Victoria College Research Day Puts Undergrad Ideas on Display

Apr 11, 2025

^{Third-year student Jasmine Jing’s research examines how race, income and neighbourhood marginalization influence anxiety and depression in children with childhood-onset lupus. She found that youth in the most financially disadvantaged areas were over four times more likely to show signs of depression.}

By Dan Blackwell

Victoria College’s Research Day, held March 31 in Alumni Hall, showcased undergraduate student research across a variety of disciplines, with students presenting their work on poster boards and delivering three-minute elevator pitches to a panel of faculty judges.

The day included an awards ceremony along with a keynote address from U of T Professor Matt Ratto, who explored how "critical making"—the act of creating as a way to ask questions or challenge assumptions, rather than simply to build something useful or marketable—can transform systems through creative, hands-on approaches.

Victoria College Principal Alex Eric Hernandez said that Research Day provides students with a one-of-a-kind opportunity to showcase their research to peers, faculty and experts.

“Research Day challenges students to synthesize their work for presentation, gather feedback and advance their professional development,” Hernandez said. “It serves as a form of publication and offers undergraduates the unique experience of sharing research with the broader university community.”

This year’s event saw a record number of research submissions from both the humanities and sciences, something Hernandez said reflects Vic’s strong reputation for fostering interdisciplinary research.

“At Vic, we take research seriously, so much so that we offer a variety of prizes recognizing student scholarship, we host research centres like the Northrop Frye Centre and the newly launched Centre for Creativity and we offer a wealth of support services for our student researchers," he said.

For students like Jasmine Jing, whose research explores the intersection of race, income and neighborhood marginalization in childhood-onset lupus, Research Day is an opportunity to refine her communication skills.

“The most important aspect of Research Day is that it forces us to think not just about our research but how it can truly be understood,” she said. “It challenges us to simplify complex concepts for the general public and policymakers. It makes our research more accessible and impactful.”

Learn more about this year’s Research Day award winners and explore videos featuring some of the student researchers and their innovative projects below.

Shane Joy | Advocate or Assimilator? Egerton Ryerson’s Role in Shaping Indigenous Education in 19th-Century

Shane Joy’s study looks at how Egerton Ryerson’s views on Indigenous peoples in Upper Canada shifted between the 1820s and 1840s. It argues that Ryerson’s 1847 report on industrial schools reflected shared support from Methodists, the government and some Indigenous communities. While promoted as a way to support Indigenous progress, Joy argues the schools became a means of assimilation and played a role in the rise of Canada’s residential school system.

Dani Pucci | Episodic Disability and Accommodation Access at Ontario Post-Secondary Institutions

Dani Pucci’s study investigates how Ontario post-secondary institutions address the needs of students with episodic disabilities, whose health conditions often don’t fit into the traditional permanent disability framework. The research explores challenges students face in accessing accommodations and aims to inform more inclusive practices at these institutions.

Nicolas Viulet | Magic Mushrooms: A New Frontier in Mental Health

Nicolas Viulet’s study, part of the EMBRACE clinical trial, investigates how psilocybin alters brain connectivity in both healthy individuals and those with major depressive disorder. The findings aim to uncover psilocybin’s therapeutic mechanisms, contributing to the growing body of research on alternative treatments for depression.

Chelsea Wang | Informal Jubao (Reporting) and Citizen Activism In Contemporary China

Chelsea Wang examines the rise of informal Jubao reporting channels in contemporary China, highlighting the role of citizen activism within a state-centric political system. Her research challenges the dominant narrative of passivity, showing how Chinese citizens engage in dissent and civil discourse.

Suha Kazmi | Dens: A Housing Loophole

Suha Kazmi examines how dens—small, windowless spaces—are being used as makeshift bedrooms in Toronto, despite not meeting habitability standards. Her research highlights how weak regulation inflates housing costs and calls for urgent policy reform to protect tenants and ensure safe living conditions.

2025 Research Day Award Winners

Award	Recipient	Project Title
Dean of Students Social Impact Awards	Shane Joy	Advocate or Assimilator? Egerton Ryerson’s Role in Shaping Indigenous Education in 19th-Century Upper Canada
	Sijil Jindani	Technology and the Border-Industrial Complex at the San Diego-Tijuana Border
	Grace Eaton	Palimpsest: A Queer Memoir
	Artin Khiabani	Fundamental Fairness Beyond Legal Counsel: Envisioning a Less Lawyer-Centric Refugee Status Determination System in Canada
E.J. Pratt Primary Sources Research Prize (Humanities)	Arlo Grzyb-Reed	Eva Kushner: A Lifetime of Letters
E.J. Pratt Primary Sources Award (Social Sciences)	Natalie Lau	Narratives of Resilience from the Thai-Myanmar Border
Principal’s Science Prize	Hannah Consunji	Using Stem Cell-Derived Brain Organoids to Model Myelination and Demyelination
Science, Technology, and Society Program Prize	Ava Spurr	Through the Looking Glass: PLATO Spectacles and the Birth of Augmented Reality
Student Choice Award and Material Culture and Semiotics Program Prize	Shebonti Khandaker	Intimacy in the Archive: Feeling History in AIDS-Era Photography
VUSAC Student Experience & Wellbeing Award	Dani Pucci	Episodic Disability and Accommodation Access at Ontario Post-Secondary Institutions

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