FASS hosts inaugural Undergraduate Research Symposium

FASS News, Students, Research

FASS hosts inaugural Undergraduate Research Symposium

April 17, 2025

by Ashley Schultheiss

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) hosted the inaugural FASS Undergraduate Research Symposium (FURS) highlighting the diversity of research our undergrads are pursuing. The afternoon of presentations concluded with the Terry Fox Lecture on Hope with Dr. Michael Yellow Bird and his keynote "The Power of Hope in Transformative Change."

The inaugural FASS Undergraduate Research Symposium (FURS) was created for students, by students themselves. With the support from the FASS Dean's Office, we were able to showcase 15 honours student speakers as well as an additional 15 students who displayed their honours poster projects. From conspiracy theory's relationship with anti-immigration discourse to queer erotic humour to cyber deception: our undergrads are covering a lot of ground!

Speaker Series

Left to right: Odessa Twibill, Taylor Ivan, Ye Jin Kang, Michelle Patton, and Khushi Nandha

Session #1

Representation, Media, and Perception

Presentations in the first speaker session explored how identity and meaning are shaped through various forms of media. Through film, diaries, historical records of science, artificial intelligence technology, and political rhetoric, these researchers explored how forms of media in our increasingly digital world can influence perception.

Student	Presentation Title
Odessa Twibill English	The View From Below: Black Representation in Children's Media as Shown in Disney's The Princess and the Frog (2009)
Michelle Patton History	We'll Never Give Up: The First Women in the Canadian Armed Forces
Taylor Ivan Philosophy	The Disappearance of Alchemy: Transmuting "Elements" in Chemical Language
Ye Jin Kang Criminology	Navigating the Cyber Deception: Legal Frameworks and Judicial Responses to Deepfake Pornography in Canada and Beyond
Khushi Nandha Political Science	Religious Nationalism and Security in India: BJP鈥檚 Framing of Muslims in Speeches and Manifestos

Left to right: Phone Min Thant, Cairen Nicole Galarion Velasquez, Anum Khalid, Katherine Lizet Lizcano, and Anya Petek

Session #2

Global Governance and Influence

Focused on the complex relationships between politics, power, and law, researchers from this session examine these relationships on a global scale using case studies and critical analyses. These presentations explore how countries respond to global pressures and how government policy decisions impacts individuals and society at large.

Student	Presentation Title
Phone Min Thant International Studies	The Dragon in the Front Yard: Assessing China's Behaviour in Southeast Asia in the Twenty-First Century through the Lens of Hegemony
Anya Petek Economics	The Impact of BC鈥檚 Child Care Reform on Maternal Labour Force Participation
Anum Khalid History	Constructing the Pakistani Economy: A Discourse Analysis of IMF Staff Reports (1958-1972)
Cairen Nicole Galarion Velasquez Political Science	Held Back By Heritage: Political Dynastic Rule and Underdevelopment in the Philippines
Katherine Lizet Lizcano Criminology	Reconciliation & Justice: Are Sentencing Outcomes Changing for Indigenous Youth?

Left to right: Nat Begg, Emily Ma, Kelton Travis, Jacob Angeles, and Meghan Danyluk

Session #3

Community, Connection, and Hope

The presentations in the final session are concerned with ideas of human interaction and belonging without our broader social collective. These researchers focus on how people build relationships and find strength in community, showcasing how human connection can support individual well-being and ultimately lead to a better collective future.

Student	Presentation Title
Nat Begg Sociology and Anthropology	Vancouver's Alleyway Gift Economy
Jacob Angeles Psychology	The Influence of Absences of Caregiver Responsiveness on the Development of Infant Social Bids
Emily Ma English	Possibilities of Queer Erotic Humour: Transmogrifying Time and Space in Salt Fish Girl and Everything Everywhere All at Once
Kelton Travis Psychology	Both Character and Action-Focused Gratitude Expressions Promote Recipients鈥� Willingness to Engage in Subsequent Prosocial Behaviour
Meghan Danyluk English	A Prayer for Hope in Climate Change Fiction: Analyzing Approaches to Hope in A Psalm for the Wild-Built and Parable of the Sower

Honours Poster Projects

Undergraduate students were invited to participate in FURS by showcasing their research during a poster session. Attendees were given the opportunity between speaker sessions to visit students and learn more about their research and poster.

Student	Presentation Title
Thuta Soe Criminology	Algorithmic Bias within Facial Recognition Technologies: Impacts on Validity and Accuracy of Current Systems , and Potential Bias in Application on Minority Populations Within Canada.
Karly Anne Burns Criminology	Analyzing the Effectiveness of Gladue Reports: How it Affects Indigenous Men and Women in Domestic Violence Cases
Hannah Hickey History	Something Wicked: King James VI鈥檚 Daemonologie and the North Berwick Witch Trials
Kevin Nicholas Eng History	Confucianism in Modern Chinese State Ideology
Noah Jozic History	Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Illyrianist agenda: outsider perspectives on the region and its people
Dawn Lentsch Labour Studies	Benefits of Sectoral Bargaining
Raunik Sahota Psychology	Predicting Support for Political Violence: The Role of Ingroup Projection
Diana Negrabee Psychology	Consistency and Accuracy in Eyewitness Descriptions of Culprits
Matthew Rathore Psychology	Mindfulness and Anxiety in Multiracial Individuals: Identity Integration as a Mediator
Nikolas Felix Kulka Psychology	Accurate Interpretations of Forensic Results: How to Create Comprehensible Forensic Reports
Linnea Somerstep Political Science	International Law, National Debate: Analyzing Australian Parliamentary Discussions on Queer Rights Legislation When the UN Human Rights Committee is Involved
Mary Toma Political Science	Partisan Gaze: Examining the Impact of Political Party Preferences on Exposure to News Content (An Eye-Tracking Study)
Kamran Houle Sociology and Anthropology	Whitness, Housing, and the Great Replacement: Conspiratoral Knowledge in Canadian Anti-Immigration Discourses
Perla Sulaj Criminology	Crime Radiation: Understanding How It Occurs From Police Problem-Solving Reports

Dr. Michael Yellow Bird

Terry Fox Lecture on Hope with Dr. Michael Yellow Bird

Concluding the evening esteemed guest Dr. Michael Yellow Bird delivered a moving lecture "The Power of Hope in Transformative Change." Dr. Yellow Bird explored the concept of hope through Indigenous knowledge and the wisdom of the Earth, highlighting how nature can guide and support our aspirations. By recognizing hope as a catalyst for personal and collective growth we emphasize its role in healing and building community resilience.