Awards

Awards & Adjudication Information

Judges from nursing, philosophy and sociology, each with a wide background of methodological and theoretical training, evaluated every abstract independently under three key criteria. These criteria included the accessibility of language and understandability of abstracts for those beyond the core discipline. We also evaluated the strength and clarity of the knowledge source the study drew upon. Lastly, we examined how the abstract connects and impacts beyond its own discipline. For this, we looked at how interdisciplinary the submission was, and how the study may be relevant beyond academia, making connections to community partners or policy makers. Each judge made a score out of 15 for each submission, then added the totals from each judge, and selected awardees from the seven highest scores.

For this conference, we offer seven awards for the most outstanding abstracts. We designate one specifically for undergraduate presenters, with a prize of 100$ (sponsored by the School of Public Health Students' Association). We offer five awards for graduate presenters, each with a prize of 100$. Lastly, we award the most interdisciplinary abstract with a prize of 150$ (sponsored by the School of Public Health Students' Association).

Interdisciplinary Abstract Award (1)

Dari Enkhtugs, Department of Sociology, PhD candidate. Abstract title: “Understanding Community Responses to Sex Trafficking"

Dari Enkhtugs is a PhD Candidate in Sociology, with broader research interests including human trafficking, online victimization, and gangs and violence. Her dissertation focuses on local responses to human trafficking for sexual exploitation.

Best Abstract Award: Graduate (5)

Luke Beattie, Department of Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology, MA student. Abstract title: “Backyard Drivers of Urban Forest Dynamics: Tree Planting and Removal Motivations in a Small Alberta City”

Luke Beattie is a Rural Sociology Master’s Student in the department of Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology (REES). He completed a B.A. in Sustainability Studies at the UofA’s Augustana Campus. Currently his research explores the human dimensions of natural resources, ecosystem services, and environmental policy across both urban and rural contexts.

Aaron Kimberly, Department of Women and Gender Studies, MA student. Abstract title: “Experiences of Sexual Assault Among Transmen: A Feminist Narrative Inquiry”

Aaron Kimberly is a graduate student in Women’s and Gender Studies. His research examines the meaning of sexual violence experienced by transmen, situating these assaults within feminist and legal theory. His award-winning paper draws on narrative inquiry, using thematic, dialogic, and structural analysis to examine transmen’s accounts of sexual assault. He develops the concept of epistemic substitution to account for how such violence is misrecognized across institutional settings. He will continue this research at McGill University, where he will begin a PhD in Sociology.

Anila Naz, Faculty of Nursing, PhD student. Abstract title: “Not Sure Where to Go”: Perceptions regarding Mental Health Support among Pakistani International Students in Canada”

Anila Naz is a PhD candidate in Nursing, an educator, and a researcher with a deep interest in the mental health of international students. Originally from Pakistan and now based in Canada, her work explores how culture, belonging, and religiosity shape the definition and understanding of mental health across diverse populations. Drawing on her extensive academic background, she examines how cultural, social, and structural factors influence the mental health experiences of equity-deserving and marginalized populations. Anila is committed to addressing gaps in existing support systems and advocating for more inclusive, culturally grounded approaches to mental health care in Canada. Through her research, she aims to amplify underrepresented voices and contribute to more equitable and inclusive environments.

Jessica Soman, Department of Sociology, MA student. Abstract title: “(Un)friendly Fire: Narratives of Women's Experiences in Gaming”

Jessica Soman is a Master of Arts student in the Department of Sociology. She completed her undergraduate degree in Sociology and Psychology from the University of Alberta, along with the Certificate in Applied Social Science Research (CASSR). Her research interests include digital sociology, the sociology of video games, gendered violence, and online deviance.

Wenny Fan, Department of Sociology, MA student. Abstract title: “Queer Bodies Behind Bars: The Experiences of and Attitudes Toward Gay, Bisexual and Queer Men in Western Canadian Prisons”

Wenny Fan is a Master's student in the Department of Sociology at the University of Alberta. She received her BA(Hons) in Psychology from McGill University in Montréal, Québec, where she is from. Some of her research interests include prisons, LGBTQ+ hate crimes, community reintegration, crime desistance and queer theory.

Best Abstract Award: Undergraduate (1)

Makenna Graham, Department of Music Undergraduate Student, Abstract title: “Experimental Music from a CODA: Hearing, Deaf, and the Spectrum in Between”

Makenna Graham is an emerging composer and experimental flutist working in Edmonton, Alberta. She is in her final year of a Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Alberta. Having studied with Heather Hindman and Mark Hannesson, she has composed for the Experimental Improvisation Ensemble (XiME) and the UofA Concert Band Flute Choir. She has performed and premiered works at the Winspear Centre in Edmonton, AB, the New Music Edmonton Now Hear This Festival, and across Canada. Her newest work for solo flute was premiered by Eric Lamb in Vienna, Austria at the Sounds of Now Festival in August 2025. Makenna has presented at and been awarded for her research at the Festival of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities and UofA Interdisciplinary Students’ Conference. Among her accomplishments are the 2020 Edmonton's Young Composer Gold Award, 2023 CANERES competition quarter-finalist, and 2025 and 2026 Johann Strauss Foundation Music Award.

Awards Adjudicators

Cathrine Becker

Cathrine (Kit) Becker (she/they) is a PhD student at the University of Alberta, Canada, and MA sociology graduate from Western University, Canada. Their research focuses on education and work, and the role of power and identity in influencing educational and career outcomes. She often uses qualitative methods, primarily interviews and discourse content analysis, but is also proficient in Stata and R. Their dissertation will look at the school-work transitions for minority STEM students.

Paige Messier

Paige Messier (she/her) is a PhD student in Philosophy at the University of Alberta. Her research interests lie at the intersection of aesthetics, ethics, and environmental philosophy. Paige completed her BA & MA at Queen’s University, having written her thesis on why ethics should inform aesthetic judgments of consumer goods that harm the environment, such as fast fashion items—work she looks to build on in her dissertation. Paige is currently the President of the Philosophy Graduate Student Group (PGSG).

Calvin Kruger

Calvin's (he/him) research is focused on functional and body compositional changes within disease states - at the moment, he is applying this to prostate cancer groups receiving androgen deprivration therapy. Clinically, Calvin works as an Emergency nurse at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, where he serves as a clinical skills instructor and frontline nurse. He has worked as part of numerous interdisciplinary teams in his research and clinical roles, including social workers, artists, engineers, physiotherapists, and physicians. His PhD supervisor is Dr. Edith Pituskin.

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