Fanshawe research excellence showcased virtually

Fanshawe College's annual showcase of student research projects, Research and Innovation Day 2020, continued virtually this year, uninterrupted after COVID-19 public safety precautions forced the cancelation of the in-person display.

Students and evaluators quickly pivoted to a fully-online model of submitting, judging and displaying the projects leading Fanshawe's culture of academic and applied research excellence.

"We were very impressed this year, not only with the calibre of applied research being conducted by our students at the College; but also by their ability to quickly adapt to online models in this time of pandemic response," says Dan Douglas, dean of the Centre for Research and Innovation (CRI). "Fanshawe is proud of the culture of innovation throughout the College, and we were proud to work quickly with our staff, faculty and students to continue with our research showcase despite this year's hurdles. We pivoted quickly – that's innovation at its finest."

This year, 29 student projects from all Fanshawe faculties competed. In the online model adopted two weeks ago, students were asked to upload a research poster and a five-minute video presentation of their project. The CRI created an online showcase of the "Best in Show" projects, viewable at https://www.fanshawec.ca/ResearchandInnovationDay.

Research and Innovation Day 2020 "Best in Show" projects:

Faculty of Access, Language and Regional Campuses:

Uncontested: Exploring the Effects of Sarnia's Long-Standing Mayor.
Principal Investigator: Rebecca Hay.

Faculty of Business, Information Technology and Part-time Studies:

Growing Food Within a City: Urban Vertical Farming - Factors Impacting Microgreen Quality and Yield.
Principal Investigator: Parminderjeet Singh Deol.
Faculty Advisors: Mark Lahti, Sandra Wilson.

Faculty of Creative Industries:

Kinetic Energy Suit: Designing a wearable technology suit.
Principal Investigators: Mary Curry and Crystal Yi.
Co-Investigators: Leigh-Ann Waller and Loren Carriere.

Faculty of Health, Community Studies and Public Safety:

Reshaping Vaping: Investigating Fanshawe College Students' Early Vaping Experiences.
Principal Investigators: Katherine De Lucia, Marisa Battel, Alysia Plowells, Simran Momin.
Faculty Advisors: Anne Finigan, Karen Jenkins, Anne Lamesse.

Faculty of Science, Trades and Technology:

Safe Light©
Principal Investigators: Azhar Fatehi, Yogesh Tamhane.
Faculty Advisor: Chris Talbot, Brent Matthews.

Multi-Disciplinary Project:

Community Hub Club: Inter-generational paint activities with seniors experiencing dementia in long-term care.
Principal Investigators: Madelyn Allen and Christine Belanger.
Faculty Advisors: Helen Harrison RN, MScN, Anne Lamesse RN, MScN, Natalie Rowe MID, BID, NCIDQ.

Entrepreneurship Prize (awarded by Leap Junction):

"Celebration": A Proposal for Sustainable Business Development at Chippewa of the Thames First Nation, Ontario
Principal Investigator: Tyler French.
Faculty Advisor: Linda Howie.

The online showcase of "Best In Show" projects can be viewed at: https://www.fanshawec.ca/ResearchandInnovationDay.

For more information, please visit Fanshawe's media contact page.