Safeguarding birds for future generations is crucial, says Chelsey Watts.

“Some of the essential sounds of nature when you walk outside is birds singing. I would hate to imagine a world where you don’t hear that,” says Chelsey, a VIU Bachelor of Science student majoring in Biology. “I want to work on conserving these habitats and protecting these species as best I can for future generations to be able to hear birdsong. It’s so important for our mental health for people to get outside and experience nature and part of that is listening to the birds sing.”

Chelsey is currently researching bushtits, a small grey songbird about the size of a hummingbird, that gathers in flocks in thick dense shrubs along the Pacific coast. Bushtits exhibit helping behaviour, which Chelsey says is rare in bird species. They are called helpers because adult individuals who are not the breeding pair will help raise chicks in the nest by feeding them or incubating the eggs and keeping them warm while the breeding pair is out of the nest feeding.

Over the last 100 years there has been very little research on bushtits, says Chelsey. 

“For studies on their population dynamics, it is important to correctly identify the sex of individual bushtits out in the field. Our current knowledge tells us that males and females can be identified by their eye colour. When all bushtits hatch, they have dark brown eyes and as they mature it’s believed the males retain this colour while the female’s eyes turn pale yellow.” 

Chelsey says there has been debate about this method of identification over the years and past studies have shown that eye colour could be sex-related or age-related. With the advancement of DNA technology, Chelsey can now shed light on this issue.

She’ll catch and release the birds through the VIU Bird Banding project. Chelsey will take photographs of the eye colour, biometric measurements like wing and tail length, and take two tail feathers from adult bushtits, to analyze them using DNA extraction and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. She will look for specific markers in the sex chromosomes, which will identify whether the bird is male or female.

Once Chelsey has sequenced their DNA she will upload the data to GenBank, a global database for genetic data. She says bushtit genetic information isn’t in the database so adding it allows future researchers to access that information.

“Every piece of research adds to our collective knowledge base,” says Chelsey.

Her research can give insights into the population dynamics of bushtits and studies like these are important to predict if the species population is increasing or decreasing. She says if the species is decreasing, researchers and conservationists can look at the bigger ecosystem picture to identify things that could be contributing to the decline.

While bushtits aren’t currently listed as an endangered species, Chelsey says it’s important to protect them because they are a native species to BC and Nanaimo. Chelsey says over the last 50 years there have been declines in bird populations worldwide with an estimated three billion birds lost from North America alone.

“I’m a bird nerd so hearing about the sharp decline in our local populations is upsetting to me. And with the effects of climate change, everything has a huge impact on these species that are small and are a part of nature,” she says.

Chelsey says lots of resources are put into protecting endangered species but she thinks it’s important to also study native species to protect them and their habitats before they become endangered.

Chelsey received a VIU CREATE Project Pitch grant to help pursue her research. She is being mentored by Drs. Eric Demers and Jamie Gorrell.

“Chelsey’s research provides an opportunity to combine molecular lab methods with ecological observations made in the field. She has embraced this chance to build up a broad set of skills as a biologist while feeding her passion for birds,” says Eric.

Chelsey became interested in bird banding after Dr. Eric Demers visited her second-year ecology class to talk about the VIU Bird Banding project.

“The first day I got to release my very first robin. It lit something inside me. I was like ‘You know what, I love doing this’ and I just couldn’t get enough after that,” she says.

Chelsey says one of the highlights of attending VIU is the hands-on learning she gets to do in the field. As part of her course’s labs, she’s gone to Cumberland to explore wetlands, she’s explored peat bogs and taken soil samples. For a botany class, she went to Morrell Nature Sanctuary and identified both invasive and native plant species in the area.

“You get a lot of hands-on experience in close contact with these experts in their fields. I don’t think you get that at larger universities,” says Chelsey.

Written by Rachel Stern for Vancouver Island University; used with permission. Find the original article here.

How reaching out to faculty about research possibilities opened up a world of opportunities

A moment of courage opened up a world of opportunities for Casey Hopper in his second year as a Bachelor of Arts student at Thompson Rivers University (TRU).

It was 2020, classes had gone remote and Hopper had developed a passion for psychology, which would soon become his major. He felt motivated to expand his knowledge beyond the classroom and was encouraged to reach out to Faculty of Arts department chair Dr. Catherine Ortner to enquire about research possibilities.

“It was a big leap for me to reach out to faculty, but she was really open and kind,” says Hopper. “She took me under her wing and even allowed me to present (online) at the Society of Affective Science conference — the biggest emotions science conference in North America.”

He became a research apprentice, and the next semester was hired as Ortner’s research assistant. In his third year, Hopper took another leap and began exploring research opportunities beyond the psychology department, leading to several roles within the Office of Student Research and Community Engagement. He spent a summer working on a team under Dr. Will Garrett-Petts, TRU professor and special advisor on strategic integrated planning, who was then the research director of a national research program exploring the cultural future of small cities. The team used cultural mapping to discover ways to engage more people in community research.

Hopper was able to take that research experience and use it as a springboard to future roles, including research ambassador, research coach, community-engaged research fellow and wellness ambassador.

“Casey Hopper took on a leadership role in terms of undergraduate research, co-leading the development of a report on the meeting place between community engagement and student research,” says Garrett-Petts.

“As a research ambassador he has become a mentor for less experienced students; and as an emerging researcher, he has made outstanding contributions to our cultural mapping and community-engaged research initiatives at TRU. Casey embodies the spirit of student research engagement.”

Ken Lepin awards recognize excellence

Along his academic journey, Hopper was rewarded for his hard work and commitment to excellence with several achievement awards — in 2021, he received the TRU Foundation Undergraduate Achievement Scholarship and in 2023, the Magdalen Mak Award and the Stollery Charitable Foundation Bursary.

His crowning achievement came in April 2024, shortly after completing the last final exams of his undergrad when he was awarded a Ken Lepin Prize of Excellence in Bachelor of Arts — given to the top graduating BA student. The selection considers academic achievements, research accomplishments, leadership activities and active involvement in the university and/or general community.

“I was super amazed and very thankful when I found out I got the award. I feel really thankful that all the work I have put in is recognized,” says Hopper, adding that receiving the award became even more impactful when he was able to meet his benefactor, Ken Lepin, in person.

“Meeting him inspired me to continue working hard and continuing on this journey.”

Engaging other students

Passion and tenacity helped Hopper forge connections that led to research opportunities early in his scholastic career, but finding such opportunities is difficult for many first- and second-year students. When Hopper joined TRU’s research rookie program as a co-facilitator, he helped remove some of the barriers that prevent students from engaging in research. The team asked students what was holding them back from exploring research opportunities and then gave them the tools to remove those obstacles, including teaching them how to reach out to a professor and how to connect with the research office.

“Peer support and mentorship is really important,” says Hopper. “Participating in the rookie program makes people feel like they belong in research and really boosts their confidence.”

Working as a wellness ambassador also gave Hopper plenty of opportunities to connect with and support fellow students, but over time, he began looking beyond campus for ways to make a difference. A book recommended to him by Ortner, his honours program supervisor, introduced Hopper to the often-disturbing world of social media content moderators and inspired the development of his thesis research topic. He was fascinated by the Sarah T. Roberts book, Behind the Screen: Content Moderation in the Shadows of Social Media, and felt compelled to delve further into the topic.

Hopper’s research, which he conducted with fellow honours student Hayleigh Armstrong, looked at the overwhelming burnout, including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression, among content moderators and explored how they regulate their emotions.

Content moderators act as the gatekeepers for social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. They are tasked with finding, assessing and removing content that is deemed unlawful or inappropriate before it has a chance to harm online viewers.

“A lot of the time the content that they view is violent, discriminatory or pornographic in nature. It’s really nasty stuff and they’re the filters,” says Hopper, adding that these people are often paid extremely low wages and receive little to no counselling or support to help them deal with the fallout from the work they do.

Based on that research, Hopper was again invited to present at a Society of Affective Science conference — this time in person.

“It was in Long Beach, California, and we presented with the biggest of the bigs from all over — like Harvard — which was pretty amazing. I was starstruck,” he says.

Hopper’s future plans include pursuing a thesis-based master’s program and then a PhD, but for now, he’s looking forward to soaking up the glory of convocation and getting used to his status as a fresh TRU alum.

Graduating with a BA in psychology (honours) with a minor in sociology, he’s grateful for all the research work he was able to be part of and encourages current students to make the most of the substantial research opportunities available at TRU.

“Research puts knowledge into practice and allows students to use critical thinking to test their knowledge in a new, applied way,” says Garrett-Petts. “TRU’s goals challenge us to become Canada’s leading university in research and scholarship based on community partnerships and undergraduate research training.”

Written by Thompson Rivers University; used with permission. Find the original article here.

University of Delaware hosts 10th gathering of Regional Undergraduate Student Research Conference

If you’ve ever wondered about the power of great mentors, you might want to put the 2025 Regional Undergraduate Student Research Conference on your calendar.

At this year’s conference, hosted by the University of Delaware in April, evidence of this power seemed to be everywhere.

Mentors were in every room and listed on every poster. They were there in person as organizers, keynote speakers or cheerleaders for young protégés. Others were named by students as they explained details of the research they were doing.

Research — and the scientific method itself — is built on shoulders such as these, with generations of experts building on the work of others and passing new questions along to the next generation.

Effective mentors know that good connections and partnerships can lead to great new opportunities. But many students do not see themselves in research-related roles. The RUSRC, which includes member schools UD, Delaware State University and Rutgers, with Lincoln University as an affiliate, focuses on supporting students from minority populations and aims to give them new perspectives on their own potential.

The conference has significant importance for UD, said Rosalie Rolón-Dow, faculty director of UD’s Undergraduate Research Program and the McNair Scholars Program.

“We’re a big university in a little state,” she said. “Participating with other institutions helps us grow and learn as a university and extends the networks of our participants. Who knows what new connections may shape your future?”

Rolón-Dow said each participant had valuable contributions to make.

“Maybe you are the only one of color, the only woman, the only first-generation student or the only one of some other identity,” Rolón-Dow said. “We hope you feel a more acute sense of belonging and recognize that who you are and the identities you bring really do matter. You bring something unique to the table.

“You are here,” she said, “and you belong. We need you. You have much to contribute as a researcher.”

About two dozen students participated in this 10th gathering, sharing their work in chemical engineering, sociology, Africana studies, health sciences, agriculture, environmental science, neuroscience, education and more.

Megan MacWade, a UD sophomore from Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, said she was excited to present her paper, titled “How Periods of Environmental and Social Upheaval Exacerbate Violence,” but wasn’t sure she would even be considered.

Her professor, Jeffrey Richardson, urged her to try, she said. “He told me, ‘You’d be really good at it.’”

And he was right. MacWade won the top prize for papers presented.

“These new scholars will be intelligent leaders,” said Richardson, an expert in environmental justice. “They’re looking at different issues with their presentations and they’re thinking through solutions. They have a level of passion about social change and intelligent inquiry is part of that. It’s exciting to see the growth and development and confidence. They are inspiring each other.”

Professor Myrna Nurse of Delaware State University was delighted to see the revival of the conference she co-founded in 2010 with Carol Henderson, who was professor of English and Black American Studies at UD at the time. The conference was suspended for several years during the coronavirus pandemic and returns at a critical juncture.

“This is a new post-COVID generation, dealing with their own issues and mental health stresses,” Nurse said. “This provides a continuing, safe space to still grow and still flourish.”

Nurse said good mentors were key to her academic trajectory. She mentioned two faculty members — Michael Cottsell (English) and Lucia Palmer (philosophy) — who were especially helpful as she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English at UD.

“They saw my potential as an undergrad,” she said. “They both nurtured me.”

And she went on to earn her doctorate at Temple University.

Henderson served as UD’s vice provost for diversity from 2014-2019 and now is the chief diversity officer and vice provost for diversity and inclusion at Emory University in Atlanta.

She returned to UD as a keynote speaker for this 10th gathering and savored the reconnections with former students and colleagues in attendance.

Raised in South Central Los Angeles, Henderson was a first-generation college student who lived the kinds of struggle she now works to help others navigate.

Henderson said she changed majors four times during her undergraduate studies.

“Education is about exploration,” she said, “and that’s OK.”

Research is an important discipline to develop, she said, because diverse voices, backgrounds and perspectives are needed in the quest for knowledge. Without diversity in research, much of history will remain buried or obscured by bias, disinterest or ignorance.

“Until the lion learns to write or tell their side of the story, every story will glorify the hunter,” she said, citing an African proverb.

“Education is about discovery,” she said. “Am I who you say I am? I didn’t see myself in the material in the classroom. Or if I did, I was relegated to 1619, 1863 or 1960. There was the Civil Rights Movement and then nothing else.”

A multigenerational lens is needed to fill in the gaps, she said, and now many historians and other researchers are uncovering stories that had long been hidden.

“That is your legacy, your responsibility,” she said. “I hope you will take that charge. You come from a community that believes in the brilliance of who you are.”

And each student carries the power to enlighten the world.

“Research, write and repeat,” she said. “Do the research. Get your research published. And repeat that cycle.”

Henderson urged students to savor the connections they now have with each other and to share their gratitude with those who have supported them along the way.

“When you go home, thank the community that birthed you — your mother, your other mother, your pastor, your professor,” she said. “They will feed your soul when the academy drains it.”

One of the students Henderson mentored while at UD — Brooklynn Hitchens — was among the first students to participate in an RUSRC conference.

Now a professor at the University of Maryland, Hitchens was one of the keynote speakers at the 2024 conference.

“I sat in the same chairs as you all,” she told the students. “I remember being terrified, feeling the pressure and terror. Little did I know that conference would shape the direction of my life.”

She urged the young researchers to consider three things:

• “You deserve to be here.” Hitchens said she has often needed such reminders during her journey and studying at predominantly white institutions (PWIs) such as UD can make the need for such reminders greater. She remembered receiving much support from the Center for Black Culture, the McNair Scholars program and from some faculty members. “At a time when people are actively threatening diversity, equity and inclusion in education, your research matters. You are value-added.”
• “Move beyond research for research’s sake,” she said. Research can carry impact far beyond its findings and the data analysis it produces. It can change policy, fuel social activism, increase awareness and insight of the broader community. “Constantly consider research as how it affects lives. What are the implications of your work?” Hitchens quoted the poet Toni Morrison to underline the importance of passing the torch: “If you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then you have the job to empower somebody else.” Research and scholarship are not just keys to personal upward mobility, but also can carry great social value for others.
• “Take care of yourself.” Hitchens urged students to make their health a priority — their physical health, emotional health and mental health. “Carve out space for yourself to mitigate the exhaustion that comes. Surround yourself with people who will pour into your cup.”

Two UD faculty leaders — Regina Wright, professor of nursing and associate dean of diversity, equity and inclusion in the College of Health Sciences, and Kimberly Blockett, professor and chair of the Department of Africana Studies — were central to reviving the conference and managing UD’s role as host this year.

They, too, pointed to mentors as essential guides during their academic journeys.

Wright, a UD graduate, was not aware of anything like this research conference when she was a student.

“I worked in a few psychology labs to get the experience I needed to get into graduate school,” she said, “but I never presented research until I was a graduate student.”

Blockett said faculty involvement is essential to helping students see these opportunities and act on them.

“Very few undergraduates have the wherewithal to seek something out, follow up on it and then do it,” she said. “This is not part of their world. It’s not something you would necessarily do even if you knew about it.”

Blockett said her academic journey started at Highland Park Community College, where advice from a professor changed the course of her life. He pushed her to start presenting her research and she agreed to give it a try.

“I was not jumping to take on extra work,” she said. “I didn’t understand what the long-term and even the immediate benefit could be. But he was constantly forcing me to do things I didn’t want to do that he knew would be good for me.”

She transferred to the honors program at Eastern Michigan University and by the time she finished her undergraduate degree she had done research presentations in Michigan, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City.

“I must have presented at least four or five times as an undergraduate,” Blockett said. “It’s not something I would have done, but then I got it. It was interesting to get feedback on my work and have the opportunity to do that. And it made sense. You were presenting on work you already had done or were in the process of doing, so it wasn’t on top of all the other things I was doing.”

Wright said such experiences are valuable for the rest of your life.

“It’s great training for anything you want to do,” she said. “If you’re going directly into a professional field, you need to know how to talk to people you don’t know and explain what you’re doing in terms everyone can understand. These are critical skills that should be practiced before you step out to that first job or even that first job interview.”

A sampling of student presentations:

• Afua Ofori-Agyekum of Claymont, Delaware, presented research on how racial inequities persist in Delaware’s public schools. She said she pursued this topic first as part of a class she had with Jorge Serrano, professor of Africana Studies.
• Natalie Sierra, also a student of Serrano’s, presented research on the Puerto Rican identity crisis and how environmental disasters and economic instability have influenced Puerto Rican identity over recent decades.
• Michael Earley presented work from a project he did as part of UD’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders. He and other students worked to develop low-cost water filters and water purifiers to help residents of Malawi after Cyclone Freddy devastated the East African region in 2023 with catastrophic flooding, leaving many vulnerable to cholera and water contaminated by E.coli bacteria.
• Emmanuel Ortiz, a sophomore engineering major at UD, studied catalysts that could help produce diesel fuel from shale gas. His work was part of an REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) program he participated in at Purdue University last summer.

Written by Beth Miller, photos by Maria Errico, University of Delaware; used with permission. Find the original article here.