CELEBRATION OF RESEARCH INCLUDES ‘SCHOLARSHIP SLAM’

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 18, 2013

NANAIMO, BC – Vancouver Island University faculty and student researchers will go head-to-head March 27 during a ‘scholarship slam’ to see who is most skilled at explaining their research.

It’s the grand finale of a two-day celebration of research at VIU’s Nanaimo campus on March 26 and 27.

CREATE – the Celebrating Research Excellence and Knowledge Event – is organized by VIU Research and Scholarly Activity Office to showcase graduate and undergraduate student research.

The public is invited to drop by Building 300 (Royal Arbutus Room) to witness the scholarship slam on March 27 from 4 to 6:30 pm. Students and faculty researchers will have three minutes each to stand up and briefly summarize their research.

“Sometimes explaining research in lay person’s terms is challenging,” says Roisin Mulligan of VIU’s Research Office. “It is a skill that students need to practice and learn.”

Student research posters will be on display in the upper cafeteria on March 26 and 27, highlighting research they have conducted during their studies this year.

Students have delved into almost every topic imaginable including the campus food system, earthquake preparedness of Island communities, climatic trends on Vancouver Island, death and dying, and the basking behavior of Western Painted Turtles, to name a few.

“This event is an opportunity to showcase and celebrate student research and scholarship that takes place at VIU,” says Steve Lane, VIU’s Associate Vice-President, Academic.

"VIU is known as an institution that provides opportunities for experiential education for students. As a primarily undergraduate, teaching-intensive university, many VIU faculty design assignments into their courses that have a hands-on research component or they engage students in their own scholarship or research projects. We want to share the breadth of research with the community.”

Mulligan says about 20 students have signed up to display their posters during the two-day celebration. Posters can be viewed between 1 to 4 pm on March 26 and 10 to 4 pm on March 27. Students will be available at various times to discuss their research and answer questions.

The public can also hear students discussing their research projects during lunch hour oral presentations in the Royal Arbutus Room (building 300) from 11:30 am to 1 pm on both days.

Everyone is invited to vote for their favorite poster and presentation. Cash prizes will be awarded to winning students.

For more information, contact Roisin Mulligan in the Research office at 250.753.3245, local 2575.

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ABOUT VIU: Vancouver Island University is Canada’s west coast university. Known as a centre of excellence for teaching, learning and applied research, VIU offers a diverse range of certificate, diploma and undergraduate and master degree programs to more than 18,000 students on campuses in Nanaimo, Powell River and Cowichan, and at the Parksville-Qualicum Centre. For more information visit www.viu.ca

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Janina Stajic, Manager, Vancouver Island University


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