Research Award winners enjoy paid summer internships across campus

Undergraduate students are conducting research with faculty members again this summer, thanks to funding from federal grants, generous donors and Saint Mary’s.

The halls and classrooms at Saint Mary’s are a little quieter after the end of the winter term and the excitement of convocation, but students keen to engage in research activities are creating a buzz on campus.

Every summer, a group of students are chosen to receive undergraduate student research awards. These awards allow students to conduct research and scholarly projects with professors in their fields. These paid internships allow students to learn valuable skills that will serve them well in upper-level courses and eventually in their own honours or graduate-level research.

Many of these award positions are funded by federal government agencies, including the National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC) Undergraduate Student Research Awards program and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Others are offered thanks to generous donors, grants, and funding from Saint Mary’s. In most cases, awards are made possible through contributions from professors’ research grants. Those who receive awards are provided funding to undertake 12 to 16 weeks of full-time work between May and August.

A new category of award was introduced for full-time students in the Faculty of Science for summer 2024 to include a wider array of students. Designed for student-professor teams who propose a research project together, the Dean of Science Access to Research Awards focus on the proposed research project; the student's GPA is not a selection criteria as long as the student is in good academic standing. These awards are jointly funded by the Dean of Science Office and various faculty grants.

These summer research award programs are a great opportunity for our students. However, there are many other opportunities for students to work alongside professors. With research taking place year-round in labs and in the field, students are encouraged to connect with professors to discuss additional opportunities!

Benefits

“Summer research placements give students a chance to experience research work that complements their academic studies,” says Dr. Adam Sarty, Associate Vice-President, Research. “This program of Research Awards provides our most engaged and talented students with experiences that not only raise their connection to their studies but also greatly enhance their road to success post-graduation in either the job market or in pursuit of graduate studies. A good number of professors start their academic journey through these kinds of undergraduate research experiences.”

Selecting student researchers

For most positions, students earn their positions based on their academic record, breadth of experience and background, and their application letter—they can apply after their first year of full-time study. If chosen, they are matched with a professor whose work is a fit for their desired research. The Dean of Science Access to Research Award winners are selected based on the prospective value of the experience to both the student and supervisor.

Previous wins aren’t considered in the selection process; however, students with top academic records can earn positions in multiple years. Many Saint Mary’s students have gone on to pursue graduate studies, thanks in part to the experience gained during their summer work on campus.

Learn about this year’s student researchers

Learn about student research opportunities at Saint Mary’s.

Taylor Adams

• Fourth year, Honours Biology

• Supervisor: Dr. Laura Weir

• Research: Conducting research on Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) evolution by sexual selection. I will be constructing a pedigree to link reproductive success of lineages with different morphological and behavioural characteristics.

Molly Carruthers 

• Fourth year, Psychology

• Supervisor: Meg Ternes

• Research: I will be working with Meg on research relating to deception detection

Sarah Chiasson

• Third year, Environmental Science

• Supervisor: Dr. Colleen Barber

• Research: This summer I’ll be studying European Starlings with Dr. Colleen Barber’s lab, studying the birds’ behaviour, including mate choices and parental investment. To do so, we survey the European Starling population on campus, tracking the individuals through their life cycle.

Claire Cullinan

• Third year, Biology with a certificate in forensic science

• Supervisor: Dr. Christa Brosseau

• Research: I will be doing biochemistry research on the development of diagnostic sensors for healthcare applications. I will be using plasmonic metal nanoparticles to develop nanoparticle-based sensors.

Noha Jereen Hoque

• Fourth year, Honours Physics

• Supervisor: Vincent Hénault-Brunet

• Research: Our research group aims to explore the content, formation, and evolution of black holes in globular star clusters, which are spherical, tightly bound clusters of tens of thousands to millions of old stars around the Milky Way. We need to understand how black holes form, stay and change within these clusters to explore our universe at very large distances.

Abby Jolly

• Third year, Social Justice and Community Studies

• Supervisor: Dr. Val Marie Johnson 

• Research: This summer I will be partnering with the Centre for Migrant Worker Rights Nova Scotia, doing research on access to healthcare for seasonal agricultural workers in Nova Scotia. 

Alicia MacDonald 

• Third year, Psychology 

• Supervisor: Dr. Nicole Conrad

• Research: We will be doing a pilot study on a measure of reading comprehension in grades three and four children. We will also be writing a paper on orthographic knowledge and spelling outcomes.

Mimi MacNeily BSc’24

• Major: Psychology 

• Supervisor’s name: Dr. Tiffany Vu

• Research: Assisting in the development and testing of theories grounded in marketing, psychology, and behavioural economics pertaining to charitable giving, sustainability, and consumer well-being. 

Jillian Marks

• Second year, Engineering

• Supervisor: Dr. Jane Ferguson

• Research: Using innovative methods to measure key properties of molten salt mixtures for the development of clean energy sources.

Tehya Mohammed

• Second year, Chemistry and Physics

• Supervisor: Dr. Robert Singer

• Research: We are optimizing the N‑Demethylation process of alkaloids to make it greener. This is an important step in the synthesis of compounds like naltrexone and naloxone. 

Katherine Myers BSc’24

• Major: Honours Astrophysics

• Supervisor: Dr. Marcin Sawicki

• Research: Studying star formation and substructure trends in distance galaxy mergers using data from the James Webb Space Telescope. 

Keegan Riggs

• Astrophysics

• Supervisor: Dr. Luigi Gallo

• Research: Using data from an x-ray space telescope to analyze blackholes

Madhur Sharma

• First Year, Computing Science and Business Administration

• Supervisor: Dr. Ethan Pancer

• Research: Marketing and AI. We will be analysing the speed of spread and work closely with how virality works to understand the algorithm of different socials.

Daniel Wilson

• Third year, Biology and Geography

• Supervisor: Dr. Erin Cameron

• Research: I'm working on mapping in ArcGIS related to Indigenous knowledge of berry crops in the Northwest Territories and the spread of invasive earthworms in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon. In addition, there's also fieldwork sampling invasive earthworms in North Alberta with the goal of identifying species and determining their rate of spread.

Clara Wrightman-Dillon

• Second year, Astrophysics

• Supervisor: Marcin Sawicki

• Research: I will be analyzing photos from the JWST of the Sparkler Galaxy.

Katherine (Katie) Zinck

• Third year, Chemistry

• Supervisor: Dr. Danielle Tokarz

• Research: I will be using polarization-resolved second harmonic generation microscopy and birefringence to investigate the degradation of otoconia (inner ear crystals that maintain balance) and the structure of teeth.

Megan Barkhouse

• Second year, Biology

• Supervisor: Dr. Anne Dalziel

• Research: I will be involved in the collection, care, and research of stickleback and killifish.

Sydney Blackmore

• Third year, Astrophysics 

• Supervisor: Dr. Greg Christian 

• Research: As per the description found on the SMU research opportunities webpage: the “… project will consist of analysis of recoil singles data from an experiment measuring the 22Ne(alpha, n)25Mg reaction. This reaction is important as a neutron source for the slow neutron capture process, which creates around half of the elements heavier than hydrogen." 

Rachel Crawford

• Fifth year, Biology & Psychology double major, with a certificate in Health, Wellness, and Sport in Society.

• Supervisor: Dr. Nicole Conrad.

• Research: I'll be working with Dr. Conrad to study the effects of orthographic knowledge on reading comprehension in children and to pilot reading comprehension testing materials with elementary school-age students.

Maria Dereje

• Second year, Criminology

• Supervisor: Dr. Veronica Stinson

• Research: A variety of projects and developing research skills

Rebecca ElChater

• Fourth year, Double major in Biology and Psychology, with an Honours in Chemical Biology

• Supervisor: Dr. Clarissa Sit

• Research: I will be studying Fictibacillus enclensis, which is a bacteria that can promote plant growth and act as a natural fertilizer. I will perform extractions and sample analyses to determine its mechanism of action on plants.

Yacklin Huang

• First year, undetermined major.

• Supervisor: Dr. Mengjun Hu

• Research: Discuss Data Analytics topics with supervisor weekly; read classic textbooks of relevant directions to gain important insights.

Zéa Jones

• Fourth year, Anthropology and Religious Studies

• Supervisor: Dr. Sveva Savelli

• Research: Reviewing field notes and aiding in excavations at Incoronata greca, in Italy. 

Zoe MacDonald

• Third year, Psychology 

• Supervisor: Dr. Jim Cameron 

• Research: Very broadly- exploring the psychology of astronomy, as in feelings of awe (often induced via astronomical events) and how it can increase social cohesion/global citizenship identification and prosocial behaviour, as well as more general attitudes and beliefs surrounding astronomy, life in the universe, etc. 

• Baxter Madore

• Fourth year, Honours Computer Science

• Supervisor: Dr. Stavros Konstantinidis

• Research: I am currently modernizing and adding features to the I-LaSer formal language web server at SMU.

 Lindsey McNamara

• Fourth year, Honours Mathematics

• Supervisor: Dr. Mitja Mastnak

• Research: I will be studying the simultaneous triangularization of collections of matrices and further topics in linear algebra/abstract algebra.

Janine Mombourquette

• Fourth year, Honours Biology

• Supervisor: Dr. Laura Weir

• Research: Conducting research with Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes).

Lucy Pothier-Bogoslowski

• Fourth year, Honours Astrophysics

• Supervisor: Dr. Luigi Gallo

• Research: I am working on observational high energy astrophysics with X-ray data taken of active galactic nuclei. This work probes the extreme regions around supermassive black holes.

Sarina Scoville

• Fourth year, Biology

• Supervisor: Dr. David Chiasson

• Research: My research project will encompass molecular and synthetic biology, as well as microbiology. Under the supervision and support of Dr. Chiasson, my research will focus on the identification of genes related to nitrogen-fixation and the symbiotic relationship between nitrogen-fixing bacteria and legumes. 

Connor Smith

• Third year, Chemistry

• Supervisor: Jane Ferguson

• Research: My research this summer is to help design and start construction of an Archimedean density apparatus to measure the density of molten salt systems.

Kaveh Wornell

• Third year,  Biology

• Supervisor: Dr. Laura Weir

• Research: This project will explore the metabolic costs of courtship behaviour in Japanese medaka. In this species, males perform a characteristic courtship 'dance' to attract females and advertise their fertility. Furthermore, the degree to which fin size may increase or decrease the metabolic demands of the behaviour is not known. This work will entail a physiological study to assess the difference between the metabolic rate of males at rest and while they are performing the courtship behaviour.

Saint Mary's University appoints new Dean of Science

Dr. Sam Veres

Saint Mary's University is delighted to announce that Dr. Sam Veres has been appointed Dean of the Faculty of Science, effective July 1, 2024.  

“Dr. Veres brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to this pivotal role, and he will continue to build upon the exciting ventures already underway in the Faculty of Science,” says Saint Mary's University President Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. “His thoughtful leadership will ensure the continuing growth and success of the Faculty of Science, known for its research and teaching excellence.”   

Having joined Saint Mary’s in 2013 as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Engineering, Dr. Veres has since served as Graduate Program Coordinator for the MSc and PhD in Applied Science programs. In 2019, he assumed the role of Associate Dean, Student Affairs and Supports, and most recently he stepped into the interim Dean of Science role in 2023.   

“The Faculty of Science at Saint Mary’s is an exceptional place—a place filled with exceptional people who are extremely dedicated to delivering the best scientific education available while undertaking impactful, internationally recognized, and locally connected research,” says Dr. Sam Veres, Dean of Science. “I am very excited about what lies ahead—about enabling more students to experience Science and Engineering education at SMU and supporting faculty and staff to see their ambitions become reality. We have a tremendous pipeline of new initiatives—it’s really a very exciting time for the Faculty of Science.”   

Originally from East Dover, Nova Scotia, Dr. Veres has a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from Dalhousie University and a PhD in Chemical & Materials Engineering from the University of Auckland, followed by a Killam Postdoctoral Fellowship in the School of Biomedical Engineering at Dalhousie University.   

In his research, Dr. Veres investigates structure-function relationships in load-bearing connective tissues like tendons and intervertebral discs, integrating concepts from engineering, chemistry, biology, physics and medicine. His research has provided fundamental insights into healthy tissue performance, as well as tissue development, aging, mechanical damage and disease.

Dr. Veres’ research contributions have been recognized globally. He has received the ISSLS Prize for Lumbar Spine Research three times—one of the top international accolades in spinal research, which is presented annually by the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine (ISSLS). His research has been supported by grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and Research Nova Scotia. 

As Dean of Science, Dr. Veres will champion excellence in teaching, learning and research, fostering growth through the development of new programs, facilities and initiatives. 

Measuring the impact of social innovation in Nova Scotia

Saint Mary’s University professor and students receive Mitacs fund to study community projects

Dr. Chantal Hervieux and a team of graduate students will study the social innovation impact of Inspiring Communities

Across the globe, there is growing enthusiasm and support for social innovation and community-based projects that address critical issues such as climate change, equity, employment opportunities and newcomer integration. How can we determine if these projects have a lasting impact beyond their immediate benefits? Can social innovation truly transform societal systems and contribute to a better world?

These essential questions are at the heart of Dr. Chantal Hervieux’s research. As the Director of the ImpactLab at the Centre for Leadership Excellence in the Sobey School of Business, Professor Hervieux has been awarded a substantial Mitacs grant of $255,000. Her mission: to study Inspiring Communities, a Nova Scotia-based not-for-profit organization, and gain a deep understanding of social innovation, its approach, processes and impacts. Given its active involvement in the community, Inspiring Communities serves as an ideal test case and model for others.

Since 2018, Inspiring Communities has played a crucial role in supporting communities across Nova Scotia, from Digby to Cape Breton, using an equity-centred systems change approach. They aspire to build equitable, thriving communities through connecting communities, creating collaborative partnerships, measuring impact and maintaining a strong and sustainable core. By partnering with this organization, Dr. Hervieux aims to document and map their practices, ultimately sharing valuable insights globally.

Anacapri LeBlanc, a Master’s student in Women and Gender Studies, agrees that innovation in Nova Scotia deserves to be highlighted.

““Here, we have a not-for-profit that wants a rigorous assessment to know what’s working, what are strengths and what are the weaknesses in their process. They are very invested in helping Nova Scotians.””

— Anacapri LeBlanc, MWGS student

Anacapri LeBlanc

Jocelyn Li, Co-Executive Director at Inspiring Communities, emphasizes the organization's commitment as an intermediary organization to supporting equity-deserving communities, including historical African Nova Scotian communities, Indigenous people, racialized newcomers, neurodivergent people and people of differing abilities, and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. The organization relies on developmental and other evaluation methods. By sharing their data archives, they aim to chart their progression from evaluation techniques to program models that better serve their equity-deserving members and community groups.

Dr. Hervieux’s work, alongside that of the student researchers, will play a pivotal role in strengthening the evidence base for their programs. Anandalakshmi Anathara Prasenan, a student in the Sobey School of Business Masters of Business Analytics program, highlights the unique opportunity provided by the Mitacs-funded project.

Anandalakshmi Anathara Prasenan

““I chose Saint Mary’s because of its collaborative approach to research, emphasizing local community engagement. Through this project, I gain knowledge about not-for-profits and Atlantic Canada, and benefit from Professor Hervieux’s guidance.””

— Anandalakshmi Anathara Prasenan

Over the next two years, twelve graduate students from Saint Mary’s University will receive internships to conduct research within local communities across Nova Scotia. These students, drawn from programs such as Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Business Administration, and PhD studies, will apply their academic methods to real-world scenarios. They will also participate in training workshops, learning innovative impact assessment methodologies developed by the Centre for Leadership Excellence’s ImpactLab. This approach delves deep into systems and interactions, allowing researchers to trace the path of impact and understand where and how it occurs.

Prasenan and LeBlanc with Dr. Hervieux

Dr. Hervieux underscores the significance of studying Nova Scotian communities in the context of global challenges such as climate change, poverty, and inequality. In this tumultuous world, Nova Scotia stands out as a beacon of resilience and innovation.

Interim Dean Mark Raymond notes the impactful collaboration between Saint Mary’s University, Inspiring Communities, and dedicated graduate students, “Their collective efforts promise to advance social innovation and contribute to positive change in Nova Scotia and beyond.” 

Ritu Kanungo selected as a Fellow of the Canadian Association of Physicists

Dr. Rituparna Kanungo

In recognition of her contributions to experimental subatomic physics and groundbreaking discoveries in rare isotopes and nuclear shells; leadership of international collaborations in Japan, Germany, and Canada's TRIUMF, and service to national and international organizations, Saint Mary’s University physicist Dr. Rituparna (Ritu) Kanungo has been named as a Fellow of the Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP).

As a member of the 2024 cohort of this new program, Dr. Kanungo will join nine physicist peers in the previous cohort who have made significant contributions to the Canadian physics community. Launched in 2022, the CAP Fellows program’s inaugural fellowships were awarded to Canadian Nobel Laureates Dr. Art McDonald and Dr. Donna Strickland.

Successful Fellowship candidates demonstrate service to the CAP, including physics outreach. They must demonstrate that their body of work shows noteworthy contributions to research and development in Canada, as well as contributions to the professional practice of physics, applied and private sector physics. Educational activities or mentorship round out a successful nomination.

“I am deeply honoured with this national recognition from CAP, and I share that with my team of students, postdocs and collaborators,” says Dr. Kanungo. “This honour brings reward for the efforts of my team and an encouragement for the younger team members to see that the work we are doing is broadly valued. I hope that it brings institutional pride to the SMU community to have our researchers highly recognized at a national level. It also shows the internationally competitive reach for SMU students.”

A leader in nuclear physics, Dr. Kanungo’s research explores rare isotopes in nature to unveil the secrets in the core of visible matter in our universe.

“Accessing the short-lived rare isotopes in our labs is extremely challenging,” she explains. “Since only a few specialized accelerator facilities in the world have gained the capacity to produce them, accessing these facilities is highly competitive internationally and being able to lead experiments in them is truly a rewarding feat.”

Dr. Adam Sarty, Associate Vice-President Research at Saint Mary’s University, expressed his pride at having a SMU physicist recognized with this Fellowship, given his own past connection to CAP.

“Having previously served as President of the Canadian Association of Physicists, I am delighted to see that CAP has developed their national Fellowship program to bring public attention to the important contribution that physicists are making to science overall, and Canadian society specifically,” said Dr. Sarty. “Dr. Kanungo’s contributions to basic nuclear science and her leadership in the Canadian physics research community are truly significant. I am very proud that Dr. Kanungo received this honour and is joining a highly distinguished group of Canadian physicists.”

Along with her own research, Dr. Kanungo’s students benefit from access to accelerator facilities. The projects she leads as the principal investigator (PI) give students exposure, access and scientific scope at the international front line, leading to thesis projects for graduate and undergraduate honours students. At the TRIUMF research facility in British Columbia, Dr. Kanungo’s students have extensive hands-on access to her beamline IRIS facility. 

“I am very thankful to my international peers for the high value they have placed on my research activities,” says Dr. Kanungo. “Even more gratifying is to be able to open this access to the students and postdocs, providing work conditions and opportunities that only very few in the world can experience.”

Dr. Kanungo has led international collaborations in Japan, Germany, and Canada's TRIUMF. In recent years, she was named an American Physical Society (APS) Fellow and received the CAP-TRIUMF Vogt medal. She has given 93 invited talks globally and authored over 100 publications.

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About the Canadian Association of Physicists

The Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) is the voice of Canadian physics. The CAP is dedicated to highlighting achievements in Canadian physics and pursuing scientific, educational, public policy and communication initiatives that enhance the vitality of physics and physicists in Canada. The CAP represents more than 1,700 physicists working in academia, government and industry. It was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1945.

New data challenge early JWST claims about the age of the universe

A year ago, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) sent shockwaves through the astronomical community with reports of unexpectedly massive and ancient galaxies in the distant universe. The existence of such massive galaxies so soon after the Big Bang suggested that the universe could be much older than the 13.8 billion years the astronomers had come to accept.

Dr. Guillaume Desprez

Now, a new study led by Saint Mary’s researcher Dr. Guillaume Desprez and his team offers a groundbreaking reassessment. “The early results from JWST were a shock,” says Dr. Desprez. “Some astronomers suggested that textbooks would have to be rewritten. So, we decided to take a closer look.”

Early JWST observations of the early universe pointed to galaxies so ancient and massive they seemed implausible within the universe's established 13.8 billion-year timeline. These claims, initially presented in a preprint and later in a Nature publication in February 2023, prompted a reevaluation of our cosmic history.

Desprez's team, harnessing recent, detailed JWST data from the CANUCS (Canadian NIRISS Unbiased Cluster Survey) project, embarked on a meticulous analysis of these claims.

Using their new CANUCS data, the researchers searched for galaxies similar to those in the initial study and located at a similar distance, about 13 billion light years away. “We selected galaxies akin to the five in the original study and analyzed them in very similar ways. Our 20 candidates, however, proved neither massive nor old,” explains Dr. Desprez.

Dr. Marcin Sawicki

The research revealed these galaxies as young, not ancient relics. “The light from these galaxies took 13 billion years to reach us, offering a glimpse when the universe was just 5 percent of its current age,” explains Dr. Marcin Sawicki, also of Saint Mary’s University and key co-author of the study.

“They give us a view of what the cosmos was like in its early stages, but, contrary to the early claims, we found no massive, old galaxies there. If such galaxies did exist in the distant past, they must have been much less common than the early JWST results suggested,” elaborates Desprez. 

The team used new JWST data from the CANUCS program, which has observed many more areas of the sky than was used in the original study published in Nature in 2023. “This is important because by observing multiple areas in the sky, we get a much better, more accurate idea of what is typical and what is not in the early universe,” says team member Dr. Adam Muzzin of York University in Toronto, Canada, and a key co-author of the study.

This discovery solidifies the current understanding of the universe's age. “The universe's age stands firm at 13.8 billion years old. No need to rewrite our astronomy textbooks yet,” comments Desprez. The team’s findings, though not outright disproving the initial study, suggest that even if a few ancient galaxies existed in the distant universe, such old monsters must be exceptionally rare. “Even if one or two of the original study's galaxies in the end turn out to be massive or old, such extreme objects appear extremely rare—far less common than was first concluded with early JWST data,” elaborates Dr. Nick Martis, a lead co-author of the study, now at the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia.

These findings, recently accepted for publication in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS), significantly advance our understanding of the early universe's composition and evolution. CANUCS is one of the two main programs through which the Canadian Webb science team is using 450 hours of guaranteed observing time and is made possible thanks to the financial support of the Canadian Space Agency.

Read more: ΛCDM not dead yet: massive high-z Balmer break galaxies are less common than previously reported

David Sobey Retailing Centre awards three research grants to Sobey School of Business researchers

The David Sobey Retailing Centre is very pleased to award funding of $10,000 each to Sobey School of Business researchers Hadi Eslami, Bahareh Mansouri and Ethan Pancer.

Founded in 2014, thanks to a visionary and generous gift by the late Dr. David F. Sobey, CM, DComm’91, Chair Emeritus of Sobeys Inc., the David Sobey Retailing Centre is a leading expert and partner in the retail sector, shaping the future of retail through research, innovation and education. 

“Funding research in areas that are vital to the future of retail is a key priority for the David Sobey Retailing Centre” says Dr. Ramesh Venkat, Director of the David Sobey Retailing Centre, “Canada’s retail sector accounts for 15.6 per cent of Canada’s GDP and employs the most people of all sectors in our economy. An innovative, thriving and competitive retail sector is a vital contributor to Canada’s economy”.

Highlights of this new research are:

Hadi Eslami

Title: Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) Adoption and Shareholder Value of Retailers

Description: While retailers have been at the forefront of adopting the Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) payment method/system, we have limited knowledge regarding the performance effects of this adoption. In this research, we will examine how the adoption of BNPL influences retailers’ shareholder value performance across multiple consumer segments.

More about Hadi Eslami

Bahareh Mansouri

Title: Towards sustainable urban freight planning: the integration of micro-distribution centers into the urban transportation network

Description: This research project addresses the pressing challenges faced by the retail and service sectors in the context of urban freight transportation. It focuses on strategically integrating the Urban Micro-distribution Centers (UMCs), fed by the Urban Distribution Centers (UDCs), into the urban logistics network planning. This study employs optimization models, drawing from the Hub Location Problem (HLP) and the Location-Routing Problem (LRP) to minimize operational costs, reduce carbon footprints, and enhance customer satisfaction. 

More about Bahareh Mansouri

Ethan Pancer

Title: Consumer Responses to Product Innovation from Generative AI

Description: This project investigates how people perceive products created by generative AI compared to those made by humans, exploring the impact of a product's origin on its perceived value, trustworthiness, and acceptability. The findings aim to guide retailers in industries at the crossroads of technology and creativity in developing strategies that align with consumer attitudes in an increasingly AI-integrated market.

More about Ethan Pancer

Saint Mary’s ranked top primarily undergraduate research university in Atlantic provinces

Saint Mary’s University is the top primarily undergraduate research university in the Atlantic provinces, according to the latest Canada’s Top 50 Research Universities rankings.

Released annually by Research Infosource Inc., the rankings assess the research income and intensity of Canadian universities in four categories: medical, comprehensive, undergraduate and specialized. This year, Saint Mary’s placed 16th nationally in the undergraduate university category.

Saint Mary’s was also ranked 5th in Canada for undergraduate universities that saw the most growth in not-for-profit research funding, thanks to a remarkable increase of 208% between 2018 and 2022.

Research Infosource measured how well universities fared at winning funding from national granting councils, specifically Canada's Tri-Agencies.

Saint Mary’s placed 5th among undergraduate universities in two categories: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) research income as a percentage of total research income (10.2 %); and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) research income as a percentage of total research income (17.6%).

Additionally, Saint Mary’s was ranked 4th for Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) research income as a percentage of total University Research Income (5.8%).

“We’re pleased that Saint Mary’s is increasingly recognized as an undergraduate university that maintains a strong commitment to supporting high-calibre research,” says Dr. Adam Sarty, Associate Vice-President, Research and Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research. “Our rankings this year reflect both the strength and consistent success of our faculty in securing external funding, and to the concerted effort from the university and our Deans to support the research of as many faculty possible.”

In 2022-2023, a total of 97 faculty members at Saint Mary’s received $12.58 million in funding, representing an intensity of $43,800 per professor and $16,300 per graduate student.

Sarty also noted that the university prioritizes building trusting relationships with community partners and has a “high record of success” connecting professors to partners in the private and public sectors that need specific research expertise.

A distinctive position

Student Kyle Morton BComm’23 (at right) worked with economics professor Dr.Yigit Aydede on a ground-breaking study on the spread of COVID.

Saint Mary’s enjoys a unique position in the post-secondary research environment; a mid-size, undergraduate university that secures high-profile research partnership contracts,  conducts world-leading fundamental research (e.g. astrophysicists with leading roles in international space and astronomy projects such as the James Webb Space Telescope and XRISM satellite) and is a leader in community-based research projects. The university also provides unparalleled research opportunities undergraduate students.

For more information on Canada’s Top 50 Research Universities list, visit Research Infosource.

Researching links between animal abuse and gender-based violence

Sue O’Neill

Graduate student Sue O'Neill is combining her passions for work and public education at Saint Mary’s, with research investigating the connections between gender-based violence and animal abuse. During her first year in the Women and Gender Studies program, O’Neill is working as a teaching assistant with the Sexual Violence Support Centre on campus while also focusing on her career as the Manager of Programs with HUMANE Canada's ACT (Awareness, Collaboration, Tools) Project.

Funded through Women and Gender Equality Canada, the project aims to address systemic barriers to health-seeking, safety planning and support services for survivors experiencing gender-based violence and their animals (companion, farm and service animals).

The project has launched the ACT To Keep Families Safe Online Learning Centre, a culmination of engagement with 42 partners and collaborators across the country, including the Transition House Association of Nova Scotia. The web hub provides free educational modules with certificates upon completion, which Saint Mary's students can add to their Experience Record through the university's Career360° platform. Topics cover such areas as service animals and disability rights; supporting GBV survivors in rural, remote and farming communities; and self-care and compassion fatigue. Other digital tools available are information sheets, awareness and advocacy resources, case studies, templates, survivor stories and a quarterly newsletter.

O’Neill is among the speakers participating in the Listen, Learn, Act panel event on Thursday, March 28—a conversation led by community activists, academics, government and students to discuss how we can prevent and respond to violence while working towards safer and more empowered communities for all.

Q&A with Sue O’Neill

How did the ACT Project come about?
Our vision at Humane Canada is to have a humane Canada—to make positive, progressive change to end animal cruelty. But as Humane Canada was doing this work, we realized to make things better for animals, we have to make things better for humans because our fates are really intertwined. Humane Canada has been focused on a one-welfare approach to reach our goals of improving animal welfare.

Can you discuss the link between violence against animals and violence against humans?
We know that in circumstances where a pet is in a home where domestic violence is happening, higher reports of animal abuse are also occurring. We also know that the aggressors often use those animals as a method of control, either threatening to harm or actually harming the animal in order to control the survivor’s actions. Survivors don’t want to leave their animals behind, or won’t leave them behind, or will return to a violent situation because of their animals.  

Who can benefit from the online learning centre?
Some of the resources are for survivors, some are for professionals and we also have a lot of stuff for the general public. For students too, it’s a great way of informing people at the beginning of their careers, so they go into their careers with this knowledge.

What are you working on currently?
As we launched the ACT project, we realized that as much as we want to support survivors and animals in getting the help they need, we want to prevent the violence from happening. So, we’ve got a new 30-month project coming up, the Promising Practices Project. It’s going to highlight humane education and gender-based violence education programs that are specifically geared towards boys and men as allies in the prevention of violence.  

How did you get involved in this area of work and research?
I’m a survivor of violence myself and it changed my career path. I always thought I would work in education but I ended up working as a children’s counsellor initially at a gender-based violence shelter. I ended up working in management at the shelter and that’s when I created an offsite animal safekeeping program for survivors of violence.  

What is your master’s research about?
I’m not straying far from my work! What I’m focusing on in my thesis is looking at the relationship between survivors of GBV and their animals, specifically farm animals, working animals or larger companion animals. Through the ACT project, we realized there isn’t a lot of research for survivors who have horses or cows or llamas or 17 sled dogs, so it seemed like a huge gap. What do you do with 300 cows when you’re fleeing violence?

Why did you choose Saint Mary’s?
I was living in Vancouver finishing up my first master’s degree, my MEd, and I had done a little bit of research on Saint Mary’s. The campus looked breathtakingly beautiful. I connected with Michele Byers to find out more about the Women and Gender Studies program, and it sounded flexible yet supportive. She connected me with some other students and they just loved Saint Mary’s so much, so then I had to go. I really love it here…it’s got a community feel, which a lot of the bigger universities don’t have.

What is the best part of your work and your research?  
I’m very grateful to get to do this work. Especially as a survivor, it just feels so meaningful to work on projects that can help other survivors.  

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Further reading

• Visit the ACT To Keep Families Safe Online Learning Centre

• Visit the Sexual Violence Support Centre at SMU

• Learn about our graduate program in Women and Gender Studies

• Explore the Minor in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies

President’s Award for Excellence in Research: Dr. Luigi Gallo

Dr. Luigi Gallo with Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray at Winter Convocation

Dr. Luigi Gallo was honoured at Winter Convocation with the President’s Award for Excellence in Research for his contributions to astrophysics.

As an astrophysicist in high-profile international research projects, Dr. Luigi Gallo has been involved in major missions with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), NASA, and the Canadian Space Agency, and has received more than $10-million in funding for projects such as the Astro-H Metrology System.

Dr. Luigi Gallo

Dr. Gallo’s research interests include supermassive black holes, or active galactic nuclei, and X-rays emitted from the innermost regions of black hole environments; accretion-powered systems of all scales (e.g. cataclysmic variables, X-ray binaries, AGN); and the definition and realization of future X-ray missions. His work has led to discoveries that have altered scientists’ understanding of black holes, their formation, growth, behaviour and their influence on the evolution of galaxies.

After a stint in industry, Dr. Gallo returned to academia and completed his PhD at the prestigious Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Germany, and then joined JAXA before becoming a faculty member at Saint Mary’s University in 2007.

A prolific publisher, Dr. Gallo is credited with more than 80 successful observing proposals and more than 150 refereed publications written as part of his research on black holes and instrumentation, work with peers, and as a supervisor to many of his students and postdocs. He has also published work with large collaborations, including papers by the Hitomi Collaboration, which he made significant contributions to, as well as other publications on future missions.

As a professor, Dr. Gallo is focused on supporting the next generation of researchers, co-writing papers with undergraduate and graduate students who have gone on to higher-level studies and research of their own. He contributes significant time and knowledge to the advancement of his field through committee work and outreach initiatives and as a member of the Canadian Astronomical Society.

The President's Award for Excellence in Research honours continued exceptional contributions to research and scholarship conducted by a full-time Saint Mary's University faculty member. More information can be found at smu.ca/fgsr/presidents-award.

Congratulations Dr. Luigi Gallo!

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Recordings of the convocation ceremonies and a PDF of the convocation program are available at smu.ca/graduation. See the photo album on the SMU Halifax Facebook page.

History professor joins International Science Council Fellowship

Dr. Karly Kehoe

The International Science Council has appointed Dr. Karly Kehoe as an ISC Fellow, in recognition of her outstanding contributions to promoting science as a global public good.

Based in Paris, the ISC is the largest international scientific organization and the Fellowship is the highest honour it confers on individuals. Dr. Kehoe is among 100 new ISC Fellows appointed from around the world, and just one of four Canadians who recently joined the esteemed group.

Along with 123 previous appointments, the new ISC Fellows will “support the Council in its mission at a critical moment for science and sustainability as we enter the UN’s International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development in 2024,” said the December 19 announcement.

Kehoe is a Professor of History at Saint Mary’s University, and the Canada Research Chair in Atlantic Canada Communities.

“I was so pleased to have been nominated by the National Research Council—and then delighted to be one of four Canadians appointed,” she says. “It’s significant for me because it demonstrates the value the international science community is placing on the humanities; on the perspectives we provide. The ISC recognizes that interdisciplinarity is a necessity.”

The ISC Fellowship was created in 2022 to recognize eminent social and natural scientists, engineers and thought leaders who have made impactful contributions to science and society.

“Saint Mary’s is proud to have Dr. Kehoe as one of our Canada Research Chairs, devoted to Atlantic Canada studies while at the same time making such a large global impact. It shows the true strength of her scholarly work to engage communities and inform policymakers,” says Dr. Adam Sarty, the university’s Associate Vice-President of Research and Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research.

As a historian, Kehoe has long been an advocate of science diplomacy. She serves as a member of the ISC’s Freedom and Responsibility in Science Standing Committee and sits on the InterAcademy Partnership’s (IAP) Policy Advice Development Committee, and the Science in Exile’s steering committee (a partnership of UNESCO-TWAS, ISC and IAP).

As an ISC Fellow, “my main focus will continue to be science diplomacy through research and advocacy,” she says. “The benefits of research need to be made available to everyone, and the scientific community has a responsibility to be honest brokers in enabling access. This is my priority—it’s the only way to rebuild and retain trust in science.”

Among many other achievements, Kehoe was president of the Royal Society of Canada’s (RSC) College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists (2020-2022) and is the founder and lead of the RSC’s At-Risk and Displaced Academics and Artists (ARDAA) program. She also co-founded the At-Risk and Academic Refugee Membership programme (Young Academy of Scotland) and the At-Risk Scholar Initiative (Global Young Academy).

"The ISC Fellowship recognizes individuals who are ambassadors and advocates working tirelessly for science internationally and for the vital importance of evidence-informed policymaking,” Professor Terrence Forrester, Chair of the ISC Fellowship Council, said in the announcement. “ISC Fellows hail from wide-ranging geographies, sectors, disciplines and career stages, and we look forward to working with them all in multiple capacities in the coming months and years."

In her research at Saint Mary’s, Kehoe explores settler colonialism and how religious minority migrants acquired and exercised colonial privilege in the north Atlantic world between 1750 and 1850. She also examines the complex links between Catholic colonialism in the Caribbean and what would become Atlantic Canada. Her most recent book is Empire and Emancipation: Scottish and Irish Catholics at the Atlantic Fringe (University of Toronto Press, 2022).

Kehoe has also held research fellowships at Trinity College Dublin, Durham University, Middle Tennessee State University, Yale University, and the University of Guelph. She is the Convenor of the Scottish Historical Review Trust and a fellow of the Royal Historical Society. She is the board chairperson and academic lead of the Gorsebrook Research Institute for Atlantic Canada Studies.

Related links:

• Read the International Science Council’s announcement

• Learn more about Dr. Karly Kehoe’s research and advocacy work

• See Dr. Kehoe’s research bio.

Sobey School globally recognized for supporting UN initiative

The Sobey School of Business has been named PRME Champions for 2024-2025. This is the third time the school has been reaffirmed as one of the world’s leading business schools, supporting the United Nations initiative - Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME). 

“Once again, we are proud to be recognized as PRME Champions,” says Interim Dean, Mark Raymond. “The recognition places the Sobey School in a select group of business schools across the globe who are committed to sustainability and to educating the business leaders of tomorrow to make a positive impact on the world.”

As PRME Champions, the Sobey School is integrating the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across curriculum, research, and partnerships. Currently, the school’s research agenda is aligned to support the SDGs as faculty generate insights on issues such as corporate social responsibility, poverty-climate change nexus, social entrepreneurship, and the role of gender in venture capital funding. The research intensity associated with the SDGs is a strong point of distinction for the school. Nearly 50% of the faculty have contributed to the portfolio of research aligned with the SDGs with 65% of all research-active faculty engaged in SDG-related research.

The school has also adapted its curriculum to meet PRME objectives and in response to student demand. Professor Miguel Morales notes, “Over the past three years, we have strategically adapted the Bachelor of Commerce curriculum to embed sustainability as a core component. The renewed Program Learning Outcomes place a strong emphasis on sustainability, and in Winter 2024, we are introducing two dedicated sustainability courses. These core courses serve as pillars for developing a deep-rooted awareness of sustainable business practices early in students' academic journeys.” As a result, Sobey School students graduate with a distinct advantage; they are prepared for the new world of business, one that requires responsible leaders to rise to global challenges in new, integrated ways.

For the 2024-2025 PRME programme cycle, the Sobey School has committed to the refreshed Seven PRME Principles and, in keeping with the new principle on Practice to “adopt responsible and accountable management principles in our own governance and operations”, is championing the university’s completion of the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

Sobey is one of only four business schools from Canada to be considered a Champion of PRME. There are 46 other business schools from around the world to be named Champion. The Sobey School is the oldest and the most accredited business school in Atlantic Canada offering the largest portfolio of disciplines and programs graduate programs east of Quebec.  

Psychology professor studies the silent epidemic of burnout in healthcare

Healthcare workers are stressed and overworked—the pandemic only made it worse. Dr. Debra Gilin and her team study the effects of burnout in healthcare.

Dr. Debra Gilin works with Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley and a team of psychology graduate students to research burnout in healthcare workers.

Within the sanitized halls of hospitals and clinics, a silent epidemic is wreaking havoc among the very caregivers we depend on.

Burnout within the medical field has become an alarming concern across the globe, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, where uncertainty and growing hospitalization numbers impacted the well-being of healthcare professionals who worked tirelessly to slow the spread of the virus.

According to Dr. Debra Gilin, professor of psychology and graduate program coordinator for the Department of Psychology at Saint Mary's University, burnout among healthcare workers has been going on long before the pandemic.

“Doctors and nurses were already burnt out from the normal structure of the healthcare system, and then you added COVID, where people were dying,” she explained. “So, the stakes were really high, and they experienced what they described as a ‘moral distress,’ because they couldn’t help the person the way they should be able to under medical oath.”

Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley

Together with her colleague, Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley, and a team of graduate students specializing in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Dr. Gilin and her team decided to study the effects of burnout in healthcare workers. The 2020 study—funded through a collaboration with the Nova Scotia Health Research Coalition/ Research Nova Scotia— focused specifically on burnout during COVID and how the pandemic compounded the existing crisis that healthcare workers are experiencing. 

“We wanted to use the knowledge we gained [through the study] to create some intervention courses that could actually help leaders and the people that they lead in healthcare, not get as burned out during the pandemic,” she said.

How do you measure burnout?

Burnout is more than just being tired. It’s a complex and multifaceted condition that includes emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a diminished sense of personal accomplishment.

But how does one measure these emotions?

Using homecare nurses, nursing leaders, and medical faculty leaders as participants, Dr. Gilin and her team embarked on a seemingly Sisyphean mission.

“We couldn't change that people were being re-deployed to other health units, we couldn't change that they weren't always getting good communication or didn't always have PPE,” she said. “But we could help leaders realize that sometimes what they need to do is just be honestly validating and supportive, and that's materially useful, not only to themselves but to the people that they lead.”

The study groups had to take a six-week course over Zoom, where they learned about supportive leadership skills, the science of a brain under stress, how to recover from burnout, and leadership skills around conflict and empathy. Funds from the Research Coalition/Research Nova Scotia, and partner organizations, helped further refine their study.

“With the funding, we were able to give them a Fitbit, and we tracked their self-reported burnout, their health behaviors and their stress response, as measured by their resting heart rate during sleep,” Dr. Gilin explained.

The participants were broken into two groups: those who started the course earlier and those who took it later and served as a control group. The team saw that those waiting for the course had escalated resting heart rates as they tried to navigate the stress of the pandemic and avoid catching the disease. Once they started the course, their resting heart rates would level off and then start to come down.

“This is being recorded during sleep, so there’s nothing you can do to fake that,” said Dr. Gilin. “And the self-report surveys they were answering gave the same story… we had biological data and survey data that corroborated one another, so we felt like we were onto something.”

Systemic challenges and the way forward

While burnout is a personal experience, its root causes are deeply intertwined with systemic challenges within the healthcare industry.

Excessive workload, long on-call shifts, inadequate staffing levels, unfair policies and unpredictability in the workplace, are a few of the factors that healthcare workers have to deal with daily.

“We’re not so naïve as to assume that we’re able to change the healthcare system,” Dr. Gilin explained. “There are things about how funding happens and how people are trained that can lead to an unhealthy culture and unhealthy workload, but I think there’s been a shift in recognizing that working people so hard is counter-productive.”

The team is also working with web developers to create apps and offer the six-week course to health practitioners outside of Nova Scotia who are looking to manage their burnout as well.

“We plan to cut up the course into little videos and activities that people can complete every day,” said Dr. Gilin. “We have a mock-up ready and have the funding to continue moving these courses to a more accessible format for workplaces across Canada.” The team is currently conducting a research study on the effectiveness of the app-based course. Leaders who are interested in participating in the research will get access to the app for free. For more information contact phs@smu.ca, debra.gilin@smu.ca, or DrDayna@impactme.app.

For those experiencing burnout— regardless of profession— Dr. Gilin advises to actively take the time to rest and find joy through hobbies, activities and other social interactions.

“Take some time to reflect on what are the more energizing and fulfilling aspects of the work that you do,” she said. “Try to find a creative way to shift the balance, so that what makes you show up every day becomes a reasonable part of your day.”