The , published in Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, shows that municipalities may not need new infrastructure to become 鈥渟marter鈥� and explores how to use the city itself as the sensor.

Urban planners depend on data to support decisions ranging from parking management and road maintenance to traffic operations and environmental monitoring, explains Elham Heydari-Gharaei, the study鈥檚 first author and 91亚色 PhD alum. Collecting that information across an entire city, however, can require expensive networks of fixed sensors.

鈥淚t struck me that while municipalities spend millions installing and maintaining fixed sensors, thousands of vehicles are already travelling through urban streets every day,鈥� says Heydari-Gharaei, who is now an assistant professor at Toronto Metropolitan University. 鈥淭hat made me wonder: What if the city itself could become the sensor?鈥�

By strategically coordinating vehicles equipped as mobile sensors, bicycles, maintenance vehicles, municipal fleets and shared mobility services could gather and share information as they move through urban areas.

鈥淭he key challenge is coordinating those vehicles efficiently, so the data remains reliable while keeping costs manageable,鈥� says Heydari-Gharaei. 鈥淏y solving that coordination problem, cities can collect reliable, up-to-date information while making better use of existing resources.鈥�

In response, the research team developed algorithms to help planners evaluate operational scenarios. They assessed factors such as sensing frequency, fleet size and service routes, while scaling solutions for large urban networks.

One finding that stood out emerged from a Toronto case study. Researchers found that only about one-quarter of Toronto鈥檚 Bike Share fleet could monitor the entire permit parking network if equipped with sensors and strategically routed. The result highlights how optimization can significantly reduce the resources needed for city-wide monitoring.

Mehdi Nourinejad, associate professor at the and Heydari-Gharaei's doctoral supervisor, says the implications for mobile sensing systems could enhance data retrieval for infrastructure inspection, environmental monitoring, traffic management and other smart-city applications.

鈥淐ities already have thousands of vehicles moving through their streets every day and the key is to develop optimization methods that determine how those vehicles should be routed and deployed to collect reliable data,鈥� says Nourinejad. 鈥淚f cities can collect reliable information using resources they already operate, they may be able to improve services without major new expenditures.鈥�

The findings could also help address financial barriers experienced by municipalities seeking to expand data collection without making large investments in smart-city infrastructure.

Reliable urban data, says Heydari-Gharaei, supports everyday decisions, from helping drivers find parking to monitoring road conditions, air quality and public infrastructure. Better data, says Heydari-Gharaei, can support better planning, reduced congestion, improved sustainability and more responsive public services.

鈥淎s sensing technologies continue to improve, there is enormous potential to rethink how cities gather information without continuously investing in new infrastructure,鈥� says Heydari-Gharaei.

During the project, 91亚色 researchers collaborated with Professor Matthew Roorda from the University of Toronto, who contributed expertise in freight transportation and urban mobility.

With files from Alex Huls

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Patrick Abure (MA鈥�26), who graduated from the Development Studies (DVST) program, received the Canadian Association for the Study of International Development (CASID)  Institutional Membership Prize for his student essay Institutionalising Legitimacy: Gendered Gatekeeping, Women Refugee-Led Organisations, and the Limits of Localisation in Uganda.

The paper explores why women refugee-led organizations in Uganda are trusted by the communities they serve while continuing to face barriers to direct funding, partnerships and participation in decision-making processes.

Abure drew on interviews with leaders and community members served by three women refugee-led organizations in the Bidibidi and Imvepi refugee settlements, located in northwestern Uganda. His research examines how factors such as registration requirements, audits, reporting expectations, budgets, infrastructure, networks and gendered expectations can affect the recognition and support women refugee-led organizations receive.

鈥淩eceiving the CASID Institutional Membership Prize for my paper is a deeply meaningful honour,鈥� says Abure. 鈥淭his recognition affirms the importance of research that centres refugee knowledge, leadership, and lived experience, especially the work of women refugee leaders serving communities affected by humanitarian crises.鈥�

He hopes that more refugee-led research like his can help challenge assumptions about 鈥渨ho is seen as an expert, a leader and a legitimate actor in humanitarian response.鈥�

Valerie Lawson (MA鈥�25), also a graduate of DVST, received the 2026 Fraser Taylor Prize from the Canadian Association of African Studies (CAAS), which recognizes the best graduate student paper presented at the previous CAAS conference and supports publication of the winning paper in the Canadian Journal of African Studies.

Lawson was awarded for her research, Health Care Access: An Analysis of the National Health Insurance Scheme in Accra, Ghana, which investigates how people enrolled in Ghana鈥檚 public health insurance program can still face out-of-pocket health-care costs and how those expenses affect health-care-seeking behaviour and financial well-being.

Through interviews with National Health Insurance Scheme subscribers, Lawson examines how systemic inefficiencies, coverage gaps and socioeconomic factors influence access to care and public trust in health-care systems. By situating these challenges within broader policy and political-economic contexts, her research contributes to discussions on universal health coverage and the impacts of health reforms across Africa.

Lawson鈥檚 work was supported by 91亚色 through the Dahdaleh Global Health Graduate Scholarship from the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research and the Greta Coger Travel Fund from the Harriet Tubman Institute. She also credits the Development Studies program for how it 鈥減layed a central role in shaping my academic foundation and professional direction.鈥�

鈥淭he program equipped me with a strong interdisciplinary understanding of global development grounded in equity, critical analysis and policy informed thinking,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hrough DVST, I developed essential skills in research, communication, coordination and stakeholder engagement.鈥�

Both Abure and Lawson were supervised by Associate Professor Mohamed Sesay from the Department of Social Science, who praises their recent recognitions, which will see their award-winning papers considered for publication in their respective associations' journals.

鈥淭heir achievements reflect the strength of graduate education and mentorship within the Development Studies program while demonstrating how 91亚色 researchers are contributing to conversations on refugee leadership, health equity and social justice鈥� says Sesay.

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鈥淲hen we think of environmental sustainability, we often immediately think about newer energy-efficient technologies. Organic waste treatment becomes rather an afterthought,鈥� says Reema Kumar, a PhD candidate at 91亚色's and lead author of the study.

That perspective is beginning to change as researchers look for new ways to recover value from organic waste. Instead of sending food waste to landfill 鈥� where it can contribute to greenhouse gases and other forms of pollution 鈥� scientists are exploring how it can be converted into useful resources.

One promising approach uses microorganisms to break down discarded food and produce chemicals that are typically made from petroleum-based sources, creating an alternative to landfill disposal and fossil-based production.

While researchers have tested adding microorganisms to increase the production of useful compounds from discarded food, most of that research has focused on systems that operate at relatively warm temperatures. Much less is known about whether the same process can selectively produce compounds under colder, lower-energy conditions.

According to Kumar, maintaining warmer operating conditions can require significant energy input, particularly in colder climates. Seeking a more energy-efficient approach, Kumar and her colleagues turned their attention to lower-temperature systems.

鈥淲e were inspired to optimize this natural system of microorganisms using food waste to produce volatile fatty acids under lower temperature conditions to make it more energy efficient as well as provide a targeted approach for production,鈥� says Kumar.

They honed in on Clostridium butyricum, a bacterium known for generating butyric acid and a commercially valuable chemical commonly used in food, pharmaceutical and industrial products. Yielding such chemicals from organic waste could provide a more sustainable alternative to conventional manufacturing methods that rely on fossil-fuel-derived raw materials.

Their work questioned whether introducing the bacterium into a low-temperature food-waste fermentation system could increase production of butyric acid.

In a study published in , Kumar and her collaborators tested the idea using food waste and wastewater sludge. The research was co-supervised by Lassonde Professor Satinder Kaur Brar, along with Guneet Kaur, associate professor at the University of Guelph.

The team created a series of small-scale experiments using food waste collected from restaurants in 91亚色 Lanes and sludge sourced from the Humber Wastewater Treatment Facility. Together, the food waste and sludge created conditions that allowed naturally occurring microorganisms to break down the waste.

Clostridium butyricum was then introduced into some of the samples to see if the bacterium could steer the process toward producing more butyric acid.

鈥淲e wanted to show that you can 鈥榞uide鈥� a complex microbial community, made up of many different bacteria naturally found in wastewater sludge, toward a specific, useful outcome just by introducing one well-chosen microorganism,鈥� says Kumar. 鈥淚t's a bit like steering a crowd by adding a few people who know where they're going.鈥�

The approach worked even better than the researchers expected. The system that received the bacterium produced more than twice as many acids overall and more than five times as much butyric acid compared to the control.

鈥淲e didn't expect such a strong response at a temperature of 17 C," says Kumar. "That was a genuinely exciting result."

The findings, she adds, point to a future where discarded food can be viewed as a resource rather than waste.

Increasing the production of commercially valuable compouds at lower temperatures could pave the way for more energy-efficient waste-treatment systems that recover greater value from discarded food. Over time, it may help keep organic waste out of landfills while creating renewable alternatives to some petroleum-derived chemicals.

鈥淲e hope it helps move the needle toward low-cost, low-energy ways of recovering value from food waste, especially in colder countries,鈥� says Kumar. 鈥淥nce this approach can eventually be scaled up, it could support local biorefinery systems that turn organic waste into useful chemicals without requiring expensive heating infrastructure. That has real implications for both sustainability and economics.鈥�

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The Partnership Grants funding, announced by SSHRC on July 21, supports large-scale partnerships that bring together universities, governments, community organizations and international collaborators to address complex social, environmental and policy challenges.

The funded projects focus on issues ranging from refugee rights and climate resilience to healthy aging, youth well-being, homelessness and human-animal connections.

Leading 91亚色's participation is Sean Rehaag (), whose seven-year Algorithmic Justice for Refugees Research Network project received $2,499,995 to investigate the growing use of algorithms, AI and other digital technologies in refugee and migration systems.

The international partnership includes researchers and organizations across Canada, Europe, Africa, Australia and the Middle East and will examine how emerging technologies affect refugee rights, access to protection and government accountability.

91亚色 Interim President and Vice-Chancellor Lisa Philipps says the project shows the impact that long-term investment in interdisciplinary reseach can have. "The project grew from years of interdisciplinary research and the strong foundation provided by the Centre for Refugee Studies, one of 91亚色's Organized Research Units to make it possible. 91亚色 is proud to stand with Professor Rehaag and his partners on this meaningful project."

91亚色 researchers are also co-applicants on five additional partnership grants that received funding ranging from $2.4 million to $2.5 million each. Together, the projects position 91亚色 researchers within some of Canada's largest and most ambitious social sciences and humanities research collaborations.

"91亚色 researchers continue to demonstrate leadership in building research partnerships that聽bring together聽scholars,聽governments and organizations to address聽complex challenges facing communities in Canada and around the world,鈥� says聽Amir Asif, 91亚色鈥檚 vice-president research and innovation. 鈥淭hese聽projects聽reflect 91亚色's聽strengths in interdisciplinary, community-engaged research and聽demonstrate how collaboration can聽generate聽knowledge that informs policy, supports聽decision-making聽and聽contributes to聽positive social change."聽

The funded partnerships involving 91亚色 researchers include:

鈥� Aging in the Margins: Building Inclusivity and Goodwill (AIM BIG), funded at $2,500,000 over seven years, with Natalia Balyasnikova (Faculty of Education) serving as a co-applicant. The project will examine the experiences of aging among marginalized populations in Canada and internationally.

鈥� (Re)Thinking Sustainability: Research Network for Global Environmental Humanities, funded at $2,499,814 over seven years, with Andil Gosine () and Jean-Thomas Tremblay (Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies) as co-applicants. The network will explore environmental challenges through humanities-based research and public engagement.

鈥� Connecting to Place Through Disaster Response: New Opportunities for Community-Campus Partnerships, funded at $2,417,600 over five years, with Ali Asgary and Eva Bogdan (LA&PS) serving as co-applicants. The project focuses on strengthening community resilience and disaster response through collaborative research.

鈥� Establishing a Network for Human-Animal Connections Research and Collaboration, funded at $2,500,000 over five years, with Cheryl van Daalen-Smith (Faculty of Graduate Studies) serving as a co-applicant and Leesa Fawcett (EUC) as a collaborator. The partnership will examine the role of human-animal relationships in health and well-being across diverse settings.

鈥� Pathways from Child Welfare and Community Services to Stable or Precarious Living Conditions, funded at $2,500,000 over seven years, with Stephen Gaetz (Faculty of Education) serving as a co-applicant. The project will investigate the experiences of young people transitioning from child welfare systems and community services and identify pathways to long-term stability and well-being.

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When聽Dorin was a doctoral student in the Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change and began discussing potential PhD research projects with Colla, her supervisor and one of Canada's leading pollinator conservation scientists, she already knew the questions she wanted to pursue.

With a background in wildlife biology, Dorin had followed growing concern about bee declines and understood the significance of the issue given the critical role pollinators play in maintaining healthy ecosystems and supporting food production.

鈥淟ike many others, I was deeply concerned about the declines we were seeing,鈥� Dorin says. She considered such question as: 鈥淲hat does effective pollinator conservation look like? How can we engage landowners in taking action to protect pollinators?鈥�

For many doctoral students, refining broad interests into a focused dissertation project can be one of the most challenging parts of the process. Dorin says Colla鈥檚 guidance was instrumental in helping her navigate that challenge.

鈥淪he had an incredible ability to ask the right questions and encourage me to think more deeply about the science,鈥� says Dorin.

With Colla's mentorship, those questions eventually led Dorin to explore what she saw as an overlooked area.

She explains that while a lot of research focuses on crops that depend on animal pollination, such as apples and blueberries, crops that do not require pollinators cover larger areas of agricultural land.

鈥淚f we assume those landscapes don't matter because the crops themselves don't need bees, we're overlooking millions of acres that pollinators may still use,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 wanted to understand what role these pollinator-independent crops play in supporting wild bee populations across agricultural landscapes.鈥�

That realization led Dorin and Colla to take a closer look at vineyards. Although grapes do not require animal pollination, vineyards represent large agricultural infrastructure and could provide important habitat for wild bees.

To explore that possibility, Dorin and Colla studied wild bee communities in 26 commercial vineyards in Niagara Region over two growing seasons. In addition to sampling bees, they examined factors including vegetation between vineyard rows, surrounding land uses, soil characteristics and topography.

The approach reflected one of Dorin's guiding principles throughout the project.

鈥淏ees don't recognize farm boundaries or distinguish between crop types,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey move freely across the landscape 鈥� nesting, foraging and dispersing where suitable habitat and resources exist.鈥�

For Dorin, taking that broader perspective is essential to developing conservation strategies that reflect how pollinators experience the landscape. The findings, now published in , reinforce that outlook.

鈥淥ur research found a very high abundance and diversity of wild bees in vineyard agroecosystems, showing that these independent crops can support thriving bee communities,鈥� says Dorin.

The study found that bee communities were shaped by a combination of local and landscape-level conditions. Bee abundance and diversity were typically higher in vineyards surrounded by semi-natural habitats such as forests and treed areas. Taller vegetation between vineyard rows was also linked to healthier bee communities.

Another finding involved nesting habitat. Soil conditions were linked to different types of bees, suggesting conservation efforts must consider not only where pollinators find food, but also where they live and reproduce.

The results were the culmination of years of work for both Dorin and Colla.

Finishing the project, however, was not without its challenges. Examining wild bee communities across vineyard environments from multiple angles was an ambitious undertaking. But Dorin says Colla never made anything feel impossible for her students.

鈥淪he genuinely believed we were capable of succeeding,鈥� says Dorin. 鈥淪he trusted her students with meaningful responsibility, but she was always there when we needed guidance.鈥�

And because research rarely goes exactly as planned, she says, there were plenty of moments when that support was needed. Dorin recalls that whether challenges emerged during fieldwork, in the lab or during data analysis, Colla consistently offered advice, reassurance and a fresh perspective.

That commitment to her students remained unchanged, even as Colla faced significant health challenges.

By then, much of the project's fieldwork had been completed and the focus had shifted to data analysis and writing. Dorin says Colla remained actively involved throughout that stage of the research, continuing to meet with her to discuss results and provide feedback.

鈥淓ven during such a difficult time, she was still thinking about her students,鈥� says Dorin. 鈥淭hat says a great deal about the kind of mentor she was.鈥�

After Colla's death in 2025, finishing the project 鈥� even though much of the work had already been completed 鈥� was difficult for Dorin. She says it was impossible not to think about how much Colla would have enjoyed seeing the final dissertation and the resulting publications.

Dorin also believes Colla would have been especially excited by opportunities to share the findings with farmers, land managers and policymakers.

鈥淪he recognized that good science alone isn't enough,鈥� says Dorin. 鈥淪he believed that meaningful conservation requires research, but also policy, community engagement, education and action.鈥�

That way of thinking continues to shape Dorin's own approach to conservation and her goals for this latest study. She hopes the findings will help bridge the gap between science and on-the-ground land management, and encourage new ways of thinking about how wild bees can be supported 鈥� even in landscapes not traditionally considered pollinator habitat.

The work also contributes to a more nuanced understanding of pollinator conservation. Ontario is home to hundreds of species of wild bees, each with different nesting and foraging requirements, making a one-size-fits-all solution for supporting pollinators unlikely. Instead, Dorin says, understanding how different habitats benefit different species can lead to more informed conservation decisions across agricultural ecosystems.

That includes, she says, thinking beyond individual farms. Pollinator conservation occurs at the landscape scale, meaning it is not only how a vineyard is managed that matters, but also how nearby forests, hedgerows, roadsides, neighbouring croplands and even soils are managed.

Dorin sees those ambitions as a continuation of Colla's influence.

鈥淭hroughout her career, she showed us that conservation is not something achieved in isolation. It requires connecting science with communities, research with action and people with the ecosystems they depend on,鈥� says Dorin.

Dorin was among the many students, researchers and conservation advocates influenced by that philosophy. The vineyard study 鈥� and the hopes she has for its impact 鈥� reflect lessons Colla instilled throughout her career.

鈥淐ompleting this project without her was bittersweet. I wish she could have been there for my defence and to celebrate these publications, but I feel incredibly grateful that I had her mentorship for so much of this journey,鈥� she says. 鈥淪heila was simply one of the best people I've ever known.鈥�

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Understanding how climate change affects Arctic wildlife is becoming urgent as the North warms faster than the rest of the planet.

鈥淐limate warming is a global problem but it鈥檚 most severe in the North, where the climate is warming about four times faster than the global average,鈥� says Gregory W. Thiemann, a professor in the Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change.

Rising temperatures are driving declines in sea ice and reshaping Arctic marine ecosystems. Species such as ringed seals and polar bears depend on sea ice for habitat, but scientists are working to understand exactly how climate-driven changes affect these species and the food webs that support them.

Ringed seals, in particular, play a vital role in the Arctic food web as consumers of smaller, fat-rich food sources such as fish and plankton. Their fat-rich diet makes them a primary food source for polar bears.

Despite the importance of ringed seals in the Artcic habitat, how they respond to climate-driven changes in ice and prey availability, and the ripple effects of those changes through the ecosystem, was not fully understood.

Katie Florko, a 91亚色 biology alum, was inspired to find a way to change that.

鈥淏y tracking shifts in their diet and body condition over nearly two decades, we can better understand how environmental change is affecting a species that is central to both the food web and subsistence,鈥� she says.

The project began while Florko was completing her master's degree in biology at 91亚色 under Thiemann's supervision. Although Florko graduated in 2018 and continued her research through a PhD at the University of British Columbia and a postdoctoral fellowship, she and her collaborators continued developing the study.

In published in Environmental and Sustainability Indicators, Florko and Thiemann drew on a long-standing collaboration between 91亚色 and Fisheries and Oceans Canada that has worked with local Inuvialuit hunters in the Northwest Territories to monitor ringed seal populations in the Amundsen Gulf.

For the study, local hunters collected measurements and samples from 236 ringed seals harvested between 1996 and 2015. Small pieces of blubber were sent to the researchers, who analyzed the fatty acids they contained. Because those compounds provide clues about what an animal has been eating, the team was able to reconstruct the seals' diets. They then combined those dietary indicators with environmental data and measures of seal and polar bear body condition to understand how climate, habitat and food availability influence Arctic predators.

The analysis revealed that ringed seals were generally in better shape when they were feeding on prey associated with sea ice, particularly Arctic cod, an important source of energy in the area. Seals also tended to be healthier during years when ice dynamics made productive feeding areas easier to access.

The findings suggest that sea ice influences more than just where ringed seals live; it can also affect their access to food and ability to build the energy reserves needed to survive, reproduce and raise their young.

Because ringed seals are the primary prey of polar bears, researchers also wanted to know whether environmental conditions affecting seals could influence the predators that depend on them.

鈥淪tudying both predator and prey offered a rare opportunity to link changes at multiple levels of the Arctic food web and better understand how climate-driven changes in sea ice can ripple through the food web,鈥� says Florko.

The research also examined body-condition data from 108 polar bears collected in the same region between 1999 and 2015. By comparing those records with the ringed seal data, they hoped to determine whether environmental factors affecting seals could also be affecting the bears that depend on them.

While the relationships between habitat, diet and seal health proved complex, one result stood out. Among female polar bears, which tend to feed on a less varied diet than males, their body health closely tracked that of ringed seals.

"Female polar bear body condition tended to be high when ringed seal condition was also high," says Thiemann. 鈥淚n other words, healthier prey were associated with healthier polar bears.鈥�

The findings offer a clearer picture of how climate change can affect Arctic ecosystems. Rather than influencing individual species in isolation, changes in sea ice can alter prey availability, affect the health of ringed seals and ultimately influence the predators that depend on them.

The team says continued monitoring will be essential for understanding how a rapidly changing Arctic affects wildlife in the years ahead.

"I think this area is important to continue studying because understanding climate impacts requires looking beyond individual species. Changes in sea ice, prey availability and predator body condition are all interconnected, and we need to understand those relationships to predict how Arctic ecosystems may change in the future," says Florko.

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That question is at the heart of 91亚色 PhD student Ayesha Menezes鈥� doctoral research. Through her work, Menezes explores how mud play helps children see themselves as part of the natural world, fostering care, responsibility and belonging.

Her research comes as many children have fewer opportunities for unstructured outdoor play and engagement with nature. Risk-averse settings and busy urban lifestyles have reduced interaction with the natural world, prompting Menezes to understand how learning might look different if it emerged through children鈥檚 relationships with the land, water, weather and natural materials around them.

To explore this idea, Menezes took her research outside the University for Mud Day 2026, an event developed as part of her doctoral work. Held at Evergreen Brick Works children鈥檚 garden, the Mud Day invited children and caregivers to explore and create with mud.

Instead of planning structured activities with predetermined outcomes, the event invited children to engage in open-ended play experiences that included a mud kitchen, construction site, gardening, seed bomb making, beading and a collaborative mural. An interactive performance also encouraged participants to explore relationships between the sun, wind, rain and mud.

For Menezes, the goal was to encourage outdoor play and shift how children experience the natural world.

鈥淚nstead of learning about nature, participants were learning with nature,鈥� she says. 鈥淐hildren shaped their own experiences by choosing the activities they wanted to participate in.鈥�

The event demonstrated how nature-based play can strengthen relationships and foster a sense of belonging. Menezes observed that children who typically play independently began playing collaboratively, while parents engaged as co-creators rather than observers.

Parents noted the atmosphere nurtured connections among children, caregivers, educators as well as the natural materials and environment.

Menezes says that of the 47 participating children 鈥� ranging in ages from 11 months to 11 years 鈥� only one had previously experienced muddy play. This, she says, shows how uncommon the experience is and reinforces the importance of spaces where children can explore freely, take manageable risks and build relationships with their environment.

The activities also encouraged children to see themselves as active participants in caring for the environment, says Menezes, which resulted in a child-led land acknowledgement during the event鈥檚 closing circle 鈥� a moment that one parent described as particularly meaningful.

鈥淩eflections shared during the鈥痗losing circle suggested that children left with a greater sense of connection to their environment,鈥� she says.鈥�

Developed as part of Menezes' doctoral research and dissertation, Mud Day 2026 was supported by a cross-Faculty team of 91亚色 student collaborators from the Faculty of Graduate Studies, the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Science, with mentorship from Professor Lucy Angus and support from Evergreen Brick Works. Collaborators also included undergraduate, master鈥檚 and doctoral students: Ari Para, Catalina Ramirez, Ian Chan, Tristan Castro Pozo, Elise Nicolas and Rachel Leveille.

Moving forward, Menezes is working to develop what she calls a 鈥渃urriculum of muddy worlding鈥� 鈥� a relational framework that reimagines learning through children鈥檚 encounters with mud and the natural world. She is also expanding the Mud Day model into a co-design approach that brings together educators, researchers, families and local communities.

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Recent work led by bachelor of science in nursing (BScN) students Hadier Kandil and Yucheng (Chuck) Wang examines how health care systems can better support providers and patients.

鈥淪tudent research reflects a strong culture of inquiry in the School of Nursing, where projects align with Faculty priorities and health system needs,鈥� says Professor Larnes Joy Nabarreti, who supervised the work.

Kandil鈥檚 project explores a proposed paid residency model for nursing students completing their integrated practicum. The research considers how structured financial and clinical support could strengthen the transition from education to professional practice while contributing to workforce stability.

The study examines strategies aimed at improving preparedness for clinical roles and addressing ongoing pressures in Canadian health care systems. The findings point to the importance of structured transition supports in preparing students for professional responsibilities. By examining how a residency model could be implemented, the research highlights potential pathways to improve student experience and long-term workforce sustainability.

A second project, led by Wang, focuses on nil per os (NPO) practices in emergency departments 鈥� a medical term meaning 鈥渘othing by mouth,鈥� or the restriction of food and fluids before procedures. The research examines the clinical and operational factors affecting patients who may face extended wait times, and evaluates how these NPO protocols intersect with patient comfort and safety in high-demand health care environments.

By analyzing these factors, the inquiry identifies the need to balance clinical protocols with patient-centred care, particularly in environments where delays prolong restrictions. This work contributes to ongoing discussions about how emergency departments can maintain safety standards while improving patient experience.

Their findings have been shared with national and international audiences, extending their relevance beyond the University.

鈥淭he work of undergraduate students shows how early research experience helps develop key competencies for future nurses, including critical thinking, clinical reasoning and systems-level awareness,鈥� says Nabaretti. 鈥淚t also highlights how students can contribute to discussions often led by more established researchers, especially on practical issues in care delivery.鈥�

This focus on student research was reflected in a recent school-wide event that showcased emerging work and collaboration.

In May, the School of Nursing hosted its inaugural Research Day for faculty, students and partners to share their projects, including prevention, health equity, nutrition and HIV/AIDS care.

One project examining a peer-led approach to supporting nursing student mental health received the Student Award. The presentation, titled 鈥淧romoting Nursing Student Well-Being Through Mental Health Peer-led Initiative,鈥� was authored by Zahra Mujadidi, Giada Romano, Chuqiao Li, Harmann Bhatia and Yong Qi Su, and supervised by Professor Ruth Robbio.

The program featured the annual June Awrey Lectureship, which honours the founder of 91亚色鈥檚 School of Nursing. This year鈥檚 speaker, Elaine Johnston (Waaskonenhkwe), an Anishinaabe nurse with 40 years鈥� experience, shared Indigenous perspectives on advancing reconciliation in health care.

鈥淓laine鈥檚 talk helps students understand how Indigenous knowledge shapes learning and nursing practice,鈥� says Robbio. 鈥淕uided research opportunities build on that by supporting academic development and generating insights for health care policy and practice.鈥�

Four 91亚色 students were also recently recognized by the Registered Nurses Foundation of Ontario, with awards for academic excellence and leadership potential. Michelle Hermans (PhD student) earned the Lynn Kirkwood Research Award; Tiina Ranta (PhD student) received the Research in Mental Health Nursing Award; Alessia Lamanna (MScN student) was awarded the Nursing Research Interest Group Award; and Eseimuede James Ehiagwina (BScN) was the recipient of the Charlotte Noesgaard Memorial Scholarship.

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Awarded by the Vector Institute, an Ontario-based AI research organization, the merit-based scholarships are support Ontario graduate students advanced studies in fields including business analytics, AI management, and computer engineering and science.

In addition to financial support, recipients are given access to networking opportunities with researchers and industry professionals, along with the Vector Institute鈥檚 Digital Talent Hub which connects AI specialists with potential employers.

About the recipients 

Mitali Chaudhary
Chaudhary is a graduate student in the Master of Business Analytics program at Schulich, with experience in building AI-ready data infrastructure and deploying scalable cloud-based solutions. Her work examines how AI can solve complex business problems and support decision-making, with a focus on generative AI and business applications.

鈥淩eceiving the聽Vector聽Institute Scholarship is both an honour and a strong validation of my work,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t motivates me to continue building impactful, real-world solutions using artificial intelligence and to contribute meaningfully to the growing AI ecosystem in Canada.鈥�

Romisaa El-Saidy
El-Saidy is pursuing graduate studies in computer engineering at Lassonde, focusing on AI applications. She has contributed to a range of applied AI and data-driven projects, including systems to predict geomagnetic storms using NASA data developed during international hackathons. She has also completed internships in research, development and 3D deep learning, supporting the design of AI-enabled applications and contributing to project planning and development. Her experience reflects a broad interest in using AI applications to address real-world challenges.

Harshit Gupta
Gupta recently completed an undergraduate degree in computer science focused on a AI, computer vision and graphics research. As he begins his MSc at 91亚色, his work will explore how AI can support the creation and understanding of 3D environments, with the goal of making immersive 3D experiences more accessible.

鈥淚 believe the next major shift in computing will be from 2D content to interactive 3D," he says. "My research focuses on making that transition possible by developing AI systems that can efficiently understand, represent and render 3D worlds. The Vector Scholarship helps me continue working toward that goal.鈥�

Amir Mohammad Jafari
Jafari is an incoming MSc student in computer science at Lassonde, where he will be supervised by Professor Ruth Urner. His research focuses on the safety of machine learning systems, including the robustness of large language models against adversarial attacks, with the goal of contributing to more reliable and trustworthy AI.

鈥淩eceiving the Vector Scholarship is a great honour and a strong motivation for me. It not only supports my graduate studies but also reinforces my commitment to advancing safe and reliable AI,鈥� Jafari says. 鈥淚鈥檓 especially excited to be part of the Vector community and to learn from researchers who are shaping the future of artificial intelligence.鈥�

Maxwell Levy
Levy is a graduate student in the Master of Management in Artificial Intelligence program at Schulich. Building on hands-on experience as an operations analyst at BNY Mellon, he is interested in how organizations can use AI and data analytics to improve decision-making and create competitive advantage.

鈥淚 chose Schulich because of its strong reputation and the depth of its AI programs,鈥� he says 鈥淣ow, being named a Vector Scholar not only supports my journey as an international student but also connects me to Canada鈥檚 growing AI community.鈥�

Fu Yao (Fuyao Q) Qiu
After working in the finance sector for several years, Qiu went back to being a student, now in the Master of Management in Artificial Intelligence program at Schulich. He focuses on designing AI systems that can support routine financial tasks and improve efficiency in corporate settings.

His aim is to design internal data-trained AI systems that handle tasks under human supervision, and to prepare for a future as an AI Implementor and product manager within corporate finance.

"Being named a聽Vector聽Scholar validates my transition back into academia and allows me to focus on building AI-driven financial solutions,鈥� he says.

Visit the for more information about its scholarship programs.

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The Faculty of Graduate Studies recognizes outstanding research annually through its thesis and dissertation prizes.

The annual prizes 鈥� valued at $2,000 for doctoral dissertations and $1,000 for master鈥檚 theses 鈥� honour work defended in the previous calendar year that demonstrates originality, excellence and impact.

This year鈥檚 awards highlight six projects that explored pressing questions with implications for food security, AI, public health, aging, air quality and workplace accessibility. Together, the projects show how graduate research at 91亚色 connects scientific inquiry with real-world challenges.

Doctoral recipients 鈥� dissertation prize

Jie Lin (PhD, biology) examines how phytoalexin biosynthesis is regulated in soybean plants in her dissertation, Identifying missing glyceollin transcription factors in soybean.

Her research identifies and characterizes a network of transcription factors that control plant defence responses and introduces an improved soybean root transformation protocol that supports gene expression studies and research tools to the plant science community.

鈥淎ltogether, her work transformed the current views of regulatory networks controlling phytoalexin biosynthesis and introduced better tools that benefited the plant research community at large,鈥� says Associate Professor Peter Cheung.

Matthew Kowal (PhD, electrical engineering and computer science) studies how computer vision models interpret images and video in relation to AI.

His dissertation, Disentangling visual concepts across space and time: from image hierarchies to video dynamics, examines how visual concepts are represented, connected and evolve across data and time. His work introduces new frameworks for analyzing learned representations, helping researchers better understand how AI systems make decisions.

鈥淗is dissertation represents an exceptional and cohesive body of groundbreaking work on interpretable and concept-based representations in modern computer vision models,鈥� says Professor Michael Brown.

Congjie Shi (PhD, mathematics and statistics) developed the Information鈥揅ognition鈥揈pidemic (ICE) model, a multilayer network framework that integrates mechanisms of information flow, including rumour transmission and correction. Her dissertation, Integrating cognitive factors in network models of epidemiology with applications to disease control, examines how these dynamics affect disease spread.

The findings show that warning individuals and correcting misinformation can improve epidemic control while accounting for variation in behaviour and access to information.

鈥淚n every way 鈥� originality, methodological skill, academic impact and relevance to societal challenges 鈥� Dr. Shi's thesis surpasses expectations,鈥� says Professor Dong Liang, graduate program director.

Master鈥檚 recipients 鈥� thesis prize

Yashar Ebrahimi-Iranpour (MSc, chemistry) developed a one-dimensional atmospheric chemistry model to investigate the origin and distribution of nitrous acid, a key factor in air quality.

His thesis, Vertical structure and surface interactions of nitrous acid using a 1D model, integrates surface interactions, meteorology and atmospheric transport to better understand atmospheric processes.

鈥淭his thesis substantially exceeds the normative expectations of an MSc degree and approaches the level of our strongest doctoral work,鈥� says Professor Ryan Hili, graduate program director.

In psychology, Patrick Hewan (MA) examines how age-related differences in brain structure affect decision-making in older adults. His thesis, Prefrontal brain microstructural integrity is related to an exploitation bias in older adulthood, explores the relationship between prefrontal brain microstructure and exploitation bias using cognitive neuroscience approaches.

The findings contribute to understanding how brain changes influence behaviour in ageing.

鈥淗is committee went so far as to say this was 鈥榞roundbreaking and even paradigm-shifting for the broader field of cognitive neuroscience,鈥欌�� says Professor Adrienne Perry, graduate program director.

Grace Pawliw-Fry (MA, geography) studies how neurodivergent workers navigate precarious labour markets in Ontario. The thesis, Teetering on the edge of surplus: neurodivergent work, social reproduction and bodyminds in the Ontario labour market, examines the intersections of work, disability and social reproduction.

It contributes to scholarship in labour geography, critical disability studies and workplace accessibility.

鈥淭his is a sophisticated and beautifully argued MA thesis, which integrates several literatures with very rich empirical data,鈥� says Professor Alison Bain, graduate program director.

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