Arts students bring their research to life at URO Showcase

What happens when undergraduate students are given the opportunity to explore questions they’re passionate about? At the Faculty of Arts, the result is 11 unique research projects spanning topics from sleep deprivation and hearing loss to opera.

On September 17, 11 Arts students from across the social sciences to humanities presented their research at the Undergraduate Research Opportunity (URO) Showcase. Supported by the Office of the Vice-President, Research & Innovation (OVPRI) and administered across all faculties at TMU, the URO program gave undergraduate students the opportunity to gain hands-on research experience while working directly with faculty mentors.

Throughout the program, students developed their research projects under the guidance of Arts faculty and presented their findings at the showcase.

"The URO is an incredible program that recognizes and supports undergraduate research excellence,” says Christopher Gore, Associate Dean, Research and Grant Development. “The research they produced in collaboration with their faculty supervisors revealed critical insight, generated new and exciting knowledge, and showed the strength of undergraduate research in the Faculty of Arts."

The following students presented their research at this year’s showcase:

Oliver Bullington-McGuire (Sociology) - Canadian Citizenship Acquisition for Trans and Queer People from the U.S. as a Strategy for Seeking Refuge from Persecution

Supervised by: Dr. Allison Petrozziello 

Jacob Cappadocia (Psychology) - How Sexual Position and Internalized Homonegativity Shape Body Image Attitudes Among Sexual Minority Men

Supervised by: Dr. Trevor Hart 

Alexandra Galvao (Psychology) - Navigating Multicultural Education in Clinical Psychology Doctoral Programs in North America: Insights from a Syllabi Synthesis

Supervised by: Dr. Fiona Thomas

Iqra Islam (Psychology) - Targeting Sleep Health Disparity and Improving Insomnia Treatment Options in Canada

Supervised by: Dr. Colleen Carney

Tristina Kinder (Psychology) - Maintained and Delayed Psychosocial Benefits at a 1-Year Delay Following an Active Aging Training Program among Older Adults

Supervised by: Dr. Lixia Yang

Kareena Malhotra (Psychology) - Audio visual accessibility study (ASAS)

Supervised by: Dr. Brandon Paul

Allison McCausland (History) - Obscenity to Oppression: ‘Hate’ and Feminist Legal Reform in Canada, 1970 - 2017

Supervised by: Dr. Jennifer Tunnicliffe

Noor Othman (Criminology and Politics and Governance) - Policing “Hate” and the Suppression of Palestine Solidarity Protests

Supervised by: Dr. Fahad Ahmad

Mariana Zapounidis (Psychology) - Sibling effects of math anxiety on adolescent achievement

Supervised by: Dr. Ryan Persram

Ilia Salimpour (Psychology) - Allostatic Load and Cognitive Function Across the Cognition Continuum: Evidence from COMPASS-ND

Supervised by: Dr. Alexandra Fiocco

Michael Savaglio (English) - Ferals: An Opera Fable

Supervised by: Dr. Sarah Henstra

In order: 
(1) Jacob Cappadocia (right) speaking to attendees in front of their poster. 
(2) Iqra Islam (right) speaking to an attendee in front of their poster
(3) Tristina Kinder posed with their poster
(4) Kareena Malhotra posed with their poster
(5) Noor Othman (left) pointing to a part of their poster for attendees.
(6) Oliver Bullington-McGuire and Supervisor Dr. Allison Petrozziello posed in front of their poster. 

The showcase was a celebration of student curiosity, creativity and discovery — and a reminder of the exciting research taking place across the Faculty of Arts. By creating opportunities for students to engage in research beyond the classroom, the URO program helps them build valuable skills while exploring ideas that matter to them and to the wider world. 

Congratulations to all of this year’s participants!