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Episode 40: Upgrading data maintenance with the power of AI
No full textOn this week's episode of Innovation Fuel, hosts Dave Keighron and Dr. Gelareh Farhadian welcome Hamid J. Fard and Fabio Alexandre Vieira from Fard Solutions Corporation. The discussion centers around their tool Ai-DBA and how it helps maintain the organization's database server. They also discuss other uses for artificial intelligence before tech phenomena like ChatGPT came into play
‘Prestige politics’ and elitism: Consequences of the ‘massification’ of higher education in the global north, 1945 onwards?
No full textConference presentation delivered at the Social History Society Annual Conference, Colchester, England (July, 2023).
Presently, elitism in higher education (HE) is understood as a by-product of class dynamics and exclusive practices that impact educational opportunities, alongside often unspoken assumptions about connections between institutional prestige and scholarship quality. Myths have persisted throughout history that those from ‘elite’ universities are better scholars and therefore more worthy of our attention and more deserving of a platform to disseminate their work. However, elitist ideology necessarily excludes those less privileged and overlooks underlying structural issues that can limit opportunities to attain positions in these institutions – as students or faculty – thereby reaffirming by consequence other prejudices like sexism and racism. What are the historical roots of these intersectional dynamics, and of the assumed connections between elitism and prestige in HE? Drawing on preliminary archival research, the following questions are addressed: What consequences came from post-war political developments aimed at ‘opening up’ HE opportunities to a more diverse student body, notably in the US, the National Defence Education Act (1958) and the Higher Education Act (1965), and in the UK, the Robbins Report (1963) and the Further & Higher Education Act (1992)? In what ways did the creation of public/community colleges and the upgrading of institutions (e.g. Polytechnics) to university status lead to the creation of new hierarchies replacing old ones? Moreover, amid academic fields being diluted and the status of ‘elite’ universities becoming less secure, what role did faculty play: as active agents or bystanders? Answering these questions will help to understand the stubborn persistence of elitism in HE.Conference Presentatio
Environmental conditions for glass sponge reefs in Howe Sound
No full textThe research project will synthesize existing research on hexactinellid (glass) sponge reefs with chemical and geospatial analyses to draw conclusions about optimal habitat conditions and improve the ability of researchers to predict where new reefs may be found. The research will be conducted with a combination of lab and field work. Reef sites in Howe Sound will be visited to collect water samples at reef and surface depth, which will then be analyzed in the Douglas College lab for phosphate, nitrate, silica and dissolved oxygen concentration. The importance of these parameters has been established through a review of existing literature on glass sponges; colorimetric and atomic absorption results on seawater has established these parameters can be measured. A comprehensive geospatial analysis will also be performed to determine relationships (if any) between the post-glacial marine geomorphology of Howe Sound, sediment transport in the region, and the location of known glass sponge reefs. It is anticipated that chemical analyses will demonstrate identifiable biochemical dynamics that will reinforce existing research on the role glass sponge reefs play in supporting marine biodiversity. The chemical analyses will also help draw conclusions about optimal habitat conditions for glass sponges. These conclusions will be strengthened by the spatial analysis portion of this study. The spatial analysis will attempt to apply our understanding of British Columbia's post-glacial geomorphology to identify candidate locations for undiscovered reefs. It will also demonstrate the importance of such geomorphology in explaining why glass sponge reefs are unique to this region of the world.
Poster submission was sponsored by Dr. Brenda Addison-Jones, (Earth & Environmental Sciences Department) for course EAES 2537 and was presented at the New Westminster campus on April 12, 2023, for Student Research Days 2023.Not peer reviewe
Art is dead, we killed it (with Ai): A knitwear project exploring the benefits and costs of technological progress
No full textThis year I researched and knit a sweater which responds to the recent use of Ai software in the production of art. The sweater features Python computer code set against a Fair Isle motif, and the Mona Lisa with a slit throat. My process of creating this sweater combined traditional knitting with self-teaching on a modern hand knitting machine. Through my applied research I was reminded of the importance of human experience in art creation.Made using the Intarsia technique of knitting. Completed for Fashion Design and Production diploma, for Andrea Korens and Allison Drake. Presented at: Vancouver Community College Teaching, Learning, and Research Symposium, March 30-31, 2023knitwearintarsiawoolfashionprogres
Clinical social work: Exploring the use of yoga-based interventions for trauma and mental health concerns
No full textMy practicum placement took place at Cottonwood Creek Wellness in Nelson, British Columbia where I began working alongside my practicum supervisor, Catherine Williams, who provides therapeutic support to families, children, and youth. Her services include offering specialized counselling in the areas of Attachment, working with parents, Family Therapy, Infant Mental Health, and assessment and treatment of all forms of Anxiety. My objective within my practicum was to practice from a holistic and trauma-informed perspective and to gain an understanding of how alternative therapies, such as yoga-based interventions can be incorporated into clinical social work practice. Not only did my experience as an MSW student provide me amples of opportunities to explore how to use complementary treatment modalities with clients, but it also allowed me to witness their efficacy when integrated into the therapeutic process in a
purposeful, open, and creative manner
Public relations: From strategy to action
No full textPublic Relations: From Strategy to Action guides students through the process and practice of engaging in the world of public relations. The book teaches audience analysis, campaign planning, strategy, tactics, message development, and media relations for the PR practitioners of today and the future.Published. This PDF is a representation of the book as of June, 2023. The online version may have been updated and includes interactive components. For the most recent interactive version, please visit the online book linked in this record.Public relation
Exploring the effects of social isolation on the health, mental wellbeing and academic experience of female university students at the University of Northern British Columbia due to restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic
No full textStudents experience stress and anxiety as they enter university and learn to manage a new environment, experience increased academic pressure, and adjust to a healthy university/life balance. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of female undergraduate students who attended the University of Northern British Columbia during the COVID-19 pandemic. I further seek to highlight the effects of social isolation on female undergraduate health, mental wellbeing, and academic experience. I am referring to the female university participants throughout this paper where the words student and students are presented. The results of the study showed that the participants in the study experienced compounded levels of stress and anxiety by imposing restrictions on social interactions and discovering how to successfully attend university online
Examining the Canadian criminal justice framework for survivors of domestic violence and survivors' satisfaction with these safeguards
No full textIntimate Partner Violence (IPV) is criminalized in Canada and remains an ongoing concern for survivors. Through a critical appraisal of secondary literature with a transformative worldview, the aim of this study is to investigate the criminal justice system (CJS) framework to determine what services provide satisfactory outcomes to survivors. Through the literature evaluated there is consensus that significant reform is needed to achieve these illusive satisfactory outcomes. To keep within scope, survivors considered were over the age of 18, and literature was selected from the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada only. This study highlights that the CJS has not been successful at adequately addressing domestic violence (DV) despite decades of effort and policy approaches that are increasingly punitive. CJS responses also have unintended consequences for survivors, leading to dissatisfaction with the process. This study calls for further research involving survivor input and the exploration of a more balanced approach that considers both the legal and social contexts of DV, as well as comprehensive investigations founded on survivor input into the potential consequences of a response that prioritizes increased community involvement and a reduction of state power, a route toward the decriminalization of DV.intimate partner violence; domestic violence; survivors; women; criminal justice system; survivor experiences; victim
Comparison of recent major spring flood events in the Saint John River basin
No full textThe flood-prone Saint John River (SJR) traverses provincial and international borders as it travels from its source in northern Maine to its mouth in southern New Brunswick (NB). In 2008, NB experienced its worst spring flood in 35 years, which was followed by more major spring flooding in 2018 and 2019. As part of the Saint John River Experiment on Cold Season Storms (SAJESS), the objectives of this project are to identify the sequence of events that led to these floods, and to compare these to the 2021 season, in which no major spring flooding occurred. Relying largely upon evaluated reanalysis and hydrometric data, numerous atmospheric, surface, and hydrological variables are examined at various spatial and temporal scales. There are commonalities and differences between flood years as well as between flood years and the non-flood year. When averaged across the upper basin, flood years show consistency in terms of positive winter and spring precipitation anomalies, positive snow water equivalent (SWE) anomalies, and steep increases in April cumulative runoff. However, they show inconsistency in terms of ice jams and positive spring total precipitation anomalies when averaged over the full basin. A comparison of the conditions between flood and non-flood years also reveals commonalities, such as northeastward-moving storms affecting the region and positive winter total precipitation anomalies when averaged over the full basin. There are also differences, such as the early snowmelt and early timing of peak flow and water level in the nonflood year. As well, rain-on-snow events were a prominent feature of the three flood years but not the non-flood year—not because there were no rainstorms, but because there was low SWE when they occurred, due to the early snowmelt. Overall, the concurrence, or lack thereof, of key meteorological-related conditions is a critical issue affecting the likelihood of flooding
