Science & Technology

News Stories

A fire engulfing numerous trees.

VIU Student Group Hosts Climate Change Symposium

April 14, 2022

The symposium includes a keynote presentation by Dr. Elizaveta Malinina, a Research Scientist at the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling. We must act now to fight climate change. This cry of alarm has been sounded many times, but it hasn’t been answered sufficiently to halt the release of greenhouse gases or the impacts of climate change, including the increased frequency and intensity of... Read more


Misha Zvekic stands in a garden at VIU's Nanaimo campus.

Microplastics Exposed to Sunlight Can Change their Behaviour in the Environment

March 1, 2022

VIU alum Misha Zvekic’s research on microplastics and the effects of exposure to light was recently published by the Royal Society of Chemistry. Microplastics are everywhere – in the oceans, rivers and the air you breathe – and are being ingested by various animals and other organisms. And while microplastics are already problematic on their own, they can also absorb toxins and other harmful... Read more


Kimberley Barrett wears a white lab coat and stands in a research lab.

Vancouver Island Marmot Breeding Program is Preserving the Genetic Diversity of the Species

February 24, 2022

VIU alum Kimberley Barrett publishes a research paper in an esteemed international journal that promotes conservation of biodiversity. The Vancouver Island marmot is one of Canada’s most endangered mammals and a captive breeding program was started in the late 1990s to help prevent extinction. With such a small population, however, conservationists were concerned about the genetic diversity of... Read more


Dr. Chris Gill stands in a forested area at VIU's Nanaimo campus.

VIU Researcher Developing Precise Chemical Tests Requiring Minutes Instead of Hours

February 23, 2022

Chemistry Professor Dr. Chris Gill receives a $240,000 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada grant to pursue research. For two decades, Dr. Chris Gill and his research team have been revolutionizing scientific methods using direct mass spectrometry – an analytical technique that is used to rapidly measure the chemical makeup of substances. Gill, Co-Director of Vancouver... Read more


Dr. Julie Lou

5 Questions with Xueling (Julie) Luo

February 8, 2022

Dr. Xueling (Julie) Luo knew engineering was her pathway in life after she participated in a technical competition during her sophomore year at the School of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at Sichuan University in Chengdu, China. Inspired by the movie Iron Man, Luo and her teammates constructed a gesture sensing system for a robot hand. The team received third place in the... Read more


Students and a professor at VIU hold models of molecules in their hands.

VIU Researcher Investigating Impact of Plastic Pollution on Deep-Sea Organisms

October 13, 2021

Chemistry professor Dr. Heather Wiebe is pursuing her research with the help of a $120,000 NSERC Discovery Grant. Plastic pollution is reaching the deepest depths of the ocean and the impact of these contaminants on marine life that live in these high-pressure environments is unknown. Dr. Heather Wiebe, a VIU Chemistry Professor, is investigating the ability of deep-sea organisms to metabolize... Read more


Sara Guzman stands in front of a building, wearing an orange sweater.

Alum of the Month: Sara Guzman

September 15, 2021

Sara Guzman has always been fascinated by tiny things you can’t see with the naked eye, from microbes to chemical reactions in cells. It’s the reason Guzman knew she wanted a science career. Her parents encouraged her to pursue higher education. Guzman, originally from Bogota, Colombia, decided to attend university abroad and selected Vancouver Island University (VIU). She graduated from VIU in... Read more


VIU students examine a scallop held by Provan Crump, from Coastal Shellfish Ltd.

VIU Program Focuses on the Future of Food Security Through Aquaculture

March 24, 2021

VIU’s new, unique aquaculture minor program allows students to combine it with either a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts degree and prepares them for careers in the growing field of aquaculture. People with a passion for creating food security solutions and advancing knowledge for sustainable and earth-friendly food production can now enroll in Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) new... Read more


A wolverine stands on a pale grey rock in the wilderness.

Scholarly Article Sheds Light on Whether Island Wolverines are a Distinct Subspecies

February 4, 2021

Through DNA analysis, VIU researchers determined that Vancouver Island wolverines are not a distinct subspecies from those found on the mainland in North America. Scientists and conservationists have been questioning for decades whether wolverines on Vancouver Island are a distinct subspecies from those found on the mainland in North America. The answer to this question is critical because... Read more


A Canada Lynx in the forest

VIU Researchers Examining Genetics of Canada Lynx

December 14, 2020

Data could help governments and wildlife conservation groups understand how climate change might impact the life cycles of the Canada lynx and other species in the boreal forest. The lynx-hare predator-prey cycle that has existed for thousands of years in North America is increasingly under threat from climate change. “The lynx are specialist predators that rely almost exclusively on snowshoe... Read more