In recent years, the Mediterranean Sea has become a visible site of exclusion characterized by the graphic imagery of boats filled with migrants en route to the European Union (EU). Often marked with tragedy and loss of life, these narratives are routinely accompanied by vivid depictions of rescues at sea being conducted by Frontex, the […]

My research concerns borders, refugees, and protracted transit situations at the periphery of Europe. Following four months of field work in the Western Balkans this summer, I propose to undertake a six-month foreign study period at Aix-Marseille Université under the supervision of Professor Pierre Sintès, an accomplished and renowned scholar, specializing in issues of international […]

In his Treatise of Human Nature, David Hume proposed a new philosophical approach based on what he called “the science of human nature”. This science consisted in a kind of cartography aiming to establish the epistemological possibilities of the human mind considered on the base of its passionate and social dimensions. I argue that at […]

When a light source is focused onto a metallic nanoparticle, a phenomenon called localized surface plasmon resonance occurs and can be utilized to guide light, perform highly sensitive spectroscopy measurements and induce efficient surface chemistry reactions. The “hot-electrons” generated by the light excitation are triggering the chemical reactions that could not be initiated otherwise. This […]

Xylose is one of the most abundant sugars in nature and makes up a significant portion of lignocellulose. In order to profitably use lignocellulosic biomass for sustainably producing ethanol and other chemicals, it is important that all of its sugars be efficiently co-fermented. The current organism of choice for such fermentations, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Baker’s yeast), […]

Pesticide application in crops has been considered a potential cause of bat population declines in Europe. However, no research on this topic has been conducted in tropical agrosystems, where the use of pesticides is extensive and bat diversity is higher. Considering that insectivorous bats can eat more than 90% of their body mass every night, […]

Agricultural grasslands are a significant source of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. However, uncertainties in estimates of greenhouse gas fluxes from farmlands are still high. Soil models used to quantify and simulate greenhouse gas emissions, generally use average site inputs for soil and vegetation initialization using a limited number of samples and do not account for […]

In order to model and determine properties of plasmas such as magnetosphere or fusion devices a consistent mathematical model is required. The goal of this project, among other open problems, is to prove long time uniqueness and existence of the Relativistic Vlasov Maxwell system. In the process, determine estimates on the electromagnetic field intensities, the […]

Dans l’intention de parfaire notre compréhension des conditions de (sur)vie liées à l’itinérance féminine à Honolulu, ce mémoire empirique cherche à observer quels sont les vécus subjectifs de ces femmes à l’aide de l’approche biographique. Ce projet de maîtrise s’attarde spécifiquement à l’itinérance des femmes autochtones hawaiiennes afin de comprendre, de manière spécifique au genre […]

This project is an undertaking in coordination with Minerva Canada which aims to address a gap between industry and the graduates of engineering programs in terms of attitudes, knowledge and applied skills pertaining to health & safety in engineering practice. Through a series of phases from curriculum planning to implementation, the project’s end product will […]

La scoliose idiopathique de l’adolescent (SIA) est une maladie de cause inconnue, affectant 4% de la population pédiatrique et qui implique une croissance anormale et désynchronisé de la colonne vertébrale. Notre laboratoire s’intéresse à la composition de la flore intestinale (appelée microbiote) pour tenter d’expliquer le développement et la progression de la SIA. Dans ce […]

My doctoral research deals with the summit of the skyscrapers, considered as a dual device: as seen from the city below, and as looking at it, thanks to the viewing decks they deploy. Whereas their exterior shapes mark the skyline, they offer vantage points for the discovery of the metropolis by the local residents and […]