operational advantages of this novel filter and its potential to improve the cleanliness of a normally dirty industry.

Keegan Turner-Wood, PhD in Biomedical & Molecular Sciences, supervised by Dr Steven Smith

Topic: How to gain access to energy stored in plants by designing biological nanomachines which can efficiently release trapped energy.

Overview: With the continued depletion of fossil fuels the search for new sources of renewable energy are growing ever more urgent. One possible source of energy is the vast repository of carbon found within plant biomass. We aim to gain access to this functionally limitless pool of energy by designing biological nanomachines which can efficiently release their trapped energy

Jasmin Manseau, PhD in Management, supervised by Dr Tracy Jenkin.

Topic: “The Future of Work”

Overview: I am interested in the future of work and the changing nature of work more specifically how employees are beginning to use artificial intelligence at work through interactions with chatbots (i.e. IBM Watson) and intelligent employee assistants (i.e. Alexa for Business, Google Home at work, etc.). What is the work of tomorrow shaping to be like?

Alastair Keirulf, PhD in Chemistry, supervised by Dr Diane Beauchemin

Topic: Developing the Continuous Online Leaching Method for use in Bioaccessibility Risk Assessments

Overview: When soil is contaminated, we must perform a risk assessment to determine the potential for hazard towards humans who may work, play, or live in contact with the soil. A common method for modeling this soil exposure is through a bioaccessibility study, which can be performed in-lab without the need for animal subjects. My work is on validating a continuous on-line leaching method. Conventional methods use a batch method of analysis, which can take hours to complete, but we have seen results with the online leaching method take as low as 30 minutes!

Jen McConnel, PhD in Education, supervised by Dr Pamela Beach.

Topic: “Academic literacy in first year college (the necessary “language” for communicating successfully in college)”

Overview: I’m researching the perceptions teachers and students have of academic literacy in the first-year of college.

Terry Soleas, Jennifer Guiho, Bessi Qorri

Topic: “TEDx Annual Conference

Overview: Grad students discuss what it means to do a TED talk

Shannon Hill, PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences, supervised by Dr Heidi Cramm

Topic: Understanding and Supporting the School Transitions of Military-Connected Adolescents

Overview: The purpose of my two-phased sequential qualitative study is to (1) provide an in-depth, multi-perspective understanding of the school transition experiences of military-connected adolescents in Ontario, and (2) provide recommendations to inform policy and practice related to the school transition experiences of military-connected adolescents across Canada.

For more information on the study see attached flyer. You can also contact Shannon on 11slh10@queensu.ca or follow on Twitter  @Shannon_LD_Hill 

Linda Mussell, PhD in Political Studies, supervised by Dr Margaret Little.

Topic: “Handing Over The Keys: Intergenerational Legacies of Incarceration Policy in Canada, Australia, and Aotearoa/New Zealand.”

Overview: I use critical policy analysis to unpack the legacies of incarceral policies in three countries, where generations of people within one family or community can be criminalized and experience institutionalization.