On September 19, Mt. A students showcased their summer research. The University’s SURF (Summer Undergraduate Research Fair) event took place from 2 to 6 p.m. at Gracie’s Cafe.
SURF is a student-run event, where students can share their exciting and innovative research to their peers, faculty, and the greater Sackville community. Various academic disciplines were highlighted, with projects ranging from research on climate warming, to studies on greek tragedies.
Cassandra Gauthier-Downs, fourth-year environmental studies and community engaged learning double major, shared her experience as one of the organizers of SURF. While it takes a lot of time and effort to help facilitate students to show off their hard work and dedication, Gauthier-Downs explained why she thought the SURF event was so important, saying that seeing their peers’ research often encouraged other students to pursue their own interests and various research topics. While she did not present this year, she completed field research this summer. Gauthier-Downs investigated the feasibility of having an outdoor education facility at Mt. A. She explained that many people believe that outdoor education is only useful for disciplines that study the environment, like biology and environmental science, but outdoor education can truly benefit studies of all degrees. Fine arts students could create art while being inspired by nature, and English students could read literature outside, potentially deepening their understanding.
Moreover, I spoke with fourth-year biology student Jasmine Pannozzo-Oddy, who presented her research on thermal therability (climate warming) and chronic warming on juvenile brook charr. When asked why she wanted to research this topic, she elaborated that she wanted to research climate change involving animal biology. Further, Panozzo-Oddy highlighted Mt. A’s excellent research opportunities, explaining that it was possible to do research with faculty.
In respect of the diverse array of research displayed at the SURF event, I also interviewed Lindsay Jackson, fifth-year philosophy honors student, with an additional major in political science. Jackson’s summer research investigated the phenomenological experience of aging as it interacts with ageist and ableist social norms, such as beauty and vitality. She explained why she felt this experience needed to be researched, stating that “The basis for [her] research was a conservation with [her] grandmothers, and learning more about their experiences being old. They felt invisible, alienated, and ashamed about their experiences.” Furthermore, Jackson noted that she has studied numerous forms of oppression at Mt. A, but she had not been exposed to ageism as a function of oppression.
Hearing about the diverse array of summer student research at the SURF event, highlighted all the excellent opportunities Mt. A has to offer. Maclean’s Education has Mt. A as the best primarily undergraduate university 24 times since 1991, noting their student to faculty ratio, student awards, and the research opportunities. Speaking with the SURF researchers demonstrated how accessible research opportunities are at Mt. A. As well, the event showed that research is not limited to scientific fields, but can span across several disciplines and be tailored to each student’s specific interests.
If readers of The Argosy would like to learn more about student research and experiential learning opportunities at Mt. A, they can visit https://mta.ca/current-students/experiences-and-career/undergraduate-student-research.
