Winners of 2024 UPEI Student Program for Research Engagement and Excellence poster competition announced
Undergraduate and graduate students who participated in the 2024 UPEI Student Program for Research Engagement and Excellence (SPREE) poster competition presented their posters on August 22 in McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre.
The participants in the 11-week program included 31 undergraduate and 29 graduate students from 16 programs. Of the 60, 36 chose to enter the optional poster competition.
In the undergraduate category, biology student Briana Creed won first place for her project, “Investigating Blueberry Phytochemical Protein Targets and Bioactivity.” Her supervisor was Dr. J. Patrick Murphy, assistant professor of biology.
Second place went to sustainable design engineering student Abby Chapman, for her project, “Evaluating the Resource Potential of Biomass to support PEI’s Net-Zero Goals.” Her supervisor was Dr. Stephanie Shaw, Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering.
Biology student Payton Alexander won third place for “Testing the Effects of Polyamines on Cancer Cell Biology.” Dr. Murphy was her supervisor.
In the graduate category, first place went to Shelby Squires, MSc student in molecular and macromolecular sciences, for her project, “Modelling Neurodevelopment in a Dish to Study the Movement Disorder Gene Pde10a.” Her supervisor was Dr. Joel Ross, associate professor of biology.
Nauman Yaqoob, master of sustainable design engineering student, took second place with his project, “Topography-Driven Variability in Greenhouse Gas Emissions During Potato Growth Season.” He was supervised by Dr. Aitazaz Farooque, professor and associate dean of the UPEI School of Climate Change and Adaptation.
Lauren Reid, MSc student in human biology, won third place with her project, “Use of In Vitro Models for The Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.” Her supervisor was Dr. Marva Sweeney-Nixon, professor of biology and associate vice-president of research and dean of graduate studies.
At the closing ceremony, Dr. Sweeney-Nixon congratulated all of the participants, noting that the SPREE program has great value for the students and the University.
“As UPEI’s Strategic Research Plan 2023–2028 states, ‘University research provides a unique learning experience for students. Research by faculty members adds a new element to their teaching and provides students with the most current and innovative thinking within their field of study,’” she said. “Through their involvement with faculty members and their research, student researchers gain first-hand experience with inquiry, engage in self-directed learning, and explore potential career pathways in research. This contributes to moving forward the University’s research agenda, developing talent for impactful research, and contributing to the experiential learning of our students.”
The SPREE program arose from the former Student Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR), which was expanded this year to include graduate students and renamed to reflect that change. During the program, students participated in research skill-based workshops and attended presentations from UPEI researchers and others about their careers and research. They gained insights about research within UPEI, including learning about practical tools for designing, managing, conducting, and communicating the results of research projects. Their projects covered diverse topics, including biology, chemistry, education, English, environmental sciences, island studies, mathematical and computational sciences, psychology, and sustainable design engineering.
