“Over the years, the number of women pursuing psychology as a career has greatly increased (Sentell et al., 2001). Despite the growing number of women in the field of psychology, there is still an evident pay gap depending upon gender. The same is true with many other professions (Sentell et al., 2001). The gender pay gap is defined here as the difference in women’s earnings in relation to the earnings of men (Pelletier et al., 2019). It is derived from outdated societal attitudes and beliefs about the place and value of women in the workplace (Government of New Brunswick, n.d.).”
Read moreEffects of Social Media on Body Image in Young Adults
“Society is used to the negative impacts of impossibly thin, airbrushed models on the covers of magazines. Even if people know it is not realistic, it sets a precedent for beauty standards - it feels like something people should strive towards. But what happens in a digital age with consistent opportunities for comparison?”
Read moreThe Importance of Blue Skies Research
“With blue skies research, you cannot predict when an application is going to occur. But it’s definitely going to occur. We are here with all the technology we have because of blue skies research. If there was no blue skies research, the world would look very different today.”
Read moreVitalSignsNB: Expanding the Immunization Role of New Brunswick’s Pharmacists
VitalSignsNB is the health-based research stream in the Pathways to Professions (P2P) experiential learning program at the New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training (NB-IRDT). P2P brings together students from different educational backgrounds to work on NB-relevant research projects in a multitude of fields. Over 13 weeks, students participate in a variety of training and mentoring sessions on research and employment skills, in addition to engaging in their assigned research topics.
Read morePopNB: Analyzing the Impact of New Brunswick’s Aging Population
PopNB aims to characterize New Brunswick’s demographics by analyzing open-source data. With these analyses, we hope to inform data-driven policy for government and community stakeholders. PopNB operated this summer with the help of Dr. Ted McDonald, the Director of NB-IRDT and the principal investigator for the project, and Madeleine Gorman-Asal, PopNB’s student mentor. We explored the implications of New Brunswick’s aging population by first conducting a literature review to gain a solid understanding of the current scope of NB’s aging problem before beginning our analysis of Statistics Canada data.
Read moreBoostNB: The Future is In Our Hands – BoostNB’s Economic Indicators for the Province of New Brunswick
This summer, our student-led team (Tashi Dorji, Sandra Rafeh, and Caroline Pietroski, all third-year undergraduate students in Economics) were hired by the New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data, and Training (NB-IRDT) to participate as student researchers in the 2021 Pathways to Professions (P2P) program and comprise the BoostNB team for the summer of 2021. P2P is a 13-week experiential learning program developed by NB-IRDT that allows post-secondary students to work as part of a research team while attending sessions on research methods and job readiness skills.
Read moreConnectNB: Creating Networking Opportunities for Student Researchers
For the summer of 2021, our small student-led team worked on a research project called ConnectNB through the Pathways to Professions (P2P) program at the New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training (NB-IRDT). P2P is a 13-week experiential learning program that provides post-secondary students with an opportunity to work on NB-relevant research projects while completing workplace and professional development training. The goal of the ConnectNB research stream was to create a networking program to provide experiential education opportunities to post-secondary students in NB.
Read moreExperienceNB: How Can We Make UNB a University of Impact? Students Take the Lead in Assessing Community Engagement in Experiential Learning
Experiential education (i.e., a direct experience with content and environment) goes beyond listening in a classroom – it allows students to actively engage and reflect on hands-on experiences, make connections to existing knowledge, and apply their learning to new opportunities. As the world modernizes, new skillsets are needed, making experiential learning one of the most important investments for a university. This is where Pathways to Professions (P2P) comes in.
Read moreSocial Determinants of Health, Indigenous Communities and COVID-19: How has physical environment and access to healthcare influenced Indigenous health & wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic?
“The rise of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has exposed many barriers to healthcare experienced by Indigenous people and emphasized the “Social Determinants of Health.” COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted marginalized Indigenous communities, resulting in poorer overall health outcomes. This includes Indigenous peoples who live on-reserve or off-reserve and who might be status or non-status.”
Read moreThe need to better understand the interactions of legalized cannabis and mental health
“Cannabis is one of the most commonly used recreational substances globally and the second-most used in Canada (Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, 2007). Since its legalization in 2018, which permitted the sale (from government sanctioned locations), growth and recreational use for citizens of legal age (Cannabis Act, 2018), its recreational and therapeutic usage has increased (Statistics Canada, 2019). Pain, anxiety, and depression are the most common indications for the therapeutic use of cannabis (Sexton et al., 2016). However, the existing body of literature only supports cannabis’s efficacy in alleviating pain – not symptoms of anxiety and depression (Kosiba et al., 2019).”
Read moreForest Bathing: Nurturing Mental Health with Nature
“Though COVID-19 has led to psychological distress for many, there are a multitude of strategies to cope with stress and anxiety, such as reaching out to friends and family, physical activity, deep breathing, and even taking up a hobby (Canada, 2008). One unique strategy that has shown to have benefits for elevated levels of stress and anxiety is forest bathing. We are blessed in New Brunswick to be able to make use of this emerging strategy in our expansive green outdoors to improve our mental health.”
Read moreElasmobranch Exploration: The Turning Tide of Shark Research
“For the vast majority of Atlantic Canadians—affectionately referred to as “East Coasters” and “Maritimers”—it is no surprise that waters off the coasts of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island are home to a wide variety of shark species. Fisheries and Oceans Canada provides a list of over 20 of these species that have been identified in Atlantic Canada—ranging from the porbeagle (Lamna nasus) and basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) to the tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier), and of course, the world’s most notorious ocean predator: the great white (Carcharodon carcharias).”
Read moreLosing Your Nerve (Agents)
“In 1938, German chemist Gerhard Schrader was attempting to make pesticides that were more effective. Instead, he accidentally discovered one of the most dangerous weapons of war ever produced: the nerve agent, sarin (Amarasingam, 2017). In the years that followed, German and British governments discovered analogues to the original chemical, and governments began producing stockpiles of such weapons. Since then, nerve agents have been used in terrorist attacks and assassination attempts (Stone, 2020).”
Read moreAmbient Activities for an Aging Population
“Residents affected by dementia in long term care (LTC) facilities often experience a lack of engagement and interaction. Whether it is due to the strain put on LTC workers, or extenuating circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic, this lack of stimulation can lead to disruptive behaviours and can impact their emotional well-being.”
Read moreCOVID-19 Vaccines In Review
“In late 2019, the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) took the world by storm. Cases of this enigmatic and never-before-seen strand of virus engulfed country after country just after the new year, and the rest is history. In January 2020, the SARS-CoV-2 virus spread to Canadian shores.”
Read moreDr. Lloyd Waugh: Photogrammetry as a Visual Documentation Tool of Construction Sites
“When Dr. Lloyd Waugh’s began his research, it may not have been directed for use in a pandemic affected time; however, it may be increasingly valuable in a period when remote work has become more widespread. Dr. Waugh has passionately shared the thrilling advancements of his research at the University of New Brunswick on using photogrammetry as a documentation tool of on-site construction progress.”
Read moreThe Reality of Family Violence in Canada: One Student’s Impact on Family Violence Research
“In Emma Robinson’s time at the University of New Brunswick, she has made an impactful difference at the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research at UNB (MMFC). Before she arrived at UNB to pursue a Masters in Sociology, Emma completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto in English and Theatre Studies. Gender studies was an area that Emma was captivated by, which eventually led her to learning extensively about the world of domestic and sexual violence. Emma’s Master’s studies have centred around working with youth, women and Christian communities happening across a wide range of research projects at the MMFC, in the community and government.”
Read moreShades of an Acculturation Paradigm in Health Care: Race and Ethnicity
“Disparities between diverse population groups in effective healthcare treatments and outcomes may place certain groups at higher risk than others. In spite of development and advances in the healthcare system, prior research has proved the presence of disparities in the use of health services based on race.”
Read moreThe Role of the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre in Family Violence Research
“While many people are aware of the term family violence, it is often accompanied by reluctance from society to accept the term as a present situation for individuals of many different backgrounds. The stereotypes towards family violence indicate that it is often neglected as it suggests the notion that it is an issue only for a small percent of the population. A common stereotype dictates that people of low socioeconomic status, for example, are the only people to experience family violence, which is not accurate. The reality of the situation is that family violence has no limits to whom it can affect, and it takes a heavy toll on society.”
Read moreOur Summer with BoostNB: Student-Led Research on Economic Indicators for New Brunswick
“If you ask New Brunswickers to tell you about their province, they might talk about the beautiful forests, fresh seafood, covered bridges, and a slower, more pleasant way of life. On the surface, these are all elements that define the New Brunswick that we know and love. However, they are also elements that play a key part in the provincial economy – something you are less likely to hear about. From our small population to our natural resources and beyond, New Brunswick relies on growth in many different areas to boost its economy and ensure the progress and prosperity of its people.”
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