From studies of a potential COVID-19 vaccine to a research program intended to reduce agri-food energy waste, six University of Guelph projects have received 2020 Research Excellence Awards worth $5,000 each from U of G.
The award program highlights the achievements of recently tenured faculty members and helps to raise their profile among external funding agencies. The awards are sponsored by the Office of Research and the Office of the Provost.
“These awards recognize faculty who truly exemplify the University of Guelph’s research excellence right across the breadth of scholarly pursuits at our comprehensive university,” said Malcolm Campbell, vice-president (research). “Their research pushes back the frontiers of their respective disciplines and improves life through the insights it provides and the innovation in thought, practice and technology it fuels.”
An expert in avian diseases, Prof. Leonard Susta, Department of Pathobiology, aims to understand and control viral infections in poultry. His research team, along with those of two other faculty members in the Ontario Veterinary College, is now working on developing a potential vaccine for the virus that causes COVID-19.
Prof. Ryan Broll, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, studies resilience among young adults who experienced bullying or cyberbullying in elementary or high school. He aims to learn why some people continue to thrive after being bullied, and how that knowledge may better support people who experience negative long-term outcomes like anxiety and depression.
Prof. Mostafa Elsharqawy, School of Engineering, aims to develop waste energy-recovering devices for domestic and industrial applications. By reducing energy consumption of commercial refrigerators and freezers, he hopes to lower electricity costs for preserving fresh and frozen foods – a major cost component for the agri-food and rural sectors.
Prof. Amy Newman, Department of Integrative Biology, studies the effects of early-life stress and the impacts of modified landscapes such as urbanization and farming on wildlife behaviour, physiology and fitness. By understanding the impacts of environmental change and stress, she hopes to help predict long-term outcomes, inform conservation decisions and uncover important biomedical insights.
Increasing agricultural production while improving environmental sustainability is the goal for Prof. Asim Biswas, School of Environmental Sciences. A soil science expert, he is investigating precision agriculture to ensure sustainable production of health crops and optimal management of resources.
Prof. Kalinga Jagoda, Department of Management, focuses on innovation, particularly the adoption and implementation of complex organizational innovations in the resource sector and rural Canada. His work contributes to the economic development of rural businesses.