By Elizabeth Douglas, Marketing and Communications

Last month, Douglas College held its 16^th annual Student Research Days events. With over 50 applicants across all six faculties, this year’s event had the largest turnout since it started back in 2009. 

Congratulations to all the winners, and every student who put their hard work and research forward this year.

Proposal category

Bella Erciyas – First place

Harvesting Change: Cultivating a Sustainable Food System

Bella’s project tackled the global issue of food waste and unsustainable food systems. Approximately 50 million tonnes of food waste is generated annually in Canada, where one in five people are food insecure. Her research proposes how Douglas College can implement changes through services like the cafeteria that can benefit ecosystems and people in need locally and on a larger scale.

Riley Adams – Second place

Building Sustainable Campuses: Douglas College’s role in Urbanization, Consumption and Climate Action

Riley’s project explored the interconnection between the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – 17 calls to action for a more peaceful and prosperous planet – and Douglas College’s initiatives for reducing its environmental impact. Using Douglas’s upcoming student housing and academic space, 808 Royal, as a case study, this research analyzes how the College’s initiatives outlined in the 2020–2025 Strategic Plan can contribute to building sustainable campuses. 

Ka Ki Hui – Third place

Revitalizing Our School: Implementing Biophilic Design for Sustainable and Engaging Outdoor Spaces

Ka Ki proposed a revitalization project for Douglas College’s outdoor spaces that would increase plant life and foster student well-being and environmental awareness. Her recommendations address plant mortality, invasive species and underused green spaces.

Poster category

Zachary Romeo – First place

Examining the Relationship Between Emotional Maturity and Student Perceptions of Feedback

Zachary examined how instructor feedback affected students, and how to help guide teachers in the ways they interact and communicate with students. His hypothesis is that the greater emotional maturity a student exhibits, the greater impact feedback has, regardless of the feedback style (written or oral).

Christopher Szekeres – Second place

Unearthing Sustainable Solutions: Evaluating Concrete and Bamboo Ollas for Small-Scale Irrigation in a Changing Climate

As the climate changes, water scarcity is becoming a serious issue. While there is abundant information on large-scale irrigation systems, research is lacking on small-scale systems. Christopher’s research compares traditional terracotta ollas – pots placed in the soil and filled with water to irrigate plants slowly while conserving as much water as possible – to his own pots, made of concrete and bamboo. His prototype performed as effectively as terracotta, but at a sixth of the price, proving it could be a cost-effective and scalable irrigation method for small and independent farms.

Aaron Cruz, Danna Domasig, Gabrielle McCormick, Adela Poon, Taylor Spong, Slimon Wahid and Tasha Woykin (group poster) – Third place

How Does the Clinical Experience of Undergraduate Nursing Students Impact Their Future Nursing Specialty?

Their research examined how clinical experience of nursing students differed from student to student. For example, some students had the opportunity to observe a childbirth, while others did not. They found that the inconsistencies in clinical experiences impacted their chosen nursing specialty and career trajectory.

Panel presentation category

Heather Mason – First place

Autistic Burnout: Exploring Autistic Perspectives on Treatment Availability and Effectiveness

Heather’s study explored the experiences of people with autism who sought treatment for autistic burnout, and their perspectives on the effectiveness of the treatments. Initial findings highlighted the need to raise awareness among clinicians about the nature of autistic burnout and the importance of working with the person to develop a treatment plan.

Madison Martin – Second place

The Effects of the Kettle Valley Railway Labour Pool

Madison’s research looked at the construction of the Kettle Valley Railway during 1910–1916 and how the labour pool was affected by the First World War. With many immigrant workers coming from Eastern European countries, Madison found there was a clash between “whites” and “foreigners.” Her research also showed that the Immigration Act of 1906 restricted Asian workers from joining the construction.

Noam Cech – Third place 

A Unifying Enemy: Anti-Chinese Racism and White Identity in the West, 1850–1900

Between 1849 and 1900, more than half of the Chinese population was ‘driven out’ of West Coast cities through deportation, terror and murder. Noam’s study examines the purpose of anti-Chinese racism in the American West and posits that it was a purposeful act to achieve specific goals of political power and unity among white Americans.

Learn more about the 2024 Student Research Days on our website.