Cape Breton University Celebrates Research Month: Reflecting and Reconnecting

Research Month at Cape Breton University is officially underway. CBU’s Office of Research and Graduate Studies kicked off Research Month on March 1, 2023, with a focus on “Reflecting and Reconnecting,” aimed at fostering collaborative conversations, engaging student researchers and reflecting on research success. Dr. Tanya Brann-Barrett, Associate Vice-President, Academic and Research, says Research Month provides an opportunity to build an appreciation for research happening at CBU.

“Research at CBU continues to grow, thanks to the commitment of our faculty, students and community partners,” says Dr. Brann-Barrett. “Research Month is a time to share these stories, build awareness of research and spark connections across campus and within the community.”

Research Month began with Dr. Kevin McKague, Canada Research Chair in Social Enterprise and Inclusive Markets and CBU Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Leadership,who shared a presentation examining the evolution of small business in Cape Breton from 1864 to 1927. The study was based on a unique dataset, the Dun and Bradstreet Mercantile Business Listings, which Dr. McKague used to conduct research in 10 Cape Breton communities to identify patterns in the evolution of merchants, traders and small-scale manufacturers and how they responded to economic, technology and social changes.

The spotlight on CBU’s in-house expertise continues on March 16, when Dr. Felix Odartey-Wellington, Associate Professor of Communication, presents his keynote presentation titled, “Being Disciplined as a Multidisciplinary Scholar: Reflections on a Journey of Critical Communication Research.”

Throughout the month, CBU will also showcase the work of CBU researchers during virtual collaborative cafés. A café presentation by Dr. Joseph Parish, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, will provide details of his research titled, “The Language of Death: Using Qualitative Data from Death Records to Derive Quantitative Proxies of Sociocultural Determinants of Health in the Living.” Dr. Sarah Barnes, Assistant Professor in the Department of Experiential Studies in Community and Sport, will examine community health with her presentation, “A thousand days and counting: Sleep, sound and a community health project,” where she reflects on the experience of residents of Port Morien and the surrounding area and the exposure to industrial noise emitted from a nearby coal mine. This is just an example of research that will be featured during virtual cafés, taking place every Friday in March.

CBU’s student researchers will also take the stage to present their research and major projects during the Snapshot Thesis event on Thursday, March 23, 2023. Prior to this event, students will be guided by CBU faculty in a series of coaching sessions to help build their confidence and skills as they prepare to deliver their final presentations. During the event, students will have just three minutes to present their work to a non-specialist audience. This event is offered both in-person and virtually.

Research Month events are free and open to the public. The full schedule of events and registration details can be found at cbu.ca/researchmonth. For further information, please contact research@cbu.ca.