From investigating anxiety in zebrafish to looking at the settlement experience of Ukrainian youth in Canada, MacEwan faculty ask (and answer) big questions in their research.

Some receive federal funding (more than $4 million in 2023) and others use MacEwan’s internal research grants. Regardless of where the backing comes from, every single project ultimately connects back to MacEwan students – whether faculty embed their work into their teaching or engage student researchers to help them find the answers they’re looking for.

Here are just a few of the many stories you read most in 2023.

Is the planet worth saving?

Over 10 billion. That is how many people are expected to inhabit the earth in 2080. We asked faculty experts to share their perspectives on the implications of that dramatic growth in human impact. Could microbes help us clean things up? Will businesses embrace a circular economy? Can healthy populations make the best decisions? Can we all get along? Is this planet actually worth saving? See what they had to say.

Is anti-immigration still an issue?

Hostility toward immigrants has become a powerful component of right-wing populism in several Western countries, say Dr. Constantin Colonescu and Dr. Andrea Wagner. While most Canadians welcome immigrants, anti-immigration sentiments persist. Read more about their research into anti-immigration attitudes.

What’s happening with Pride protests?

Dr. Junaid Jahangir and Dr. Kristopher Wells looked at the backlash happening against 2SLGBTQ+ communities earlier this year and the criticism of what some socially conservative Muslim communities “see as growing LGBTQ+ ‘indoctrination’ in schools and society more broadly.” Read more.

Is it time to move conversations about sexual violence beyond consent?

We spoke to several faculty members and staff at MacEwan whose work aims to “complexify the conversation” about sexual violence, to use the words of Dr. Amanda Nelund. They’re tackling the issues head-on with research that explores consent, assesses risk and seeks to repair harm. Read more.

How can universities break down barriers for Indigenous students?

A few years ago, Dr. Emily Milne was working on a youth community-engaged research project when she asked a student what she could do to break down barriers to post-secondary education. The student's answer? "Take me to MacEwan." Those four words lit a spark in the sociology associate professor who teamed up with her physical sciences colleague, Dr. Kaitlyn Towle, to launch a pilot project called MacEwanCYU (child and youth university). Read more about MacEwanCYU and Dr. Milne’s research into education rooted in reconciliation.

What’s really behind the surge in Alberta’s electricity prices?

As electricity bills in Alberta were reaching new heights this summer, Dr. Junaid Jahangir looked at the issue's root – a deregulated electricity market. Read more about the reasons behind high electricity bills and what consumers can do to get relief.

Should parents skip the toy aisle and dig into the junk drawer?

What happens when parents swap out their child’s shiny, colourful plastic toys for random bits and pieces they can find in their backyard or junk drawer? That’s what Dr. Ozlem Cankaya and her student research assistants, including Courtney Smith, want to find out. Read about their loose parts research and why children enjoy the box more than the toy.

Can patients help train more health-care professionals?

Canada urgently needs more trained health-care professionals. While they may not know it, everyone in Canada can play a key role in educating future health-care providers. Lisa McKendrick-Calder is part of a team of researchers looking at how each encounter with patients, families and communities can help develop a real-world understanding of the needs of a diverse Canadian population. Read more.

Is being a caregiver bad for your health?

Canadians are living longer and choosing to spend as much of that extra time as possible in their own homes. That can have serious implications for our families, says Dr. Lun Li, whose research focuses on the mental and physical impacts of family caregiving. At some point, he says, everyone in our society will receive care, be a caregiver or both. Read about why we should all be invested in senior care and the fallout of those demands on us all.

Are the number of residential school deaths higher than we thought?

Terri Cardinal, director of Indigenous initiatives, looks back at what she found after spending a year working at University nuhelot’įne thaiyots’į nistameyimâkanak Blue Quills (UnBQ) speaking with survivors of Indian Residential Schools and helping search for grave sites of missing children. Read more.

Has the NHL forgotten its Canadian fans?

Hockey is supposed to be Canada’s game, says Dr. John Valentine, but for the 30th year in a row, Canadian teams have been shut out of the Stanley Cup. Read more about the NHL’s expansion southward, tickets and ratings, and other factors contributing to the three-decade drought. Read more.