Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

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All theses from 2011 to the present are in this collection, as well as some from 2010 and earlier years.

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Scaling the growth and characterization of perovskite single crystals for X-ray detection
(2026) Sandor, Nicholas; Saidaminov, Makhsud
Metal halide perovskite semiconductors are promising materials for direct-conversion radiation detection. However, their development faces challenges in growing sufficiently large crystals and rapidly characterizing detector arrays. Prior approaches to growth of large crystals have focused on chemical methods of controlling growth rates and nucleation, and most readout methods employ expensive integrated circuits with limited flexibility. A computer vision system was developed to track the growth of single crystals, providing insights into methods of growing large crystals and eliminating nucleation. Further, a readout system based on a precision switching topology was developed to allow for low cost, flexible evaluation of detectors. These two systems address key problems impeding the research of perovskite radiation detectors in the intermediate stage, allowing for improved growth processes and rapid evaluation of integrated detectors.
Searching the ḥaḥuułi: A site inventory of čaačaac̓iiʕas, on behalf of huuʕiiʔatḥ
(2026) Bailey, Hannah Lauren; Happynook, Tommy; McLaren, Duncan Stewart
čaačaac̓iiʕas (Carnation Creek) is located on the eastern shore of Barkley Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, within huuʕiiʔatḥ (Huu-ay-aht) ḥaḥuułi (house/territory). čaačaac̓iiʕas is a watershed, and the site of an ongoing ecological experiment (Carnation Creek Watershed Experiment). Indigenous knowledge and ethnographic accounts reference human occupation in čaačaac̓iiʕas prior to European contact. I was invited to conduct an archaeological survey in čaačaac̓iiʕas by Dr. Tommy Happynook and the huuʕiiʔatḥ ḥaw̓iiḥ council (Hereditary Leaders council). This project builds on Dr. Happynook’s anthropological studies of the ḥaḥuułi and provides archaeological insight into past human land use and occupation at čaačaac̓iiʕas. Indigenous and archaeological research methodologies were employed to identify, record, and analyze one cultural shell deposit, one fish weir, two CMTs, two petroforms, one naturally occurring shell bearing matrix, a potential historic longhouse deposit, and several gardens. Archaeological evidence stands to add to current understandings of human activity in the area while also providing a historical record for čaačaac̓iiʕasʔatḥ and huuʕiiʔatḥ.
Contaminated sites on reserve: Federal law, policy and the transition to First Nations Land Management
(2026) James, Meredith; Curran, Deborah
In this thesis I undertake a comprehensive review of federal contaminated sites policy to examine the role of federal institutions in shaping the design and implementation of that policy on reserve. I adopt a historical institutional approach, beginning at the emergence of federal contaminated sites policy in the late 1980s and tracing its evolution to the present. I argue that the federal approach to contaminated sites is the product of a policy paradigm oriented around the federal government’s role as a “prudent landowner”. I also examine the interaction of federal contaminated sites policy with the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management. I argue that implementation of the environmental provisions of the Framework Agreement has been layered onto the existing federal contaminated sites regime. This has created misalignments that limit the scope of environmental self-government, particularly where First Nations’ expectations that contaminated sites will be remediated before the federal government transfers governance authority are not met. I explore how First Nations may use environmental law-making powers under the Framework Agreement to respond to these constraints. I propose that environmental laws enacted by First Nations offer a pathway to address some environmental harms and also contest the ideas embedded in the prudent landowner paradigm.
Investigation of teacher leadership in the context of a rural school district
(2026) Willows, Jessica; McGregror, Catherine
Teacher leadership has emerged as a dynamic force in educational change, increasingly recognized for its potential to enhance school improvement, build professional capacity, and foster more responsive learning environments (Harris & Jones, 2019; Muijs & Harris, 2006; Nguyan et al., 2020; York-Barr & Duke, 2004). However, much of the literature on teacher leadership has been shaped by urban and suburban perspectives, often overlooking the distinct conditions found within rural educational contexts. This study builds on the work of Anderson (2008) and Cherkowski and Schnellert (2017), who identified rural spaces as promising environments for teacher leadership to thrive. Using constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz, 2017) to guide the study design and data analysis, the theory responding organically, emerged from analysis of data gathered from open-ended interviews with 17 educators in a rural school district in British Columbia. The findings highlight the nature of teacher leadership and addresses challenges associated with the role of rural teacher leader: isolation, community closeness, and resource scarcity, with leadership emerging as a creative, student-centred response to these challenges. The educator responses illuminate how teacher leadership is uniquely responsive, generative and collaborative, and shaped profoundly by the rural context. The resulting theory extends understandings of teacher leadership in rural spaces by providing contextual details and descriptions of the dynamic rural environment, an explication of the processes utilized by rural teacher leadership and an illustration of the nature of this form of leadership.
Offshore carbon sequestration using renewable ocean energy as a means to meet the Paris Agreement
(2026) Moffat, Leslie; Weaver, Andrew J.; Eby, Michael
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has identified the need for negative emission technologies to limit the rise in Global Mean Surface Air Temperature (GMSAT) to 2.0°C above pre-industrial temperatures. Coupled Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) and Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage (DACCS) in marine environments could create a renewable energy powered method of sequestering atmospheric CO2 to prevent surpassing, or limit overshoot, of this threshold. This research identifies the magnitude of coupled deployment required to prevent surpassing the 1.5°C and 2.0°C Paris Agreement GMSAT thresholds. Through a series of sensitivity experiments, using the University of Victoria Earth System Climate Model, the effects of the initial climate state, OTEC cold water intake depth, and deployment timeline are explored to maximize the efficiency of coupled OTEC and DACCS. Potential locations for coupled deployment are identified and used to estimate the magnitude of GMSAT reductions. Using estimates of the transient climate response to emissions and carbon emissions diagnosed from representative concentration pathways, target OTEC power production estimates were determined. By current DACCS technology standards, it was found that under low emissions scenarios, no action is required to remain below either GMSAT threshold. The potential to satisfy required power production under moderate emission scenarios varied depending on the timeline. At no point could either GMSAT threshold goal be achieved under high emission scenarios. Finally, the likelihood of remaining below the 1.5°C and 2.0°C GMSAT thresholds was significantly improved assuming an increase in the energy efficiency of DACCS technology.
Transcriptional impact of glucose enrichment on Caenorhabditis elegans oocytes
(2026) Karmani, Muskan; Templeman, Nicole M.
Reproductive aging in biological females is driven by a decline in oocyte quality, a process accelerated by metabolic stress such as high dietary glucose. The insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IIS) pathway is a key nutrient-sensing regulator, and in C. elegans, reduced IIS via the daf-2(e1370) reduction-of-function mutation protects against glucose-induced reproductive decline. To uncover the molecular basis of this protection, I performed RNA-sequencing on oocytes from wild-type (N2) and daf-2(e1370) mutants after 48 hours of glucose exposure. Glucose caused distinct transcriptional responses in each genotype, suppressing 30 transcripts in wild-type and 34 different genes in daf-2(e1370) oocytes, prior to any morphological deterioration. I identified 14 transcripts that form a candidate protective signature. These genes were downregulated by glucose in wild-type oocytes, yet under the same glucose condition, they had significantly higher transcript abundance in daf-2(e1370) oocytes compared to wild-type oocytes. The most dramatic change was in icmt-1, a regulator of cell survival signaling, which was suppressed 10-fold in response to glucose in oocytes of wild-type hermaphrodites but maintained at high levels in the oocytes of daf-2(e1370) mutants despite glucose exposure. Mechanistically, glucose-suppressed genes in both genotypes were enriched for targets of intestinal transcription factors (PQM-1, CEH-60, ELT-2), suggesting glucose disrupts somatic support of the developing germline of the P1 generation. Conversely, compared to glucose-exposed daf-2(e1370) oocytes, glucose-exposed wild-type oocytes uniquely upregulated 1044 gene transcripts enriched for energetically costly membrane and transport functions, most likely related to a maladaptive response. These changes in transcript abundance predicted physiological outcomes with glucose-exposed wild-type hermaphrodites showing severely reduced late-life fertility (30.98% vs. 53.87% in controls), while daf-2(e1370) mutants maintained high reproductive success regardless of glucose enrichment. My findings demonstrate that glucose may impair oocyte quality through the suppression of critical stress defense genes. Resilience in daf-2(e1370) mutants is likely conferred by the sustained expression of this protective program, which is sufficient to maintain oocyte quality and reproductive function with age.
Bayesian methods of integrating multiple sources of data to estimate wild population abundance
(2026) Jahid, Mehnaz; Cowen, Laura
Estimating abundance of wildlife species is a fundamental problem in ecological statistics. Ongoing research continues to develop methods that produce more precise and accurate estimates. Data collected from wild populations are often sparse, noisy, or incomplete. This limits the effectiveness of likelihood based methods which require sufficient data to produce reliable estimates. Bayesian methods provides a robust and reliable framework in such settings by incorporating uncertainty and prior information into the model. As a result, ecological statistics, especially hierarchical modeling has increasingly shifted towards Bayesian approaches. In addition, integrating data from different sources has been shown to improve estimation by reducing bias and increasing both accuracy and precision. Although promising, these type of methods still have some shortcomings to the applicability for some specific type of data. Application of integrated models to capture-recapture and presence-absence data is dependent on the sampling scheme. We explored the applicability of such datasets collected at the same sampling sites and occasions. In chapter 2, we reviewed two integrated models that combine presence-absence data from camera traps and capture-recapture data from hair snares to compare bias and precision to estimate the population abundance of grizzly bears of the central Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada. Unlike many other studies, we found that integrating presence-absence data with capture-recapture data does not improve the precision of the density estimates. The potential reasons for such results are discussed in detail. A possible reason is the violation of one of the integrated models assumptions: independence among multiple datasets. To address this, in chapter 3, we proposed an open population integrated population model that explicitly models the dependence of presence-absence data to capture-recapture data. We performed a simulation study to evaluate the model performance and also investigate the effect of different sampling scenarios on model performance. We compared the integrated population model with the spatially explicit capture-recapture (SECR) model as a single dataset model. Later, we apply the model to the grizzly bear data. From both the simulation study and the case study, we found that the proposed integrated model improved the estimates compared to SECR in terms of accuracy, precision, and bias. This model is more effective than SECR in the various sampling scenarios with budget and logistical constraints. In chapter 4, we explored the applicability of integrating remote sensing data (chlorophyll-a (chl-a) and sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly) as covariates for salmon stock recruitment models. We used spawner-recruitment data of sockeye salmon from Pitt River, British Columbia, Canada. Remote sensing data were extracted from the central and northern region of the Strait of Georgia (SoG), British Columbia, which represents the ocean entry point for the Pitt River stock when juvenile sockeye salmon migrate towards the ocean. For comparison, we also used in-situ SST data from two of the lighthouses in SoG. The spawner-recruitment relationship was modeled using Ricker and Larkin models. To account for potential temporal autocorrelation, an autoregressive lag 1 (AR(1)) component was also considered. We found that remote sensing chl-a data in the Larkin model were useful to predict Fraser River sockeye salmon stock recruitment; however, in-situ sea surface temperature data outperformed remote sensing sea surface temperature data. We concluded that integrating remote sensing data could improve the stock recruitment forecasting, although longer time series might produce better results.
Revelatory economics: Discerning prudence and realizing theosis in Latter-day Saint southern Alberta
(2026) Campbell, C. William; Rudnyckyj, Daromir
This dissertation examines how Latter-day Saints in southern Alberta use revelation as an epistemological technique for discerning prudence in social-material matters. Drawing on long-term participant observation with Latter-day Saints in Cardston, Alberta, Canada, I show that revelation functions not only as a spiritual experience but as a structured knowledge practice for deciding what to do in matters as diverse as household finance, welfare, entrepreneurship, and municipal policy. Revelation is not an alternative to rational calculation but a technique for bringing together rational calculation, scripture, affect, and social obligations (among other things) in the pursuit of discerning prudence. I argue that the best way to understand how and why Latter-day Saints subject economic decisions to revelation is as a way of cultivating what I call divine-human capital, the capacities that constitute a person’s latent characteristics as divine beings in potentia. In Latter-day Saint theology, humans are already the same kind of being as God, distinguished only by degree. Exaltation names the gradual realization of this inherent divinity and is a form of human theosis. Within this continuous human-divine framework, discernment through revelation becomes a means of developing attributes such as obedience, contextual judgement, and covenantal alignment, capacities understood as both inherently human and, when fully realized, constitutive of exaltation. By cultivating these attributes through the practiced deployment of revelation in even mundane moments of economic discernment, each decision becomes part of the incremental realization of theosis. The revelatory technique therefore both expresses an inherent subjectivity and increments the individual towards a fuller realization of that subjectivity. Out of this analysis of revelation in LDS economic life I develop a broader analytic. Revelatory economics describes economic epistemological practices that both disclose and cultivate a subjectivity. Rather than treating decisions about work, care, or finance as merely instrumental, the analytic reveals how people use techniques of discernment that draw on an understanding of who they already take themselves to be and to become that person more fully. In this framework, economic reasoning is simultaneously epistemological and ontological, a way of knowing what is prudent and of shaping the self toward a desired form.
Seen to be done: Credibility, performance, and legitimacy in R v McLeod et al.
(2026) Sapic, Lauren; Calder, Gillian; O’Bonsawin, Christine
This thesis explores how legal credibility is built and challenged in high-profile Canadian sexual-assault trials, through the single embedded case study of the R v McLeod et al. (the 2018 World Junior sexual assault proceedings, or "R v McLeod et al."). With specific attention to the court's reasons and credibility analysis, this thesis examines the acquittal of five former Canadian World Junior hockey players, followed allegations of group sexual assault after a Hockey Canada Foundation Gala and Golf event in June 2018. At the time the charges were laid, all five accused were playing professional hockey, including four in the NHL. In an era of media saturation and institutional crises, Canadian courts are increasingly expected not only to deliver justice, but to be seen to do so. I refer to this concept as "mediatized justice," a cultural-legal paradigm where courts must perform this "fairness" as much as courts may enact it procedurally. Despite legal reforms intending to curb rape myth-based reasoning within sexual assault procedures, the Canadian criminal justice system continues to struggle to accommodate the complexities of trauma testimony and fairness, particularly where powerful institutions, intense publicity, and multiple accused are involved. Drawing on feminist legal theory (in particular, Judith Butler's concept of grievability), critical legal theory, and media spectacle theory, this thesis applies critical discourse analysis to the judgment, institutional statements, and media coverage. I examine how legal actors navigate the tension between the presumption of innocence and the realities of trauma, memory, and evidentiary rules. A close reading of Justice Maria Carroccia's decision reveals that while rape myths were formally rejected, the decision still relied on credibility markers, such as affect regulation, evidentiary clarity, and timeline analysis in a manner that I argue is trauma incompatible. I also analyze Hockey Canada's efforts to manage public perception, as well as the post-trial discourse around judicial neutrality and activism. Rather than calling for retributive outcomes or symbolic reform or for the court to act in an "activist" manner, this thesis advocates for procedural and evidentiary shifts that center trauma-informed fairness. This can prompt a reconsideration of what it means for courts to adjudicate legitimacy of the complainant in high profile sexual assault trials, and in the age of media visibility.
3D bioprinted skin co-culture model with air liquid interface (ALI) stratification for investigating microbiome-skin cell interactions.
(2026) Díaz González, Giselle Yolanda; Willerth, Stephanie; Tuffs, Stephen
Chronic wounds pose a serious and persistent public health challenge, resulting in devastating patient consequences and imposing a substantial economic strain on healthcare systems. Conventional treatments frequently fail because they target only single characteristics of the wound rather than addressing the complex, interconnected cycle where the microbiome and microenvironment play crucial roles in perpetuating inflammation. To develop effective biotherapies, advanced in vitro models that accurately replicate the complex skin microenvironment are urgently needed. Existing models, such as two-dimensional (2D) cultures and animal models, lack the necessary physiological complexity, are hindered by species-specific differences, and present ethical concerns. Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has emerged as a powerful alternative, enabling the creation of in vitro skin models that more closely mimic human in vivo conditions. The primary goal of this work was to investigate the clinical need, design, and verification of a 3D bioprinted stratified skin co-culture model suitable for studying the intricate interactions between the skin microbiome and cutaneous cells. Constructs were generated using extrusion-based bioprinting (EBB) with a high-viscosity, fibrin-based bioink containing co-cultured human keratinocytes (HEKa) and fibroblasts (HDFs), successfully creating a multi-layered structure replicating the epidermis and dermis. Crucially, epidermal stratification was induced through the Air-Liquid Interface (ALI) methodology to replicate the primary air-liquid barrier where bacteria reside and ensure comprehensive host-microbe dynamics. The functional maturity and interactions between the host-microbiome within the model were validated through biochemical signaling detection of cytokines through Human Cytokine/Chemokine Panel A 48-Plex Discovery Assay®, analyzing conditioned media collected pre- and post- inoculation with Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), the results confirmed a colonization model capable of restoring the cutaneous barrier and maintaining a stable homeostatic environment through active molecular communication. Furthermore, achieving comprehensive analysis of this full-thickness, high-viscosity hydrogel construct required optimizing bioprocessing techniques. This process involved utilizing cryoslicing methodology, following specific protocols for cryopreservation infiltration using sucrose and optimal cutting temperature (O.C.T) solution, to preserve scaffold integrity and facilitate accurate microscopic evaluation. Optimized staining procedures, including Hematoxylin & Eosin (H&E) for scaffold stratification development, DAPI immunofluorescence staining for structural morphology, Safranin-O for extracellular matrix (ECM) components, and Gram staining for bacterial characterization, were then employed. This comprehensive framework provides a crucial standardization for creating and analyzing complex 3D skin models, offering a valuable, controllable, reproducible in vitro platform. Ultimately, this research aims to facilitate the efficient development of novel biotherapies that encompass microbiome homeostasis to effectively and efficiently address chronic wounds.
Sulfo-pillar[n]arenes and their applications in complex sensing systems and the molecular recognition of illicit drugs
(2026) Baker, Seth; Hof, Fraser Alan
Host-guest systems are increasingly relevant in chemical sensing and therapeutic applications. Sulfo-pillar[n]arenes are a recently developed class of highly anionic macrocyclic hosts that exhibit very strong binding affinities (Ka = 107–1011 M-1) toward multiple cationic small molecules in biological media, enabling their applications in drug sensing and drug reversal. This thesis explores how the unique properties of sulfo pillar[n]arenes can be used to create complex, information rich sensing systems and how structural modifications to these hosts influence their molecular recognition of illicit drugs. In Chapter 2, we demonstrate that sulfo-pillar[6]arene (sP6) forms a highly emissive co assembly with the fluorescent DimerDye 13 (DD13) sensor. This mixed host system produces enhanced and diversified fluorescence responses to a broad range of illicit drugs, including exceptionally bright ternary complexes formed with cocaine. The co assembly significantly lowers limits of detection for illicit drugs relative to DD13 alone and enables a minimalist two component sensor array to discriminate structurally similar drugs. We further demonstrate that a single DD13-sP6 co assembly, deployed as two sensors by preparing solutions with the two components at different ratios, can reliably differentiate complex whole-tissue biological samples such as locally foraged wild mushrooms. In Chapter 3, we synthesize three pseudo sulfo-pillar[6]arenes in which selective removal of sulfate groups modulates host charge and therefore binding properties. These new hosts display altered affinities and selectivities towards DAPI, fentanyl, cocaine, and acetylcholine, demonstrating that binding strength is strongly influenced by subtle differences in charge distribution and host shape. Notably one of these new hosts (sPABD) retained strong affinity for fentanyl while exhibiting improved selectivity over acetylcholine. NMR studies further show that these hosts adopt distinct guest binding geometries. Overall, these studies show how co assembly and specific host modifications can tune sulfo-pillar[6]arene molecular recognition, enabling improved sensor performance and more selective binding of illicit drugs.
The intersections between social identity, assistive technology and user lived experience
(2026) Lund, Jessica V.; Lawrence, Breanna
Research on assistive technology (AT) in post-secondary education has largely focused on functional effectiveness and usability. Although this work demonstrates the potential benefits of AT, persistently high rates of AT abandonment suggest that functional perspectives alone do not adequately capture students’ experiences. In particular, the social, relational, and identity-based consequences of AT use remain underexamined within existing literature. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of university students who use assistive technology. This study was informed by the theoretical frameworks of intersectionality, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and neurodiversity, which foreground the influence of social context, power, and diversity on learning and participation and remain underutilized in AT research. Using a qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten students at a mid-sized university who used assistive technology as part of their academic experience. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, with attention to participant perspectives and the institutional and social contexts shaping their experiences. Five interrelated themes were identified: (a) Gaps in assistive technology access and usability, (b) Institutional barriers and biases to student belonging and academic experience, (c) Social consequences of academic supports and assistive technology use, (d) How assistive technology improves academic experience and sense of belonging, and (e) Emergent Artificial Intelligence (AI) use. Findings demonstrate that students’ experiences with assistive technology extend beyond functional considerations and are shaped by intersecting identities and institutional practices. This study highlights the need for UDL-informed, neurodiversity-affirming approaches in higher education and offers implications for policy, practice, and inclusive design aimed at reducing AT abandonment and strengthening inclusive post-secondary environments.
Seeing, engaging, and supporting caregiving at the end of life in contexts of homelessness
(2026) Mollison, Ashley; Stajduhar, Kelli I.; Gagnon, Marilou
Caregiving is a potentially universal experience as many of us have offered and received care or will in the future. Yet, these experiences are made different by the social, political, economic, legal, and health systems in which caregiving takes place, shaped by systems of privilege and oppression like classism, structural racism, colonialism, sexism, cisgenderism, heterosexism, ableism, and ageism. Palliative care research is increasingly focused on considering inequities, in particular, inequities that are embedded in palliative care systems, policies, frameworks, services, and practices. Homelessness is a site to examine these inequities whereby not having a stable place to live is associated with higher rates of acute and chronic health conditions, increased mortality rates, and a life expectancy of nearly half that of the housed population. As people facing homelessness approach the end of life, accessing palliative and end-of-life care becomes even more difficult due to structural and social barriers. Assumptions embedded within palliative care systems that people have safe homes, financial and social support – including biologically- or legally-related (i.e., bio-legal) family caregivers who are willing and able to provide unpaid care – continues to produce inequities in access to and quality of care at the end of life. In Canada, most palliative and end-of-life care is provided by family caregivers whose unpaid care is increasingly relied upon due to population aging and pressures on the formal healthcare system. Decades of research has revealed the experiences and burdens faced by family caregivers in palliative care highlighting the significant social, mental, emotional, physical, and financial strain. Yet, there is very little research about who provides care for people facing homelessness at the end of life especially when the family networks expected to be there (i.e., nuclear, bio-legal) are limited, absent, or strained. This dissertation addresses a gap in the empirical evidence describing caregiving among people who are facing homelessness at the end of life, their experiences and barriers faced, and the broader implications for policy, practice and programming, and research. This dissertation focuses on system gaps caused not by deficits in people, but on the assumptions embedded in our systems about who or who should provide care at the end of life and beliefs about how that care happens or should happen. In Chapter 1, I focus on the background of the problem, research purpose and objectives, and in Chapter 2, I offer a discussion of my positionality, theoretical perspectives, and methodological approach. In Chapter 3, I apply these perspectives to the research itself, outlining my research process from developing the research questions to evaluating the work. In Chapter 4, I explore dominant, Western conceptualizations of family (i.e., nuclear, bio-legal) and then family formation among people who are unrelated, biologically or legally, to one another in the concept of ‘fictive kinship’. In Chapter 5, I draw on primary research including 300 hours of participant observation and 44 interviews over a 27-month period (Aug 2022 – Nov 2024) with Equity-Oriented Palliative Care (EOPC) team members, clients of these teams, their caregivers, and other service providers to offer an analysis of the key challenges faced by caregivers who are bio-legally unrelated in contexts of homelessness. In Chapter 6, I illuminate a less recognized but important role of EOPC teams’ work in supporting caregiving and caregivers of people living with life-limiting conditions in contexts of homelessness. In my final chapter, Chapter 7, I summarize findings from this dissertation and then focus on three thematic areas to offer implications for policy, programming and practice, and research.
Flow and friction: Campus experience of post-secondary middle-year students with disabilities
(2026) Lo, Shui Man Vivian; Vukovic, Rose
Research on students with disabilities (SWD) in post-secondary education has largely focused on entry into undergraduate study or transitions to post-graduation outcomes, leaving the middle years under-examined. The study examined how campus experiences during middle years are shaped for students with disabilities, compared with students without disabilities. Secondary data from the 2023 Canadian University Survey Consortium (CUSC) Middle-Years Student Survey were analyzed using quantitative analyses. Campus experience was examined across academic, social, and institutional dimensions. Findings revealed that middle-year experiences were largely and relatively similar between groups, with differences concentrated in a few areas: comfort on campus, commitment to completion, and use of campus services. The results suggest that institutional systems may not align with students’ increasing demands during middle years. The study foregrounds the middle years as a meaningful stage for understanding campus experience and informing more targeted support practices.
Coming home to a Métis identity – “All My Relations”: (Re)Searching for identity stories from urban Métis Elders and youth
(2026) McLeod, Kristine Louise; Sanford, Kathy
Indigenous Peoples living in what is now known as Canada have faced injustices due to policies and practices. These were partly due to laws passed by colonial governments that were attempted to eradicate their cultures, languages, and people. Métis People were affected by unjust colonial policies toward Indigenous Peoples in Canada, such as residential schools, stripping lands away, and removing children from their families in acts such as the 60s Scoop. All of these attempts to destroy Indigenous Peoples were done in the name of ‘civilization’ and were intended to divide and conquer the Indigenous Peoples living on these lands. These racist policies led to a diaspora of Métis People, forced away from kin and communities. The purpose of this (re)search was to offer spaces where urban Métis Elders and youth living on southern Vancouver Island, away from the Métis homelands, could explore what it meant to be Métis, to share their lived experiences, and pose questions about identity. Some key questions included: · What does it mean to be Métis in this time of trying to right colonial wrongs that led to many Métis people being disconnected from their heritages and cultures for Métis Elders, Knowledge Carriers, and youth living on southern Vancouver Island? And the sub questions: · In what ways might one reconcile what seemingly are conflicting worldviews, especially when they are expressed within one’s own cultural heritage and within oneself? What stories are shared about how they were able to navigate this process? · To what extent do they believe that connections to Métis family and/or community who share cultures and languages help to have a clear sense of one’s Métis identity? What stories are shared that convey the way these connections have impeded or enhanced a sense of connection with their Métis cultures? · To what extent do those participating feel that sharing our Métis experiences and having family and community connections contribute to having a better understanding of a path toward reconciling past injustices toward Métis People, to move forward into a future where diverse ways of knowing and being are respected and included in political, social, educational, and spiritual discourses? This (re)search was done with co-participants with the intention of sharing what was learned with local Métis communities in a reciprocal manner. This (re)search was intended to push the boundaries of qualitative research and provide an approach that honoured my Métis worldview and ways of knowledge-sharing. All the threads of the (re)search were held on an Indigenous loom paradigm that was focused on relationship embedded in “respect, reverence, responsibility, and reciprocity” (Archibald, 2008b, p. 1) with all my relations, for “in indigenous frameworks, relationships matter” (Smith, 2012, p. 210). An Indigenous sash-weaving methodological approach was created to enable it to honour the perspectives and knowledge in a way that aligned with the community it was embedded in. The methods used to gather knowledge on this (re)search journey were ones that were part of ceremonies and practices of the Métis People, and valued self-reflection about what was being learned by me as the (re)searcher: Sharing Circles (Gaudet, 2019), Métis Kitchen Table Talks (Forsythe & Markides, 2024), and autoethnography (Sanduliak, 2016) were all part of this learning journey. Autoethnography was done in the form of stories, poems, visual art, and photographs that documented my learning throughout the (re)search (Rowe, 2026). Meaning-making of what was gathered during the (re)search was based on a sash-weaving metaphor of gathering and aligning the threads in the process of weaving them together to understand what the Elders and youth co-participants shared about what it meant to be Métis in the urban context of Southern Vancouver Island.
Quantum field lens coding
(2026) Alipour, Philip B.; Gulliver, T. Aaron
This dissertation introduces Quantum Field Lens Coding (QF-LC) and its thermodynamic metrics, expanding scalar theory across multidisciplinary fields. Prior research in thermodynamics and statistical mechanics has not explored these QF-LC concepts and project. The QF-LC project comprises of 1- the quantum double-field (QDF) model, 2- QDF model’s code as the QF-LC algorithm (QF-LCA), 3- application software as the QF-LC simulator (QF-LCS), simulating a QDF system with its, 4- QF-LCA/QDF dataset. QF-LCA is a QF lens distance-based algorithm implemented on N-qubit machines to simulate and predict thermodynamic system events. This algorithm makes strong predictions on system state transitions and phase transitions (STs and PTs), which are based on the QDF model and its QF-LC data. In a QDF-based system, QDF transformations are simulated by a DF computation model to simulate systems as QF-LCS, and generate a QDF dataset. QDF datasets are generated by a QDF circuit where QF-LCS simulates. The QF-LCS analyzes the measurement outcome probability P data from these datasets to predict STs and PTs. This includes classifying system states, their ST probabilities, and entanglement entropy (EE) values which determine entanglement. This EE measure quantifies the degree of entanglement between qubit pairs and other sampled particles from the system. QDF datasets are compared between the excited and ground states (ES and GS), as a P indicator generated for measurement samples. These samples denote 1) A particle pair energy state |ij⟩ superposing between QDF points (sublevels of a GS), 2) a single field (SF) or particle state i, which is an ES relative to a GS, prior to its transform into a QDF, and spin order change (magnetization), 3) the expected transformation of fields (ES ←→ GS) and their expected P|ij⟩ value. QF-LCA encodes system states as data points represented by qubit pairs, which are counted and recorded in a QDF dataset. The QDF circuit uses at minimum a qubit pair to generate this dataset. This circuit samples particles and counts entangled qubits. One qubit is for a sampled particle from the thermodynamic system that entangles with a trapped particle within each pair. The circuit has a 3rd particle which complements the entangled state of the pair, decoding their hidden Bell state information through qubit exchange. This quantifiably maximizes the correlation (entanglement) between all three particles. This process establishes a three-way entanglement, creating a unique quantum information exchange network among these particles. The 3rd particle in a three-way entanglement can exhibit orthogonal and non-orthogonal relationships, allowing for qubit pairs complementarity. Their pairwise state is detected by a photonic probe that is used to encode-decode qubits. The decoding process of data corresponding to system STs and PTs is observed as the macrostate change within the system. The QDF circuit functions as an encoding-decoding mechanism, which is a heat engine to process the hidden information of the particle-pair state via the 3rd particle. The encoding process occurs at near absolute zero temperatures (≈ 0 K) on microscopic scales as a GS matter, while decoding occurs on macroscopic scales at low and high temperatures (≳ 0 K), given the system target state (TS). This TS is the desired Hamiltonian set by the QF-LCA user to achieve the expected system outcome. A strong system state prediction is achieved by computing the QF lens distance-based variables associated to ST probabilities from a QDF dataset. Thermal events are predicted by implementing a QDF lens function in the heat engine. The function (de-)focuses the distribution of energy states via QF lenses which encode the system state and produce the dataset. The energy path of an unfocused distribution of states is determined via EE values from the dataset. Particles not reaching a desired energy state (or TS) by observing a GS/ES probability outcome and entanglement (EE classification) at the decoding step can be rerouted by the engine for a TS outcome. This is achieved by focusing the energy state distribution through the lenses and qubit pair entanglement. At this step, the GS/ES energy profile is generated and accessed to classify states by a QF-LC classifier (QF-LCC) and predict the next system state. An ST probability space doubles in prediction at this step, e.g., P|ij⟩ ≥ 1/3 into P|ij⟩ ≥ 2/3 via (1)-(3), as SF − κ → QDF, where κ is a field scalar. Scalar κ, scales a particle QF during interactions or diffusion of a GS matter in this system. QDF datasets can be used to train a QF-LCA. This is done by running a quantum AI (QAI) algorithm on qubit machines which combines a QDF dataset with external datasets. The data points (qubits) in the QDF dataset are inverse distance-based that quantify EE, and are labelled for specific states by a QF-LCC. After learning this profile, the QF-LCC decodes and predicts the next system state suggesting an efficient energy path to choose by the user. A QDF game Alice & Bob Quantum Doubles is developed to validate the dataset as the P|ij⟩ map for a strong prediction, where the P|ij⟩ and user probabilities correlate in their value difference, ∆P. Dataset validation results are mapped to a decision simulator as a QAI map, which maximizes system efficiency on a TS via the EE of energy states. QF-LCA applications are mostly in data science and particle physics, where particle states from an evidence sample are classified based on their QDF probabilities. Examples are reconstructing damaged DNA strands of cells to predict a virus (TS) or cancer cell, its spread and growth against healthy cells, identify forged documents from genuine based on their P|ij⟩. The top sustainable development goal (SDG) for the QF-LCA, as assessed by SDG AI classifiers, is access to affordable and clean energy in society.
Optimizing extrudable bioinks: Mechanical and chemical properties for tailored tissue engineering
(2026) da Silva, Victor Allisson; Willerth, Stephanie; Yu, Bosco
Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has emerged as a powerful strategy for generating physiologically relevant tissue models that better replicate native cell–matrix interactions than traditional two-dimensional cultures or animal models. Such constructs hold promise for regenerative medicine, disease modelling, and drug discovery, yet the relationships between bioink properties, printing fidelity, and subsequent cellular behaviour remain poorly defined. This gap limits rational material design and slows translational progress. This dissertation focuses on the pre-processing stage of extrusion-based bioprinting, with particular attention to the design and characterization of bioinks. Using a CELLINK BIO X extrusion bioprinter, we systematically investigated how rheological descriptors, chemical functionalities, and nanoscale crystallinity govern construct fidelity and the fate of encapsulated cells. A range of fibrin-, alginate-, carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC)-, and cellulose-based formulations was developed to investigate how material properties govern bioprinting performance and cellular responses. In Chapter 2, a 3D bioprinted skin model was established as a case study, revealing that cellular organization and cross-talk not only shaped construct viability but also actively influenced the rheological properties of the bioink, demonstrating a reciprocal interaction between cells and material mechanics. Chapter 3 expanded this investigation by engineering fibrin–alginate formulations and showing that rheological features, particularly elastic modulus, were powerful predictors of early biological outcomes: softer hydrogels favoured initial viability, while intermediate stiffness supported proliferation and neuronal activity. These descriptors were then used to train a support vector regression model that accurately predicted cell viability, proliferation, and functionality across fibrin–alginate formulations and generalized to chemically distinct systems, identifying F20A1 as an optimal candidate validated experimentally by enhanced neuronal identity and neurite outgrowth. In Chapter 4, chemical functionality emerged as a critical determinant of long-term outcomes: N,O-CMC bioinks supported >80% viability and robust differentiation into neurons and astrocytes by day 30, whereas O-CMC constructs showed declining viability (~35%) and persistence of progenitor markers. Finally, Chapter 5 addressed the influence of nanoscale structure, showing that cellulose nanocrystals enhanced shear-responsiveness, porosity, and shape fidelity, whereas cellulose nanofibers increased stiffness but impaired extrusion. In conclusion, this work demonstrates that bioink performance arises from the interplay of mechanics, chemistry, and nanostructure. By linking these material features to biological outcomes, it establishes a predictive framework for rational bioink design, advancing the development of reproducible, functional, and clinically relevant 3D bioprinted tissue models.
SPaCeD: Spatial point process distances for pairing the heavy and light chains of B cell receptors from spatial BCR-seq
(2026) Liu, Yimeng; Nathoo, Farouk; Nelson, Brad H.
The immune system recognizes tumor cells through antigen-specific receptors expressed by T cells and B cells. In B cells, functional receptors are formed by paired heavy and light chains, and reconstructing these pairings is essential for understanding tumor–immune interactions and cloning antigen-specific antibodies. In spatial transcriptomics experiments, heavy and light chains are often detected independently across spatial locations, leading to a challenging combinatorial pairing problem. We propose SPaCeD, a statistical framework for inferring receptor chain pairings from spatial BCR-seq data by integrating transcriptional expression matrices with spatial co-expression point patterns. Spatial distances between clone-specific point patterns are computed using an optimal transport–based metric and combined with expression-based similarity in a unified objective function. A tuning parameter enables multiscale solutions that balance transcriptional and spatial information. Simulation studies based on ovarian and breast cancer samples, together with real spatial B cell receptor sequencing datasets with ground truth known from single-cell sequencing, show that SPaCeD achieves higher pairing accuracy and improved stability compared with existing state-of-the-art methods. These results demonstrate that incorporating spatial structure can substantially improve receptor chain pairing in spatial transcriptomic data. These findings highlight the potential of incorporating spatial information to improve receptor chain pairing, thereby enabling more accurate characterization of tumor–immune interactions and supporting downstream applications such as antibody discovery and immunotherapy development.
Extractive roots, branching futures: How British Columbia government speeches and strategies imagine the provincial economy, 1960–2024
(2026) McBride, Matthew; Krawchenko, Tamara; Kennedy, Christopher
The narrative history of British Columbia’s (B.C.) economy follows a resource extraction path with the timber industry taking a central role in self-image since the early twentieth century. However, the government institutions that shape economic activity from policies to promotion often go unrecognized in forming this self-image. Using content analysis and topic modeling of government strategic documents, budget and throne speeches together with economic statistics, this thesis combines quantitative and qualitative analysis to explore publicly available government documents that set out a vision of B.C.’s economy, and how they relate to the direction of B.C.’s economy. Specifically, speeches, broad strategic documents, and economic statistics produced since 1960 are examined using content analysis with industry classification codes and topic modelling to produce a picture of the broad currents found in B.C. government institutional discourse. The findings indicate that B.C.’s economy evolved alongside the language it uses about itself and its future. Specifically, the government of B.C. over successive administrations has struggled to reconcile the need for economic growth based on a staples economy with the pressures to meet environmental standards targeted by mature economies. This struggle appears across institutional discourse as the government tries to forge a path forward. While the precise impact of discourse on economic outcomes remains difficult to isolate, the analysis reveals meaningful patterns linking institutional narratives, broader government discourse, and economic change while demonstrating a set of methods that future studies can build upon.
Sound and trance states: Identifying the elements of music most conducive to altered states of consciousness
(2026) Kiley, Sean; Tan, Anthony; MacDonald, Stuart Warren Swain
A trance state is a heightened expression of an altered state of consciousness (ASC) that has been shown to be beneficial for both development and regeneration. These states are often strongly influenced by aural stimuli. My research aims to codify the characteristics of sound that most support trance induction and other forms of ASCs both scientifically and artistically. The former is explored through a cognitive psychology experiment making use of electroencephalography (EEG) to test specific types of rhythmic entrainment most conducive to an array of ASCs. Artistically, I composed a guitar duet that employs more general trance inducing musical features discovered through music perception analysis and ethnographical accounts of traditional ritual trance music. Together, the goal is to be able to leverage sound more therapeutically in clinical settings and develop new methods of exploring the intersection between the science of perception and music composition.

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