Fifteen REACH Award Recipients were chosen in November 2021, ten undergraduate and five graduate students. Please read below to learn a little more about their projects.
The REACH Awards provide funding to students doing independent research projects. The deadline is October 31. Connect with Vanessa.Moraes@viu.ca for more info!
Undergraduate Projects
Dasha Russel - Faculty of Social Sciences
Who has the Right to Feel Safe? Gender and Safety within an Urban Environment
A bit about this project: The purpose of this study is to understand the relationship of different demographic bodies and intersectionality and their relationship to their neighbourhood through cognitive mapping, with a specific interest in gender and safety. This research is being conducted to help promote a greater understanding of the vast and distinct relationships individuals have with their city and neighbourhood and aims to help better these relationships flourish by providing more knowledge in the literature focused on gender and safety.
VIU Research Theme: Equity, diversity and social justice
Lisa Kremer - Faculty of Social Sciences
The “Lady of Guano” and State-Sponsored Feasting in the Inka Empire
A bit about this project: The Inka Elite used highly symbolic, sensory tools like feasting to bring cohesion to their rapidly expanding empire. My project explores the meaning of a stylized bird-headed ceramic plate that was commonly found in the archaeological record of Elite Inka feasting sites. I present connections between the Empire's use of shorebird guano for farming, and a deity, named "Lady of Guano", which suggests the significance of the bird plate for state-sponsored feasting.
VIU Research Theme: Cultural, Heritage and creative expression
Emmerson Pollard - Faculty of Social Sciences
A Love-Heat Relationship: An Analysis of Relationship Satisfaction, Stress, and Resilience in Firefighters
A bit about this project: The Inka Elite used highly symbolic, sensory tools like feasting to bring cohesion to their rapidly expanding empire. My project explores the meaning of a stylized bird-headed ceramic plate that was commonly found in the archaeological record of Elite Inka feasting sites. I present connections between the Empire's use of shorebird guano for farming, and a deity, named "Lady of Guano", which suggests the significance of the bird plate for state-sponsored feasting.
VIU Research Theme: Health, resilience, and well-being.
Jenna McColman - Faculty of Science & Technology
Helminth parasite infracommunities and dietary analysis of the western toad, Anaxyrus boreas, and the Pacific tree frog, Pseudacris regilla, from south-eastern Vancouver Island, BC
A bit about this project: Parasites are one of the many interacting factors impacting amphibian populations, potentially acting as agents of host mortality. In British Columbia, very little information is available on the helminth (worm) parasites of native amphibians. The objective of this study is to compare the helminth parasite infracommunities of native western toads and Pacific tree frogs, and invasive American bullfrogs from south-eastern Vancouver Island.
VIU Research Theme: Integrated sciences, Technology and Environment
Taylor Shorting - Faculty of Social Sciences
Antecedents of Children’s Place attachment Toward Foster Homes
A bit about the project: Place attachment is defined as the cognitive-emotional bond individuals develop for physical locations, and is often positively associated with life satisfaction, positive emotions, and psychological and physical comfort. The collected data helped define the physical features in foster residential environments that may contribute to the development of PA, and can inform decision-makers, such as foster parents and social workers, to ensure that foster care settings not only provide physical safety, but also encourage place attachment. In this way, my research aimed to assist in creating better care environments for vulnerable children.
VIU Research Theme: Health, resilience and well-being
Hailey Arneson - Faculty of Social Sciences
Social Media Use: The Role of Psychological Symptomologies and Personality Traits
A bit about this project: This study intends to analyze how intense and addictive social media use is correlated with psychological symptomologies (depression, social anxiety, self-esteem, and social media fatigue) and personality traits. The results will help to better understand the possible negative effects of social media and give a better idea of how they can be avoided.
VIU Research Theme: Health, resilience, and well-being
Ally Badger - Faculty of Science & Technology
Habitat use and movement of coastal cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii in Shelly Creek, Parksville, BC
A bit about this project: Shelly Creek is a small tributary to the Englishman River in Parksville, BC, that supports a population of resident cutthroat trout. The main objective of this study is to use Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) technology to assess the movement behaviour and preference of instream habitat types by cutthroat trout in relation to stream flow conditions in an upper reach of Shelly Creek. The results of this project will also be shared with project partners, the Mid-Vancouver Island Habitat Enhancement Society, which hopes to use the findings of this research in their education and lobbying efforts in the City of Parksville to enhance the protection and conservation of the Shelly Creek watershed.
VIU Research Theme: Integrated sciences, Technology and Environment
Shawn Berry - Faculty of Social Sciences
Community Perceptions of Supportive Housing in Nanaimo
A bit about this project: This mixed-methods study targets residents who are currently living within 100 meters of four supportive housing projects currently being developed in Nanaimo. The goal of this research is to facilitate better discussion and information dissemination between the City of Nanaimo and residents during future Supportive Housing Initiatives (SHI).
VIU Research Theme: Equity, diversity and social justice
Kassandra Robicheau - Faculty of Arts & Humanities
The Power to Revolutionize the Real: Revolutionary Girl Utena and Lacanian Psychoanalysis
A bit about this project: This project explores the pervasive psychoanalytic theories of Jacques Lacan regarding gender, sexuality, and interpersonal relationships as they are presented and critiqued within the widely influential animated series Revolutionary Girl Utena and its accompanying film Adolescence of Utena. Rather than considering what Lacan’s theories tell us about these works, the aim of this project is to question what these works tell us about the validity of his theories and how they continue to influence dominant sociocultural systems.
VIU Research Theme: Cultural, Heritage and creative expression
Saphire Foster - Faculty of Social Sciences
Personality characteristics of Monogamous Relationships
A bit about this project: Over the past decade, mindfulness has rapidly grown into a popular topic regarding relationship satisfaction. This research aims to identify how predictable mindfulness and gratitude are of positive and negative relationship qualities. The proposed findings will illuminate how high and low levels of mindfulness and gratitude predict relationship satisfaction based on the associated positive and negative relationship qualities
VIU Research Theme: Health, resilience and well-being
Graduate Projects
Sarah Foulkes - Faculty of Social Sciences / Master of Community Planning
Planning for Sustainable Seaweed Aquaculture on the East Coast of Central Vancouver Island
A bit about the project: Seaweed farming is currently gaining popularity in many parts of Vancouver Island. However, the industry is struggling to expand due to competing stakeholder interests and lengthy application processes for growth and production sites. Studies from around the globe have found that seaweed cultivation improves food security and unemployment within coastal communities. This research aimed to determine what planners can do to make seaweed aquaculture more accessible for coastal communities wanting to establish this industry.
VIU Research Theme: Resilience of island, coastal and rural regions
Gursharan Kaur - Faculty of Education / Master of Education in Educational Leadership
Women Leadership in Higher Education in India: Perceptions, Barriers, and Success Factors
A bit about this project: This research project is designed to identify the barriers to women's leadership in higher education in India and to outline strategies to overcome those barriers. This project aims to address the existing gap related to barriers to female leadership in the Indian context and identifies and discusses the factors that shape the success of women leaders, who, against significant odds, rise above these challenges.
VIU Research Theme: Equity, diversity and social justice
Lihui Wu (Cindy) - Faculty of Management / Master of Arts in Sustainable Leisure Management
Chinese Square Dance: An Analysis of Its Fast Growth with the Constraint-Effects-Mitigation Model
A bit about this project: Chinese square dance is regarded as one of the most popular leisure activities among middle-aged, retired and elderly women in China. Incorporating the constraint-effects-mitigation model, this research employs a quantitative approach to dive deep into how motivations, constraints, and negotiation influence square dancers’ participation. A holistic explanation for Chinese square dance participation will be meaningful in generating interest and awareness, sharing knowledge, and promoting females’ well-being and community building.
VIU Research Theme: Health, resilience, and well-being
Leah Hough - Faculty of Education / Master of Education in Special Education
Descriptions of friendship in the inclusive classroom
A bit about this project: This descriptive research study is exploring how the development of healthy, effective friendships is described by students with intellectual and/or developmental exceptionalities (IDE), their parents, and teachers. This research would build on existing studies that looked at inclusive education friendship experiences by contributing knowledge about the experiences of British Columbian students, teachers, and parents to the field.
VIU Research Theme: Teaching and Learning
Robin White - Faculty of Education / Master of Education in Educational Leadership
Mean Girls in the Digital Age: Practical Approaches to Preventing and Managing Relational Aggression Among Adolescent Girls
A bit about this project: This research is driven by my desire to create safer spaces for my students since relational aggression among adolescent girls is the most concerning issue that is brought forward to me by my high school students. This behaviour is becoming more prevalent online and can be attributed to early adolescent access to smartphones and social media platforms. My goal is to find some practical approaches for preventing and managing relational aggression among adolescent girls.
VIU Research Theme: Teaching and Learning