By Jillian French – Contributor

As the winter semester neared a close at Bishop’s, Research Week punctuated the dreary March weather with excitement and energy. The week-long event, organized by research officer Joannie St. Germain with the Office of Research and Graduate Studies, was held over March 18-21, gathering undergraduates, graduates, faculty and guests to present research and creative endeavours.

Throughout the week, faculty and postdoctoral researchers presented their expertise in a series of research talks in Cleghorn. Topics varied from black holes to multilingual theatre. Students and staff gathered around with coffee and snacks to listen to the fifteen-minute lectures, which were followed by a brief question period. Numbered among the presenters were Bishop’s master’s student Benjamin Tabah and Bishop’s alumni Daniela Villegas Martinez. Tabah highlighted the value of experiential learning in his project, exploring panhuman themes of death and dying in theatre production through a draft play reading with several faculty members. 

Guest speaker Villegas Martinez is a recent M.Sc. graduate in medical physiology and a 2019 Bishop’s biochemistry graduate. Her journey with Research Week started in 2016 during her undergraduate studies. She returned on Thursday to present her findings on the processes of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) research. During her presentation, she offered advice to Bishop’s students interested in pursuing research. She encouraged them to find a specialty that interests them and take advantage of both summer research opportunities and the unique research partnership between Bishop’s and the Université de Sherbrooke. To students interested in med school, she added, research is the best way to prepare. 

Student competitions boasted a wealth of enlightening findings. Centennial Lobby bustled with energy as over 30 students (both undergraduate and graduate) participated in the poster competition, which took place on Tuesday evening. As judges circulated the posters, the lobby was alive with adrenaline. Students represented a variety of departments, including psychology, sports studies and environment, agriculture and geography.

Danielle Storey, an honours environmental science student researching flood preparation in the Eastern Townships, expressed that “it allowed students to combine their research with art and showcase their thesis through the week. [It] was a lot of fun to create and present”. The students each had ten minutes to present research to a judge, and five minutes to answer questions. In the undergraduate category, Mikayla Khammer took first for natural science and mathematics; Nicolas Baril for social sciences; and Stella Ruddy for psychology. In the graduate student category, Victoria Benny claimed first place.

The second student competition was Thursday’s Pitch Perfect Competition. The competition featured a number of three-minute presentations. Although topics showcased a diversity of research, from athletic identity to neutron stars, many students presented research on environmental issues. Some of these included wildfires in Newfoundland, sustainability in communist Romania and mental health in green spaces.

Danielle Storey’s presentation on flood preparation in the Eastern Townships won first place in the social sciences division. She noted that the competition was a “good personal challenge to try to compress our thesis into only a three-minute speech” and that the week “reminded me that there is such a bright future ahead after graduation from BU… it was a wonderful networking opportunity and a good way to push yourself to become more involved in the community”. 

Elizabeth Edwards, who presented on menstrual cycles in women’s fitness, added that “while it was nerve-racking to present, it definitely was a great opportunity for personal and professional growth”. Alongside Storey, Finley MacDonald clinched first in business; Mikayla Khammar in natural sciences; Leea Rebeca Ruta in humanities; and Elodie Lescure in graduate studies.

Anaelle Bohbot won first place in the creative arts competition, a new addition to Research Week. 

The week ended with a cocktail hour, where students congratulated the winners and mingled with faculty and guests. The lively afternoon was an appropriately energetic conclusion to a vibrant research week. The event was an enriching celebration of diverse intellectual pursuits and an exciting reminder of student success, both during Bishop’s and beyond graduation.