NSAC students receive recognition at scholarship luncheon

Nine undergraduate students were recently honoured at a scholarship luncheon at the university. The students were awarded prestigious Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRAs). These scholarships provide undergraduate students with the opportunity to work on a research project in the natural sciences and engineering for 16 weeks.

Students’ summer projects focus on research that addresses problems for the sheep, mink, blueberry and lobster industries as well as the organic sector.

NSERC USRAs are given to students of high-caliber and are meant to stimulate interest in research in the natural sciences and engineering. NSERC Industrial USRA’s are similar, but allow students to gain research experience in an industrial setting by providing financial support through a host company.

The complete list of NSERC USRA scholarship winners is as follows:

• Katherine Rutherford (Truro, NS)
• Amanda Smith (Picadilly, NB)
• Margaret Graves (Dartmouth, NS)
• Jody Nelson (Stewiake, NS)
• Daniel Gillis (Inverness, NS)
• Rebecca Conway (Stewiake, NS)
• Melissa Murray (Truro, NS)
• Catherine Pal (Truro, NS)
• James Dawson (Riverhead, Harbour Grace, NL)

Dr. Rob Gordon, Director of Research at NSAC, commended all the students and wished them a productive research experience. “The contribution of summer students to research at NSAC is highly valued and this event serves to recognize the USRA recipients and all other students participating in research at NSAC”, said Gordon.

Students at the luncheon also received an informative presentation on NSERC scholarship programs for students by Dr. Raj Lada, NSERC Representative at NSAC. Dr. Lada strongly encouraged the students to explore postgraduate studies following the completion of their undergraduate degrees.

NSERC is a federal agency whose role is to make investments in people, discovery and innovation for the benefit of all Canadians. The agency invests in people by supporting some 23,000 university students and postdoctoral fellows in their advanced studies. NSERC promotes discovery by funding more than 11,000 university professors every year and make innovation happen by encouraging about 1,300 Canadian companies to invest in university research and training. Over the last 10 years, NSERC has invested $6 billion in basic research, university-industry projects, and the training of Canada’s next generation of scientists and engineers.