Tales and Trials of Research

In this episode, we hear from USask neuroscience professor Dr. John Howland and two undergraduate student assistants, Aiden Glass and Leah Macfarlane, about the kinds of questions, enthusiasm, and curiosity that drives research. Want to learn more about the Howland lab? Check out their website: https://research-groups.usask.ca/johnhowlandlab/index.php. (With apologies from Merle: I was developing a desperate chest cold when we recorded and you can hear it...)

Join us to listen to Dr. Murray Drew of the College of Agriculture and Biosciences at the University of Saskatchewan talk about how he brought FYRE into his first year animal bioscience class -- and a few of the other things about teaching, students, and how students learn, along the way! 

Dr. Emily McWalter from the College of Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan tells us about her postsecondary research experience, how she ended up as a professor working in biomedical engineering. Dr. McWalter is also an avid supporter of undergraduate students engaging in research and talks about why that matters for undergraduate students! 

This amazing crew of student researchers from USask CURE course BMIS380 (Biomedical Science 380) sat down with Merle Massie to talk about their class research experience, their most important learnings, why the research experience is so valuable for students and where they see themselves in regards to research in the future. Learn it all in this most recent episode. This podcast pairs with the previous podcast on the CURE! 

Never heard of CURE before on campus? Merle sits down with three outstanding University of Saskatchewan professions to learn about the CURE program and how they bring research into the classroom. Find their amazing CURE blog series, "From Student to Researcher (in one term!) here: https://vpresearch.usask.ca/students/undergraduate/undergraduate-research-blog/undergraduate-research-blog.php. 

Ever wanted to know what it is like to conduct research on living animals such as rats? Merle and Alexa sit down with undergraduate student researcher, Ashton Heidt, to discuss animal ethics, how to land an undergraduate research opportunity and the most rewarding part of the research conducted in the lab. Ashton Heidt is currently in fourth year of a BSc (Honours) degree from the College of Arts and Science, majoring in physiology and pharmacology. His research project (with the guidance of Dr. John Howland) investigates how chemical inactivation of a particular brain region will alter performance in working memory tasks for rats.

Did you know that some FYRE (First Year Research Experience) courses can allow you to work with students and faculty from educational institutions around the globe? In a world that is more interconnected than ever, building a COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) experience into a course is just one of the many exciting opportunities USask offers to faculty and students. Join Department of English Professor, Dr. David Parkinson, and Educational Development Specialist, Aditi Garg, as they chat with Merle & Brooke about the experience the Winter 2021 ENG 113 students got to have with students based in Madrid, Spain, as they collaborated on a podcast project.

Did you know that USask undergraduates (even just in their first and second year!) have managed to find some AMAZING things through FYRE (First Year Research Experience) projects? Join Merle & Brooke as they chat with Dr. Daryl Janzen, a professor of astronomy and a champion of undergraduate research opportunities. Take a listen to find out what YOU might be to find in the cosmos - or anywhere else! - during your own FYRE experience. 

Vice-President Research, Dr. Baljit Singh, is a well-known champion of research in all disciplines. He conducts many of his own projects while holding the position of VP of Research for USask. He often brings undergraduate students onto his own research teams and finds a lot of excitement in undergraduate work. Join Merle & Brooke as they chat with Dr. Singh about how he became fascinated with the research world, how research work contributes to becoming a global citizen and his best pieces of advice for undergraduate researchers.

Have you ever wanted to pursue academic research but not realized multiple disciplines, such as business, offer these opportunities? Have you ever felt like student work cannot be applied to real-world situations before your degree is complete? Fear not! Merle & Brooke chat with Dr. Maureen Bourassa, a professor in the Edwards School of Business, about the Marketing Research experiential learning course she teaches and the research work that business students have been able to participate in during their undergraduate degrees, with an emphasis on how using an applied experience allows students to build research confidence. We also have a good laugh about the challenges of building strong survey questions.

Ever wanted to know how to publish your in-progress or completed academic work as an undergraduate? Are you an artist and looking for ways to share your art with the world? The University of Saskatchewan Undergraduate Research Journal can provide you with that opportunity! Join Merle & Brooke as they chat with Delane Just (USURJ Graduate Editor-in-Chief) and Jordan Wellsch (USURJ Undergraduate Editor-in-Chief) about what USURJ can offer students, what the publication process looks like, how it feels to have your work available to the world in an open access journal and why YOU should submit to USURJ!

Have you ever thought about connecting your academic coursework back to your own life and home? Do you ever wonder what it's like to be a student in a FYRE course? Want to know what types of course research projects you can look forward to? Join Merle & Brooke as they chat with undergraduate and recent FYRE course student, Rachel Thatcher, as she shares her experience in Dr. Paul Hackett's FYRE course and what she learned about conducting research.

What can students expect from their research coach when they take a First Year Research Experience (FYRE) course? Why should senior students consider becoming a research coach and mentoring others? Hear from USask Masters candidate, Bidushy Sadika, about her experience as a FYRE research coach for a Women's and Gender Studies course and why YOU should take a FYRE course or get involved with coaching.

What can students expect from a USask First Year Research Experience (FYRE) class? What types of skills can you expect to develop? Where can you share your work and projects when the course is over? Dr. Jessica Lieffers tells Merle & Brooke about her experience teaching her FYRE class, NUTR 230, and what she loves about creating an undergraduate research experience for her students.

What is the best way to approach a faculty member about joining a research team? How do you decide that you want to be a researcher? What can you learn about conducting research during your undergraduate degree? Join Merle & Brooke as they chat with USask Toxicology Master's degree candidate Sydney Murray about her experience as an undergraduate researcher and how she found her way in the research world.