Undergraduate Research Exhibition
Welcome to our Undergraduate Research Exhibition, where we showcase the work of some of our undergraduate students. Our research program offers 10 to 12 undergraduate students the opportunity to gain an introduction to research through grants of $5,000.
The process begins with a competitive selection process in which students develop their own research question and methodology, and are then paired with a supervisor from our faculty.
Students then spend the summer developing these projects and addressing their research questions. Throughout this period, we aim to support these students through a series of workshops and discussion forums. The workshops cover important topics such as an introduction to ethical approval or what to expect during the peer-review publication process. Our discussion forums allow students to share the challenges they face and work together to find solutions.
Ultimately, we find that this program supports students in their development as academics and effectively prepares them for postgraduate study. In many cases, this program is cited as the catalyst that motivated students to consider postgraduate study.
Our Recipents for 2026
Anais Doderai
Étude de la plasticité métabolique induite par FABP12 dans le cancer de la prostate métastatique
Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among men in Canada, and although survival rates are high in the early stages, they decrease once the cancer metastasizes (Canadian Cancer Society, 2026). Metastasis is an energetically demanding process that requires, among other things, the migration, proliferation, and invasion of cancer cells. These cells can generate energy from various substrates, including glucose, Krebs cycle intermediates, fatty acids, and others, which converge on the electron transport system. This project aims to determine whether the expression of FABP12 (fatty acid-binding protein 12), a protein expressed in metastatic prostate cancer (Liu et al., 2020), influences mitochondrial function and energy production.
Donald Konan
Défis des parents immigrants d’enfants ayant un trouble du spectre de l’autisme en milieu scolaire francophone albertain.
This qualitative study with an ethnographic orientation and an exploratory aim examines the experiences of immigrant parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) within Alberta’s Francophone school system. Two immigrant parents participated in individual semi-structured interviews addressing the challenges they encountered, the strategies and resources they mobilized, and their relationships with school stakeholders. The data were analyzed thematically and subsequently interpreted through Bronfenbrenner’s ecological perspective. The study highlights the experiences of families situated at the intersection of immigration, autism spectrum disorder, and Francophone education in a minority-language context, while giving particular attention to parents’ perspectives and experiential knowledge.
Final Report Final Presentation Poster
Carissa Le
L’oxydation de acides gras dans l'abdomen des abeilles reflète leur mode de vie
Les acides gras sont une source importante d'énergie, particulièrement lors des efforts prolongés. Lorsque les réserves ou la disponibilité en glucose diminuent, il y a une mobilisation des réserves lipidiques qui permet à maintenir l'approvisionnement énergétique. L’oxydation des acides gras contribue à la production d’ATP par la respiration mitochondriale. L'étude de l’oxydation des acides gras permet donc de mieux comprendre comment différents organismes ou tissus adaptent leur métabolisme à leurs besoins énergétiques.
L’abeille comme modèle d'étude: Les abeilles sont un modèle particulièrement intéressant pour étudier les relations entre le métabolisme, la plasticité développementale et la longévité. Les ouvrières et les reines partagent essentiellement le même génome, mais présentent des différences majeures de développement, de physiologie et de comportement ou rôle. Cette plasticité mène à deux phénotypes très différents. Les ouvrières accomplissent différentes tâches au cours de leur vie et vie pour seulement un mois, tandis que les reines sont principalement spécialisées dans la reproduction et vie pour presque 2 ans.
Stael De Vigny Ninpehissy Lekane
Étude exploratoire des obstacles systémiques et personnels rencontrés par les femmes immigrantes monoparentales aux études
This exploratory study examines the systemic and personal barriers faced by single immigrant mothers returning to school in Alberta. By combining a literature review with a mapping analysis of support services across seven community and institutional organizations, the findings highlight a significant gap between real needs and available support on the ground. The total lack of childcare services adapted to non-traditional academic schedules (evenings and weekends) represents the primary systemic barrier. Furthermore, social isolation and the loss of family support networks weaken their academic progression. The study proposes actionable recommendations to increase childcare flexibility and provide adapted academic accommodations.
Sherilyne Ketsia Avomo Mvolo
Capital social et capital linguistique dans la navigation du système de santé chez les personnes immigrantes francophones en Alberta
This project examines the role of social and linguistic capital in navigating the healthcare system among French-speaking immigrants living in Alberta. A qualitative approach based on 12 semi-structured interviews explored experiences of healthcare access, communication with healthcare professionals, and the social and linguistic resources participants mobilized. The analysis highlights the role of social networks in healthcare navigation, the contextual nature of linguistic capital, and challenges related to the visibility and continuity of French-language healthcare services. It also identifies the influence of structural constraints on participants’ healthcare pathways.
Final Report Final Presentation Poster
Micayla Robertson
Du cadre scolaire aux contextes authentiques : les compétences (socio)linguistiques et l’insécurité des finissants de l’immersion française albertaine
Despite the popularity of French immersion programs, their graduates often experience linguistic insecurity in informal francophone contexts, which suggests gaps in functional bilingualism. The current study analyzed the correlation between linguistic insecurity in graduates and their (socio)linguistic competencies. Four participants spoke in three different sociolinguistic situations: S1 - discussion about linguistic insecurity with the apprentice researcher (AC), L2 speaker of their age (informal); S2 - university professor (PU) (formal) and S3 - a conversation with AC and PU. These variables will be analyzed by mixed methods to better understand the relationship between insecurity and (socio)linguistic competencies.
Jean Ouamba Sadio
La formation des enseignants sur les questions de genre et de sexualité : le cas du Campus Saint-Jean
This research project examines the place given to gender and sexuality issues within the initial teacher education program at the University of Alberta's Campus Saint-Jean. Through semi-structured interviews conducted with two teaching staff members and two student teachers, the study explores how these issues are integrated into coursework and pedagogical practices, along with participants' perceptions of their readiness to engage with gender and sexual diversity in school settings. The analysis reveals significant gaps in current training and offers concrete recommendations for building a more inclusive teacher education program going forward.
Fabio Bartel Tala Tala
L’impact des stratégies de gestion de classe positive sur le climat scolaire et la participation des élèves
This research project examines the impact of positive classroom management strategies on classroom climate and student participation in a French immersion context. Particular attention was given to practices intended to create a safe and engaging learning environment, including encouragement, recognition of students’ efforts, respectful communication, calm reminders of expectations, and instructional support. A descriptive approach based primarily on classroom observations and an observation grid inspired by CLASS was used to examine four dimensions: emotional support, classroom organization, instructional support, and student participation. Student participation included oral participation, engagement in learning tasks, peer interactions, attention, and the use of French during classroom activities.
Julio Talekezeu
Élaboration d'un questionnaire permettant de mesurer l’anxiété mathématique chez les élèves francophones vivant en milieu minoritaire
This project examines mathematics anxiety and the instruments used to measure it among students, with particular attention to French-speaking linguistic minority contexts. The literature review compares several questionnaires, from the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS) to the French Échelle d’évaluation de l’anxiété mathématique (EVAM), and examines their psychometric properties. It also explores relationships among language, literacy, and mathematics learning. EVAM appears particularly relevant because it was developed for French-speaking elementary students. Based on this review, future research should examine its content validity with Franco-Albertan students and explore three mathematical situations explicitly involving the use of French in school contexts.
Hafsa Zahraoui
La négociation identitaire des élèves d'origine nord-africaine en milieu francophone minoritaire en Alberta
This research explores the identity negotiation of students of North African origin in a Francophone minority context in Alberta. Often evolving in a trilingual environment—between the family language, French at school, and English in the broader society—these students construct their identities at the intersection of multiple linguistic and cultural affiliations. Drawing on questionnaires completed by parents and teachers, as well as interviews with students, this study shows that languages are not in competition but rather complementary. Students assign distinct functions to each language and distinguish between the language of identity, the language of ease, and the language of use. The findings also highlight the strategies Bourse Apprenti Chercheur · Hafsa Zahraoui · 2026 they develop to navigate multilingual contexts and emphasize the importance of valuing multilingualism to foster inclusion and a sense of belonging.