Innovative Projects Realized

Reducing Social Isolation Through Better Transportation Options for Seniors

Seniors may experience social isolation when they lose the ability to drive their own car due to the loss of access to services and opportunities to socialize. I will examine the role of public transportation in reducing social isolation for seniors in Metro Vancouver. With BC’s aging population, the transportation needs of this demographic will become increasingly important over the coming decade. While many studies focus on how to ensure seniors can continue driving, this project will focus on barriers to other modes of transportation and programs or options to reduce these barriers. Although increased transportation options alone will not reduce social isolation, access to services and opportunities to socialize are key in reducing and preventing isolation, as well as having stronger, more diverse neighbourhoods. My methodology will be a literature review, a jurisdictional scan, expert interviews, and focus groups.

Developing Recrystallization-Resistant AlScZrMn(Mg) sheets for automotive brazing applications

This internship project aims at developing superior alloy chemistries and processing routes for the manufacture of recrystallization-resistant AlScZrMn(Mg) sheets for automotive brazing applications. Various alloys will be thermodynamically modelled, cast and rolled to thin sheets followed by a stabilization heat treatment. The sheets will finally undergo a simulated heat cycle that resembles that of a typical brazing process during manufacture of automotive heat exchangers. The sheet specimens will be metallurgically characterized by means of optical and electron microscopy as well as tensile testing. The test results will be analyzed in order to depict the optimum alloy/process design for highest recrystallization resistance as well as for the least use of Sc in the composition which is an expensive element. The development of such knowhow will place Alcereco Inc. as an R&D pioneer in a fast growing market for thermally-resistant, light-weight Al alloys, particularly in the auto and aerospace sectors.

Nanwakolas Aquaculture and Tourism Research Cluster

The Nanwakolas Council Society and its eight member Nations are moving through a regional economic development planning initiative to create a more diversified and sustainable business profile. This research cluster is intended to provide additional insights into culturally valued industries of the member Nations, specifically within shellfish aquaculture and tourism industries. The research would encompass six research projects, as follows:• Project 1: DMT Fisheries Shellfish Aquaculture Investigation • Project 2: K’omoks Shellfish Processing Feasibility Analysis• Project 3: Regional Shellfish Aquaculture Partnership Investigation• Project 4: Da’naxda’xw Awaetlala First Nation Tourism Product Research• Project 5: Hanson Island Development Project Investigation• Project 6: Regional Tourism Partnership Investigation

FIve innovative research techniques will be applied within this research as detailed in the full application. This applied research will be a successful case study that increased knowledge mobilization for Canadian First Nations and for Canada overall.

Human Errors Analysis in an Aircraft Engine Assembly Center

Human operators show significant variability in performance when operating in complex manufacturing systems that are usually referred to human errors. Such errors are identified as the failure to perform an action within the safe operating limit and often lead to product quality defects. Approximately 50%-80% of the incidents and accidents in safety-critical systems have been associated with human error.
Despite the recent technological advances in eliminating error in the manufacturing of aircraft engines, the engine assembly centers are heavily dependent on human interventions. Occasional human errors occur in these work centers due to different factors. The delivery of defect-free products to customers that also conform to regulatory requirements calls for a systematic approach for identifying, reporting, and managing human errors. This project aims to develop a robust human error assessment framework in order to identify: i) different categories of human errors; ii) root causes of errors; and ii) mitigation actions.

Using soil water stable isotopes (?18O and ?2H) in the unsaturated zone to assess groundwater recharge and evapotranspiration in Nordic humid region dominated by snowmelt

The groundwater recharge is the quantity of water reaching, through infiltration, the groundwater already existed in the geological formation. The groundwater recharge is considered as relevant parameter for evaluating the water resources. In Nordic countries including Canada, the highest groundwater recharge is often associated with snowmelt, and it is affected by the geology of site and the environment conditions (e.g., sites covered by dense vegetation, slopped sites, etc.). Accordingly, it is important to understand the snowmelt infiltration process to better quantify the groundwater recharge. The proposed research project consists to use the stable isotope depth profiles, which could be obtained from the isotopic analysis of deeper sampled soils cores, for estimating the groundwater recharge in Nordic humid zone dominated by snowmelt. TO BE CONT’D

Evaluating the Influence of Student-Teacher Relationships on Chinese and Canadian Elementary School Systems

I will look at the interactions between Canadian elementary students as well as Chinese elementary students and their respective teacher. Through observation and casual conversations I will record how the relationships affect the learning of of students and what kind of effects this produces outside of the classroom setting. This information will be compared with each other in hopes to demonstrate that both education systems can benefit from reciprocal learning.

Comparing the Cultural and Philosophical Differences Between Canadian and Chinese HPE Programs

The Health and Physical Education (HPE) programs of Chinese schools will be analyzed and compared to that of schools in Canada. To do this, there will be three primary areas of focus. Firstly, the Chinese philosophical approach to physical education will be examined. This includes the sports, games, dances, and other exercises that are taught in the school curriculum. Secondly, attention will be directed to the finances and resources allotted to physical education in China. Facility structure, sports equipment, location, and functionality of system will all be taken into account. Finally, the average diet of Chinese students will be determined and regarded as a factor in determining their physical health. This will be done by prompting students to accurately record their meals throughout a specified period. TO BE CONT’D

Nutrition and Health Education in Chinese Schools

The proposed research project will primarily make participant observations in Chinese schools and classrooms to study the role of nutrition and health education in China. The observations will be used to make connections and aid in reciprocal learning with Canadian schools. Ontario education places a strong focus on diversity in classrooms. Being able to observe Chinese schools will provide excellent exposure to gain new skills in multiliteracy. Proper nutrition is necessary for personal wellbeing, daily success, attentiveness, productivity and ability to focus and retain information. Being able to learn and research ways in which this is incorporated into the Chinese curriculum can aid in comparing it with the Ontario curriculum as well as personal pedagogy.

Establishing New and Improving Existing Dulse Habitatfor a Sustainable Marine Plant Aquaculture Business and Industry

The research aims to develop techniques for the colonization of seashores by the economically

important red seaweed, Palmaria palmata, commonly known as Dulse. The project is a direct

collaboration between a local industry leader, Fundy Dulse, and Dr. David Garbary of St. Francis

Xavier University. A major problem facing the Dulse industry is the limited supply of the seaweed

from naturally occurring beds. The proposed research will have as a primary objective the

development of protocols for the recovery of shores where Dulse was previously harvested, but which

through storm damage have lost their Dulse populations. The research will also determine if

seashores that are currently devoid of Dulse may be successfully ‘planted’ so that the Dulse resource

is increased both for Fundy Dulse and the industry in general. The proposed techniques are ‘simple’

in that they do not require complex technology, and require few financial resources. Important issues

that need to be addressed involve the time of year when…..

China and Canada: An Instrumental Music Education Comparison

My research proposal is to explore the instrumental music curriculum and pedagogy in China, and compare it with Canadian instrumental music curriculum through observation in Chinese schools. Moreover, I will be learning the cultural and historical context of Chinese music education to integrate what I have learned into the Canadian education system as a future teacher, and to provide information for others who are interested in this area of research.

Hyper-parameter Optimization of Deep Neural Networks

Deep neural networks are a valuable machine learning method that is at the heart of many technological innovations. From self-driving cars to automatic translations and image recognition, etc. it seems that deep neural networks are a great tool that can adapt to different problematics. However, defining the right network for the right application is a tricky task, often described as a black art, that monopolizes an important part of the development process. This crucial step still relays strongly on the experience of experts, or on heuristic approaches. Our goal is to develop a rigourous scientific method to optimize the hyper-parameters of a deep neural networks, which are the elements that define the network, in order to automate this step. We also require that our method be convergente and includes a global optimization scheme.

Special Education and Student Support in Canada Compared to China

Accommodations are an essential part of education for students with differing needs. In order for many students to reach their full potential and to succeed in education, there are a variety of different accommodations that the Canadian school system provides to help support students. This research will explore how the Chinese education system supports students with special needs, compared to the Canadian education system.
In Canada there are many accommodations that are provided in order for students to be fully supported. The Ontario Ministry Education explains how a student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) includes; “the student’s exceptionality, relevant medical information, details on special education services, information on the student’s strengths and needs, a record of any accommodations needed, a list of any modified and/or alternative learning expectations” (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2007, p. C31). TO BE CONT’D