The Ampersand: March 2024

FacultyUnreviewe

Centering relationships to place for more meaningful research and engagement

Research has the potential to simultaneously generate new knowledge and contribute meaningful social–ecological benefits; however, research processes and outcomes can also perpetuate extractive patterns that have manifested the climate, biodiversity, and social justice crises. One approach to enhance the societal value of research processes is to strengthen relationships with places of study and the peoples of those places. Deepening relational engagement with the social–ecological context and history of a place can lead to more accurate results and improved public trust in the scientific process and is particularly important for natural scientists who work at the interface of nature and society. We provide three actionable pathways that range from individual to systemic change to enhance place-based relationships within research systems: 1) deepen reflection and communication about relationships with places and peoples; 2) strengthen collaboration among research teams and partners; and 3) transform systems of knowledge creation to foster place-based roots. Action on any of these proposed pathways, but especially action taken across all three, can build empathy and connections to place and people, strengthening the meaningful impact of research both locally and globally.Compass Leaders for Sea Change programFacultyReviewe

Changes in aerosols and clouds following a rapid reduction in emissions: case studies from the COVID-19 pandemic

This thesis explores the uncertainties in several key aerosol- and cloud-related fields. Although the three projects described here investigate different topics, they are united by a common theme: how well do we understand the impacts of potential changes in emissions? The first two science chapters revolve around the COVID-19 pandemic and associated changes in anthropogenic activity. Each of these chapters asks two questions. First, did the emissions change in question lead to a statistically significant anomaly in satellite observations of relevant fields? And second, how well do current models reproduce the observed changes? The first of the COVID-19 chapters explores the impact of reduced aviation on cirrus cloud. Aviation-induced cirrus is the largest source of uncertainty in, and by some estimates may be the largest component of, aviation's net radiative forcing. Despite a sustained global reduction in air traffic, with April 2020 flight numbers less than 40% of their 2019 levels (FlightRadar24, 2020c), aviation-weighted cirrus coverage was not significantly reduced in Spring 2020. A regression model based on the contrail cirrus simulations of Bock and Burkhardt (2016a) did not exhibit a statistically significant dependence of cirrus anomalies on aviation intensity, and suggested that current models may overestimate the impacts of aviation on cirrus. We apply these results to calculate the first observationally constrained estimate of the radiative forcing of aviation-induced cirrus: (-3, 22) mW/m2, much lower than but consistent with the current best estimate of 57 (17, 98) mW/m2 (Lee et al., 2021). The second of the COVID-19 chapters explores the impact of reduced aerosol emissions on aerosol optical depth (AOD). Of the regions considered, only India experienced statistically significant reductions in total or dust-subtracted AOD. Earth system model simulations from the CovidMIP experiment over-predict the magnitude of the Spring 2020 total and dust-subtracted AOD anomalies, but this bias can be attributed in part to biases in the model inputs. Through a series of sensitivity tests we demonstrate that, given sufficiently accurate inputs, Earth system models can reproduce the observed total and dust-subtracted AOD anomalies to within observational uncertainty. These results provide confidence in the ability of Earth system models to predict the large-scale aerosol responses to other emission scenarios as well. The final science chapter of this thesis assesses the sensitivity of black carbon's (BC's) simulated climate impacts to the choice of its refractive index, which determines the extent to which BC absorbs or scatters radiation. We compare ensembles simulated with three values of the refractive index that are commonly used in the climate modeling community. Increasing from low to high absorption can increase simulated global-mean absorbing aerosol optical depth (AAOD) by 42% and effective radiative forcing from BC-radiation interactions (BC ERFari) 47%. The AAOD increase is comparable to that from recent updates to aerosol emission inventories, and in BC source regions, a third as large as the difference in AAOD retrieved from different satellites. The BC ERFari increase is comparable to the scale of the uncertainty in recent literature assessments. Although model sensitivity to the choice of BC refractive index is modulated by other parameterization choices, our results highlight the importance of considering refractive index diversity in model intercomparison projects.Graduat

Front-liners on the Sidelines: The credential recognition experiences of Filipino internationally-educated nurses (IENs) in Victoria, British Columbia (BC)

The impacts of the nursing labour shortage are being felt across Canada but especially in Victoria, BC where place-based realities have impacted internationally-educated nurses’ (IEN) professional pursuits. Rising inflation, housing costs, and living expenses create challenging contexts for IENs from the Philippines who aim to settle, integrate and complete professional recertification processes in order to become registered nurses in BC. As provinces across the country vie for nurses to alleviate strains on the health care system, this study explores Filipino IENs’ integration experiences and settlement barriers. The study examines to what extent these factors might have influenced their educational upgrading, professional recertification, and workplace acculturation experiences. This exploratory study rooted in an interpretivist paradigm examines the experiences of nurses from the Philippines who recently migrated to Victoria in the last ten years. The key findings of the study posit that financial barriers, time barriers, deskilling, and mental health challenges are the most prevalent obstacles encountered by Filipino IENs in Victoria, BC. These findings are further expanded upon in order to understand the impacts that migration pathways, post- and pre-arrival immigration processes, familial responsibilities, English-language requirements, workplace discrimination and professional recertification pathways have on the complex integration and settlement experiences of Filipino IENs in Victoria, BC. Nine recommendations are proposed including the creation of more efficient migration pathways, investing in accessible information supports, prioritising effective communication, designing equitable policies that account for familial responsibilities, supporting flexible English language requirements, developing local navigational supports for IENs, addressing deskilling, adapting professional recertification pathways, and increasing collaboration between clinical practice programs.Graduat

The Ampersand: April 2024

FacultyUnreviewe

Enabling DC Field-Directed Chaining of Nanowires for Microelectronic Applications

Solar cells, light-emitting diodes, small-scale sensors, and large-area displays are examples of devices that benefit from the use of transparent conductive electrodes (TCEs). Indium tin oxide (ITO) is the most widely used transparent electrode material, exhibiting both high transparency and conductivity. However, the low concentration of indium in its ores makes it an expensive material to process. Indium price fluctuations lead to unsteadiness in manufacturing costs. Moreover, the fragile nature of ITO limits its usefulness in the fabrication of flexible electrodes. To address these issues, transparent conductive oxides and polymers, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and metal nanowires are being explored as potential candidates to replace ITO as the primary transparent conductor. Nanowire (NW) networks offer several advantages over ITO in terms of low cost, ease of fabrication, and flexibility. Large area coverage with ordered NW chains is challenging as it is difficult to control an electric field and its gradient in large electrode gaps. Electric field-directed chaining in a nanowire (NW) suspension was previously demonstrated as a simple and cost-effective process for large area coverage, with high conductivity and transparency. However, generating an effective dielectrophoretic (DEP) force for the desired NW assembly requires a high frequency to overcome the charge screening effect due to the polarity of water or alcohol, commonly used as suspension media. This requirement is a major limitation. High frequency can also generate harmful electromagnetic radiation as well as power loss in wiring. Moreover, the magnitude of the electric field and DEP force decreases sharply in the region away from the electrodes. Therefore, more NWs are bunched in the vicinity of electrodes, while at distant locations NWs are observed to form curls and branches, producing poorly aligned chains. Here we present the use of squalane (C30H62), a non-polar, non-toxic, unreactive, viscous organic liquid, for the suspension of NWs in an electric field-directed assembly. Our theoretical analysis suggested that squalane could reduce voltage drop at the electrode, enabling adequate DEP force for chaining. Moreover, this could be done at a lower frequency because of the low electrical conductivity and dielectric constant of squalane. Additionally, we may expect that the high viscosity of squalane will suppress the electroosmotic flow of the medium and Brownian motion of NWs, thereby facilitating the chaining process. Experiments have been performed with both polar and non-polar suspension media to observe their effectiveness in DEP-assisted NW chaining. Our experiments confirmed that squalane does generate NW chains at low-frequency AC (and down to DC) fields, whereas conventional polar suspension media require substantially higher frequency. Finally, a magneto-electro-kinetic model has been developed to explore how combining an external magnetic field with the electric field may enable better control of the NW alignment far from the electrodes.Graduate2024-11-1

The Representation of Women’s Sexuality in Mexican Film from 1991-2001

As more female directors started to gain traction in Mexican film in the 1980’s, 1990’s, and 2000’s, they finally had more of a platform to redefine and reshape how women were portrayed in film. More specifically, this opened up more possibilities to challenge how women’s sexuality was viewed by creating characters who challenged the stereotypical female characters that had traditionally been most prominent. This research explores the representation of women, and more precisely, their sexuality, in Mexican film. I do this by examining these portrayals using the famous Bechdel test, created as a way to measure women’s representation in film and if the film can be considered a “feminist film”. Additionally I deepen my analysis by seeing if there is a correlation between the gender of the director and the depth a female character is given. This project concludes by critiquing the use of the Bechdel test as it lacks any criteria that goes beyond the surface level into the meaning and depth of the film and its characters.Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA)UndergraduateReviewe

Experiencing connectedness to place through self-reflective learning: A participatory phenomenological study involving students on UVic campus.

University students often come to live on or near the university campus for the duration of their studies. The University of Victoria (UVic) is located in an area with a variety of natural places students frequently spend time in and may feel connected to. Student connectedness to place is often not integrated into course curricula. However, with the increasing urgency of environmental and climate change issues, awareness of oneself in place is prioritized in universities’ action plans for sustainable development and decolonization. This dissertation describes my research that involved ten UVic students and ten outdoor locations on or near campus. In a phenomenological study I explored student experiences with connectedness to place, while they engaged in various self-reflective activities, ranging from active, arts-based reflection to simply visiting and being in place. The research is grounded in a perspective of relationality, nonlinearity and self-awareness, inspired by the writings of Jiddu Krishnamurti, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and North American Indigenous scholars such as Gregory Cajete, Sean Wilson, Umeek (Richard Atleo) and Margaret Kovach. Mark Vagle’s post-intentional approach matches this perspective where both self and place are non-static and learning happens through interaction between theory, data and self-reflections. In this process, I used dance and painting as self-reflection tools, which led to a description of connectedness to place that is experienced through memory as awareness in the moment, beauty as awareness of what is, and time as being in relationship. Based on student experiences in this research, the following suggestions were discussed as elements of what I call “place-based self-reflection”: being physically present; intentional observation; inviting different perspectives; connecting and layering experiences; learning with others; receiving prompts and questions; connecting our creative self; choosing our tools; and considering right timing. The research contributes to discussions of place-based education, slow pedagogy and reflection in higher education. Continuing questions inspire further thinking for exploring connectedness to place through self-reflection that can be applied in different study disciplines, levels of education and our personal lives.Graduat

Dual-method assessment of emotion facets in adolescents affected by somatization: Differences from psychiatric controls and variations after treatment

Introduction: Clinically significant somatization in adolescents is prevalent and impairing yet understudied. There are many proposed contributors to the development of somatization, including emotion regulation and attachment. However, the ways in which emotion regulation and attachment strategies differ in somatization compared to other internalizing disorders is not well understood. Additionally, whether emotion regulation is modifiable within this population is unknown. To learn more about emotion regulation in adolescents affected by somatization, this dissertation presents two studies using dual-method approaches. Study One: We compared the emotion regulation and attachment strategies of adolescents affected by somatization and adolescents affected by anxiety. Results indicated differences between groups on an objective, biobehavioural measure of emotion regulation, but not on a self-report measure of emotion regulation. There were also differences in self-reported attachment, with adolescents with anxiety reported the use of more anxious attachment strategies than adolescents with somatization. Study Two: We next assessed whether there were time-related variations in two emotion facets over the course of a treatment targeting emotion regulation for adolescents affected by somatization. In a sample of adolescent outpatient hospital patients, we assessed emotion regulation (using a biobehavioural measure) and emotional self-awareness (using a selfreport measure), pre and post treatment. Results indicated that there were some time-related differences in self-reported emotional awareness, with an increase in mentalization over time. While there were no significant time-related differences on the biobehavioural measure of emotion regulation, we found that differences from pre to post were dependent on whether participants perceived a positive working alliance during the treatment. Conclusion: Taken together, these studies make important contributions to the field of pediatric somatization. The noted differences between adolescents affected by somatization versus anxiety may have meaningful clinical implications for tailoring treatment. Importantly, both studies suggest that adolescents with somatization show no significant bias toward or away from negative emotions. Finally, preliminary results demonstrate that emotional self-awareness is modifiable, which is an important step for patients being open to accessing mental health interventions.Graduate2025-08-1

Illuminating the Shades of Grey in the Black and White World of Consent Education

Current consent education often provides a binary understanding of sexual relations, which revolves around a legal understanding of a physical action. Notions such as “yes means yes” and “no means no” are the bare minimum level of understanding required to have ethical relations, but it is often here where the conversation ends. The focus of this research project is to illuminate the significant lack of consideration regarding the emotional tribulations and realities that exist around giving and receiving consent. This research takes the form of a literature review on post-secondary student's experiences of consent education, and an analysis of online survey data from UVIC undergraduate students. The findings of the literature review included four primary themes, these being the presence of misconceptions perpetuated through the current educational systems; the impact of binary frameworks; the call for 2SLGBTQIA+ informed teaching; and the disconnect between educational rhetoric and the nuances of reality. The UVIC study produced two primary themes regarding the male, heterocentric focus of education, and the lack of nuanced, trauma-informed teaching. Data from both of these inquiries points to a call for more research regarding larger-scale consent education attitudes in Western society, and the knowledge gaps within the UVIC community.Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA)UndergraduateReviewe