Saint Mary's University is sponsoring several full-time summer research positions for Saint Mary's undergraduate students. The following programs are available to students, along with the potential for other programs that we may find aimed to support specialized areas or specific groups of students:
Summer research students will work with a Saint Mary's professor to gain skills and knowledge related to research. Students who receive an award, will be employed as a summer research assistant.For inquires about the Undergraduate Summer Research Awards, please contact Vanisa.Omicevic@smu.ca
Please ensure that you have read the instructions below and have compiled all required documents before you submit your application.Eligibility:
Application Deadline: February 21, 2025
Application Requirements:
*Application Form*
Note: Position selection will involve a review of your discussion/essay, your background and resume, and your academic record at Saint Mary's University. Our goal is to select students in as many different research areas as possible from across all University Faculties: Arts, Business, and Science.
All applicants will be contacted after the decisions have been finalized. Please allow 4-6 weeks for the review and award selection process.
Note: If a special Canadian Forest Sector Workforce Diversity Undergraduate Supplement is provided by NSERC to an NSERC USRA recipient, SMU policy is that 50% of the awarded supplement will be provided to the student awardee as an additional employment payment, and 50% will be used to refund the research grant fund which provided the necessary salary top-up as part of the initial USRA award.
If there is a professor you are interested in working with who doesn’t appear on the list below, you are encouraged to contact that professor, and have the professor contact Vanisa.Omicevic@smu.ca if they want to be added to the list.
Although not required, students are encouraged to contact the professor(s) they are considering as a potential supervisor from the list below. When completing the application you may select up to two potential supervisors.
Marisa BrookLinguistics / English- The student will likely help build a database of speech samples from English in Halifax and/or the Maritimes more broadly.Blake BrownGun Control - The student will provide research support for a project examining the history of gun control in Canada.Karen HarperPlant Ecology / Biogeography- Field work studying vegetation in NS forests, or data and remote sensing projects.Eric HenryLinguistic Anthropology- Digitizing, transcribing, and coding narrative data for an ongoing project on local Nova Scotia dialects.Margaret MacDonaldThe Study of Religion/Education and the Expansion of early Christianity in the Roman World- Students will conduct research on literary practices, oral teaching, and opportunities for learning tied to rituals and everyday activities. The research project will involve bibliographical research and the identification of relevant textual and visual evidence from the ancient world.Sara MaltonNineteenth-Century English Literature and Culture/Charles Dickens- "Reading Literature Today” Series: project management, bibliographic research, overviews of critical literature on topics such race and empire; religion; the industrial city.Patricia MatsumotoGeography / History- The student will conduct research on Black communities in Nova Scotia, focusing on Africville. The methodology includes analyzing historical census data, exploring media files produced by the Loyalist Connection Creative Society, and creating web maps using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Emma McClureFeminist Philosophy- Student will work on research related to philosophy of film and pop culture, and develop outreach events associated with the “Let’s Go to the SMUvies” series. Sveva Savelli Languages and Cultures / Mediterranean Archaeology- Assisting in processing artifacts, editing and organizing documentation from the archaeological excavation at the Oenotrian-Greek site of Incoronata "greca" (Italy) (8-6 c. BCE).Evangelia TastsoglouInternational migration and immigration, Gender, Citizenship, and Violence - The project available is on various immigrant and refugee groups’ representations in Canadian news media accessed through digital newspaper data (Globe and Mail): issues of desirability and “deservingness”; advocacy and humanitarianism; and debates around selection policies. Danika van ProosdijCoastal Habitat Restoration- Real world applications of nature-based climate adaptation techniques and habitat restoration in sandy systems (beneficial re-use of dredge material) and the Bay of Fundy (Managed dyke realignment).Lyndan WarnerHistory of the Family, Visual Culture and the Digital Humanities- The student assistant will research examples of visual culture such as paintings, needlework and sculpture across Europe and colonial North America and implement that research into an open access format for the public through ArcGIS Storymaps and a website.
Colleen Barber Avian Behavioural Ecology Research - We study mate choice, reproductive strategies and parental investment in songbirds, focusing on European Starlings. This position involves fieldwork, mainly on the campus of Saint Mary's University.
Christa BrosseauChemistry - Dr. Brosseau's research interests are focused on the development of nanoscale sensors for medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring. Project Description: The Student will conduct innovative exploratory research in the field of nanoscale plasmonics, and will focus on the fabrication of a novel biosensor for healthcare application. Margherita CameranesiClinical, Community, and Health Psychology - The student will work on a qualitative project that is examining mental health and resilience in marginalized youth.
Erin CameronGlobal Change Ecology- Conducting field and laboratory research on how global change affects earthworm invasions and/or soil biodiversity in Atlantic Canada, or assisting with data syntheses on soil biodiversity. Website: https://www.erincameronlab.com/ Jim CameronSocial Psychology- Research on how sense of meaning in life is related to group attachments (social identity). Linda CampbellEnvironmental Science - Ongoing research programs for BIOL, ENVS, GEOL and GEOG students all centre around 150-year old historical gold mine tailings contaminated ecosystems in Nova Scotia: (1) Ecotoxicology and environmental impacts, (2) Mineralogy, speciation and geological composition, (3) GIS and mapping of historical and modern landscapes impacted by gold mining. More information: https://www.ap.smu.ca/~lcampbel/Gold.html Patrick CarolanCognitive Neuroscience- Projects examining emotion, attention, and/or attitudes and biases toward sexual violence survivors and perpetrators.
David ChiassonMolecular Biology - Laboratory research to investigate the transcriptional regulation of symbiotic gene expression.
Greg ChristianNuclear Astrophysics / Structure- Students will analyze data from particle accelerators, perform Monte Carlo simulations of complex detector setups, and/or work on laboratory-based detector development projects, all with the aim of studying fundamental nuclear structure and the reactions powering the stars and driving synthesis of the elements.Nicole ConradCognitive & Developmental Psychology- Students will work on projects related to literacy development and how children learn to read. Students will participate in research design, creation of stimuli, data collection with children and/or adults, data analyses, and/or writing scientific reports.Anne Dalziel Evolutionary Physiology / Fish Physiology- Students will help to test how freshwater tolerance evolves in stickleback or study the factors influencing hybridization rate and direction in killifishes. This work will involve collecting fish from the field, caring for fish at SMU, studying fish metabolic rates and salinity preferences and potentially conducting molecular and biochemical analyses in the lab.Ivana DamjanovAstrophysics, The Evolution of Galaxies and Their Surroundings- Be among the first to work on the datasets from Euclid, the most recently launched space telescope, and investigate how the changes that galaxies undergo over billions of years of cosmic time depend on the density of their cosmic neighbourhood.Arla DayOccupational Health Psychology- Understanding the organizational supports and constraints in fostering psychologically healthy workplaces.Jane FergusonPhysical Chemistry- Project description: Students will develop and use innovative methods to measure thermophysical properties of molten salt mixtures for the development of clean energy sources.
Luigi Gallo High-Energy Astrophysics - Black holes, active galaxies: analyzing data of supermassive black holes collected with space-based X-ray telescopes.Ellie GoudPlant Functional Ecology- Plant ecology, evolution, and habitat restoration. How plants respond to environmental challenges, such as water limitation, salinity, acidity, pollution, and climate change. Summer 2025 position to study plant responses to metal contamination, with relevance for wetland restoration, in an ongoing experiment on campus. This position would also involve lab work and field work in Nova Scotia as part of the larger Goud lab research team. Lab website: www.elliemgoud.com. Jacob HanleyGeology / Ore Deposit Geoscience- The student will develop novel exploration criteria for critical metal deposits in pegmatites in Nova Scotia using innovative chemical microanalytical techniques.Karen HarperPlant Ecology / Biogeography- Field work studying vegetation in NS forests, or data and remote sensing projects.
Vincent Hénault-BrunetAstronomy and Physics / Stellar Dynamics- The student will compare state-of-the-art computer simulations of dense star clusters with observations from various telescopes to understand the formation of black holes in these systems.Mengjun HuThree-way Data Analytics, Granular Computing, Explainable Artificial Intelligence- The student will assist in research on three-way data analysis approaches in continual learning.
Somayeh KafaieComplex Networks, Knowledge Graphs, and Bioinformatics- Assisting research on constructing knowledge graphs and applying explainable AI techniques for addressing health related issues.Rituparna KanungoExperimental Nuclear Physics and Nuclear Astrophysics - Students in our research team work on making exciting new fundamental discoveries with rare isotopes in the universe. Work involves data analysis and simulation programming, working in world-leading accelerator facilities with radiation detectors and electronics.Mitja MastnakMathematics and Computing Science / Linear Algebra and Abstract Algebra - The student will assist in research in the area of simultaneous triangularization of collections of matrices or in the research in the area of Hopf algebras. Both projects can be combined by writing code in the computer algebra package Sage.Jason MasudaChemistry / Chemical Synthesis - Pushing Nature’s limits to make new chemical bonds – using state-of-the-art methods and analysis techniques, students will make exciting, new molecules to explore the limits of what Nature will allow. Adel MerabetEngineering- Project: Investigation of technologies for waste management and recycling with integration of renewable energy in the process. This project investigates the management and recycling of different waste types and technologies involved in these processes. It reviews technology and innovation solutions for waste management with integration of renewable energy for an eco-friendly environment. Jiju Poovancheri Computer Vision / Deep Learning - Development of innovative AI applications, such as Deep Dream and neural style transfer, for enhancing real-world 3D scans, and assist in the LiDAR scanning of physical spaces and objects.Cory PyeComputational Chemistry- The student will use computers to calculate energies, structures, and vibrational frequencies of systems relevant to aqueous solution chemistry.James RickardsMathematics & Computing Science / Number Theory- The student will investigate number theory, through studying Apollonian circle packings or related objects.Marcin SawickiAstronomy & Physics / Formation and Evolution of Galaxies - Work with data from JWST, Euclid, and other state-of-the-art telescopes to uncover how galaxies first formed in the early Universe and then evolved over cosmic time.
Robert SingerNew Materials, Separations and Catalysis with Ionic Liquids - Green Chemistry in Organic and inorganic Synthesis- The undergraduate summer researcher will work on a project directed at preparing a specialized NHC-pincer ligand for potential use in catalysis and materials research. Experiments will require training on nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared, mass spectrometry, x-ray crystallography, and other instruments. Other projects will be assigned as necessary.Clarissa SitChemical Biology- Students will characterize compounds from microbes found in traditional herbal medicines that could be used in potential antimicrobial treatments.Steven SmithSocial, Health, and Forensic Psychology- There are three projects we will be working on. 1) How a mobile app can be used to support student success; 2) how gender, race, and criminality impact hiring biases; and 3) how we can create more inclusive environments in organizations.
Skye StephensClinical Forensic Psychology- Students will work on research on a child sexual abuse perpetration prevention project, assist on new research on child sexual abuse tourism, and work on related lab projects that focus on paraphilias and/or sexual offending.
Genlou SunMolecular Biology- Molecular mechanisms underlying stress response between diploid and polyploid species.
Meg Ternes Forensic Psychology - Our project aims to explore the relationships among psychopathy, remorse, rehabilitation, and recidivism, considering the genuineness of remorseful statements.
Danielle Tokarz Chemistry, Biophysics, Optics- Investigating the ultrastructure of nanostructures (e.g. cancer collagen or muscle) using nonlinear laser microscopy.
Danika van ProosdijCoastal Habitat Restoration- Real world applications of nature-based climate adaptation techniques and habitat restoration in sandy systems (beneficial re-use of dredge material) and the Bay of Fundy (Managed dyke realignment).Laura WeirEvolutionary and Behavioural Ecology- Conducting laboratory and field research on mating behaviour, sperm competition and reproductive success of fishes.Aldona WiacekEnvironmental Science / Atmospheric Physics- Air Pollution and Climate Change Field Observations, Satellite Data Analysis, and Model Studies: (1) Assist with operation of SMU Atmospheric Observatory (SAO), including some experience in field work. (2) Assist with atmospheric data analysis related to air quality and climate change.
Vasiliki Athanasakou Corporate Reporting, Strategic Refocusing, and Corporate Sustainability - The student will engage analysis of US and Canadian corporate reports for assessing the nature of strategy disclosures and the scope for those disclosures to foster structural changes (e.g. refocusing, strategic alliances, M&As) and corporate sustainability (ESG activities and performance). Matthew BolandStock Analysis using Python and ChatGPT - Python, supported by ChatGPT, will be used to extract publicly available company data to inform stock selection in across several portfolio strategies.Hany FahmyEconometrics / Climate Finance / Financial Econometrics- Performing textual analysis to construct a news-based measure of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) risk and assessing its impact on financial markets.Nicholas ManuelLabour and Sports- The student will work on a project that examines how the absence of in-person crowds at Major League Baseball (MLB ) games during the 2020 season affected aspects of individual player performance, with a focus on differences across players from different demographic backgrounds. Ethan PancerMarketing, Consumer Psychology of Technology Usage, Responses to Generative AI- Students will help develop / assist in a research project over the summer. Tentative projects include understanding consumer responses to the origins of generative AI creators (open source vs. corporation), exploring the uncanny valley and humanoid robot perceptions, or investigating how neurodiversity and disability disclosure interact with AI support tools.
Saint Mary’s offers a vibrant and stimulating intellectual community, with an emphasis on student research. Our compact campus and small class sizes provide unprecedented access to professors, complemented by lab spaces and research facilities that are state-of-the-art. This combination leads to exceptional learning and growth opportunities.
Undergrad students may find themselves working as a paid research assistant, travelling the world for a study abroad program, taking part in field trips, presenting at a conference or even pursuing their original research — all during their undergrad years.
Saint Mary’s is also an excellent place to pursue graduate study, with 30 diverse PhD and Masters programs to choose from. Our grad students benefit from close collaboration with award-winning faculty members who are renowned experts and prolific researchers.
Find out more about student research opportunities:
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