A doctoral citation summarizes the nature of the independent research, provides a high-level overview of the study, states the significance of the work and says who will benefit from the findings in clear, non-specialized language, so that members of a lay audience will understand it.
| Year | Citation | Program |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Dr. Ren studied electron spin transport in low-dimensional nanoscale devices. He developed a spectroscopy technique employing thermopower to image effects of electron interactions in these devices. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2011 | Dr. Tafti's research focused on the geochronology and petrogenesis of igneous rock suites and the metallogenic evolution of the Gangdese belt, in Tibet. The research identified a major, previously unrecognized but economically important magmatic event of Jurassic age, and also made a substantial contribution to our understanding of the tectonic evolution of this part of the Himalayan Orogen. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Sciences (PhD) |
| 2011 | Dr. Boskic examined the critical literacy practices of Alternative Reality Game players. The players, who were situated globally, worked collaboratively to imagine solutions to urgent contemporary social problems. The results suggest that such games can be used successfully to foster ethical sensitivity. | Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD) |
| 2011 | Dr. Grant invented a programmable logic chip consisting of thousands of processors, and a new method for transforming circuits into software for this chip. His method is up to 250 times faster than existing tools. This significantly reduces design costs and improves the time-to-market for new electronic products. | Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD) |
| 2011 | Dr. Asgeirsson developed a novel method for analyzing experimental data based on comparisons to a large sample of computer simulations. This new method was applied to the measurement of the oscillation frequency of neutral B mesons. The method can also be used by scientists analyzing other types of experimental data. | Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD) |
| 2011 | Dr. Sekulovic established a method to produce unprecedented numbers of mouse blood stem cells in culture, as these cells are rare and difficult to obtain from their natural sources. She subsequently exploited this method to better characterize cellular processes underlying blood stem cell growth. | Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD) |
| 2011 | Dr. Albouyeh studied the genes of five species of spruce to discover how those genes had evolved over time. He found 9 different gene families in the bark samples, and was able to demonstrate that the greater the number of genes inherited, the greater defence the spruce had against pests. These findings will help to create healthier forests. | Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry (PhD) |
| 2011 | Dr. Nettlefold explored how physical activity and sedentary time relate to cardiovascular health in children. She also conducted a school-based physical activity intervention that improved childrens fitness. This work supports the need to increase childrens physical activity and reduce their sedentary time to improve their cardiovascular health. | Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) |
| 2011 | Dr. Hall examined the relationship between harbour porpoise behaviour, and oceanographic and celestial events. She found the foraging strategies used by porpoise are specialized and are related to season, tidal direction, and lunar phase. She also discovered two sites where porpoises breed, the first to be identified in British Columbia. | Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology (PhD) |
| 2011 | Dr. Roufail developed a procedure to analyse the surface fracture features of particles as they break in a high speed stirred mill. She also correlated the results with a computer model using Discrete Element Method which developed an in-depth understanding of particle breakage mechanisms in high speed stirred mills under different operating conditions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Mining Engineering (PhD) |
| 2011 | Dr. Connelly investigated the acoustical characteristics of vegetated roofs, and their contribution to the ecological performance of buildings and to urban soundscapes. She developed methods to evaluate the effectiveness of greening rooftops, to reduce noise and introduce natural sounds for the benefit, health, well-being and liveability of our cities. | Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies (PhD) |
| 2011 | Dr. Jhangiani investigated Punjabi immigrant women's conceptions of mental health and how they accessed the mental healthcare system. Her research demonstrates that participants would benefit from multilingual mental health services, outreach via multiple channels, and mental health information being dispensed by their general practitioners. | Doctor of Philosophy in Human Development, Learning, and Culture (PhD) |
| 2011 | Dr. Scott Tomita examined how competitive Canadian research funding has led BC university museums to embrace public-private partnerships and fundraising. Her study shows how funding changes at UBC's Museum of Anthropology and the Beaty Biodiversity Museum have transformed them into innovative, entrepreneurial museums which encourage public outreach. | Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD) |
| 2011 | Dr. Rausch studied the writings of two Korean Catholics from the Choson dynasty to see how violence is sometimes justified by appeals to religious and secular worldviews. He argued that the key to understanding why people turn to violence is the study of the narratives they deploy to justify it. | Doctor of Philosophy in Asian Studies (PhD) |
| 2011 | Dr. Forrest examined the three dimensional nature of physical transport processes in lakes with specific interest in horizontal temperature variability of the water column. His use of unmanned submarines as data collection platforms in this effort allowed unique observations to be made in ice-covered environments that would be otherwise near-impossible. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2011 | Dr. Tait studied how a herpesvirus protein may act as trigger of Multiple Sclerosis. He developed methods to isolate this viral protein in large quantities, then demonstrated how it can structurally and functionally mimic proteins found naturally in the brain, leading to disease. This research has the potential to contribute to future MS treatment. | Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (PhD) |
| 2011 | Dr. Weerasekara developed analytical methods to determine the condition of buried gas pipelines located in areas prone to landslides, with the goal of improving safety. He further extended these methods to assess the performance of synthetic fabrics used to reinforce earth slopes and walls, resulting in improved design techniques of such structures. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2011 | Dr. Ye analyzed the reproduction of class inequalities within Singapore's division of labour to illustrate the politics of cosmopolitanism. By developing a theoretical framework that integrated Karl Marx and Pierre Bourdieus' notions of class, she examined the livelihoods of Bangladeshi male migrants, Malaysian commuter workers and financial professionals in Singapores labour market. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (PhD) |
| 2011 | Dr. Rahmani studied the fluid dynamics of lakes and oceans to characterize mixing and turbulence in these environments. Her work showed how different layers of fluids in large bodies of water are mixed in a model representing the real world phenomena. Particularly, she studied the migration of fluid particles with different densities in lakes and oceans, and the eventual fate of fluid strips after going through many swirls. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2011 | Dr. Jang's research in the field of biochemistry investigated the unusual mechanisms that viruses use to take over and hijack cells, and how they lead to infections. These studies assist us in understanding how viruses are able to infect their hosts and may reveal new drug therapies to combat viruses. | Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (PhD) |
| 2011 | Dr. Stewart developed a new climate classification system for urban temperature studies. His system divides city landscapes into local climate zones based on the thermal and structural properties of the surface. This work standardizes international communication of temperature observations, and provides a research framework for urban climate studies. | Doctor of Philosophy in Geography (PhD) |
| 2011 | Dr. Milkeraitis developed a new astronomical technique to detect clusters of galaxies. She discovered over fifteen thousand clusters of galaxies from nearby to over 8 Billion lightyears away which were emitting light when our Universe was quite young, and measured properties such as mass. This work contributes to dark energy and dark matter research. | Doctor of Philosophy in Astronomy (PhD) |
| 2011 | Dr. Renert's research studied mathematics education as a living and evolving field. His work identifies critical sources of life that can infuse the teaching and learning of mathematics with vitality. His work envisions a living mathematics pedagogy that is integrally attuned to the social and environmental needs of our time. | Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD) |
| 2011 | Dr. Chiu investigated how data visualization can assist construction managers in interpreting the large amount of data associated with capital projects. He identified the features managers required in a data visualization tool and demonstrated the ability of this tool to enhance management's analytical reasoning capabilities for management functions. | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD) |
| 2011 | Dr. Barter's research uncovers the strategies possessed by civilians in war. In the midst of war, civilians can be proactive, and their strategies can have important effects on conflict dynamics. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in three conflicts, he shows how and why some people flee, while others support armed groups, and some speak out. | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science (PhD) |