Media releases

• Brock student researchers shortlisted in national video competition

  Thursday, February 02, 2017 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: R00024 – 2 February 2017

  Brock University graduate students have earned four spots in the Top 40 of a national video competition showcasing graduate research.

  Angel Phanthanourak, Dan Hughes, Larissa Barelli and Michelle Przedborski join those vying for awards in the Science, Action! competition sponsored by one of Brock’s major funders, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

  The four students are now asking for the public’s support to make it to the second round.

  Each student submitted a 60-second video and a 100-word summary of their research to NSERC. The 25 videos with the most views on YouTube between Feb. 1 and Feb. 28 will move on to the final round, where a panel of judges will select the winners.

  All videos are posted on the Science, Action website.

  The Brock entries are:
  •    Angel Phanthanourak, Department of Health Sciences, researches how anxiety and a fear of falling influences the way we move our bodies. If we stiffen up, or have poor postural strategies, it might increase our likelihood of falling during voluntary movements. “By demonstrating the role psychological factors play in reducing the efficiency of postural control, I hope to aid in the development of interventions meant to reduce feelings of anxiety and encourage older adults to engage in activities.”

  Her video, “Fear of Falls,” can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnQitCPFurE&feature=youtu.be

  •    Dan Hughes, Department of Earth Sciences, focuses on the impacts of climate change on lakes, rivers and their interconnections within an arctic permafrost landscape across Old Crow Flats in the northern Yukon Territory. “This research is working to understand the adverse effects landscape changes have on local communities, the ecosystem and help to predict future implications of a changing arctic climate.”

  His video, “A Changing Arctic,” can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwBauVgOM5U&feature=youtu.be

  •    Larissa Barelli, Department of Biological Sciences, studies how a certain type of fungus that kills bugs transfers nutrients from the bugs to plants and how plants transfer nutrients back to the fungus. This could lead to the development of a natural fertilizer that would replace the chemical-laden options that are typically used. “To be able to promote plant health, increase stress tolerance in crop species, and integrate a form of pest control all through one association would redefine food production and the agricultural industry.”

  Her video, “Insects, a Dinner for Two,” can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxxlU0iA8SY&feature=youtu.be

  •    Michelle Przedborski, Department of Physics, researches “solitary waves” – stable disturbances that travel with a fixed shape and constant speed – in granular chains. The concept can be easily seen in an ornament that sits on many desks: a row of metal balls suspended in a metal frame so that they are just touching each other; when you lift and swing the ball on the far right, the ball on the far left rises, while the balls in the middle stay put. “Being able to predict and control the energy transport properties of these systems could lead to new or improved shock absorbers and energy harvesters.”

  Her video, “Grains, chains, and solitary waves,” can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmGPqA5Y0SU&feature=youtu.be

  “I am absolutely thrilled that four of our extremely talented graduate students have been selected as part of the Top 40,” says Dr. Jens Coorssen, Dean of Graduate Studies.

  “These students are making great strides in their fields of study and we are honoured to have them representing research at Brock. I would encourage everyone in our campus and local communities, and beyond, to support these student researchers by watching their videos and sharing them with others.”

  The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada is a federal government agency that supports faculty and student research in post-secondary institutions across the country as well as encouraging Canadian companies to participate and invest in postsecondary research projects.

  The 15 finalists will be announced no later than April 5.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Media Relations Officer, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970

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  Categories: Media releases

• Soaring demand continues for joint GAME program

  Wednesday, February 01, 2017 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: R00023 – 1 February 2017

  It’s a nice problem to have. Brock University staff have been flooded by applications in a new program where students learn about the design and production of video games.

  The GAME program is a partnership between Brock and Niagara College. When it launched for its debut season in September, nearly 400 applications were received for 50 available spots. And now hundreds of applications are again being received for the program’s second year of classes in September, 2017.

  “It just shows how much demand there is from students for this kind of program,” said Assistant Professor Jason Hawreliak. “It’s been going better than we had ever hoped” with students showing immediate investment in the learning material.

  GAME’s unique structure has students earning a university degree and an advanced college diploma in four years. Students choose their stream at Brock, either aiming for a Bachelor of Arts in game design or Bachelor of Science in game programming.

  It was the collaborative approach between the two institutions that drew Ivy Truong to the program. The first-year GAME student was enticed not only by the ability to earn a degree and diploma in four years, but also by the program’s focus on theoretical and practical learning.
  Hawreliak said the program aims to turn students into experts on the tools of the trade while also focusing on the principles, design and theory behind gaming.

  “What we’re really excited about is students are really getting the best of both worlds here.”

  The program, nearly a decade in the making, is closely linked to the local game industry with experts providing feedback on student assignments and participating in workshops on campus.

  “This is very much a living program,” Hawreliak said. “We’re always speaking to students, always speaking to the industry to see what’s up and coming.”

  Students will also participate in internships once they enter their third year.
  Linda Roote, Associate Dean in Niagara College’s School of Media Studies, said the program’s content has helped to keep students engaged from the first day.

  “We’ve had a terrific retention rate,” she said, adding she’s been impressed by the student investment she’s seen.

  With a small cohort of students and many applications coming through the door, those who are accepted to the program are “destined for success right out of the gate,” Roote said.

  Expansion has already entered the minds of program facilitators, but growth will be limited by capacity restrictions in the newly-renovated labs. Renovations were completed in the summer of 2016 in the Interactive Media Labs in the Centre for Digital Humanities to support increased enrolment through the Interactive Arts and Science and GAME programs.

  New state-of-the-art computers were installed in the GAME lab, which students have 24-hour access to in order to work on their projects without owning the expensive equipment.

  “We tore down the instructor’s podium at the front,” Hawreliak said. “This used to be a typical lab focused on top-down instruction and now it’s a more collaborative space.”

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Media Relations Officer, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970

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  Categories: Media releases