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
2021 Dr. Fu focused on the design of protein-based biomaterials at both molecular and macroscopic levels. Her research allows for precise control over the mechanical performance of protein-based hydrogels for a variety of applications, such as soft actuators, cartilage-like biomaterials, and artificial substrates for laboratory cell biology studies. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2021 Dr. Adams showed that preturbing the machinery necessary for moving calcium and lipids between different components of cells in the testis results in the dysregulation of mammalian sperm release. His work has substantially added to the knowledge of sperm release mechanisms and has provided insight into infertility disorders in men. Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD)
2021 Dr. Delgado used narrative inquiry to explore the pedagogical potential of student activism, and how the experience of activism transforms both the role of students and activists. Dr. Delgado studied the context of resistance from economics students to traditional content and pedagogies of introductory economics courses in UK universities. Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD)
2021 Dr. Epifanov developed novel applications of sulfuryl fluoride, a common fumigant produced industrially on a multi-ton scale. The unique chemical properties of sulfuryl fluoride was used to render important transformations in organic synthesis to be more efficient and operationally simpler than existing methods. Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2021 Dr. Tam studied how the costs of lying, either derived from physiological and moral barriers or fear of being caught lying, affect people's behavior. This research assists policy makers in implementing effective self-reporting mechanisms. Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD)
2021 Dr. Wang studied the technology of high pressure grinding rolls for improved energy efficiency in the mining industry. He developed models for sizing, circuit design and process simulation of this technology. His findings promote this technology and enable its evaluation with greater confidence and significantly lower sample and testing requirements. Doctor of Philosophy in Mining Engineering (PhD)
2021 In a community of practice, Dr. Smith artistically explored the pedagogical possibilities and ethics of photo-based memory work in the exhibition Against Disappearance: A Photographic Search for Memory. Her work on lexical thinking and visual lifewriting expands understandings of photographic inquiry, highlighting a/r/tography's creative potential. Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD)
2021 Dr. Zolaktaf studied ways to improve the prediction of nucleic acid kinetics. This study provides more efficient computational methods for predicting nucleic acid kinetics and improving the underlying kinetic models for nucleic acids. Her contributions will make it easier to design nucleic-acid based devices, such as DNA robots. Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)
2021 Dr. Kumar analyzed the non-metal fraction from the waste of printed circuit boards and the electronic waste recycling industry and showed the economic and environmental benefits of reprocessing. He proposed potentially cost-effective physical processing solutions to recycle non-metal fractions that would otherwise be landfilled or incinerated. Doctor of Philosophy in Mining Engineering (PhD)
2021 Dr. Tamura elucidated the molecular mechanisms by which beneficial microbes in our gut utilize complex carbohydrates constituting dietary fibers that we humans cannot digest on our own. His research will inform future therapeutics based on targeted manipulation of gut microbial composition, which influences essentially all aspects of human health. Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD)
2021 Dr. Nickason examines Canada's efforts to give effect to First Nations' rights of self-determination and self-government. She demonstrates that cultural differences, in the ways First Nations and settler societies conceive of legitimacy, have undermined our capacity to negotiate new arrangements to give effect to these rights. Doctor of Philosophy in Law (PhD)
2021 Dr. Rich's research identified important gaps in the state of the knowledge of chronic disease multimorbidity for transgender people, demonstrated feasibility of innovative methods to identify transgender samples in administrative data, and provided epidemiologic evidence of multimorbidity disparity for transgender people living with HIV. Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD)
2021 Since the early 2000s, private condominium developers have taken on new roles as builders of low-income housing in Canada. Dr. Hyde examined the causes and consequences of these policy arrangements in Toronto and Vancouver, concluding that current density agreements have led to trade-offs that do not meet public needs for affordable housing. Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology (PhD)
2021 Starting from the observation that working-class people are massively underrepresented in legislatures almost everywhere, Dr. Hemingway's research showed that the class backgrounds of politicians shape their attitudes and the policies they enact in office, particularly relating to inequality and economic issues. Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD)
2021 Dr. Woodard developed two automated systems for assessing the behaviour of laboratory mice within their home-cage, allowing these animals to be tested in a high-throughput and low-stress manner. These systems were used to study mice carrying the genetic mutation that causes Huntington's disease, a fatal neurodegenerative disorder. Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience (PhD)
2021 Dr. Yanko created and investigated a novel approach for assessing arts learning experiences. He discovered how the arts can enable educators to illuminate the values and judgments of student creativity, imagination, and meaning-making. Findings show this practice to be inclusive, democratic, and tangible for all learners in a classroom community. Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD)
2021 Dr. Malette's work investigated how post-secondary environments impact undergraduate student mental health stigma, service use and the likelihood for experiencing mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. Findings from this work highlighted the importance of examining social influences on student wellbeing.. Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology (PhD)
2021 Dr. Ebner examined the impacts of ongoing economic restructuring on development processes and experiences of workers in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (PhD)
2021 Dr. DiPucchio developed catalysts based on the element Tantalum to accelerate carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions. These resultant catalysts used ureate ligands and displayed reactivity that allowed for making new types of drug-inspired products. Her project has inspired a variety of current and future projects in the Schafer lab." Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD)
2021 Dr. Chhina developed a new questionnaire to measure the impact of leg deformities on the quality of life of children. To develop this questionnaire, she interviewed children, parents, doctors, and healthcare workers from six different countries. This questionnaire will be used to measure the impact of treatments on improving quality of life. Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD)
2021 Dr. Toledo Orozco studied the expanding informal governance systems of small-scale and artisanal gold miners in the Andes. Through cross-country comparison of miners' capacity to avoid and revert different state regulatory strategies, she illuminated the collective power of informal groups and the politics of enforcement in developing nations. Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD)
2021 Climate change is shifting the distribution of marine fish species that cross international borders. Dr. Palacios-Abrantes's research identified the impacts of climate change-induced shifts on transboundary fish stocks distributions and their management, thereby informing international fisheries governance to prepare and respond to climate change. Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD)
2021 Dr. Gomez studied the structure and dynamics of localized patterns in cellular biology using several new mathematical models, some patterns of which have applications to bulk-membrane processes. The analysis of such patterns provides insights on the phenomena being modeled and contributes to our general understanding of pattern formation. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics (PhD)
2021 With a focus on youth in high school, Dr. Slovin studied the conditions that structure understandings of gender nonconformity. Their work reimagines and deconstructs normative ideas of gender as visible, binary, and knowable. Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD)
2021 Dr. McClure investigated the effect of empathy on how elementary students defend others who are bullied by their peers, exploring different facets of empathy and a range of possible responses to bullying they witness. The study highlighted the need to focus on the more complex facets of empathy when trying to positively influence social change. Doctor of Philosophy in School and Applied Child Psychology (PhD)

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