University Gold Medal
Brenna Morton
B.A. Honours (Psychology)

The University Gold Medal is an opportunity to honour the best in the undergraduate graduating class of each faculty. A gold medal is awarded to the undergraduate student in the Faculty of Arts who has achieved the highest standing. This year’s recipient is Brenna Morton, who is graduating with a B.A. Honours degree with a major in psychology. This fall, she will begin the Master of Social Work program at the University of Manitoba.

Throughout her degree, Morton worked on several exciting research projects through student research assistant positions and two Undergraduate Research Awards. “These opportunities have given me skills and experiences which are applicable to the work I hope to do as a future social worker,” said Morton. She is especially grateful for her experiences with the Family and Developmental Psychopathology Lab, led by Dr. Jen Theule, through which she contributed to several research projects and presented at conferences. “I am so grateful to have received mentorship and guidance from Dr. Theule and the graduate students in her lab,” she shared.

“One of my favourite courses was an upper-level Psychology seminar called Social Justice Research with Dr. Katherine Starzyk,” shared Morton. “This course highlighted how psychological theories and concepts can be applied to real-world social issues. I hope to apply what I learned in this course about working towards social justice in my future work.”

Her message to current and future students is to be kind to yourselves when it comes to mistakes. “It’s easy to want to succeed in everything you do, but it’s important to recognize that mistakes are a part of learning and growing.”

Faculty of Arts Honours Medal
Elbethel Masresha
B.A. Honours (Political Studies and Sociology)

Elbethel Masresha is this year’s recipient of the Faculty of Arts Honours Medal awarded to the student with the highest standing in a Bachelor of Arts four-year Honours Degree Program. Masresha graduated in October 2024 with a double major in political studies and sociology. This fall, she will be attending the JD program at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law.

Strongly committed to fighting oppression, Masresha’s studies gave her the tools to also combat hopelessness toward injustices oppressed people face around the world. “The crucial lessons and insights I have gained throughout my studies have allowed me to develop a pragmatic optimism,” she said. “There is no fruitful or just alternative to hope.”

One of her most memorable moments during her time at UM was presenting her thesis project at the Undergraduate Research Showcase. Despite initially feeling hesitant to take on this challenge, Masresha found great value in the opportunity. “Having others engage with my findings through questions and discussion allowed me to creatively expand upon the analysis,” she said. She is especially grateful for the empowering guidance of Dr. Mara Fridell, her honours thesis advisor.

Faculty of Arts Advanced Medal
Kaidyn Brasch
B.A. Advanced (Psychology)

The award for the highest standing in a Bachelor of Arts four-year Advanced Degree Program goes to Kaidyn Brasch. During her undergraduate degree, she majored in psychology and minored in linguistics. She will soon be entering the Master of Occupational Therapy program at UM.

The main thing that stood out to Brasch in her UM experience was professors such as Dr. Tamara Taillieu (Tammy), Dr. Barbara Borges, and Ms. Diana Milner, who expanded their teaching to include experiences and applications outside of the classroom. “Real-life stories and passion were a big driver for me as I navigated my degree,” said Brasch. “With my goal of becoming an OT and working with people, I valued seeing how the knowledge could be applied.”

Brasch shared that scholarships and bursaries were incredibly instrumental as she worked through her degree. “Working hard to keep my grades up definitely benefited me, as my academic achievements were rewarded with scholarships,” she said. Growing up in a small rural town, another aspect that helped her in her studies was the welcoming environment at the Faculty of Arts. “Being a part of the Faculty of Arts means being a part of a warm, welcoming community of students and staff,” shared Brasch.

She advises current and future students to “not be afraid to wander from the path you initially thought was right for you. It took experience in courses to secure the right path for me. Have a goal, but don’t be afraid to explore all of your possible paths. You truly don’t know until you try!” 

Faculty of Arts General Medal
Melissa Schwartz
B.A. (French)

Melissa Schwartz is the 2025 recipient of the Faculty of Arts General Medal, awarded for highest standing in a Bachelor of Arts three-year General Degree Program. Schwartz completed a major in French and a minor in music. After graduation, she will be pursuing a Bachelor of Education at Université de Saint-Boniface.

Schwartz’s journey had its twists and turns – she started studying music with the plans of heading towards a musical career but then built a career with the military. During her time in the military, she learned French and loved it, and so when it was time for a career change she decided to return to university and become a French teacher. “A degree doesn’t necessarily lead where you’d expect,” she said. “You might not end up doing what you planned, but it doesn’t mean that you’ve given up on a dream. The opportunities that you embrace can lead to something even better.”

She advises students to be aware of the many types of student support that are available to them on campus. “Try as many of them as you can,” said Schwartz. “You never know what might speak to you.”

Congratulations to the Faculty of Arts medal winners.

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UM Bisons are at the centre of it all, making a difference here in Manitoba and around the world. 3058 degrees are being awarded at Spring Convocation 2025 (over 620 are from the Faculty of Arts), bringing the total number of UM graduates to 4200 so far this year. Many of these new alumni will stay in Manitoba, supplying high-demand skills to the labour market and contributing to UM’s $7.3 billion economic impact on our community.

Visit the UM Student Instagram  and Faculty of Arts Instagram to learn more about some of the students graduating in 2025. You’ll find congratulations messages from fellow graduates and professors, stories about fellow graduates, more information about convocation and tips for new alumni. You can also join the ‘Convocation conversation’ on social media by following #convocation2025.

The competition challenges graduate students to present their research, in French, before a non-specialized audience and panel of judges in only 180 seconds (or less), using a single, static slide.

On April 19, four graduate students – Camila Chacon, Diane Tshikudi, Patti Germann, and Courtney Marshall – each showcased their research to judges and the online audience. The competition was hosted by Dr. Jean-Eric Ghia, professor at the University of Manitoba and Honorary Consul of France in Winnipeg

“This competition highlights the presence of francophone students in our university, a pool of students who contribute to the advancement of knowledge and participate in developing a scientific culture in Canada,” says Ghia. “Through that competition and the spread of their research, they are a major vector for enrichment.  I would like to thank all the participants for their engagement through their community and their contribution en Français.”

First place, sponsored by the association francophone pour le savoir (Acfas) Manitoba, was awarded to Camila Chacon, a master’s student in the department of physiology and pathophysiology.

Chacon, a recipient of the Faculty of Graduate Studies Research Completion Scholarship in 2021, hopes that her research will help lead to advancements in optimizing therapeutics for individuals living with spinal cord injuries.

Second place, sponsored by the Ambassade de France au Canada, was awarded to Diane Tshikudi, a doctoral student from the department of immunology.

A recipient of the 2021 Mindel and Tom Olenick Research Award in Immunology, Tshikudi intends to establish herself as an independent researcher, working on better understanding inflammatory diseases and developing therapeutic approaches to help improve patients’ care.

All members of the UM community are encouraged to tune in and support her as she advances to the Acfas national final*, held in-person on May 11, 2022, at 6:30 PM EST at le Théâtre de la Cité universitaire in Laval University.

Third place, sponsored by the Ambassade de France au Canada, was awarded to Patti Germann, a doctoral student in French, Spanish and Italian.

“It is a great testament to these students that they can discuss their research for a lay audience in French. They have found a way to successfully communicate their ideas and inspire others with their passion and drive”, says Kelley Main, acting dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. “I would like to congratulate all the competitors and wish Diane the best as she competes at the finals.”

The link to watch the UM final can be found here.

*The rules stipulate that only PhD students can advance to the Canadian Finals, and as Camila is a Master’s student, Diane will be advancing to the ACFAS final. The national final will be held on May 11, 2022.

The MT180 competition challenges graduate students to present their research project in simple terms to a non-specialized audience, in French. This competition is modelled after the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.

The UM competition allows both master’s and doctoral students the opportunity to compete, and the top placing doctoral challenger will advance to the National final being held on May 11 at the Acfas Congress at Laval University.

The four challengers who will be presenting at UM’s final event are:

Camila Chacon – Physiologie et Pathophysiologie, M.Sc
Le système nerveux sympathique et l’intégration des neurones spinaux V3

Courtney Marshall – Immunologie, M.Sc.
Les différences sexuelles dans l’immunomodulation de l’inflammation par peptide synthétique. 

Diane Tshikudi – Immunologie, PhD
Effet de la chromogranine A et de la pancréastatine sur le processus de guérison de la muqueuse intestinale dans la colite ulcéreuse.

Patti Germain – Francais, Espagnol, Italien, PhD
Le Lieu touristique dans les œuvres d’Alain Rennais et de Marguerite Duras (1944-1965) : espace des violences présentes et passées.

Everyone is invited to watch the event online!

UM MT180 Final
Tuesday, April 19, 2022
4 PM CT
Watch online

Details of both the UM MT180 and 3MT events can be found at umanitoba.ca/3mt.

Dr. Asomah

Dr. Joseph Yaw Asomah joins the Department of Sociology and Criminology as Assistant Professor. He hails from Ghana, where he obtained a BA in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Ghana, Legon. Dr. Asomah is a proud alumnus of the University of Manitoba, where he completed an MA in Sociology in 2015. His research interests generally focus on human rights, international development, mass media, policing and white-collar crime. He has attended several conferences and has also published in both respected Canadian and international journals. Prior to joining UM, Dr. Asomah has taught at St. Thomas University (Fredericton, NB) and the University of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon, SK), where he also obtained a Ph.D. in Sociology in 2018.  

Dr. Brosowsky

Dr. Nicholas Brosowsky joins the Department of Psychology as an Assistant Professor. He is a UM alumnus, receiving a BA (Honours) in 2021 and an MA in 2014. His PhD was earned from the City University of New York and he held a postdoctoral research position at Duke University. Dr. Brosowsky investigates how people adaptively regulate attention and the consequences of control regulation across a variety of domains such as skill learning, creativity and multi-tasking. At UM, he is starting the Attention and Learning Lab.

Dr. Diehl

Dr. Lindsay Diehl joins the Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media as Assistant Professor. She received her PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of British Colombia, Okanagan campus. Her areas of expertise include Canadian literature, Asian Canadian studies, postcolonial theory and transnational feminism. As a creative writer and critical scholar, Dr. Diehl often blends scholarly and creative methodologies to explore intersecting issues of nationalism, settler-colonialism, race, gender and identity. She is particularly interested in how storytelling allows for personal, emotional and affective elements frequently overlooked in conventional forms of criticism. 

Dr. Gadzala

Dr. Krysteena Gadzala joins the Department of French, Spanish and Italian as a French Instructor. She earned a BEd from Nipissing University as well as a BA, MA and PhD from the University of Waterloo. Her research focused on child loss in 21^st century French literature as experienced by fathers. She specifically looked at the rituals, material culture and the writing process as they relate to the loss of a child. She has been teaching in universities across Canada and in France since 2012.  

Dr. Goulet

Dr. Nicole Goulet joins the Department of Religion as an Instructor. After completing her PhD in Religion at UM, she went to Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where she became Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies, and was Acting Director for Women’s and Gender Studies. Her research focuses on representations of race, class, gender and sexuality in religion, with a primary focus on Hinduism. Some topics of publication include how people use religion to fight gender-based violence and how to teach World Religions with attention paid to race, class, gender, and sexuality. At UM, Dr. Goulet’s teaching focuses on introductory and themed religion courses, as well as Eastern religions specifically.

Dr. Jenner

Dr. Jonathan Jenner joins the Department of Economics (Economics & Society stream) and the Global Political Economy Program as Assistant Professor. He received his PhD in Economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Prior to arriving at UM, Dr. Jenner completed a postdoctoral appointment at the University of Johannesburg. His research, situated in the political economy tradition, explores the roots and effects of colonial labour regimes, particularly in East Africa. Dr. Jenner is also a member of the Center for Popular Economics, an instructor at the Center for Justice & Peacebuilding in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and a Senior Researcher at the South African Research Chair (SARChI) in Industrial Development at the University of Johannesburg. He is excited to continue researching, teaching and learning at the University of Manitoba.

Dr. Murchison

Dr. Melanie Janelle Murchison has joined the Department of Sociology and Criminology as an Instructor and is happy to be back in Winnipeg. After earning her PhD in Law from Queen’s University Belfast in 2016, Melanie then spent six years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a Lecturer in Legal Studies. She recently held a British Academy Leverhulme Grant as a Co-Investigator with Dr. Alex Schwartz on Ethnic Voting Behaviour on the Constitutional Court in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Melanie’s recent work has been with Dean Jochelson (Law) and Assistant Professor Ireland (Law) on legal pedagogy in the pandemic.

Dr. Nijdam-Jones

Dr. Alicia Nijdam-Jones joins the Psychology Department as Assistant Professor. She earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology (forensic specialization) from Fordham University and has an MA in Criminology from Simon Fraser University. After her doctoral studies, she completed a clinical psychology postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Nijdam-Jones specializes in the area of violence risk assessment, malingering assessment, stalking, and the use of forensic assessment measures with linguistically, ethnically, and culturally diverse samples.  At UM, she is starting the Cross-Cultural Forensic psychology lab. 

Dr. Paris

Dr. Jamie Paris joins the department of English, Theatre, Film & Media as an Instructor. He is a mixed-race scholar from Winnipeg, Manitoba. He received his PhD in English from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver in 2015. Before coming to UM, Dr. Paris was an associate professor of English for Corpus Christi College at UBC. Dr. Paris works primarily in the field of premodern critical race studies, where his research focuses on the representation of whiteness in the work of William Shakespeare and his contemporaries. His secondary field is Canadian literature and culture, with a focus on non-dominative Black and Indigenous masculinities. Dr. Paris has published scholarly articles in Digital Studies, Canadian Literature, Renaissance and Reformation, Early Theatre, and the Journal for Early Modern Cultural Studies. He is in the process of completing a book on whiteness and racial crossdressing in early modern drama.

Dr. Schnerch

Dr. Gabe Schnerch joins the Department of Psychology as an Instructor. He has a range of teaching experience in undergraduate and graduate psychology courses across numerous institutions, both as a sessional instructor and as an assistant professor. He is UM alumni, having received his PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Manitoba. He completed his pre-doctoral residency/internship in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. His primary areas of teaching include ethics and assessment in school and clinical psychology. His areas of current research interest include the intersectionality of neurodivergent (e.g., autistic) and trans experiences; autistic-prioritized outcomes in therapy; and operant learning relating to infant and early childhood development.

Dr. Shaw

Dr. Kris Shaw joins the Department of Economics as Assistant Professor in the Economics & Econometrics stream. He grew up in Winnipeg and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Winnipeg. After earning an MA from Queen’s University and working for several years in economic forecasting, he entered the PhD program at the University of Pennsylvania and successfully defended his dissertation last spring. His job market paper studied the macroeconomic implications of replacing a progressive labour income tax with a progressive consumption tax. His research interests span the areas of public finance, labour economics and quantitative macroeconomics. At UM, Dr. Shaw will be teaching macroeconomic theory at the advanced undergraduate and graduate level.

Dr. Weinberg

Dr. Erin Weinberg is a new Instructor in the Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media. She has taught at Queen’s University, Brandon University, University of Alberta Augustana and Royal Military College. She earned her PhD from Queen’s in 2017, where she researched the emotions in Shakespearean comedy. She has showcased that work internationally, including a presentation at Shakespeare’s Globe and articles in New Statesman and Early Modern Literary Studies. She is passionate about teaching and learning and intends to dedicate her time to mentoring and collaborating with the CATL. Erin teaches entirely first-year English courses; her contagious enthusiasm has influenced a number of students to take further English courses, major in English and pursue graduate study. 

Dr. Yadav

Dr. Srishti Yadav joins the Department of Economics as an Instructor for the Economics & Society stream. She has a PhD in Economics from The New School in New York. Her dissertation research focuses on the political economy of development in India, investing the relationship between agrarian change and structural transformation through the framework of the Agrarian Question. Her ongoing research examines changing agrarian class relations in the face of growing rural-urban migration and the caste- and gender-based dynamics of this process through fieldwork. Her teaching interests are in Marxian Political Economy and Development Economics. 

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I am currently working toward a double major in Spanish and German Studies with a focus on second language acquisition as well as literature and culture. My enthusiasm for foreign languages has always existed somewhere inside of me. Ever since my final year of elementary school, I have dabbled in this or that language, learning a few phrases here and a new alphabet there. However,

Giessbrecht in Cologne, Germany

my interest in seriously studying to be able to really communicate in more than one language is really thanks to my high school foreign language teachers who managed to develop my fascination into a true passion. The Faculty of Arts is a perfect place to pursue this as they offer a seemingly endless number of language and culture courses.

I had also always been highly interested in studying abroad for a semester or maybe even two (NOTE: you do not need to be a language major or even speak another language to study abroad as many universities offer various courses in English). The only thing holding me back was the financial side of going abroad as I felt that did not have nearly enough money saved up for such an extensive undertaking.

Fortunately, I found out about several scholarships that I could apply for to cover the costs of my international exchange to Germany and as it so happened, I managed to receive an undergraduate scholarship from the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (German Academic Exchange Service). This allowed me to study at the University of Greifswald, a partner university of the U of M in Greifswald, Germany, for two semesters. Both the process of applying to the exchange program and the scholarship application started almost a year before the actual exchange took place. It all seemed like quite a bit of paperwork at the time. However, Dr. Alexandra Heberger was there every step of the way to help with the application for the scholarship as well as answering all the questions I had about the exchange in general.

Studying in Germany has truly been one of my favourite university experiences so far and is something that I will always look back on as the exciting adventure that it was. During my year abroad, I got to know many awesome people and experience different cultures, traditions and different ways of living and thinking (also, let us not forget about the amazing food). In addition, it was a great opportunity for me to discover and learn things about myself I had not known before. For example, living away from home has helped me to grow more independent and has made me realize how much potential I really have when I step out of my comfort zone.

Whenever I had a break from classes, I took the opportunity to travel around Germany and to other parts of Europe, like Italy. One of the most exciting adventures I had was hiking up Mount

View from Mt. Vesuvius

Vesuvius, an active volcano, with a friend I had met at the University of Greifswald. Looking over the beautiful Italian coast once we had arrived at the top of the volcano was amazing. It was a simply awe-inspiring view that had me appreciating the beauty of our planet… and, the nice breeze up there (especially after hiking up a few kilometers to the crater in crazy heat).

Aside from discovering new places in my free time, studying in Greifswald has been very beneficial to my degree. It gave me the chance to take several German Studies courses that different than those available at the U of M. I had a course load of four classes per semester. Some of the courses focused on the acquisition of German as a second language and its didactic consequences, while others were about the history of the German language and how it evolved into the language spoken by over 90 million native speakers today.

I am now in the final year of my B.A. and I might take a year off after I graduate. I do plan to continue studying and pursue a degree in education. That way I get a chance to, in the future, inspire students to learn another language because it truly does open doors to whole a new world. Furthermore, learning a new language, though it may take time, is something you will never regret because it is simply extremely useful in your personal as well as professional life.

If you are a student considering a travel exchange, my advice is: Go for it! It might seem daunting at first to leave behind everyone and everything you know, but it is a time you will always look back on and think of as one of the most rewarding adventures in your life. If you have any questions about a travel exchange, just get in contact with the International Centre at the U of M or visit the Exchange Advisor at the Faculty of Arts Student Services Office. They are ready to answer your questions or concerns and they do a great job of preparing you for the exchange before you go abroad.

Languages offered include French, Spanish, Italian, Korean, Japanese, Mandarin, German, Latin, and American Sign Language. For summer term, these languages are all offered at the introductory/beginner level and some are at the intermediate level.

Summer courses provide an opportunity to catch up or get ahead on credits, permit you to lighten your regular semester load, normally offer smaller class sizes and provide an intensive environment to engage in the language and get plenty of practice. The key to learning any language is participation. To that end, a Language Lab is available for oral practice.

If you have already learned a language other than English, consider expanding your knowledge of its vocabulary, grammar, culture, and even literature through the courses offered. Becoming more proficient at the language can help to improve your chances for success in school and in your career.

Why learn a language?

There is a bigger picture to learning a new language than picking up a few verbs and phrases. Courses teach more than just grammar and vocabulary. Students learn new sounds, expressions, and ways of seeing things. Studying a language can help expand your view of the world and increase your appreciation of other cultures and other peoples.

Transferable skills along with foreign language skills make for more valuable employees in the global marketplace. Studying a language can increase creativity, enhance listening skills and memory, and improve analytical and general communication skills. Not only will you have a competitive edge in career choices, you are more likely to be seen as a bridge to new clients that can be called upon to travel and communicate with people in other countries throughout your career.

Consider spending this summer learning a language. Exploring a language now could lead to a major, minor, honours, or master’s program in the future or it may open opportunities for travel, career choices, community involvement, and fun with family and friends.

For the full list of Arts summer language courses, visit Aurora.

Can’t take a course this summer? Even more language courses will be available from the Faculty of Arts in the fall and winter terms.

Laura Loewen, a member of the RSC college and associate professor in the Desautels Faculty of Music, is organizing the local event at the Winnipeg Free Press café on Oct. 28 from 4-6 p.m. It will focus on Economic and Social Rights, and will include music, poetry, talks, video and artwork. (RSC college members will again gather in November for a special climate change symposium., which is open to all.)

“We will bring together a range of perspectives, from the creative and performing arts to the scholarly, to examine how the Canadian Constitution might be re-framed to reflect the 21st century realities of our country,” Loewen says. “Our event will have a significant artistic component that is sure to appeal to a broad range of people. It’s going to be a lot of fun and enlightening.”

Talks by U of M RSC College members

Andrew Woolford, U of M Department of Sociology
Esyllt Jones, U of M Department of History
Tracie Afifi, U of M Max Rady College of Medicine
Tricia Logan (Community Engagement and Outreach Officer, National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation)
Shaden Abusaleh and Asha Nelson (Sawa Theatre)

Poetry

John Weier
Jason Stefanik
Lise Gaboury-Diallo, U of M Department of French, Spanish and Italian

 Music

Cory Campbell
Jane and Micah
Jon Gordon and Julian Bradford, Desautels Faculty of Music
Fred Redekop
Laura Loewen, Desautels Faculty of Music
University of Manitoba Concert Choir, Catherine Robbins, director

Video

JustTV, Broadway Neighbourhood Centre

Bernstein’s lecture: “Made in Manitoba Research: Advancing our understanding of inflammatory bowel disease,” will take place at 7 p.m. in the Robert B. Schultz Lecture Theatre, St. John’s College, 92 Dysart Road.

All are welcome and admission is free. A reception celebrating all 2016 Rh award winners will follow the lecture.

The 2016 Terry G. Falconer Memorial Rh Institute Foundation Emerging Researcher Awards were originally established in 1973 by the Winnipeg Rh Institute, now the Winnipeg Rh Institute Foundation, from funds set aside from the sale and production of medical formulae. The awards were renamed in 2016 in memory of Terry Falconer, former chair of the Winnipeg Rh Institute Foundation. These honours are given to academic staff members who are in the early stages of their careers and who display exceptional innovation, leadership and promise in their respective fields. The winners each receive $12,000 toward their research program. Typically, one award is given in each of the following areas: applied sciences, creative works, health sciences, humanities, interdisciplinary studies, natural sciences and social sciences.

APPLIED SCIENCES 

Puyan Mojabi.

Puyan Mojabi (electrical and computer engineering) advances the development of electromagnetic inversion, a process in which internal properties of a domain of interest are found from external electromagnetic field observations. Mojabi’s current research focus is on innovations in microwave imaging, Arctic microwave remote sensing, and antenna characterization and design. This research has broad applications in many fields such as: medicine (breast tissue imaging); geophysics (oil exploration); Arctic remote sensing (snow and sea ice thickness); antenna design, measurement and diagnostics; agriculture (grain bin imaging); environmental engineering (soil moisture); and industrial non-destructive evaluation.

HEALTH SCIENCES

Ji Hyun Ko.

Ji Hyun Ko (human anatomy and cell science) uses engineering and mathematical approaches to design new ways of looking at how the brain works. He seeks to find a better understanding of brain abnormalities in neurological and psychiatric disorders, using the development of functional brain imaging methods such as MRI and PET. He is developing imaging-based biomarkers and imaging-guided brain stimulation therapies for Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorders and traumatic brain injuries. His research allows for better diagnosis and prognosis, and to monitor disease progression and treatment responses more accurately. 

Kathryn Sibley.

Kathryn Sibley (community health sciences) studies the process of knowledge translation in rehabilitation sciences, a specialized area of health care dedicated to optimizing physical function and quality of life. Using an integrated knowledge translation research approach, where the end-users of rehabilitation research are involved in the research process from start to finish, her studies identify critical rehabilitation research-to-practice gaps and test methods to close them; promote more consistent research practices to ensure rehabilitation treatments can be accurately compared across studies; and develop new research communication strategies. She was recently awarded a Canada Research Chair in Integrated Knowledge Translation in Rehabilitation Science. 

HUMANITIES

Etienne-Marie Lassi.

Etienne-Marie Lassi (French, Spanish and Italian) conducts research that focuses on the way ordinary people experience life, relate to their social and geographical environment as well as to other peoples and cultures by studying imagined realities such as legends, novels, plays, and films through which social imaginaries are expressed. His research and teaching interests include Francophone African literature and cinema, film adaptation and novelization, postcolonial theories, and environment in literature and film. The notion of identity, of how people view themselves, is central to his research. 

INTERDISCIPLINARY

Neil Bruce.

Neil Bruce (computer science) investigates vision from a computational perspective. Understanding how people view, sample, and process information is critical to many application domains including interface design, marketing, medical diagnosis and in everyday life. His research involves the use of artificial intelligence for computer vision systems, and the application of computational methods and serves as a hub, connecting a variety of disciplines including computer science, neuroscience, psychology, chemistry, imaging and statistics. Bruce provides solutions to important problems in computer vision such as object recognition, scene understanding, and foremost, mechanisms to focus attention or processing on certain parts of an image to deal with the complexity of vision problems.

NATURAL SCIENCES

Juliette Mammei.

Juliette Mammei (physics and astronomy) studies the most fundamental properties of matter. She uses high energy polarized electron beams to measure various nuclear and nucleon properties, and even to search for new forces that have never been discovered. The most exciting aspect of her research is to use this method of scattering electrons to measure the weak nuclear charges of protons and electrons so precisely that deviations from the theoretical predictions will indicate the existence of new fundamental forces that have never been seen before. This new forces may be responsible for unexplained phenomena such as why we live in a matter universe instead of an antimatter one, and what dark energy and dark matter are.

SOCIAL SCIENCES

Chad Lawley.

Chad Lawley (agribusiness and agricultural economics) studies the economics of environmental and agricultural policy issues, including pre-emptive invasive species trade measures, land use and habitat conservation in agricultural landscapes, and supply management of the Canadian dairy and poultry industries. His most recent research has explored issues of farmland ownership, including the implications of farmland tenure for adoption of conservation practices and the impact of farmland ownership restrictions on farmland prices. Chad has recently completed two projects examining the effects of BC’s carbon tax on fuel use by BC households.