Fifteen REACH Award Recipients were chosen in the 2024-25 academic year, ten undergraduate and five graduate students. Please read below to learn more about their projects.
The REACH Awards provide funding to students doing independent projects. The deadline is October 31. Connect with Vanessa.Moraes@viu.ca for more info!
Undergraduate Projects
Cala Annala - Faculty of Social Sciences
Cybercrime and Self-Blame: The Mediating Roles of Shame and Social Support Seeking on Victim Outcomes
Cybercrime (crime committed online) is a rapidly increasing form of crime associated with many negative psychological impacts on victims, including increased anger, embarrassment, stress, and depression. Cybercrime can be either financially motivated (e.g., hacking, online fraud, identity theft) or person-centred (e.g., online stalking, harassment, or defamation). Given that 70% of Canadians reported experiencing a cybersecurity incident in 2022 and approximately 30% reported feeling interpersonally victimized online, it is vital to understand the psychological consequences of these events. Notably, the lack of physical boundaries and the potential anonymity of the offender in cybercrime are often associated with particularly strong feelings of self-blame and shame in victims. Victim-blaming in society and the legal system is also common in response to cybercrime. While social support can act as a buffer that helps victims cope with the stressors of victimization, feelings of self-blame and shame may prevent victims of cybercrime from seeking this support. The present study aims to quantify the relationship between self-blame, shame, social support seeking, and psychological well-being in cybercrime victims by surveying individuals who have experienced cybercrime in Canada. In addition, this study aims to explore potential differences in feelings of self-blame and shame based on whether one has experienced person-centred or financial cybercrime. This research anticipates that uncovering the impacts of self-blame, shame, and social support seeking on the psychological well-being of individuals following cybercrime is essential for the development of social, clinical, and legal supports that will aid victims in their recovery process.
Department: Psychology Faculty Mentor: Dr. Melanie O'Neill
VIU Research Theme: Health, Resilience and Well-being
Chelsey Watts - Faculty of Science and Technology
Sex Determination in Bushtits (Psaltriparus minimus)
Bushtits are small, grey songbirds native to western North America and exhibit variation within their eye colour (Sloane, 2020). Females have pale yellow eyes and males retain the dark brown eye color of nestlings. However, this distinction has never been confirmed genetically. All Bushtits hatch with dark brown eyes and females undergo a complete eye colour change within a month of fledging (Ervin et al. 1975). Accurate sex determination is crucial for understanding population dynamics, as the male-to-female ratio directly influences reproductive success and species survival. It is estimated that over 50% of adult birds cannot be sexed by observation alone with an even higher percentage among nestlings (Griffiths et al. 1998). Modern molecular methods now allow for accurate sex determination in avian species. Using Bushtit feather samples collected in partnership with the VIU Bird Banding project I will extract DNA and use Polymerase-chain reaction (PCR) methods to determine the sex of each individual Bushtit. Lab results will then be compared with photographs of eye colour and body measurements documented while in the field. The goal of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of four PCR primer sets for molecular sex determination in Bushtits and to compare the genetic results with field observations of eye color to assess whether eye color is a reliable indicator of sex.
Department: Biology Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eric Demers
VIU Research Theme: Integrated Sciences, Technology and Environment
Lizzy Schafers - Faculty of Science & Technology
Soil properties, germination, and conservation of Hosakia pinnata
Climate change effects are widespread and affect all biological disciplines. Within a botanical context, it is having impacts on life cycle, germination, and morphological traits of vegetation. This is of increased concern for vegetation at the germination stage when seedlings are particularly vulnerable. Hosackia pinnata is a native legume to Nanaimo, British Columbia, and is on the endangered species list. It is also the floral emblem of Nanaimo. Despite this, little information has been published on H. pinnata. The purpose of this study is to determine the soil properties, soil types preferred, and the germination process of H. pinnata within a conservation context. This will be achieved by soil type determination, soil moisture content, and environmental manipulation germination experiments. This project will test soil types against environmental variables to determine which yields the best success in germination for H. pinnata. This data will be used to inform conservation efforts, augment species data, and promote further research.
Department: Biology Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jasmine Janes
VIU Research Theme: Integrated Sciences, Technology and Environment
Isabelle Desrosiers - Faculty of Social Sciences
Orthorexia Nervosa: Eating Habits and Social Behaviours
Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) is a serious condition characterized by an overwhelming obsession with food purity, quality and the pursuit of a healthy diet, which adversely impacts both psychological and physiological health (Lasson & Raynal, 2020; Pratt et al., 2023; Valente et al., 2020; Zagaria et al., 2023). Despite its significance, research on the prevalence of orthorexia nervosa in Canada remains limited, particularly in understanding the effects of conformity, health anxiety and social media on this condition. Most empirical studies have focused exclusively on specialized populations, such as fitness groups and individuals with extensive nutritional knowledge, neglecting the general population and the interconnected factors that elevate the risk of orthorexic symptoms in vulnerable individuals. Using SPSS to run a multiple regression statistical analysis, this study aims to deliver critical insights into the prevalence of orthorexia nervosa in Canada while rigorously investigating the relationships between conformity, health anxiety, social media use, and orthorexia nervosa symptomology. An array of psychological scales will address the primary research questions: 1. What is the prevalence of orthorexia nervosa in Canada? 2. How do conformity, health anxiety, and social media usage affect orthorexic tendencies? The study is scheduled to commence data collection on December 1st, 2024, with the final research report anticipated for presentation in April 2025. Findings from this investigation will be disseminated at various psychological conferences throughout 2025 and 2026. This research will enhance the understanding of orthorexia nervosa and drive improvements in treatment strategies for individuals adversely affected by this condition.
Department: Psychology Faculty Mentor: Melanie O'Neill
VIU Research Theme: Health, Resilience and Well-being
Janna Krasko - Faculty of Social Sciences
Children’s Memory for Conversations: The Effect of Emotional Content on Destination Memory
Destination memory refers to the ability to remember who one has shared information with (Gopie & MacLeod, 2009). The term ‘destination memory’ was only coined 15 years ago, and the research since then has focused on testing this ability in adults or individuals with cognitive impairments (e.g., Alzheimer’s). Building on previous work (Earhart et al., 2021), this study is one of the first to explore destination memory in children. Specifically, it aims to understand how emotional content influences destination memory in children. This is critical for understanding children’s memory in legal contexts, as interviews regarding abuse or witnessing a crime often involve asking children about whom they have shared information about the crime with. We are expecting to find that when emotional content is disclosed in conversations, it will be harder to remember who you told something to. This is because it’s likely that individuals will use more of their mental capacity as they select what information to share, especially when the information is more emotional. We will recruit 40 children between the ages of 8 and 10 to complete the study. A Repeated Measures ANOVA will be used to assess differences between positive, negative, and neutral content in conversations on destination memory. The findings could have important implications for professionals such as forensic interviewers, police officers, and social workers who engage with children during sensitive disclosures, providing data that supports the reliability of children’s testimony in legal settings.
Department: Psychology Faculty Mentor: Dr. Melanie O'Neill
VIU Research Theme: Health, Resilience and Well-being
Sebastian Cereno - Faculty of Science and Technology
Quantitation and Speciation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Alcoholic Beverages
Alcoholic beverages are some of the most consumed beverages in the world, with large social, health, and economic importance. Although it is a known fact that there is a causal link between alcoholic beverages and cancer, this is not well known to the public. This has been attributed to the ethanol present in alcohol, and its conversion to acetaldehyde by the body. What is even more less known however, is the extent of which other carcinogenic compounds contribute to the carcinogenicity of alcoholic beverages. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are an important class of potent human carcinogens that have been found to be present in alcoholic beverages. Current research pertaining to the presence and speciation of PAHs in alcoholic beverage is sparse, with most studies either being outdated (~10 publications since 1960), or too small in scope (no study tested more than 20 products). To better understand the extent of PAH contamination in alcoholic beverages and their contribution to beverage carcinogenicity, this project will 1) develop, optimize, and validate a method to rapidly quantify 16 different PAH isomers and 2) test a larger sample size of common alcoholic beverages for total PAH concentrations and isomers of particular concern. Alcoholic beverages are consumed by 80% of Canadians, and this project aims to bring awareness to carcinogenic compounds that are hiding in plain sight.
Department: Chemistry Faculty Mentor: Dr. Chris Gill
VIU Research Theme: Integrated Sciences, Technology and Environment
Bryan Lamprecht - Faculty of Science and Technology
Genetic Diversity and Population Genetics of the Endangered Legume, Hosackia pinnata
Bog bird’s-foot trefoil or Hosackia pinnata (Hook. Abrams) is the official flower of Nanaimo and an endangered species. The populations in and around Nanaimo represent Canada's only known extant populations. There is a critical lack of information regarding the genetic health and structure of these remaining specimens on Vancouver Island. This study will use population genetics to assess the population structure, genetic diversity, level of inbreeding, and relatedness. The purpose of this study is to provide essential context on the genetic health and resilience of Hosackia pinnata to environmental and human disturbance. These metrics can help inform future conservation management decisions to protect this flower.
Department: Biology Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jasmine Janes
VIU Research Theme: Integrated Sciences, Technology and Environment
Rosie Munro - Faculty of Science and Technology
A Computational Investigation of an Antimicrobial Motor
Antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria have naturally arisen from the use of antibiotics against various bacterial infections. As of 2019, there have been more than 2.8 million antibiotic resistant infections, 35 000 of which have led to death in United States alone. This causes strain on our healthcare system by increasing cost of drugs, patient morbidity and mortality, and resource strain from implementing preventative measures to reduce infections. Artificial molecular machines provide a potential way to circumvent the AMR bacteria’s defensive mechanisms. These are man-made single molecule devices that can perform simple tasks. One particularly promising device is a light-driven motor that is able to disrupt the bacterial cell membrane by creating holes through it. However, the motor also damages animal tissue and cannot be used in humans. In this work, computational methods will be used to apply structural modifications to the motor and to determine if the modifications increase the selectivity towards bacterial cells. Two attachments, eugenol, an antimicrobial agent, and indolicidin, an antimicrobial peptide, will be added to the device. The lipophilicity, or how well the molecule can enter the cell membrane, will be computed using the quantum chemistry software Gaussian. Simulations of the motor will be performed using GROMACS to visually assess how the motor enters the cell membrane and disrupts it. The most ideal candidates from this work will be targeted for future synthesis.
Department: Chemistry Faculty Mentor: Dr. Heather Wiebe
VIU Research Theme: Integrated Sciences, Technology and Environment
Isabella Loberiza - Faculty of Science & Technology
Investigating correlations between Bd, Haematoloechus longiplexus abundance and microbiome composition in American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus)
One of the leading causes of amphibian population declines worldwide is disease. The field of epidemiology uses the disease triangle to explain how the host, a pathogen and the environment interact to explain disease. The disease triangle, however, is lacking explanatory factors that we now know impact disease, such as co-infections and host microbiome. In this study, we surveyed the gut and skin microbiome, Bd presence, leukocyte counts, and lung fluke abundance in forty bullfrogs. We predict that due to parasites and pathogens interacting with the host immune system in different ways, the presence of one infection will affect the susceptibility to the other infection because one infection will modify the immune response, which may affect the second infection. My findings will be added to a disease framework that better incorporates explanatory factors that we know impact disease, namely co-infections and host microbiome.
Department: Biology Faculty Mentor: Dr. Andrew Loudon
VIU Research Theme: Integrated Sciences, Technology and Environment
Niki Gholamiaval - Faculty of Science and Technology
Understanding the Fate and Distribution of Tire-Derived Aquatic Contaminants
Aquatic ecosystems face increasing threats from tire-derived pollutants present in urban runoff. Para-phenylenediamines (PPDs), widely used as tire additives, transform into toxic quinone compounds (PPDQs) upon exposure to ground-level ozone. Discovered in 2020, a particular PPDQ has been linked to Urban Runoff Mortality Syndrome (URMS) in Pacific Northwest coho salmon, causing fatal effects even at extremely low concentrations. Despite the known toxicity of this compound, little is understood about the physiochemical properties of its structural analogs. This research investigates how the structures of PPDQs influence their physicochemical properties utilizing synthesis, spectroscopic analysis, and computational modeling of a series of structurally related, but different PPDQ compounds. An improved understanding of their environmental fate and toxicity has potential for applications in environmental risk assessment and mitigation strategies.
Department: Chemistry Faculty Mentor: Dr. Erik Krogh
VIU Research Theme: Integrated Sciences, Technology and Environment
Graduate Projects
Derrien Neubauer - Faculty of Education / Master of Education in Special Education
An Appreciative Inquiry into the Social Inclusion of Twice Exceptional Learners
This research project seeks to gain a better understanding of the factors influencing the social inclusion of twice-exceptional students. Twice-exceptional students are those who are gifted and have additional diverse abilities or disabilities; they have unique social and learning needs resulting from their asynchronous development and learning profiles. Currently, there is no research on best practices for supporting twice-exceptional students with their social inclusion at school, however, there are many indications within the research that these students experience bullying, rejection, and feelings of isolation. These social and emotional issues can interfere with twice-exceptional students’ access to equitable learning opportunities. Using Appreciative Inquiry research methodology, this study will explore participants’ positive experiences with inclusion and yield qualitative data that will provide needed insight into positive and potential practices to support twice-exceptional students social inclusion.
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Nancy Norman
VIU Research Theme: Teaching and Learning
Jennifer Lupichuk - Faculty of Education / Master of Education in Educational Leadership
Effective Organizational Practices that Support Elementary School Educators with Land Stewardship Initiatives in School District 68
This research study intends to highlight pathways and methods for elementary school educators to respond to climate change through environmental sustainability projects involving local community partnerships. The study question is: What effective organizational practices support educators to sustain involvement, increase access, and achieve outcomes with land stewardship initiatives in School District 68, Nanaimo, British Columbia? The inquiry will capture perspectives, stories, professional opinions, and experiences of eight educators about effective methods to support a sustainable future locally. Factual knowledge will not be produced; however, viewpoints of educators will be gathered. The research instrument being used is semi-structured in-person one-to-one interviews. The themes that emerge through coding may result to provide a small contribution to the advancement of organizational change management pathways with regards to pro-environmental behaviour and positive land stewardship outcomes locally in Nanaimo, BC. The data generated, analysis summary, and recommendations from this project will aim to support budget and policy decision making by schools or school boards when considering actions around land stewardship resourcing responsibility within education systems.
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sean Toal
VIU Research Theme: Teaching and Learning
Chiu Fang Lin - Faculty of Education / Master of Education in Educational Leadership
From Trails to Transformation: Investigating the Role of Long-Distance Hiking in Enhancing Well-Being and Professional Growth for a Taiwanese Educator
This research explores the transformative power of long-distance hiking (LDH) as a way for teachers to cope with the stresses of their jobs and avoid the increasing rates of burnout. Through an autoethnographic inquiry, the study analyzes my personal diary entries from long-distance hikes between 2019 and 2024 and explores how LDH enhanced my well-being and led to professional growth. LDH, known for its physical and mental challenges, serves as a pathway to personal growth by fostering self-awareness, resilience, and emotional healing. The research delves into how the author confronted deep-seated fears and trauma during these hikes, leading to a profound understanding of self and a renewed curiosity about life and teaching. The study also highlights the unique challenges faced by teachers in Taiwan, where high levels of stress and societal pressures contribute to burnout. The research investigates how LDH supports professional development by enhancing emotional regulation, mindfulness, and problem-solving—qualities essential for managing classroom dynamics and improving student-teacher relationships. This project offers valuable insights into how personal healing through outdoor experiences can translate into professional effectiveness, addressing the well-being of educators in a high-pressure environment. The findings aim to contribute to discussions on mental health, well-being, and professional resilience, with a focus on nature-based healing practices for educators.
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Scott Priestman
VIU Research Theme: Teaching and Learning
Lavanya Gopal - Faculty of Social Sciences / Master of Geographic Information Systems Applications
A Comprehensive Approach to Delineate Hydrogeological Riparian Zones Using LIDAR, Sattelite Imagery, and Advanced GIS Analysis
Riparian zones are vital areas of vegetation along lakes and rivers that play a crucial role in maintaining healthy aquatic ecosystems. They maintain water quality, provide shade, and regulate water temperatures, all of which are essential for sustaining healthy fisheries. However, these areas are increasingly at risk due to human activities and rising water temperatures, which threaten species like salmon in British Columbia. This research aims to improve how we define riparian zones. Traditional methods often use fixed-width buffers, which do not account for the natural variations in the landscape. This study will explore new techniques and advanced technologies such as LiDAR, satellite images, and GIS, to better understand the factors that influence these zones. The goal is to develop a user-friendly tool that creates flexible, variable-width riparian zones based on different environmental factors. By doing so, this research aims to provide valuable insights that can help land managers protect and preserve these critical ecosystems. Ultimately, this study seeks to promote better conservation and sustainable management practices for riparian zones, ensuring healthier aquatic ecosystems.
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Paul Zandbergen
VIU Research Theme: Integrated Sciences, Technology and Environment
Nikkitta Fame Asir Robert King Suja Robert King - Faculty of Social Sciences/ Master of Community Planning
Net Zero Permanent Supportive Housing For the Homeless: Investigating Cutting-Edge Sustainable Building Construction Technologies & Materials.
Homelessness in Nanaimo presents a significant challenge, inspiring an exploration of innovative housing solutions. This research investigates various energy-efficient and eco-friendly construction methods, technologies, and materials, focusing on the integration of low-cost social and supportive housing. The goal is to develop a unique sustainable mixed-development model that allows individuals experiencing homelessness to access health care, education, and a renewed sense of community and purpose.
By examining the design and planning required to address the specific needs of this population, the study seeks to create engaging and sustainable solutions. Key to this investigation are the principles of “Housing First,” the B.C. Step Codes, and energy-related initiatives outlined in the Community Sustainability Action Plan, which represents the OCP-Reimagined Nanaimo. A literature review of successful case studies on permanent supportive housing enriches the analysis, while insights from online interviews with architects specializing in green construction, modular home builders, and modular home manufacturers provide valuable qualitative data. Ultimately, this research aims to establish 'Net Zero Permanent Supportive Housing' in Nanaimo, proposing a distinctive, sustainable mixed-development model that not only addresses homelessness but also enhances the city’s-built environment. Through these efforts, the project aspires to foster a vibrant, supportive community focused on well-being and resilience.
Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Witty
VIU Research Theme: Innovation, entrepreneurship and Social Change