This summer, 12 Chinese students completed an intensive, three-week program at 快播视频 called Jumpstart Your Future: A Career Bootcamp for Undergrads. A collaborative effort between 快播视频鈥檚 Asian Business & Management Program (ABMP) and the Faculty of Science, the summer program embodied the University鈥檚 commitment to a multidisciplinary educational approach. It brought together students from Shandong Second Medical University and Wuxi Taihu University in China, and blended medical and business insights to prepare them for their future careers.

鈥淭he boot camp was meticulously designed to build critical soft skills, enhance business knowledge, and equip participants to become competitive applicants for post-secondary education and the job market,鈥� said Elena Caprioni, ABMP program director.

Students engaged in a combination of dynamic lectures, workshops, networking opportunities and group activities with 快播视频 students, culminating in a capstone project outlining their career roadmap. A key aspect of the program was a series of visits to prominent local institutions, including RBC, the IBM Canada Software Lab, the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital and the York Centre for Vision Research, among others.

鈥淭hese experiences provided invaluable real-world perspectives, bridging theoretical knowledge with practical industry insights,鈥� said Caprioni.

The program not only benefited the visiting students but also enriched the learning experiences of 快播视频 students, allowing them to engage with peers from diverse backgrounds and broaden their perspectives.

鈥淥ne of my best memories was hosting a coffee chat that brought together Chinese students with professionals in the medical fields,鈥� said 快播视频 student Tien Thuy Hoang, a member of the Global Leaders of York Science volunteer group. 鈥淲e had a great time exchanging ideas and exploring cultural differences, which made the whole session really special and memorable.鈥�

Hugo Chen, director of international collaborations and partnerships in the Faculty of Science, witnessed the impact of the boot camp on students during their final presentations.

鈥淭he program concluded with these bright minds presenting their individual career plans, reminding us of the importance of such initiatives in shaping the leaders of tomorrow,鈥� said Chen. 鈥淵ork Science is proud to have played a pivotal role in this transformative educational journey and looks forward to continuing this enriching collaboration, fostering growth and nurturing potential in the generations to come.鈥�

The program鈥檚 success in bridging cultural and academic gaps underscores 快播视频鈥檚 commitment to fostering global knowledge exchange. Looking ahead, ABMP and the Faculty of Science will continue to provide in-person programs that enhance cross-cultural interactions, thereby enriching students鈥� cultural understanding and academic experience.

Courtesy of YFile

The post Summer program boosts knowledge exchange, career readiness appeared first on Faculty of Science.

At 快播视频鈥檚 Faculty of Science鈥檚 annual Science Summer 2024 Undergraduate Research Conference, students competed and received awards in recognition of oral and poster presentations on summer projects that covered topics like dark matter, mathematical disease modelling, antibiotic resistance and beyond.

More than 40 students conducting summer research in York鈥檚 Faculties of Science, Environmental & Urban Change, and Liberal Arts & Professional Studies attended the conference.

Participants 鈥� including two Queen's University students working with 快播视频 professors 鈥� had received funding earlier in the year for their summer research positions from the Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada Undergraduate Summer Research Awards, the Earle Nestmann Undergraduate Research Awards or the York Science Scholars Awards.

The projects culminated at the conference, where each student gave either a poster or oral presentation that was judged by faculty members, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students.

The conference 鈥� and the work leading up to it 鈥� are meant to give students hands-on opportunities to engage in research, noted Rui Wang, dean of the Faculty of Science, at the event. He stressed other benefits, too. 鈥淪haring your ideas and findings with fellow researchers, and building connections that lead to fruitful friendships and collaborations, are an important part of being a scientist. Enjoy these moments and use them to learn about yourself and grow as a researcher.鈥�

The students who received awards for their oral presentations were:

• Harry Parmar, a health sciences student at Queen鈥檚 University, won first place for the project 鈥淓xamining Functional Properties of Frontal Eye Field in the Macaque Monkey,鈥� supervised by Jeffrey Schall, a biology professor in the Faculty of Science.
• Vesta Tajik, an environmental biology student in York鈥檚 Faculty of Science, won second place for the project 鈥淒ocumenting the impacts of an inter-basin river diversion on Lake Nipigon (Ontario, Canada),鈥� supervised by Joshua Thienpont, a professor in the Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change.
• Alrishia Agard, a biomedical science student in York鈥檚 Faculty of Science, won third place for the project 鈥淎ssessing the impact of road de-icers on the osmoregulatory physiology of Chironomus riparius larvae,鈥� supervised by Andrew Donini, biology professor in the Faculty of Science.

The students who received awards for their poster presentations were:

• Yash Shrestha, a health sciences student at Queen鈥檚 University, won first place for the project 鈥淧robing Late-LTP following selective inhibition of TrkC-PTP蟽 complex in a mouse model,鈥� supervised by Steven Connor, a biology professor in the Faculty of Science.
• Michael Petosa, a biomedical science student in York鈥檚 Faculty of Science, won second place for the project 鈥淎 New Route to Pyridine-Substituted Piperidines,鈥� supervised by Arturo Orellana, a chemistry professor in the Faculty of Science.
• Shahen Alexanian, a computer science and mathematics student in York鈥檚 Lassonde School of Engineering, won third place for the project 鈥淓valuating the Introduction of a Variational Autoencoder into a Multi-omics Workflow,鈥� supervised by Xin Gao and Hannah Jankowsi, mathematics and statistics professors in the Faculty of Science.

Read more about the students and their projects in the conference program booklet.

Courtesy of YFile

The post Science students receive awards at summer research conference appeared first on Faculty of Science.

Program Overview

The iBSc program offers two specialized pathways:

1. Biology: Focusing on fundamental biological sciences and extending into specialized fields such as ecology, molecular genetics, animal physiology and microbiology.
   
2. Biomedical Science: Concentrating on the intersection of biology and medicine, this pathway prepares students for careers in healthcare and biomedical research.

The iBSc degree program requires study in a second language and at least one term of study abroad.

---

Degree Requirements

The iBSc program is structured to include 120 credits, distributed as follows:

85 CREDITS IN SCIENCE

These are comprised of core and elective science courses that are aligned with traditional BSc degree requirements.

30 CREDITS IN INTERNATIONAL COMPONENTS

• 12 Credits in Language 快播视频: Students choose from a variety of languages offered at York, preparing them for their international experiences.
• 12 Credits in International Content Courses: These courses, which must be approved by an iBSc advisor, explore global issues, foreign cultures, and international policies, enhancing students鈥� global awareness.
• 6 Additional Credits in Language or International Content: Depending on their interests, students may opt to further their language proficiency or deepen their understanding of international topics.

5 CREDITS IN FREE ELECTIVES

These allow students flexibility to explore other areas of interest across the university.

Alumni Success Stories

Graduates of the iBSc program are exceptionally well-prepared for careers that demand scientific expertise and a deep understanding of global issues. They are equipped to work in multinational corporations, global health organizations, research institutions, and beyond, or to continue their studies in graduate or professional schools.

Hear from our iBSc alumni about their career paths and how the program shaped their professional lives:

Bahar Madani

鈥淚 studied at York from 2009-2014 in the iBSc Biology program. As part of my unique program's requirements, I took advanced courses in French, English literature, European history, and Irish poetry. It was a great way to round out my science course load with opportunities to strengthen my academic writing skills, exercise some creativity, engage in academic debate, and learn about cultures I wouldn't have otherwise been exposed to. I also participated in a number of extracurriculars within Bethune College, making connections and building community with peers. The poetry course made such an impression on me that I chose to travel to Ireland for my exchange semester, where I studied Biotechnology at Dublin City University.

My experience in the Biology program at York shaped a very strong foundation of scientific understanding that allowed me to keep up with my courses while I was abroad. I had engaging courses with passionate instructors at York, and their mentorship inspired me to pursue an Honours thesis in my last year. Research became a path I was no longer intimidated to follow, as I had guidance and encouragement from professors I held in high esteem. I honed my skills in science communication and gained confidence in my scientific literacy. After graduating from York, I studied Dentistry at McGill University.

My background in French language studies opened up many opportunities in my clinical work, allowing me to connect and communicate effectively with a broader demographic of patients. I returned to Toronto after graduating from McGill, and I have been working as a general dentist in private practice for the last six years. I strongly believe in patient advocacy and education through open communication, which is a skill I cultivated early on as a peer mentor and academic advisor in the Faculty of Science at York. I have a great passion for the hands-on aspects of dentistry, both surgical and cosmetic.

The lab courses and research projects I was involved in at York were engaging and challenging in a way that taught me to be more methodical, disciplined, and detail-oriented; this mindset, combined with my artistic abilities, is essential for the quality of clinical work I take pride in doing every day. It's been ten years since I left York, but the experiences and connections I had here have stayed with me.鈥�

Dr. Bahar Madani
Pronouns: she/they

Nargol Ghaziantafrishi

Nargol is currently completing her PhD at 快播视频, researching plant-animal interactions and the impact of artificial shelters on animals in specific microclimates. Her research has taken her to places such as the Mojave Desert and the Carrizo Plain National Monument in California. Her future plans are to continue her career as a research scientist.

As an iBSc student, Nargol studied both French and Spanish in addition to completing her science courses. In her third year she went on exchange to the Universidad Aut贸noma de Madrid (Autonomous University of Madrid) in Madrid, Spain.

Thinking about the value of completing an iBSc, she notes that having had experience travelling to and living in a different country while on exchange prepared her in many ways for her work as a graduate student. 鈥淚 was so young and I went to a different country 鈥t鈥檚 different from when you go on vacation 鈥 had to speak the language and survive and live within that system. When I applied for graduate school, I had to live and work in a different country in a remote area for months at a time. Having had the experience of going on exchange at 19, it was very helpful as I felt confident I could handle living and doing field research in another country.鈥�

Her time in Spain also improved her language skills. 鈥淟iving in a different culture, language and system and having to connect with the people there really brought my Spanish to another level. When I came back and had to take third year Spanish for my language certificate, I was in a class with Spanish speakers and I felt like I was at a pretty similar level at that point. Also a lot of desert ecology research takes place in Latin America and many good journal articles are published in Spanish only, so I can actually read them without having to get them translated.鈥� Nargol鈥檚 language skills have also come in handy working with collaborators, as her lab collaborates with researchers in Latin America. She has already published 15 research articles, including one published in February of 2024 in Restoration Ecology titled 鈥溾��

Nargol鈥檚 experience in the iBSc program has helped her develop confidence and independence, learning how to navigate new environments. Not surprisingly, she also met new people and created new lasting friendships. 鈥淚 met a lot of other people on exchange from Europe and South America and many of us are still in touch.鈥�

鈥淚 like the iBSc Program because there are pretty much no other programs like it in Canada for science students. I wanted to do science but wanted electives that were language. It鈥檚 a very niche degree and I really like that about it 鈥� it鈥檚 a fantastic opportunity.鈥�

Nargol Ghaziantafrishi
Pronouns: she/her

Nathan

鈥淎fter graduating from 快播视频 with the iBSc. - Biology, I returned to Hong Kong, where I went on exchange, to work at the University of Hong Kong鈥檚 AIDS institute to support the development of cancer vaccines. Through the guidance of my colleagues there, I determined that generally speaking, medical research was heading towards a computational direction, and that I should plan accordingly. I returned to Toronto and studied at Seneca College to pick up programming and data management skills. After developing those skills, I went down to New York City where I worked at the Department of Genetic Medicine at Weill-Cornell Medical College to manage their internal patient database and information portal as a Research Data Specialist. After some time there, I looked for other opportunities locally, and became a Research Data Analyst with Simons Foundation, a non-profit foundation that funds grants and houses multiple organizations devoted to research ranging from computational quantum physics to studying genetic determinants of autism spectrum disorder. When the pandemic hit, I returned to Toronto, where I recently worked with Klick Health, a pharmaceutical marketing agency as a Data Engineer.

In terms of how my undergraduate experience shaped my life, being able to go on exchange broadened my understanding of what was possible. Personally and professionally, I still maintain strong ties to Hong Kong and see it as a second home. Without the year of exchange, I wouldn鈥檛 be able to connect so thoroughly with the family I have there, the local friends I made, and my cultural heritage. I continue speaking and using Chinese on a regular basis, and have the iBSc. program to thank for that fact, I鈥檓 grateful for the unforgettable experience and seeds that the program planted for the life that I have now.鈥�

Nathan

Kelsi Smith

Kelsi is a clinical epidemiologist now living in Sweden who works in both the private and public sectors in Europe. She specialises in real-world evidence and data, using larger register-based studies to help better the lives of people living with disease.

Kelsi completed an iBSc degree in Biology at York, while playing on the tennis team, studying French and going on exchange to a university in Lyon France where she studied biology and honed her French language skills. After finishing her exchange year, Kelsi remained in France for the summer to complete a summer research internship at INSERM (a world-renowned research institute for biomedical research and human health). She then returned to York to complete her degree, continuing her research training by volunteering in a research lab and completing her fourth-year honours thesis working with people with Parkinson鈥檚 disease. After graduation she moved to Paris to work, then returned to school for graduate studies. She was accepted at the Sorbonne in Paris, but opted to go to the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, where she learned Swedish while completing an MSc in Public Health and Epidemiology followed by a PhD in Epidemiology, Genetics and Neuroscience with a specific focus on identifying risk factors for multiple sclerosis. She now speaks English, Estonian, French and Swedish.

Reflecting on her career trajectory and thinking about completing the iBSc at York, Kelsi notes, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I would be where I am now if I hadn鈥檛 done the exchange program as part of the iBSc degree. Getting into the iBSc program was the reason I chose York. Doing the exchange, I discovered how much I liked Europe. Having been able to do the internship in France helped me to know what I wanted to do for graduate studies. I would not even been as aware of other universities outside of Canada where I could study if I hadn鈥檛 done the iBSc.鈥� Her connections with both Canada and Europe have remained strong, as she received competitive funding in her PhD from both Canadian and Swedish funders for innovative and cross-disciplinary research in multiple sclerosis.

She also remembers that her undergraduate university experience was not without challenges. 鈥淚 really struggled in my second year and felt directionless. My iBSc advisor helped me get through that difficult semester, and with her help and encouragement my grades improved, I went to France, found a great thesis project and completed the degree. I was worried that I would have few options after my degree; going on exchange changed all of that.鈥�

How did the iBSc experience support her personal growth?

鈥淚t helped me relate to and try to understand an entirely new culture and a way of thinking and working that initially felt really different from my own. At Lyon I got to play tennis and explore all sorts of new opportunities. I got to meet a lot of different international students too during my time in Franc. Everything was different 鈥� career opportunities, banking, grocery shopping 鈥� it was a whole cultural shift.鈥�

鈥淵ou have to rely on yourself a lot too. I didn鈥檛 know a single person in France 鈥� so that was a really interesting challenge 鈥� I realized I could actually stand on my own two feet and get through things. This really helped me later when I decided to again move countries to Sweden to do my Masters and PhD, again not knowing a single person or even the language.鈥�

鈥淪cience at York is so hands-on, with so many opportunities to develop lab skills and get lab experience. I still tell everyone interested in science to go to York!鈥�

Dr. Kelsi Smith
iBSc 2015, MSc 2018, PhD 2023

Additional Opportunities

Beyond the classroom, iBSc students have access to:

• Summer School Abroad: Short-term programs that provide intensive academic and cultural experiences.
• Internships: Through the York International Internship Program, students can gain practical experience in a global setting.
• Research Projects: Opportunities to participate in international research, often led by faculty members, which can enhance their scientific and investigative skills.

Interested in becoming an international collaborative partner with York Science?

Please contact Hugo Chen, Director of International Collaborations and Partnerships, at science.international@yorku.ca.

The post International Bachelor of Science appeared first on Faculty of Science.

Undergraduate students from this year鈥檚 CHEM4000 and BCHM4000 Research Project Course travelled to Western University on Saturday, April 6 to present their senior thesis projects at the 52nd Southwestern Ontario Undergraduate Chemistry Conference. York鈥檚 Chemistry and Biochemistry undergraduate students Juan Valencia (Wilson Lab), Arman Parham (VandenBoer Lab), Kristina Gremi (Hili Lab), Samin Tavokoli (Johnson Lab), Hannah Le (Baumgartner Lab) and Manisha Kumari (van Wijngaarden Lab) were among 150 undergraduates from 15 universities who presented on a broad range of modern topics in chemistry and biochemistry.

Congratulations to Manisha Kumari, who received first place in the Physical, Theoretical and Computational Chemistry division, and Hannah Le, who earned second place in the Materials Chemistry division. As well, congratulations to all of our undergraduate students on their research projects and to their research mentors who have supported them all year.

The post Undergraduate Chemistry and Biochemistry students showcase their research at provincial conference appeared first on Faculty of Science.

Administrative Support

Academic Support

• FSc Academic Advising
• Bethune Academic Advising
• Learning Skills Development
• Bethune Writing Centre
• ESL Open Learning Centre
• Academic Integrity Website
• Experiential Education

Tutoring Support

• Peer Assisted 快播视频 Sessions
• Peer Mentoring
• Peer Tutoring
• Math & Stats Help Centre and 快播视频 Hub:
  • Located in ROSS S525 for one-on-one tutorial help.
  • Visit the for course questions.

Social & Networking Opportunities

• Science Clubs
• Bethune College Workshops

Wellness Support

• Mental Health and Well-being

Indigenous Student Services

The post Undergraduate Student Resources appeared first on Faculty of Science.

At the Faculty of Science鈥檚 annual undergraduate summer research conference, students received awards in recognition of oral and poster presentations they gave on summer projects they worked on.

More than 60 students from the Faculties of Science, Health, and Environmental & Urban Change attended the Faculty of Science Summer 2023 Undergraduate Research Conference to present their projects, reflecting work ranging from bee conservation and biochemical innovations to quantum computing and more.

The conference was an opportunity for recipients of other summer undergraduate research awards (including the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Undergraduate Summer Research Awards, the Dean鈥檚 Undergraduate Research Awards, the Earle Nestmann Undergraduate Research Awards and the York Science Scholars Awards) to share projects they have worked on. Students鈥� presentations were judged by faculty members as well as postdoctoral and graduate students, and the winners for best presentations were announced at the end of the event. Health students were announced in a separate category.

The following science students received awards for their oral presentations:

• Hannah Le, a third-year chemistry student, won first place for the project 鈥淰alue-Added Vat Orange 3 Dyes for Functional Materials Development,鈥� supervised by Thomas Baumgartner, professor of chemistry;
• Chiara Di Scipio, a third-year biology student, won second place for the project 鈥淚nvestigating the signaling cascade of a CAPA neuropeptide in the Malpighian tubules of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster,鈥� supervised by Jean-Paul Paluzzi, professor of biology; and
• Isaac Kogan, a first-year biology student, won third place for the project 鈥淯sing Machine Learning to Interpret LFIA Results,鈥� supervised by Sergey Krylov, professor of chemistry.

The following science students received awards for their poster presentations:

• Jessica Latimer, a fourth-year chemistry student, won first place for the project 鈥淧ractical Accuracy Assessment of Equilibrium Dissociation Constants,鈥� supervised by Sergey Krylov, professor of chemistry;
• Sarah Powell, a fourth-year physics student, won second place for the project 鈥淭heoretical particle physics on quantum computers,鈥� supervised by Randy Lewis, professor of physics and astronomy; and
• Yash Shrestha, a second-year biology student, won third place for the project 鈥淓xploration of altered synaptic pruning in an autism model mouse,鈥� supervised by Steven Connor, professor of biology.

Within the Faculty of Health, the following students received awards:

• Patrick Hewan, a psychology student, won best oral presentation for the project 鈥淢icrostructural integrity of the Locus Coeruleus is related to decision-making in older adults,鈥� supervised by Professor Gary Turner; and
• Mira Bhattacharya, a second-year cognitive science student, won best poster presentation for the project 鈥淣euronal Correlates of Flexible Decision Making,鈥� supervised by Professor Liya Ma.

Read more about the students and their projects in the conference program booklet.

The post Students receive summer research conference awards appeared first on Faculty of Science.

Congratulations to Faculty of Science students Arman Sadr and Mustafa Abdulkadhim for receiving Robert J. Tiffin Student Leadership Awards, which recognize students whose leadership has contributed to the growth, development and vitality of 快播视频.

Sadr, a BSc student in the biomedical science program, has been involved with Bethune College since his first year at York, most recently serving as the president of the Bethune College Council, where he represented and supported the growth of the community. Sadr has also served as the executive vice-president and vice-president, athletics, for the council.

Abdulkadhim, an Honours BSc student in the biomedical science program, has served as a class representative for STEM courses and has been a member of the Science Student Caucus and volunteered as a research assistant for multiple labs. He has also been a peer tutor with the Undergraduate Psychology Student Association and a member of the Committee on Examination and Academic Standards.

Their names, along with the other recipients, will be added to the awards display wall in the Vari Hall Rotunda.

Read the full story in .

The post Two Science students receive Robert J. Tiffin Student Leadership Award appeared first on Faculty of Science.

Career | Fit programs are short online programs for currently enrolled university undergraduates and college students that supplement academic courses. Free to students who identify as Asian (whether South, East, Southeast, Central or West Asia), these sector-specific programs are designed to bridge theory to practice by featuring a hands-on, realistic project guided by a mentor from a Fortune 500 organization.

鈥淲e believe that experiential education can be a crucial factor in launching a successful career, and we are thrilled to be offering these opportunities at no cost to students thanks to the generous sponsorship of RBC and their focus on fostering greater diversity and inclusivity,鈥� says Elena Caprioni, program director at ABMP.

"We're excited about Career | Fit programs because they offer the opportunity for students to stand out to potential employers by demonstrating that they take the initiative to learn relevant, practical new skills and can make a contribution from day one,鈥� said Hugo Chen, interim assistant dean, Strategic Enrolment Management & Science Engagement
Programs, and director, International Collaborations & Partnerships. 鈥淭hese programs will help open career doors for our science students.鈥�

See the Career | Fit programs website for more information.

The post Science becomes supporting partner of York鈥檚 Career | Fit Professional Experience Programs appeared first on Faculty of Science.

Buzzing with undergraduate researchers, faculty members and staff, the conference was an opportunity for recipients of NSERC Undergraduate Summer Research Awards (USRA), Dean鈥檚 Undergraduate Research Awards (DURA), and York Science Scholars Awards (YSSA) to present their summer research projects and to meet other awardees.

Fifty-five students from the Faculties of Science, Health, Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, and Environmental & Urban Change, and the School of Arts, Media, Performance & Design attended and shared their research projects and findings through talks and poster presentations.

The event opened with welcoming remarks from the Faculty of Science Associate Dean of Students Michael Scheid and the Faculty of Health Associate Dean of Research Chris Ardern.

鈥淚 hope that your research experiences have given you a deeper perspective of what frontline research is all about, helped you learn new skills and more about your interests, and led to new friendships and collaborations,鈥� said Scheid.

The first talk of the day was presented by Professor Jane Heffernan, who delivered a keynote address on modelling immunity, focusing particularly on COVID-19. Ten students then presented talks in a morning session, and the remaining students presented posters in an afternoon session. The student presentations were judged by faculty members, postdocs and graduate students and the winners for best presentations were announced at the end of the event.

The following students received awards for their poster presentations:

• Minoosh Fathi 鈥� First place (tied) for the presentation 鈥淧hylogenetic history and molecular evolution of vertebrate opsins,鈥� supervised by biology Professor Ryan Schott
• Mahya Rezaeifarimani 鈥� First place (tied) for the poster presentation 鈥淪ynthesis of Monodisperse Silica Nanoparticles and the Incorporation of Fluorophores,鈥� supervised by chemistry Professor Jennifer Chen
• Selin Tahir 鈥� Third place for the poster presentation 鈥淎 scoping review of the literature on malaria statistical models and development of a cross-country predictive model for malaria in the Global South,鈥� supervised by Professor Jude Kong in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics

The following students received awards for their oral presentations:

• Aleeza Qayyum 鈥� First place for the presentation 鈥淭he Hyperphosphorylation of Amyloidogenic Tau,鈥� supervised by chemistry Professor Derek Wilson
• Areeba Chaudhury 鈥� Second place for the presentation 鈥淕eneration of Xeno Nucleic Acid (XNA) Aptamers Against Human 伪-Thrombin using T3 Ligase-catalyzed OligOnucleotide PolymERizations (LOOPER),鈥� supervised by chemistry Professor Ryan Hili
• Claire Del Zotto 鈥� Third place for the presentation 鈥淎nalysing Plant-Pollinator Interactions Along an Urbanisation Gradient,鈥� supervised by biology Professor Sandra Rehan

The event closed with remarks from Faculty of Science Associate Dean of Research & Partnerships Vivian Saridakis and Associate Vice-President of Research Jennifer Hyndman.

鈥淪tudents, it has been an honour to listen to your presentations today,鈥� said Saridakis in her closing remarks. 鈥淚 know a lot of hard work went into your research projects and putting together your abstracts and presentations for today鈥檚 event. Bravo and thank you to everyone for participating.鈥�

Read more about the students and their projects in the conference program booklet. Event photos are available on the Faculty of Science .

The post Undergraduate Research Conference features stellar summer research from across York appeared first on Faculty of Science.

What does 鈥渞esearch opportunity鈥� mean?

As a major hub of scientific research, the Faculty of Science provides a wide variety of opportunities for our undergraduate students to become involved in research activities.

As an undergraduate student, you will hear the word research often. Sometimes you will be told to do research in order to write an essay or a lab report. This is a kind of research that you will do very frequently. That is not what we mean by 鈥渞esearch opportunity鈥�. More generally, research is the activity that advances knowledge 鈥� i.e. creates new knowledge. In science disciplines, it often consists of designing an experiment to test a hypothesis. That鈥檚 what many professors are doing in their research labs.

Research labs in physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics are where professors, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and research associates do their work. So, for an undergraduate, 鈥渞esearch opportunity鈥� means the opportunity to participate in a research lab under the supervision of others in that lab.

It is an opportunity to learn advanced lab skills, use equipment that you would not typically use in an undergraduate lab, interact with graduate students, learn in-depth in a particular field, and actually contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge.

Getting involved in research

There are many ways you can participate in research, including research practicum courses, RAY positions, NSERC Undergraduate Summer Research Awards, Capstone Project Courses, or volunteering.

Watch our students talk about their research opportunities by scrolling down.

Research Practicum Courses 

Some disciplines offer zero credit research practicum courses. These are a mechanism for recording on your transcript that you participated in a research lab. Because they are zero credit you do not pay for them; but you do get a pass or fail grade depending on whether you met expectations for the research. Those expectations will be worked out between you and the professor at the time you enrol in the course. Remember that the professor and other members of the research team are committing their time to support and train you and they expect to get results for that from you!

RAY Positions

Some professors advertise positions via the  program. As you will see from the website these are paid positions; students apply and are selected by the professor according to who best meets the skills for the position. The nature of the involvement in research can vary quite significantly, but this is a great way to help finance your studies at York.

NSERC USRAs

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) offers Undergraduate Summer Research Awards (USRAs) to undergraduate students in universities across Canada. York typically has between 30 and 40 such awards every summer. They are prestigious and highly competitive 鈥� you will need a high average to win one 鈥� and they offer a well paid summer 鈥渏ob鈥� working in a research lab, fully immersed without distraction! This is perhaps the Cadillac of undergraduate research experiences.

Capstone Project Courses

Most honours programs require a final year project course. These are for-credit courses (i.e. you pay for them and they count towards meeting your required credits) and they typically involve working fairly independently on a research project that you have planned with the help of a supervising professor. The projects vary according to your interests and those of your supervisor, and sometimes they lead to publications in scientific journals or conference proceedings.

Volunteering

Get to know your professors, read about their research, and then talk to them! They will love that you are informed and interested. This approach can take you places you might not have dreamed of!

Biology Field Courses

Field biology courses are an integral part of training in ecology and conservation and an excellent way for students to experience what it is like to be a field biologist. The Department of Biology in the Faculty of Science organizes several such courses for credit, in which undergraduate students are immersed for two weeks in a setting where they learn field methods, how to collect data, how to conduct field experiments and the natural history and ecology of plants and animals. For more details,

Summer Undergraduate Research Conference

Every summer, the Faculty of Science hosts an Undergraduate Research Conference. The event is an opportunity for recipients of summer research awards, including NSERC Undergraduate Summer Research Awards (USRA) and York Science Scholars Awards (YSSA), to present their summer research projects and to meet other awardees.

Previous Conferences

• 2025
• 2024
• 2023
• 2022
• 2021
• 2020

The post Undergraduate Research appeared first on Faculty of Science.