Doctoral Citations

A doctoral citation summarizes the nature of the independent research, provides a high-level overview of the study, states the significance of the work and says who will benefit from the findings in clear, non-specialized language, so that members of a lay audience will understand it.
Year Citation Program
2020 Dr. Yu introduced a new method to quantify the effect of logging on floods in the snowy regions of British Columbia. His research is the first to use nonstationary frequency analysis to reveal a highly sensitive flood regime to logging. His findings run counter to the prevalent, century-old wisdom in the field of forest hydrology. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2020 Dr. Ghazani's doctoral studies focused on the development of an easy method to sort particles into different classes. He designed and made a device to continuously separate microfibre particles. His findings contribute to the bio-product industry and will allow for either reduced energy usage or enhanced service performance. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical and Biological Engineering (PhD)
2020 Dr. Sandlin explored the nature of affective qualities, asking: what makes objects pleasant? His discussion was focused particularly on pleasant smells and pleasantness attributed to objects. He argues that pleasantness cannot be independent of our experience, but rather that pleasantness is a relationship between our experience and the world. Doctor of Philosophy in Philosophy (PhD)
2020 Dr. Hakeem developed innovative strategies for replacing antibiotics in agri-foods systems. He identified how synergistic combinations work collectively against Campylobacter jejuni. He also developed a nanoscale packaging system to inactivate this pathogenic bacterium in poultry meats to enhance food safety and public health. Doctor of Philosophy in Food Science (PhD)
2020 Dr. Ai developed a photo-acoustic imaging system through optical excitation and acoustic detection to illuminate the prostate from within the urethra using a transurethral probe. This technique will improve the detection and imaging of malignant tissue and prostate cancer. Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering (PhD)
2020 Dr. Ordobadi studied nanoparticles for delivery of small molecule drugs and nucleic acids. Through her studies, she looked at the effect of nanoparticle composition on therapeutic relevance. Her findings can ultimately be used to develop treatments for a range of diseases. Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD)
2020 Dr. Hao investigated Ti-catalyzed hydroamination, a powerful tool in the synthesis of various nitrogen-containing compounds. He used this complex to transform simple starting materials into complex nitrogen containing products, which can be used in new chemical reactions to make important commercial products like drugs and herbicides. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2020 Dr. King-Scobie studied how Canadian cities manage floods and recover from flood disasters. Her research developed new data, analysis, and tools to support municipal planning in balancing the protection of functioning rivers while protecting cities from floods. Doctor of Philosophy in Planning (PhD)
2020 Dr. Luan explored optical sensing architectures to improve diagnostic sensitivity, accuracy, and economy. He developed two types of sub-wavelength grating-based sensors, which present an improved sensitivity compared to conventional counterparts. This will impact medical diagnostics and healthcare services, particularly in developing countries. Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering (PhD)
2020 Dr. Nkansah-Boadu studied the treatment of selenium-contaminated coal mine-affected water using microbial consortia from mine-affected sediments. He discovered novel selenium-reducing bacteria and selenium removal pathways. His findings contribute knowledge for designing systems for remediating selenium-contaminated mine waters. Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD)
2020 Freshwater depletion has become a major problem for the global minerals industry. Dr. Hashemzadeh studied the use of seawater for copper extraction from ores, demonstrating the feasibility of using seawater in the extraction process. His findings will help to address water-related challenges facing the resources sector. Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Engineering (PhD)
2020 Dr. Lutz examined the effectiveness of a group therapeutic model to support military veterans and first responders in their transition from active duty to civilian life. His research will inform the development of effective programs that will improve the quality of life for the men and women who have been in service domestically and abroad. Doctor of Philosophy in Counselling Psychology (PhD)
2020 Dr. Crippen studied the endangered Tlingit (CLING-kit) language of Alaska, BC, & Yukon. He showed that its complex verb has an internal structure that is fundamentally the same as whole sentences in other languages. His work fits Tlingit into the larger theory of human language structure and supports its revitalization within the Tlingit community. Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics (PhD)
2020 Dr. Shu addressed power management issues in a mobile sensor network, with specific application to automated water quality monitoring. He developed energy-efficient methods to prolong the lifetime of the sensor network, which could be applied to various other environmental monitoring systems. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2020 Dr. Kunimoto discovered 17 new planets outside of the Solar System, including one that may be considered potentially habitable. She also analyzed her planet catalogue to reveal important information about planet formation and evolution theories. Her results indicate that there may be as many as one Earth-like planet for every five Sun-like stars. Doctor of Philosophy in Astronomy (PhD)
2020 In this study, Dr. Conteh investigated University of Botswana first-year students' instruction and use of digital technologies. Participants' uneven digital literacy skills, as well as various resource challenges, suggest a need for more effective integration of technologies in order to foster students' academic and professional success. Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD)
2020 Dr. Hossain investigated the use of Self-Tapping-Screws, a popular connector in Cross-Laminated Timber structures. These joints were tested under both monotonic loading and cyclic loading, which simulates the impact of an earthquake. Her research provides guidance to structural engineers and builders for designing timber shear connections. Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD)
2020 Dr. Byrne challenges long-standing claims about the psychology of partisanship. He shows that years of potential support cause an increase in partisanship, but not through the process of political socialization, or strengthening. This research sheds light on the psychology of partisanship and its impact on the stabilization of democracy over time. Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD)
2020 Dr. Jones examined the epidemiology of common mental disorders in workers with short term work disability due to musculoskeletal work injury. She found that workers with a common mental disorder were less likely to achieve sustained return to work. Her findings will inform work disability management policy and practice. Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD)
2020 Dr. Wang investigated the genomic mechanisms of speciation, the process in which one lineage becomes more than one. She found that genetic underpinning of plumage coloration and mitonuclear coevolution were targets of selection in a Pacific Northwest warbler species complex. This research sheds light on the mechanisms that lead to biodiversity. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2020 Dr. Azimi developed an efficient representation for digital colors based on the human visual system in order to improve the color quality of HDR videos without increasing the required bandwidth. Her results showed that her method can be effectively used for efficient compression in video transmission, outperforming current practices. Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)
2020 Dr. Monje proposes a new approach to Colombian literature that focuses on the sociable nature of Literary Cafés, which unites a diversity of texts and analyzes them in a way that unveils writers' associations over time. This research shows an innovative way of reading literature, which can be applied in different spatio-temporal contexts. Doctor of Philosophy in Hispanic Studies (PhD)
2020 Dr. Glass studied the relationship between human and livestock wellbeing in a traditional Maasai community. She found that herd size is associated with wealth and happiness, and her findings support the community belief that livestock are not a major source of human illness, as human and livestock diseases are most strongly correlated with climate. Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD)
2020 Dr. Ren discovered a novel mechanism that increases the coding capacity of a virus through an intergenic region internal ribosome entry site (IRES). This study will further our understanding of IRES' mediated translation initiation and reading frame decoding, which will inform our ability to recognize and treat viruses. Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD)
2020 Dr. Weber examined the structure of words in Blackfoot, a First Nations language. They proposed a model of the correspondence relations between representations of the meaningful parts of language and representations of speech sounds. This research contributes to our understanding of linguistic structure in words of all languages more generally. Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics (PhD)

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