{"id":72158,"date":"2021-05-14T14:41:23","date_gmt":"2021-05-14T18:41:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/?p=72158"},"modified":"2021-05-14T15:14:47","modified_gmt":"2021-05-14T19:14:47","slug":"undergraduate-students-awarded-nserc-research-grants-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2021\/05\/undergraduate-students-awarded-nserc-research-grants-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Undergraduate students awarded NSERC research grants"},"content":{"rendered":"

How does temperature affect the development of carpenter bees? Jesse Maretzki is aiming to find out during his summer research project.<\/p>\n

The fourth-year Biological Sciences student will be placing carpenter bee larvae in small, temperature-controlled chambers of a repurposed lab instrument \u2014 nicknamed the “Bee-PCR machine” \u2014 and monitoring the stages of their growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to be able to graph a trend to see what the ideal temperature is for their growth, and if there is a cut-off point where they will not develop or if they develop particularly quickly,\u201d says Maretzki, who will be working under the direction of Biological Sciences Professors Miriam Richards and Glenn Tattersall.<\/p>\n

The research, he adds, could give insights into climate change impacts.<\/p>\n

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Fourth-year Biological Sciences student Jesse Maretzki is one of 23 students to be awarded summer research funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada\u2019s Undergraduate Student Research Awards program.<\/p><\/div>\n

Maretzki is one of 23 Brock students who received research funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada\u2019s (NSERC) Undergraduate Student Research Awards<\/a> (USRA) program.<\/p>\n

The award, valued at $6,000 for a full 16-week period, is meant to develop undergraduate students\u2019 interest in natural sciences and engineering careers, and encourage them to pursue graduate studies in these fields.<\/p>\n

Also among the recipients is fourth-year Computer Science student James Sargant, who knew he wanted to pursue a master\u2019s degree in the fall, but wasn\u2019t sure about the specific focus of his research.<\/p>\n

With his summer research project, \u201cEpidemic Modelling using Computational Intelligence,\u201d Sargant says he now has a clearer idea of the direction he wants his future research to take.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe summer could potentially direct the flow of my master\u2019s research, depending on what we learn from the summer and where I could branch off to incorporate my research in the next couple of years,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe USRA program is an excellent opportunity for seasoned scholars to pass along knowledge, skills and support to student researchers,\u201d says Vice-President, Research Tim Kenyon. \u201cThis mentorship fosters curiosity and gives students valuable professional experience that can launch them into a research career.\u201d<\/p>\n

Computer Science Professor Sheridan Houghten, who is supervising Sargant, says she is looking forward to the summer research.<\/p>\n

\u201cI place a high value on the NSERC USRA program because of the research experience it affords undergraduates, allowing them to obtain skills that are very valuable for future graduate studies or in the workplace,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany students have publications as a result of this program as well,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

Recipients of the 2021 NSERC USRA grants are:<\/p>\n