Students

Celebrating undergraduate research in Arts

Faculty of Arts celebrates the achievements of URA and PURE student researchers

A group of over 20 students posing in front of the Faculty of Arts banner.
Estimated Read Time:
3 minutes
Faculty of Arts students gathered with their research supervisors to celebrate their research contributions. Credit: J. Ogbonnaya
Faculty of Arts students gathered with their research supervisors to celebrate their research contributions. Credit: J. Ogbonnaya
Estimated Read Time:
3 minutes
By

Hila Graf

Conducting research as an undergraduate student has so many benefits far beyond the research it's self. 

Students develop transferable skills, meet new people and develop new connections that will carry them into their careers post-graduation.

Research not only enriches a student’s time at university, but also the contributions made by student researchers could also impact an entire area of knowledge or community. 

Research provides an opportunity for students to deepen their understanding on a topic they are passionate about and it can also deepen their learning about themselves. 

 

The Faculty of Arts gathered for the third year in a row to honour the contributions of undergraduate students who conducted research through Undergraduate Research Awards (URA) and Psychology Undergraduate Research Experience (PURE) awards in 2025. 

Twenty-five Arts students received one-on-one mentoring from a professor while working on diverse and fascinating research projects during the summer. The topics ranged from how to supporting older adults’ with mental health issues to substance use resource navigation and even looking at labour coercion in colonial Kenya. Students and supervisors gathered in St. John’s College to celebrate their collaboration.

Two students laughing while sitting at a luncheon banquet table.
Arts students at the Celebration of Undergraduate Research luncheon for the Faculty of Arts. Credit: J. Ogbonnaya

“Undergraduate student researchers offer fresh perspectives for existing research projects,” said Dr. Heidi Marx, Dean, Faculty of Arts on student contributions to research. “A new team member looking at the literature or data for the first time, who has an emerging curiosity about the topic and is keen to learn more, can sometimes ask unique and valuable questions or bring something forward that others may not have discovered yet.” Throughout their research terms, Arts student-researchers conducted literature reviews, collected and analyzed data, consulted with organizations across Manitoba and Canada and even created tutorials to promote knowledge mobilization. 

Male student and female professor posing for the camera. Student is receiving a certificate.
Student Sukhmandeep Sandhu receives a certificate from Dean Marx at the 2025 research luncheon celebration. Credit: J. Ogbonnaya

During the event, Scott Saindon, a 2024 URA recipient, shared his thoughts on how research can improve society, the benefits of constructive disagreements and his experience winning second-place in the poster format category at the 2024 UM Undergraduate Research Showcase (Humanities and Social Sciences category). “Conducting research as an undergraduate student is very beneficial,” said Saindon. “Everything you’re learning in class was originally a research project, so you get a better understanding of the genealogy of ideas that you’re learning and the ethics and practices involved in producing knowledge.”

It was heartwarming to see students and professors from across the Faculty sitting together, enjoying delicious food, discussing their research experiences, sharing a laugh and even planning future projects together. Dean Marx encouraged students to continue building on this experience and to apply to share their research at the annual UM Undergraduate Research Showcase as well as look for opportunities to present at conferences, which are “a great opportunity to not only practice presenting, but also to connect with others with whom you share a common passion.”

Male wearing a suit standing behind a podium, speaking to the room.
Scott Saindon addressing the luncheon. Credit: J. Ogbonnaya

“The skills you learn doing research, full-time, over the summer are astonishingly different than the ones you learn in class. I’m so glad I did a URA,” said 2025 URA recipient Ainsley Brennan. Fellow URA recipient Jessica Barkhouse shared that she conducted research with her favourite professor. “It was so inspiring,” she added. “Research makes you capable of anything.” 

Student delivering presentation to a group of three judges.
Ainsley Brennan presenting at the 2025 UM Undergraduate Research Showcase. Credit: A. Ostermann

Watch what Faculty of Arts students had to say about their undergraduate research experiences on the Faculty of Arts YouTube channel.

Research opportunities for students

 

Undergraduate students can learn more about URA or PURE awards including eligibility and deadlines.

 

The UM undergraduate research showcase takes place annually in the fall. Learn more and apply.

 

 

At the 2025 showcase, more than 20 Faculty of Arts students participated and four Faculty of Arts students were awarded prizes in the Social Sciences and Humanities category:

 

Poster format:
1st place – Kyla Sarmiento, Drawing Privacy: How Children Conceptualize Regulation and Content Across Development
Research Supervisor: Shaylene Nancekivell, Faculty of Arts (Department of Psychology)
2nd place – Charlotte Gill, Exploring geoscience methods for archaeological stone-tool fingerprinting, Oldupai Gorge, Tanzania.
Research Supervisor: Paul Durkin, Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources (Department of Earth Sciences)

Oral format:
1st place – Justine Ramos, Countering Reductionism: Racial/Ethnic Minority Experiences and Preferences of End of Life Care at Home
Research Supervisor: Laura Funk, Faculty of Arts (Department of Sociology and Criminology)
2nd place – Ainsley Brennan, In the Garden of the Beguines: Reinventing a Medieval Religious Movement in the 21st Century
Research Supervisor: Danielle Dubois, Faculty of Arts (Department of Religion)

Boilerplate: empowering learners

At UM, we encourage life-long curiosity while providing tools – inside and outside the classroom – to succeed in a rapidly changing world. Empowering learners is one of the strategic themes you’ll find in MomentUM: Leading change together, the University of Manitoba’s 2024–2029 strategic plan.

Faculty of Arts