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Research Day 2024 | March 25, 2024

Location: Victoria College Alumni Hall/ Foyer

Victoria College’s annual Research Day will take place on March 25, 2024. Research Day brings together Vic students from all disciplines and provides an opportunity to share work with fellow students, professors, and the Vic community.
 
How Research Day Works: Student poster presentations will be exhibited in the foyer of the Old Vic building throughout the day. Participants will have the chance to discuss their presentations with expert judges from various units across Victoria College. The event will culminate with a keynote presentation, an award ceremony and a catered reception.

9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Interdisciplinary Poster Session

Interdisciplinary Poster Session

Location: A.B.B. Moore Foyer

Posters will be presented by selected Vic students or any students enrolled in Victoria College programs who have been conducting research in any discipline.

POSTER PRIZES

Dean of Student’s Social Impact Award
Awarded to projects demonstrating potential for positive social impact.

E.J. Pratt Library Primary Sources Prize
Awarded to projects involving the study of “primary sources” as defined in the humanities and social sciences. Two E.J. Pratt Prizes will be awarded for 2024. One prize will be awarded to a project from the Social Sciences discipline, and the other from the Humanities discipline.

Science, Technology, and Society Program Prize
Awarded to projects involving some consideration of the relationship between Science, Technology, and Society. 

Principal’s Science Prize
Award to projects demonstrating excellence in any area of the sciences. 

Victoria College Student Choice Research Prize
Awarded to the project receiving the highest number of student votes.

VUSAC Student Experience and Wellbeing Prize
Awarded to projects that consider the university as an institution and the experience of students or student communities within it. Such topics might include, but are not limited to, student organizations and organizing, student success or wellbeing, the institution of the university on a national or international scale, or issues of equity and diversity as they relate to undergraduates. Research that aligns with the overarching themes of community, pedagogy, and student life is eligible to be considered for this prize.

12:15 pm - 12:45 pm | Community Engaged Research Seminar

Community Engaged Research Seminar

Location: VC102

Jonathan Hamilton-Diabo

1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | NFC Undergraduate Fellows Symposium

Northrop Frye Centre Undergraduate Fellows Symposium

Location: VC102

Manuela Mora Castillo

Samantha Corrente

Sara Hashemi

Joël Ndongmi

Seavey van Walsum

For information on this years' NFC Undergraduate Fellows, please follow this link.

3 p.m. – 4 p.m. | Capstone Symposium

Location: VC102

Presenters TBA

4 p.m. – 5 p.m. | Keynote Address | "Using AI to See the News: Communications and Economic Behaviour", Prof. Michelle Alexopoulos

RESEARCH DAY KEYNOTE PRESENTATION

Location: Alumni Hall

Using AI to See the News: Communications and Economic Behaviour

Psychologists and communication experts tell us that the impact of major economic announcements, such as those made by central banks about monetary policy, should depend a great deal on how the news is delivered. This talk will explain how new techniques in machine learning and AI can help economists analyze the way words, body language and other cues observed during monetary policy communications affect markets, coverage by the media, and ultimately household beliefs about the economy. It will also explore how central banks and others could use this research in the future.

Prof. Michelle Alexopoulos is a Professor of Economics at the University of Toronto with a cross-appointment to the Faculty of Information. She is currently the President of the Canadian Economics Association, a fellow of the Bank of Canada, a Canadian Productivity Partnership collaborator, and a faculty affiliate at the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society, the Data Sciences Institute, and the School of Cities at U of T. Alexopoulos is a macroeconomist whose research focuses on business cycles, monetary policy, technical change, economic uncertainty, labour markets and productivity. Her research, supported by numerous public and private grants, has been published in top-tier economics journals and has been presented at numerous central banks, international conferences, academic departments, and the National Academy of Sciences.

 

5 p.m. – 6 p.m. | Awards Ceremony

Awards Ceremony

Location: Alumni Hall

PRIZES:

Dean of Student’s Social Impact Award 
Awarded to projects demonstrating potential for positive social impact. 

E.J. Pratt Library Primary Sources Prize 
Awarded to projects involving the study of “primary sources” as defined in the humanities and social sciences. Two E.J. Pratt Prizes will be awarded for 2024. One prize will be awarded to a project from the Social Sciences discipline, and the other from the Humanities discipline. 

Principal’s Science Prize 
Awarded to projects demonstrating excellence in any area of the sciences. 

Science, Technology, and Society Program Prize 
Awarded to projects involving some consideration of the relationship between Science, Technology, and Society. 

Victoria College Student Choice Research Prize 
Awarded to the project receiving the highest number of student votes. 

VUSAC Student Experience & Wellbeing Award 
Awarded to projects that consider the university as an institution and the experience of students or student communities within it. Such topics might include, but are not limited to, student organizations and organizing, student success or wellbeing, the institution of the university on a national or international scale, or issues of equity and diversity as they relate to undergraduates. Research that aligns with the overarching themes of community, pedagogy, and student life is eligible to be considered for this prize.   

Undergraduate Research at Victoria College

Victoria College is an intellectual community that encourages innovative thinking. One way the College does this is by supporting and promoting opportunities for our undergraduates to pursue independent research projects.

Do you have a research project you want to pursue? Are you looking to connect with faculty-led research projects? Do you want to find out more about research opportunities at Victoria College and the University of Toronto? 

Contact Information

Prof. Shaun Ross
Victoria College's Undergraduate Research Coordinator
vic.research@utoronto.ca

Undergraduate Research and Internship Opportunities

Explore research and internship opportunities available to undergraduate students within Victoria College, University of Toronto, and beyond.

Listing by Area

Research Day 2023 Prize Winners

Thanks to everyone who participated in Victoria College’s Undergraduate Research Day 2023. Congratulations to the following students, whose work was chosen by judges from various units at the college for special recognition.

Science, Technology and Society Award

Transitions to Success: How Access Programs Create Bridges to Science
Jessica Stockdale (Bioethics, and Cell and Molecular Biology)

The Transitional Year Programme (TYP) is an 8-month University of Toronto access program for mature students facing barriers to higher education related to race, class, Indigenous status, or legal issues. Many graduates enter humanities-based academic programs, far fewer to science, technology, engineering, or mathematics fields (STEM). Current TYP students completed a survey about their perception of barriers to entering STEM programs, their preferred learning styles, and their confidence in pursuing STEM. Descriptive analyses revealed several barriers, personal and systemic, to pursuing STEM. Modifications to the current TYP STEM curriculum are discussed to improve access to STEM undergraduate programs.

E.J. Pratt Library Primary Source Research Prize

Towards a database of natural knowledge in 18th-century England
Grace Shan (History, Classical Civilization, and Physics)

Relying on sources from 18th-century England, this project proposes methodologies for building a database of historically accepted theories and questions in natural knowledge. To this end, and as an exercise in integrated history and philosophy of science (HPS), it examines philosophical meanings of "theory acceptance" and "question acceptance" and attempts to empirically identify evidence of such phenomena within 18th-century scholarly journals, encyclopedias, and university texts. Employing linguistic corpus analytics and socio-historical considerations, it demonstrates the usefulness of digital humanities for integrated HPS, but also brings to light the certain challenges of applying philosophical frameworks to studies of nuanced historical landscapes.

Dean of Students’ Social Impact Awards

OHT’s Management of Natural Heritage Sites: Ellis & Nochemowenaing Properties
Erica de Souza (Anthropology and Indigenous Studies)

The Ontario Heritage Trust (OHT) is a provincial heritage agency which maintains and protects properties. The OHT is empowered by the Ontario Heritage Act (R.S.O., 1990, c. O. 18.), which aims to conserve heritage sites. As an intern at OHT (2022-2023) this research summarizes my understanding of the differing management processes specifically on two specific natural heritage sites: the Ellis and Nochemowenaing properties. Ellis is a natural heritage site in the process of developing Indigenous educational signage. Nochemowenaing is a sacred site that is maintained via a co-management agreement with the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation.

Canadian-Trinidadian Activism: Navigating Intersectional Identity in Queer Care
Julia Chapman (Political Science and English)

This project explores Trinidadian Canadian QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) allied activism and care in Canada and how complex intersectional identity informs this activism. The research was conducted under the supervision of Professor Tara Goldstein and postdoctoral fellow Jenny Salisbury as part of a Research Opportunity Program (ROP) towards a larger project on 60 Years of QTBIPOC Activism and Care. Research was conducted through the ArQuives, Canada's LGBTQ2+ Archives. Focusing on Toronto-based activists Richard Fung, Anthony Mohammed, and Deb Singh it appears complex navigation of intersectional identities informs complex community work and artistic expression as activists.

Do anxiety & depression affect how people who are gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM) protect themselves against HIV?
Aisling Brody (Immunology)

Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM) are disproportionately affected by HIV. Over the past ten years, the HIV infection rate has not declined. HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a widely available medication that is highly effective in preventing HIV from replicating. PrEP is one of several HIV prevention strategies. This study examines whether people in this at-risk population, who have symptoms of anxiety or depression, are less likely than those without symptoms to engage in HIV preventive measures. To date, it is the largest Canadian study including GBM on this topic.

Principal’s Science Award

No ovaries? More sleep medication
Sarah MacPherson (Physiology and Psychology)

Women with the BRCA gene mutation have a greater risk of developing ovarian and breast cancer, and they are often recommended to have ovarian removal as a preventative surgery. Due to this surgery, they experience early loss of the hormone, estradiol. Past studies have found that early estradiol loss is related to cognitive decline, sleep problems and increased inflammation. Therefore, this study examined the levels of inflammatory molecules in women with and without ovarian removal and found significant differences. Furthermore, analyses of self-reported sleep quality showed that the use of sleep medication was significantly increased in women with ovarian removal.

Student Choice Award (Voted on by U of T community)

Repeated Concussions in Female Mice May Trigger Immune Destruction of the Brain
Alishba Afaq (Neuroscience, Immunology, and Biology)

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease mediated by “autoreactive” immune cells, meaning they mistakenly destroy central nervous system (CNS) tissues like the brain and spinal cord. CNS damage impairs cognition, vision, and movement. MS risk is increased in females and environmental factors such as repeated concussions. It is unknown how concussions increase MS risk and if risk differs between sexes. We found that repeated concussions in female mice increase autoreactive immune cell infiltration into the brain, which may trigger autoimmunity. These findings will help design experiments investigating sex differences in autoimmunity post-concussion and provide a preclinical model to test therapeutics.

Past Research Days

March 30, 2021 | Victoria College's Virtual Research Day 2021

 

 Victoria College's Virtual Research Day 2021 - Tuesday, March 30, 2021.

This special event will showcase some of the incredible undergraduate research done at Vic during 2020-21. Please feel free to attend any part(s) of the event!

Schedule 

12:15 PM EST: Welcome and Introductions
Professor Shaun Ross 

12:30-1:15 PM EST: Panel #1: Health, Biology, and Technology 
Presenters: James Yuan, Benjamin Bangjie Ding, Jessie Wang, Mia Feldman, Hailey Marleau 

1:15-2:00 PM EST: Panel #2: Practises and Investigations 
Presenters: Zelyn Lee, Leila Tjiang, Elizabeth Wing-Yee Chan, Carlin Henikoff, Zoë Golay 

2:00-2:45 PM EST: Panel #3: Communities and Identities 
Presenters: James Hannay, Omar Kassam, Para Babuharan, Yana Sadeghi, Maya Blumenthal 

2:45-3:30 PM EST: Panel #4: Stories and Communication 
Presenters: Ernest Leung, Sukhmani Khaira, Britney Best, Mollie Sheptenko, Elizabeth Coulter, Sherry Li 

4:00-5:00 PM EST: Panel #5: Northrop Frye Centre Undergraduate Fellows 
Presenters: Cheryl Cheung, Lana Glozic, Ori Gilboa and Kate Schneider 

7:00-8:30 PM EST: Panel #6: Undergraduate Research during COVID-19 
Presenters: Elly Chen, Cheryl Cheung, Maia Harris, Victoria Ngai, Sarina Nikzad and Christine Sutcliffe 

March 28, 2022 | Research Day 2022

Victoria College’s annual Research Day will take place on March 28th, 2022. Research Day brings together Vic students from all disciplines and provides an opportunity to share your work with fellow students, professors, and the Vic community. If you have been conducting research in any discipline, you are encouraged to submit a proposal for a 5-minute virtual presentation on your work. All Vic students, and any students enrolled in Victoria College programs, are eligible to participate.

How Research Day will work: The event will take place remotely from 11:00am-4:00pm over ZOOM. Successful applicants will be given a 5-minute time slot to share their work using appropriate visual or video aids to explain their research. Presentations should be aimed at a general audience and must not exceed the 5-minute time limit.

Key Benefits to Students

  • Win cash prizes in a range of categories across the sciences and humanities. (Awards include: Principal’s Science Award; Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology Prize; E. J. Pratt Library Primary Source Research Prize; Student Choice Award) 
  • Share your work with an interdisciplinary audience of Victoria College students and faculty. Each panel will be chaired by Victoria College faculty
  • Include your presentation on your CV and grad school applications

Program

Full Research Day 2022 program

Time (Eastern Time) Description
11:05-11:10 AM Welcome
Professor Shaun Ross
11:10-11:15 AM Opening Remarks
President Will Robins
11:15-11:55 AM Panel #1: Health and Human Flourishing
Chair: Professor Paul Gooch
Presenters : Madison Hossack, Jihyun Kim, Miranda Chang, Rebeccah Raphael
12:05-12:45 PM Panel #2: Identities and Relations
Chair: Principal Angela Esterhammer
Presenters : Baishen Yu, Qilin Yu, Megha Manoj, Jaemin Hwang
1:05-1:55 PM Panel #3: Material Culture and Local History
Chair: Professor Ira Wells
Presenters: Kayla Paciocco, Erin Case, Madeleine Schmuckler, Derek Choi, Erika Ashley Couto
2:05-2:45 PM Panel #4: Animal and Plant Life
Chair: Professor Angus McQuibban
Presenters: Emilie Nero, Jessie Wang, Savina Cammalleri, Kieran Guimond
3:05-3:45 PM Panel #5: Technologies and Techniques
Chair : Professor Mark Solovey
Presenters: Conorr Norquay, Brianna Davies, Cecilia Zhehui Xie, Leila Tjang

 Accessing Research Day 2022 Presentation Recordings

Join us

Full Research Day 2022 program

March 27, 2023 | Research Day 2023

Mar. 27, 202310:00a.m. - 4:00p.m.

Location: Victoria College Alumni Hall/ Foyer

Victoria College’s annual Research Day will take place on March 27, 2023. Research Day brings together Vic students from all disciplines and provides an opportunity to share your work with fellow students, professors, and the Vic community. If you have been conducting research in any discipline, you are encouraged to submit a proposal for an interdisciplinary poster session. All Vic students, and any students enrolled in Victoria College programs, are eligible to participate.

How Research Day will work: Successful applicants will contribute poster presentations that will be on display in the foyer of the Old Vic building throughout the day and will have an opportunity to talk about their presentation with expert judges from units around Victoria College. The event will conclude with a keynote presentation, an award ceremony, and a catered reception.

Program

2 p.m. – 3 p.m.| Northrop Frye Centre Undergraduate Fellows Symposium
Location: VC102
Presenters: Daria (Dasha) Diakova, Tara Downie, Khulan Enkhbold, Sam Martin, Madeleine Schmuckle

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Capstone Humanities Symposium
Location: VC102

9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Poster Presentations
Location: A.B.B. Moore Foyer
Selected Vic students or any students enrolled in Victoria College programs who have been conducting research in any discipline will present their research posters.

4 p.m. – 5 p.m. | Keynote Address: "How Talking Raccoons will Save the World: Animatronics, Education, and Community"
Location: Alumni Hall
Speaker: Professor Paul H. Dietz

“How Talking Raccoons Will Save the World”

The Animatronics Workshop is a different sort of school robotics program where kids develop characters, write stories, and bring them to life with their own robotic creations. The workshop, co-founded by Paul Dietz and his wife Cathy, emphasizes teaching kids to work creatively across both technical and artistic disciplines. This talk will describe the history of the program and current efforts to make it accessible to teachers throughout Canada. It will conclude with a brief look at some other projects that use tech to create compelling experiences with the goal of fostering community. Paul Dietz spent most of his career in corporate research, including senior research positions at Walt Disney Imagineering, Mitsubishi Electric and Microsoft. He is best known for his early work on multitouch interfaces – now the primary way we interact with phones, tablets, and many other electronic devices. More recently, he invented a way to create displays which can show different images to each viewer, even when many people are looking at the same display at the same time. He founded Misapplied Sciences to commercialize this technology, which you can now experience at the Detroit airport. It was recently named to Popular Science’s list of the top innovations for 2022. Dietz holds over 75 US patents. Currently, he is a Distinguished Engineer in Residence in Computer Science at the University of Toronto where he is focusing on projects that address societal needs.

5 p.m. – 6 p.m. | Awards Ceremony
Location: Alumni Hall