MSU's Diversity + Equity Network releases the findings of its research on student perspectives on racism and belonging at McMaster University
On Jan. 31, 2025, the McMaster Students Union’s Diversity + Equity Network announced the release of findings from its research study titled Understanding Student Perspectives: Racism, Belonging and Discrimination in an Ontario University Environment.
The study was conducted in collaboration with DEN’s student research team and professor Jeffrey Denis from the faculty of social sciences. It examined student experiences with racism at McMaster to inform efforts to create a more inclusive campus.
In the fall of 2023, DEN ran an Instagram poll asking followers if they had experienced discrimination on campus. Of the approximately 120 students who responded, 43 per cent reported experiencing racism.
Leilani Xue, a third-year sociology student and assistant director of DEN who worked on the research study, told The Silhouette that first-year students reported the highest instances of racism.
Xue noted that, upon reviewing other research studies on university campuses, the team identified a lack of open discussion and information about racism and discrimination at the undergraduate level. This, combined with the poll results, prompted the development of a larger research study examining how students of diverse backgrounds experience belonging, perceive discrimination and racism, and how these perceptions shape their overall comfort and sense of safety on campus.
From March 1 to 22, 2024, DEN’s research team collected 283 survey responses. The survey explored participants’ demographics, personal experiences with racism or discrimination, instances where they had witnessed racism, and their awareness of and satisfaction with campus services and resources.
The finalized report found that 16 per cent of students reported personal experiences with racism, while 37 per cent reported having witnessed it on campus.
Middle Eastern or West Asian students, followed by Black students, were most likely to report experiences of racism. Black, Middle Eastern, Latin American and South Asian students were most likely to report witnessing it.
Among religious groups, Jewish and Muslim students were the most likely to report experiencing discrimination, followed by Sikh and Hindu students, who reported feeling more affected than Christians or those without religious affiliations.
Most students who experienced racism said it significantly impacted their mental health, while many were unaware of campus resources. Those who knew about them often did not use them or report incidents.
Most students who experienced racism said it significantly impacted their mental health, while many were unaware of campus resources.
The report also provides recommendations for McMaster University to foster a more inclusive campus. These include increasing diversity among faculty, staff and university leadership and encouraging instructors to diversify curriculum content and discuss available resources. The team also suggested evaluating anti-racism and cultural competency training initiatives and raising awareness of the reporting process for racial discrimination.
Now, DEN’s research team is preparing for a second phase of research, set to launch between March and April 2025. This new study will collect qualitative data through focus groups, allowing researchers to engage directly with students, particularly those who identify as Black, Indigenous or as people of colour.
“Our first study helped us get a general understanding of [racism and discrimination on campus] . . . but now we want to actually talk to students and hear about their experiences on a lived experience level,” said Xue.
Our first study helped us get a general understanding of [racism and discrimination on campus] . . . but now we want to actually talk to students and hear about their experiences on a lived experience level.
Leilani Xue, Associate Director
Diversity + Equity Network
Their goal for this second study is to collaborate with students, faculty and staff on campus to inform inclusive, student-centred policy changes.
The full study, published earlier this year, can be read online. For more information about DEN and the work it does, interested students can visit its website and Instagram.
McMaster research is leading the charge in transforming research into real-world solutions and shaping Hamilton’s political future
Written By: Logan Rae, Opinion Contributor
McMaster University is an influential force shaping Hamilton's ever-growing political landscape, driving policy decisions through critical research, advocacy and unique collaboration with local leaders. As an institution that so profoundly affects Hamilton’s policies, McMaster is proving that academic expertise is crucial in building a stronger, more equitable city.
With Hamilton’s ever-growing aging population, city officials have been struggling to make the city more age-friendly.
With Hamilton’s ever-growing aging population, city officials have been struggling to make the city more age-friendly.
One standout example of McMaster's research driving positive local change is the work being conducted by the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging.
MIRA provides valuable insights, resulting in major policy recommendations incorporated into Hamilton’s new Age-Friendly Plan. Some of these initiatives include improving public transportation, enhanced accessibility and the creation of more inclusive public spaces designed with the needs of seniors in mind.
Likewise, another way McMaster University's research creates a profound impact on policy is through the department of political science, which conducts detailed research that significantly influences the municipal government on political strategies and decisions.
For instance, professor Robert Anderson, who holds the Senator William McMaster Chair in Political Sociology, has previously analyzed factors influencing voting trends and behaviour. Anderson's work emphasizes the value of leadership in terms of popularity in electoral outcomes, providing key insights for political stakeholders. His research highlights how a leader’s public perception can directly influence campaign strategies, voter behavior and political decision-making.
Similarly, environmental sustainability is a crucial area in which McMaster's research makes substantial waves. The McMaster Centre for Climate Change has partnered with the City of Hamilton to develop data-driven strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for climate-related disasters.
For instance, one stand-out initiative is the Urban Heat Mapping Project, which uses innovative satellite imagery and valuable community input to identify neighbourhoods most susceptible to extreme heat.
Importantly, McMaster researchers are spearheading major efforts to transition Hamilton towards renewable energy that is cost-effective and reliable. Local businesses and utility services have helped to implement pilot projects for the adoption of solar energy and energy-efficient building retrofits, aligning Hamilton’s policies with its climate targets.
Like many cities across Canada, Hamilton is experiencing a major housing affordability crisis. To combat this issue, researchers from McMaster’s department of economics and the School of Social Work have joined forces to analyze housing trends and propose new solutions. This impactful research helped shape the city council’s decision to implement a vacant home tax designed to incentivize property owners to either rent out or sell unused homes
This impactful research helped shape the city council’s decision to implement a vacant home tax designed to incentivize property owners to either rent out or sell unused homes
To give an illustration, a study conducted in 2022 by McMaster scholars revealed that vacant properties could be repurposed to address the vast housing crisis occurring in Hamilton. This impactful research helped shape the city council’s decision to implement a vacant home tax designed to incentivize property owners to either rent out or sell unused homes.
Overall, the strong partnerships between and collaboration between McMaster University and the City of Hamilton serve as inspiration for how academic institutions and local governments can collaborate
to drive meaningful change at the local level.
Faculty of Science introduces five new courses, giving first- and second-year students an early introduction to research
The Faculty of Science is introducing five new research-based courses, developed by the faculty’s Office of Undergraduate Research. These pass/fail credit courses will be available starting in May 2025.
Established in 2023 with support from the Office of the Provost’s Strategic Alignment Fund as a three-year pilot, the OUR aims to enhance undergraduate research opportunities in the early stages of science students’ academic careers. The OUR is primarily focused on providing opportunities for first- and second-year students.
The five courses will be open to first- and second-year students in the Faculty of Science. The first-year courses include SCIENCE 1SC1: Graduate Student Shadowing, SCIENCE 1SB1: Science Research Volunteer and SCIENCE 1SA1: Science Seminar.
Second-year students can enroll in SCIENCE 2SA1, 2SB1, 2SC1: Scientific Research Skills Workshop as well as SCIENCE 2SG1: Scientific Research Group. In this course, groups of five students will participate in 12 hours of a hands-on experiential research project under the supervision of a professor.
Professor Sunita Nadella, a professor in the Faculty of Science and the experiential programming and outreach manager for the OUR, said these courses were inspired by students who expressed difficulties in securing research placements in their third and fourth years.
“. . . The Strategic Alignment Fund aims to increase the number of research opportunities for all science students, with a particular focus on creating pathways so that students can get involved with research early in their academic journey, like in first and second year. This way, when they do come to third and fourth year and are looking for research placements, they have a skill set,” said Nadella.
...The Strategic Alignment Fund aims to increase the number of research opportunities for all science students, with a particular focus on creating pathways so that students can get involved with research early in their academic journey...
Sunita Nadella, Experiential Learning and Outreach Manager
Office of Undergraduate Research
She noted that the skills these courses aim to build are intended to make students more competitive and appealing to research supervisors for project or thesis opportunities.
Since the launch of the OUR, the first summer research opportunities for first- and second-year students were offered in summer 2024. Nadella noted that there were 17 available projects and around 450 applications, highlighting strong demand and enthusiasm for research among students.
Feedback following the summer research opportunities has been consistently positive, with the graduate student shadowing program—where students are paired with graduate-student mentors in research—being particularly successful. Participation from graduate students continues to grow.
Although the summer research program was successful, Nadella pointed out that it only provided opportunities for a select few students. As a result, the OUR has sought ways to extend this experience to a broader group.
“We had been offering seminars and workshops before, so we decided to combine them into courses so that students could earn course credits and we could allocate our limited funds more effectively towards resourcing these workshops,” said Nadella.
We had been offering seminars and workshops before, so we decided to combine them into courses so that students could earn course credits and we could allocate our limited funds more effectively towards resourcing these workshops.
Sunita Nadella, Experiential Learning and Outreach Manager
Office of Undergraduate Research
One of the new courses, SCIENCE 1SA1, is a science seminar that features research seminars offered by departments within the Faculty of Science.
“As science researchers, we know that most undergraduate students often think of research as something that happens in the lab. However, for those of us within the research field, attending seminars is a critical component. It’s where you learn about the latest developments in science, how researchers generate questions and the process they go through to identify the right questions for their research projects,” said Nadella.
The five new courses will be available starting in May 2025. For more information on the OUR, visit their website.
Students Advancing Brain Cancer Research raised over $2,700 through their art auction earlier this month
Students Advancing Brain Cancer Research held an art auction at the Phoenix Bar & Grill on Mar. 23. SABCR is a student-led non-profit organization focusing on advocacy, awareness and fundraising for brain cancer research.
Beyond the auction, the event also featured special guest speakers Sheila Singh, a pediatric neurosurgeon and researcher at McMaster University, and Chloe Asselstine, the Brain Cancer Canada ambassador at McMaster. Singh spoke about her research and Asselstine spoke about her experiences when her mom was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. Both spoke about how important it was to donate to brain cancer research.
The idea for the event was first brought forth by Sydney Wisener, one of the co-vice presidents of fundraising at SABCR. She wanted to provide a platform as a form of expression for people who are in the brain cancer community — especially for brain cancer survivors or people who had their loved ones affected by it.
SABCR received more than 20 art submissions from McMaster students and local artists, including works by a brain cancer survivor who was diagnosed with glioblastoma and someone who lost their sister to brain cancer. Over $2,700 was raised from the auction; they donated half of the funds to Singh’s pediatric brain tumor lab and the other half to Brain Cancer Canada. They also donated an additional $5,000 to Brain Cancer Canada using funds from their previous fundraisers.
Other than raising a significant amount for brain cancer research, the SABCR executive team were touched by the people who came out to their event and donated artwork.
"The success of our art auction goes beyond the amount we raised. We are touched by the speeches from our partners, the donated artwork and the interactive prompts to engage our guests . . . It was immensely inspiring to observe the motivation and drive SABCR has for this cause and transpire into a new audience,” explained Kayla Benson, the co-president of SABCR.
"The success of our art auction goes beyond the amount we raised. We are touched by the speeches from our partners, the donated artwork and the interactive prompts to engage our guests . . . It was immensely inspiring to observe the motivation and drive SABCR has for this cause and transpire into a new audience."
Kayla Benson, the co-president of SABCR
Although, this was their first art auction, after seeing how successful it was, they are hoping to continue it as an annual fundraiser.
At the event they had two prompts displayed on Bristol boards for attendees to interact with: What's your favorite thing about the brain? and What brought you out here tonight? They hoped these reflection questions would provoke attendees to feel more connected to the importance of brain cancer research and continue to sustain that connection as they continue to attend more brain cancer events.
“I was amazed by the diversity in the community that was able to donate the art — just in terms of how they found us, what motivated them to get involved and to donate their submissions,” said Wisener.
Events such as these bring together the artistic talents in the McMaster community and allow them to shine for a good cause.
“I think there is a lot of creativity that can be explored within the McMaster community and there's definitely potential for that, even in science-based programs,” said Simrit Rana, the other co-vice president fundraising of SABCR.
SABCR hopes for greater turnout in their future art auctions and to be able to showcase more artists. They are excited to continue working at the intersection of brain cancer research and art with the McMaster community while fundraising for brain cancer research.
Here’s how undergraduate students searched for and secured positions in McMaster research labs
McMaster University is known for its expansive graduate and undergraduate research and innovation opportunities. Considered Canada’s most research-intensive institution, McMaster’s thriving research labs attract students with a variety of interests and backgrounds.
Research experience allows one to develop relationships with mentors, explore career or graduate education pathways and develop confidence in lab environments among several other transferable skills. However, with the undergraduate population growing each year, available research positions can feel hard to find.
“It was very much a game of chance. Realistically, no one from my year had any previous lab experience due to COVID-19, so it more came down to who showed the most interest in what that professor was studying,” said Lynn Hussayn, a third year psychology, neuroscience and behaviour student.
Hussayn worked as a summer research student in an epilepsy research lab at the University of Toronto. Like many students, Hussayn faced difficulty finding a research position at McMaster.
“The biggest piece of advice I would give [other students] is to search for things that you enjoy and actually have questions about. Research is meant to answer questions, so the best way of being at the forefront of something you’re interested in doing is to seek out people who are already doing it,” said Hussayn.
“The biggest piece of advice I would give [other students] is to search for things that you enjoy and actually have questions about. Research is meant to answer questions, so the best way of being at the forefront of something you’re interested in doing is to seek out people who are already doing it.”
Lynn Hussayn, third-year Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour student
Jack Rosenbaum, a third year biology psychology student, also shared his own strategies for reaching out to labs from his experience as a research student in the McMaster PNB Dukas lab. He explained how he targeted his emails to graduate students from labs he was interested in instead of professors, as he thought they would be more likely to respond, which proved to be an effective strategy.
Rosenbaum also emphasized the importance of seeking out research projects that you connect with.
“If you’re really passionate about something and you show interest in a professor’s work, then I think you have a pretty good chance in working and volunteering in their lab down the road. But if you’re just doing it for your resume, I feel like professors can see through that,” said Rosenbaum.
“If you’re really passionate about something and you show interest in a professor’s work, then I think you have a pretty good chance in working and volunteering in their lab down the road. But if you’re just doing it for your resume, I feel like professors can see through that."
Jack Rosenbaum, third-year Biology Psychology student
Sarah Arnold, a third-year chemical and biomedical engineering student and the co-president of the McMaster Society for Engineering Research (Mac SER), explained how resources available through student services, such as resume and cover letter editing, are accessible and effective methods of upping your application game. Along with these services, Arnold noted Mac SER also offers helpful guidance on finding research positions.
“Throughout the year we did a bunch of different events that are aimed towards essentially helping students find [research] positions. We have different recordings on our YouTube channel of past events we’ve done where we go over in detail how we approach professors and how you can breach the idea of research,” said Arnold.
Arnold suggested using these available resources to ensure emails are formatted professionally and to make sure all documents are organized and concise. Arnold also acknowledged searching for a research position can be competitive and difficult regardless of the amount of effort you put in.
“One tip I usually give to people starting off this process is don’t be too hard on yourself. Similar to applying to competitive programs at university, or specific scholarships; it won’t always work out, and that’s okay,” said Arnold.
“One tip I usually give to people starting off this process is don’t be too hard on yourself. Similar to applying to competitive programs at university, or specific scholarships; it won’t always work out, and that’s okay.”
Sarah Arnold, Co-President of the McMaster Society for Engineering Research
Arnold emphasized the importance of recognizing the paths we are on are unique and while we should continue to seek out guidance and insight from others, every individual experience is distinctive. Finding a balance in this dichotomy is key to getting involved with research you find meaningful while also fostering independence as an undergraduate student.
Professor Adrianne Xavier about research, Indigenous food security and increasing dialogue and awareness at McMaster
Featured Photo C/O: McMaster University
As an outspoken advocate for the voices of Indigenous people in her Six Nations community and on campus, Adrianne Xavier is serving as the acting director of the Indigenous studies and anthropology department. A part of McMaster University since 2019, Xavier recently defended her dissertation on Indigenous food security and food sovereignty at Six Nations, her home community.
Xavier served as the recipient of the Indigenous In-Community Scholar Fellowship in 2020 and this year received the Petro-Canada McMaster University Young Innovators award for her work on community building and her efforts to mentor students to engage with the research process.
According to Xavier, community building has two components: building community with a research project and building community within any given group. She is a firm believer that community and health research go far beyond the formalities of methodology and the true spirit of research. Especially within Indigenous communities, lies in building a positive relationship with its inhabitants and leaders.
Photo Caption: Adrianne Xavier pictured beside colleague Dilyana Mincheva as a recipient of the Petro-Canada McMaster University Young Innovators award
Photo C/O: McMaster University
“I’m allowing the students to design what would theoretically be the pieces of a research project and what actions you must take to do real and whole Indigenous research. I want my students to know that there must be clear communication and understanding between them as researchers and the community they are engaging with,” explained Xavier.
Students under Xavier are working together to build relationships with each other and with fellow researchers regarding how to engage in the community of Indigenous spaces and Indigenous services. Xavier intends for this process to be a safe space for student researchers to learn how to ask questions — such as how to interact productively with Indigenous communities — and how to find sustainable solutions within the community itself.
Xavier emphasizes relationship building to her student researchers, given that as outsiders, many researchers are unable to assess the needs of Indigenous communities and in turn produce research and subsequent solutions that are not reflective of the community’s circumstances.
“As an individual, I know that the history of research with Indigenous communities has been very impersonal and the direction of research is often driven by researchers’ desires and interests’ and not the communities who should always be the central focus,”
Dr. Adrianne Xavier
Xavier’s research area of focus is Indigenous food security, food sovereignty and food as it relates to land repatriation. She promotes an understanding of food security and food sovereignty as the appropriate cultural access to healthy and sufficient food. Xavier is careful to draw the distinction between security and sovereignty; however, as food sovereignty does not always equate to food security, given that having enough food is different from being empowered enough to have the choice of choosing cultural foods. Similarly, food sovereignty cannot happen without food security, as if one has just technically had enough food does not equate to having the capability to decide one’s diet.
“Just having enough food to eat is not enough. Food must be personally fulfilling alongside being physically nourishing. Caloric intake is therefore not the only criteria for nourishment,” explained Xavier.
When she talks about Indigenous food sovereignty, Xavier is referring to the conversation of relationships: where do we get this food from, do we have agency to choose that relationship. A person who has enough money may not have food sovereignty if they are not able to make choices about their food.
During her time running a food sovereignty program with her mother, Xavier observed that despite teaching community members how to grow and preserve their own food, it was not always feasible for people to be able to do so.
Photo C/O: Megan Thomas, Unsplash
“I live in a community where there is no grocery store. I have to travel to other towns to get groceries. For me to have food sovereignty myself, I would have to choose the foods that I would like to have that are both culturally relevant, personally fulfilling and physically fulfilling within my community. I’m still unable to do that,” said Xavier.
True to her vision of Indigenizing solutions to community issues, Xavier is determined to center Indigenous perspectives on how to address Indigenous issues. Through her work with ISP, Xavier is actively working to expand Indigenous studies at McMaster by hiring new Indigenous faculty, with the goal of guiding her program towards becoming a department.
“As a university, I’m very fortunate McMaster is very supportive of me presenting my way of thinking in the classroom. I have felt welcome, I have felt supported and I will do the same for others,” said Xavier.
However, given the traditionally discriminatory policies of Canadian universities towards Indigenous peoples and the dismissive nature of academia to traditional knowledge, Xavier has found the settings of Western academia and it’s approaches to her teachings to not always be compatible. To combat this disparity, Xavier strongly advocates for the addition of Indigenous scholars in every department, as there are no facets of knowledge in the university where Indigenous ways of knowing are not present.
“We have our own understanding of the sciences, math, astronomy, religion, food, study, nature and the climate. Our way of knowing the world is crucial to building a more concrete understanding of these subjects,” explained Xavier.
While McMaster continues to open itself up to be mindful and welcoming of Indigenous knowledge, for new Indigenous students, faculty and staff, Xavier stresses that at Mac, there are opportunities to grow and have a strong community where Indigenous knowledge and lives are welcome.
“One of the reasons why I felt so embraced by the university is because of how much Indigenous women are leading the way at McMaster, many of whom are women I know. The placements of Dr. [Allan] Downing, Dr. Tracey Bear are milestones. This is a huge testament to Mac’s ability to bring in Indigenous women,” said Xavier.
C/O Klaudia Piaskowska
An over-reliance on digital photos causes more harm than we may expect
By: Rankini Kulatilake, Contributor
From my first ultrasound to my high school graduation, my mother’s scrapbook has captured all my milestones. If anyone wanted to know my story, a simple look through that scrapbook would reveal everything. Yet, 18 years later, in the age of digital photographs and phones with multiple cameras, my mother still chooses to carry a disposable camera around to capture the excitement of the world around her.
Though digital photographs are quick and often high quality, it has caused meaningful pictures to have increasingly lost their uniqueness given the number of pictures that can be taken so quickly. This idea is based on the fact that we depend on digital photographs to remember the experience, notwithstanding the fact that we have an abundant amount of digital photographs, which can get easily lost in the abyss of our “Photos” app.
A study of undergraduate students was performed as a guided tour of a museum, prompting the students to take pictures of some objects and just simply observe others. The results? The students remembered fewer visual details about the photographed art, in comparison to the art they were asked to only observe.
The study found that this difference is due to our over-reliance on the camera, rather than our memory. Consequently, we lose small details and fail to activate the processes that allow us to remember these important details. In short, digital photographs lose their meaning due to our overdependence on the camera itself, causing us to forget important details that would enhance our memory of our experiences.
Digital photographs are easy to take, quick to save and you can easily take 100 pictures in the span of a mere two minutes. In 2018, an estimated one trillion photos were taken. This gargantuan number of photographs will only grow as time goes on. Even in our own phones, we have a flood of pictures.
But how many of those do we look back at? How many of those experiences do we remember? My camera roll is around 1,000 pictures; however, most of these would be collecting dust if they could. Very rarely will I look back on these pictures because there are simply too many of them and they all blend in together. Many of them have lost their significance as they’ve blended in with the excessive amount of random screenshots and memes I have stored.
In other words, though digital photos are efficient, the large quantity of them in our phones makes them easily forgettable and causes them to become virtually meaningless.
However, are physical photographs any better? With digital photographs, you can easily share them with your family members and friends who live far away. You’ll even have it there forever, no worrying over losing it or damaging the picture. Despite this, digital photos do not equal security. They can be lost just as easily as physical photographs, albeit in a different manner.
According to technology developer Vincent Cerf, our most fond and precious memories that are stored digitally risk being lost due to the rapidly evolving changes in digital technologies.
If we look to compact discs as an example, many used this as a storage unit for a variety of different media types. For a while, you could insert a CD on your laptop as they came with CD players built-in. However, most new laptops do not come with a CD player built-in. Similarly, with the USB, those important files are always easily corrupted and vulnerable to being lost.
This issue is not seen with physical prints, as photo printers have evolved from being at your local supermarket to mobile printers that you can carry in your bag and connect to a device. All in all, even though physical photographs cannot be as easily shared across vast distances as digital photographs, they can be securely stored and have withstood the rapid advancements of digital media technologies well.
Thus, the rise of digital photographs has caused photos to lose their meaning and significance. This is due to the fact that we remember less of our experiences when we rely on digital photos, as well as the fact that our digital photos are overflowing in our camera rolls. As well, digital photos are constantly vulnerable to the ever-changing media technologies.
That being said, we can easily capture every moment now, but does it really equate to a memorable and meaningful experience if you are merely viewing it through a phone screen? A picture may be worth a thousand words, but, oftentimes, a thousand words are just not needed.
C/O Paramita Bhattacharyya
The Silhouette: Please introduce yourself.
Paramita Bhattacharyya: My name is Paramita Bhattacharyya. I am currently doing my PhD in the department of engineering physics, where my specialization is in photovoltaics. I also did my master's here in the same department, so I have been with McMaster [University] for around three years now. I'm an international student, so I did my undergrad studies back in India.
What inspired you to pursue a PhD?
When I was doing my undergrad, it was by chance, or by luck that I got to know about an alumnus of my department who was working with photovoltaics. My dad is in a non-renewable energy sector, so he's associated with oil and . . . when I was growing up, I was always surrounded by concepts of renewables and non-renewables. When I got the chance in my undergrad to work on photovoltaics a little bit, I took that opportunity and I was fascinated by the research that I did. I came to McMaster for my masters because I wanted to specifically work on photovoltaics and I wanted to work with my supervisor [Rafael] Kleiman. Later, I loved my research so much that I was like, "No, I really want to do a PhD because I want to join the industry as a research scientist."
Could you elaborate on your research?
We are integrating solar cells [onto] the body of an electric car. Basically, we are not putting on panels, but we are making the body with steel and a [copper indium gallium selenide solar cell]. Particularly, my focus is that all the solar cells look pretty dull, like a blue or black colour. A market survey was done and it was found that no one really likes to have those dull coloured cars, and people definitely don't like to have a car which looks exactly the same as their neighbour’s. So, my research comes into the picture, because I am trying to make these dull, boring cells colourful by working with optical filters . . . I want to have solar cells that look colourful; that's the first part. The second is, we want to properly integrate those solar cells with the body of the car. Then we would love to see how much energy we are getting in different provinces in Canada and the States. We have to do a detailed study about how much energy the cells will be supporting for the battery and a lot of stuff. This is very new research, so it's in the very early stages. There are lots and lots of things to do, but we are keeping our goals pretty short right now, pretty small. Let's first know how to walk before we run.
Do you have a general idea of when we might be able to start seeing solar panel integrated cars?
I won't say many decades in the future, because the company called General Motors is working with us so it's already an industry collaboration. I expect to see the first prototype in four years. That means we will be able to make at least one car like that. After that, it takes a lot of time to scale down the existing manufacturing process that they already have right now and to integrate the new things that we will be recommending. So maybe in 10 to 15 years, we will be able to see those cars on the road, but again, I'm being extremely optimistic.
What has been your favourite part of your research?
Just the thrill of not knowing what I'm doing every day. It's very frustrating but it's very exciting. I love this adrenaline rush. I don't know whether what I am planning will actually work or not, so it can happen that three years down the line, whatever I was thinking is not working at all. There is always that risk. But, if we succeed, then we will also get the fun of doing something that no one has done before. It's that adrenaline rush, that uncertainty of life, because you just don't know what's going to happen. You are just trying to find something that you just don't know how it should look like, or what it is going to be — you're just trying to find something new.
Have you learned any personal lessons as a result of your research?
Yes, a lot. I have learned how to be more patient. I have learned how to not lose hope when things go bad because it's going to go bad all the time. Because the day you get your answer is the last day of your research. So, before that, every day may be a disappointment because you just don't know what's happening.
Do you have any other comments?
I would just tell people to be hopeful in this time. We are coming back, we will come back. So just keep working. Keep going. If you feel like you really don't know what you're doing in life, that's completely okay. The sun always rises after the darkest part of the night. It really doesn't matter what you do, you could do research, you join the industry, or you do something amazingly creative. Just do what you feel like doing, otherwise, you might be exhausted pretty easily so just do what you want to do.
How students have adapted to limited lab time, cancelled programs and remote research
C/O Firmbee.com
Doing a thesis or capstone project can be difficult in regular circumstances. In this virtual year, students have shown incredible innovation, determination and have made the most out of these trying times. These eight students from a range of disciplines and types of research have shared their challenges and triumphs navigating this strange and unpredictable year.
While each of their experiences is unique and insightful, many of these students had similar challenges and benefits in this online year.
Rya Buckley, who is also the Silhouette's Arts and Culture Editor, and Lee Higgins both had trouble with remote desktop access. Buckley couldn’t access the data or statistics program, SPSS and instead conducted her data analysis through Zoom calls in which she shared her screen with research coordinator Caroline Reid-Westoby. Higgins had concerns about speed and file safety.
“I needed one software which was on those computers and I just bought it instead because I didn’t want to deal with it. I just spent $120 on the software and bit the bullet,” said Higgins.
“I needed one software which was on those computers and I just bought it instead because I didn’t want to deal with it. I just spent $120 on the software and bit the bullet.”
Lee Higgins
Several of the students had to change their research methods. Titi Huynh and her group were restricted to online surveys for their data collection, rather than interviews. Christy Au-Yeung hoped to choose clinical assessments and apply them to patients in a memory intervention program, but the program was cancelled in the fall due to COVID-19.
Julia Wickens and Higgins, both in the faculty of engineering, were able to be more ambitious and creative with their capstone projects because they no longer had a manufacturing component.
“We didn’t have to take into account the cost of materials and building time and stuff like that, so we were able to make something a bit more interesting,” said Wickens.
Peipei Wang had very limited access to the laboratory she belonged to but was still able to expose mice to cannabis smoke and the influenza virus and analyze the results with the help of a masters student and laboratory technician.
Though Rodoshi Rahman could have done further experiments with more laboratory access, she was able to take her experiments home. She built two snail compartments in a tank and studied their growth.
Sarphina Chui’s thesis changed completely. She was initially going to study the effects of dance and music on people with Parkinson’s. Instead, she has studied pedagogy to inform a new integrated program at McMaster.
Every student highlighted the challenges and benefits of online communication. For some, the logistics of setting up a common meeting time was a hurdle. Others found it simpler to meet online, to have several questions answered at once and to have quick check-ins.
Huynh mentioned that she hoped to spend more time in the community she researched. Wickens wanted to spend time with her group members in a social setting.
Huynh mentioned that she hoped to spend more time in the community she researched. Wickens wanted to spend time with her group members in a social setting.
All students expressed gratitude for the support they’ve received over the past year, from supervisors, group members and classmates.
“I would say, overall, even though it’s not what I had expected, it’s been a positive experience and I’m sure that’s maybe what you’re hearing from a lot of people," said Au-Yeung.
“I would say, overall, even though it’s not what I had expected, it’s been a positive experience and I’m sure that’s maybe what you’re hearing from a lot of people."
Christy Au-Yeung
That is exactly what I heard from the eight students I was fortunate to interview and share their experiences.
Thesis: identifying which clinical predictors — like age, personality, cognitive abilities, depression and stress — could predict better outcomes in memory following a cognitive remediation intervention in patients with mood disorders.
Supervisor: Heather McNeely, associate professor at McMaster in PNB and clinical lead for neuropsychology at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.
Christy Au-Yeung has a long-term interest in mental health interventions, especially on the cognitive symptoms of depression or bipolar disorder, such as memory. She is interested in identifying how clinical factors will impact the outcomes of interventions.
Initially, she was supposed to choose clinical assessments and administer them before and after intervention; however, because the program was cancelled for the fall, Au-Yeung instead used data from previous patients to analyze clinical predictors and outcomes.
“I would say, overall, even though it’s not what I had expected it’s been a positive experience,” explained Au-Yeung.
Au-Yeung said that apart from the research question, she was really interested in this project to gain clinical experience and she was a bit sad to find out she couldn’t. Luckily, the program ran online in the winter term and she was excited to sit in. Au-Yeung hopes she can use what she’s learned in her pursuit of clinical psychology.
Though she initially felt disconnected, she said the online environment has made it easier to meet with her supervisor and that the other thesis students have been supporting each other.
Au-Yeung said she relied a lot on being motivated by her peers but, with the nature of an online thesis, she’s learned to work more independently.
“I would say, overall, even though it’s not what I had expected it’s been a positive experience,” added Au-Yeung.
“I would say, overall, even though it’s not what I had expected it’s been a positive experience.”
Christy Au-Yeung
Thesis: association between socioeconomic status, the uptake of the enhanced 18-month well baby visit and speech and language problems in Ontario kindergarten children.
Supervisor: Magdalena Janus, core member at Offord Centre for Child Studies and professor of psychiatry and behavioural neurosciences at McMaster University.
Rya Buckley is interested in child psychology and especially socioeconomic status differences, as SES is a predictor of many outcomes for children. For her thesis, Buckley used data from the early development instrument, co-created by her supervisor, that measures school readiness through various domains of development.
Buckley said that the main adaptation she’s had to make due to COVID-19, apart from no in-person meetings, is access to the data.
“I feel like I’ve learned a lot and I still feel like it has been a useful experience,” said Buckley.
Typically, students use the computers at the Offord Centre in McMaster Innovation Park to access the database and run analysis on SPSS.
“I still feel like supervisors, for the most part, are trying to give their students the best experience.”
Rya Buckley
Due to technical difficulties, they were unable to create access through a remote desktop. Instead, Buckley had weekly meetings with Caroline Reid-Westoby, research coordinator at the Offord Centre, where Reid-Westoby would share her screen with the data and SPSS. Buckley would talk about the next steps in the analysis, Reid-Westoby would perform the commands and send the outputs to Buckley.
“I still feel like supervisors, for the most part, are trying to give their students the best experience,” said Buckley, adding that it’s been a rewarding experience.
Thesis: development of a STEM and music four-year double major degree program at McMaster University.
Co-Supervisors: Matthew Woolhouse, director of the Digital Music Lab and associate professor in the School of the Arts at McMaster University and Chelsea Mackinnon, sessional instructor of health sciences at McMaster University.
Sarphina Chui’s initial thesis on the benefits of dance for people with Parkinson’s disease was cancelled due to COVID-19. Instead, Chui joined the STEM and Music double degree project, specifically looking at music pedagogy and how to best design an integrated program.
Chui designed a 30-minute online interview for current students in integrated programs at McMaster to understand their undergraduate experience and inform the structure of the proposed STEM and music program.
"To see how we can . . . build an undergraduate degree program that’s most beneficial for students to learn,” said Chui.
“To see how we can . . . build an undergraduate degree program that’s most beneficial for students to learn.”
Sarphina Chui
Chui said that it would have been easier to advertise her study in person, but she said that online interviews haven’t impacted the quality of the research she has done.
“I would say it’s been really great and it’s because of my supervisor. I know that thesis can suck for some people, with it being online, but my experience has been amazing,” said Chui.
The student explained that her supervisors prioritized mental health and that she has learned a lot of really valuable skills from her thesis.
Capstone: pitch and roll adjustable active rear wing for touring and road car applications.
Supervisor: capstone course professor.
Lee Higgins and his two group members are spending January to December designing and simulating a rear spoiler. The design that Higgins and his group are working on will be able to pitch forward and backwards and tilt side to side and the force these movements produce, as it goes.
There is typically a manufacturing component to the capstone but that became optional due to COVID-19. Higgins noted that he was able to create a more complex design but that he lost out on the practical component.
So far, he has worked on a literature review of the necessary concepts and is beginning the modelling stage. Later in the year, he will simulate the model and add any necessary revisions.
“I wanted to really do something cool, something that I was proud of,” said Higgins.
“I wanted to really do something cool, something that I was proud of.”
Lee Higgins
“While it’s different, it’s not as different as I expected it to be. It’s not as bad as I expected it to be. I still had an opportunity to do something that I really cared about that I really liked. Even though it was slightly different I was able to bend it in a way that I was still happy with,” added Higgins.
Thesis: the influence of social media on undergraduate students’ perceptions of reality.
Supervisor: thesis course professor.
Titi Huynh and her four group members looked at the communities that are formulated online through social media and how they can recreate norms and biases amongst individuals, as well as how online behaviours affect offline behaviours.
Huynh said that they were restricted to online surveys because of COVID-19, which had challenges and benefits.
“I know we wouldn’t have been able to reach the 53 students that we did end up reaching if we were to do interviews,” said Huynh, noting that it was initially difficult to recruit students.
“I know we wouldn’t have been able to reach the 53 students that we did end up reaching if we were to do interviews.”
Titi Huynh
To analyze their data, Huynh and her group members would call each other over Zoom, someone would screen share SPSS software and they would go through the analysis verbally. Once they moved from SPSS to Microsoft Excel, it became easier as everyone could access the sheet at the same time.
Huynh also conducted a sustainability thesis as part of her minor. This thesis was in a group of five and they collaborated with the Hamilton Farmers Market to look at vendors’ perceptions on trying to implement or co-develop a food recovery program. Huynh hoped that the vendors could collaborate with a non-profit, such as Meals with Purpose, to donate any unsold healthy and nutritious foods.
This thesis hoped to address food insecurity and food waste in Hamilton. They conducted interviews with vendors and used NVivo to conduct their analysis. However, their McMaster license to NVivo expired after the first semester, before they had data to analyze.
“Everybody planned a schedule for each person to start their two-week free trial and then we would overlap it, so two people would be able to work on it within the same two-week period,” said Huynh.
“Everybody planned a schedule for each person to start their two-week free trial and then we would overlap it, so two people would be able to work on it within the same two-week period.”
Titi Huynh
Huynh said that she would have liked to be more involved within the community, such as the participants in her social psychology thesis or the vendors at the Farmers Market. She also noted the benefits of two of these at the same time, where she completed an ethics application for one and then immediately started the application for the other thesis.
“It’s been good. I am very thankful we did these in groups,” said Huynh.
She wished that she could have been more hands-on with her theses and worked directly with the communities.
“With the online environment we seem to have taken a step back and observed everything, which was different, but they were both very enjoyable,” said Huynh.
Thesis: phenotypic plasticity of snail shell morphology induced by architectural constraints.
Supervisor: Jonathon Stone, associate professor of biology at McMaster University.
Rodoshi Rahman has spent the year with snails to see how their shells grow and physically adapt to an architecturally constrained environment. Rahman said that some snails naturally can live in areas that are more sheltered while others live in areas that are more open, including more open to predators.
The nature of her design and the fact that snails are invertebrates meant that Rahman was able to build and conduct her experiment at home. Rahman grew the snails in one of two compartments that she built, one without restrictions and one with a maze, for about two and a half months.
Rahman said that she was acquainted with Stone’s lab before COVID-19.
“I was super excited to experience that because I feel like Doc Roc’s lab was super energetic, they were super friendly but they were also very educational,” said Rahman.
She was really let down that she couldn’t experience this, especially the challenges with making connections, but felt that the online adaptation was smooth.
“[Doc Roc’s] been super available and flexible and helpful,” said Rahman, crediting part of her success within the thesis to Doc Roc’s guidance and training, even if it had to be through Zoom.
“[Doc Roc’s] been super available and flexible and helpful.”
Rodoshi Rahman
Thesis: investigating the in vivo effects of cannabis smoke on lung immune response to influenza infection.
Supervisor: Jeremy Hirota, assistant professor at McMaster University and Canada research chair in respiratory mucosal immunology.
Peipei Wang has been exposing mice to short periods of consistent cannabis smoke to see how it affects different lung functions. Partway through the cannabis smoke exposure period, they infected the mice with influenza.
“Let’s say lungs are damaged due to cannabis smoke. How does that damage their specific response to specific diseases?” said Wang.
She planned to analyze the gene expression within these mice, but she found out in early March that she was unable to get the RNA data in time. Instead, Wang changed her focus to cell populations and immune mediator expression. Although she found her new topic interesting, she was initially looking forward to analyzing the data that would result from her gene expression analyses.
“There were definitely still upsides. I felt really included by my master’s student, so when he was smoke-exposing and anything happened, he would WhatsApp me and say “Oh, this happened, this looks kind of cool take a look,” and I thought that was really nice,” said Wang.
The student spoke to how interactions with others helped her complete her research.
“Everyone has been so nice and conducive to helping me learn. Even through the pandemic I felt like I had these mentors who were checking up on me and that was really nice,” said Wang.
“Everyone has been so nice and conducive to helping me learn. Even through the pandemic I felt like I had these mentors who were checking up on me and that was really nice.”
Peipei Wang
Capstone: universal muscle stretching equipment.
Supervisor: Philip Koshy, professor of mechanical engineering at McMaster University.
Julia Wickens and her three group members have spent their year responding to the lack of gym equipment focused on stretching. They are creating a piece of equipment designed specifically for a gym environment that can guide people through stretching, especially for those who aren’t as experienced.
The group collaborated on the design but then divided the modelling of each station among themselves, where Wickens and another group member developed the legs and back station. In a typical year, capstone students make a prototype but that was made optional this year due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“One of the nice things about doing this online is that we were able to go a little bit more ambitious than we would have if we did have to build it,” said Wickens.
“One of the nice things about doing this online is that we were able to go a little bit more ambitious than we would have if we did have to build it.”
Julia Wickens
They designed the equipment to be highly adjustable to accommodate different flexibility levels and body sizes.
Wickens completed a capstone for the society component of her degree in the fall term. The capstone challenged the students to research and propose a protocol to implement a program.
The program was meant to address a sustainability problem. Wickens and her three group members chose to focus on a social and financial sustainability problem.
Her group of four developed a proposal for a community program to distribute low-cost computers and computer classes in downtown Hamilton. The computers would be partially made of recycled materials, involving an environmental sustainability lens and a Raspberry Pi. Raspberry Pis are affordable small computers that can connect to the internet and run programs similar to Microsoft Suite programs.
Wickens said that overall the capstone was a good experience and she felt very lucky to have the technology that enabled them to accomplish everything they did.
“The thing we were kind of sad about is that we got along really well as a group and we couldn’t hang out outside of working on the project,” said Wickens.
“The thing we were kind of sad about is that we got along really well as a group and we couldn’t hang out outside of working on the project.”
Julia Wickens
As children continue to enter contact sports, concussions will undoubtedly go up — but so does the chance of CTE.
C/O Molly Ferguson Art
Traumatic brain injuries are everywhere, from the workplace to sports. It is estimated that there are nearly 500 TBIs per 100,000 individuals annually in Canada; to narrow that down, one person in Canada would suffer a TBI every three minutes.
A TBI occurs due to shaking of the brain caused by blows to the head. It is the most apparent cause of death among young adults. TBI can range from being either mild, moderate or severe, depending on the results retrieved from neurological assessments. A concussion is often referred to in clinical settings as mild TBI.
Concussions can typically resolve spontaneously after 7-10 days with close monitoring of symptoms but can lead to immediate impairment of neurologic function with subsequent head injuries. Common symptoms present in the diagnosis of a concussion include headaches, dizziness, nausea, lack of concentration, memory impairment and tiredness.
It is estimated that 200,000 concussions occur per year in Canada alone, and of that, children under the age of five were the most prevalent demographic to experience a concussion.
Now, when looking at sports-related concussions, football is the most common sport in which concussions are diagnosed, where a study showed it accounted for more than half of all 2561 concussions reported.
In the NFL, the position played is an important factor for predictions on concussions and brain injuries, where offensive and defensive linemen are more prone to concussions than any other position. However, these concussions may be caused by low impact hits due to the short distance between the hitting and receiving players, whereas a quarterback would receive stronger hits at a lower frequency.
Though as players become sidelined for injuries, the media has a tendency to blow up injury stories and depending on fan support, the player may be ridiculed for not playing, as opposed to receiving empathy. Thus, many players who may indeed have a concussion go undiagnosed to ensure they are not portrayed as “weak” in their own perspective, in addition to the media’s and fans’ perspectives.
Now as players become injured with concussions repeatedly, long-term neurodegenerative effects may result and more specifically, chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Impulsivity, aggression, and suicidal behaviour encompass the clinical presentation for CTE, alongside the loss of memory and muscle spasms. However, a key limitation with the diagnosis of CTE is the requirement for it to be post-mortem.
CTE has gained recent attention from a study in 2017, where the CTE centre in Boston University concluded that CTE was diagnosed in 110 of 111 former deceased NFL players. More specifically, there was global attention on the specific case of Aaron Hernandez.
Hernandez was on route to becoming one of the greatest tight ends at the time. However, his life turned upside down when he was convicted guilty in 2015 and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for the first-degree murder of Odin Lloyd in 2013.
Just two years after his conviction, Hernandez committed suicide in April 2017. But after further studies by the Boston University CTE centre, it was found that Aaron Hernandez suffered the most extreme case of CTE ever found in anyone of his age.
Ann McKee, director of the BU CTE centre, was shocked to find Aaron being diagnosed with Stage III CTE at only 27 years old, exclaiming that his problem-solving, judgement and impulse control behaviours may have been compromised.
“This would be the first case we’ve ever seen of that kind of damage in such a young individual,” said McKee at the time.
“This would be the first case we’ve ever seen of that kind of damage in such a young individual.”
Ann McKee
When looking at concussion rehabilitation programs, it is never that simple, especially for children and youth; but at McMaster University, the CanChild research centre has a specific attention to youth and children with disabilities, and in this case, concussion education and rehabilitation.
More specifically, the centre developed evidence-based protocols for Return to Activity and Return to School for children and youth, led by Professor Carol DeMatteo. It was found that roughly 50 per cent of children and youth adhered to the protocols, and it is primarily dependent on education and awareness of concussion protocols.
To help with adherence, DeMatteo and her team developed the Back2Play app, where concussion symptoms are regularly monitored with an apple watch and real-time activity data is recorded. With that being said, return to school has happened quicker than return to activity.
As children consistently enter themselves into contact sports leagues, it will be no surprise that the prevalence of concussions will rise. However, with greater emphasis on the education of brain injuries, further concussions can be avoided and prevent the unfortunate cases of CTE.
