While most students leave campus behind in the summer, a select few at Lethbridge Polytechnic remain as research assistants, building skills and connections through applied research with industry and community partners.
Aleksandra Calic, a fourth-year Bachelor of Ecosystem Management student, and Sierra Stumborg, a third-year Bachelor of Criminal Justice student, spent their summers working as student research assistants. In these paid positions, students spend time in the field collecting and processing data, collaborating with stakeholders and learning about themselves.
“Exceptional student experiences, including research opportunities, are vital to student growth at Lethbridge Polytechnic,” says Dr. Kenny Corscadden, vice-president – academic and research. “Students develop valuable skills when participating in research such as problem solving, critical thinking, technical writing, communication and presentations, all of which are in high demand by industry and becoming more essential in a growing number of careers. We are encouraged to see the positive experiences and benefits these yield for students.”
Now in her fourth year as a student research assistant, Aleksandra (Aleks) Calic has spent the past few summers assisting the Mueller Irrigation Research Group. She became a research assistant after finding a job poster in her first year on campus and spent her first summer researching greenhouse gas emissions from potato plants.
“I love the mix of lab and field work,” says Calic. “Getting to work with a variety of equipment, from stationary atmospheric detection sensors to aerial drones that can tell if plants are stressed, keeps me engaged and makes every day different.”
This summer, she was part of a team contributing to a national research initiative aimed at meeting federal fertilizer nitrous oxide emissions reduction targets by 2030.
“Over the years, I’ve learned how intensive and necessary agricultural research is because it’s vital to southern Alberta,” says Calic. “After graduating next year, I would like to pursue a career in environmental conservation. This opportunity has taught me essential research skills that will aid me in future data collection, analysis and collaboration with industry experts.”
Sierra Stumborg graduated this spring with a diploma in Criminal Justice – Policing and is returning this fall to complete the bachelor program. She spent the past year assisting with Community Integration Through Art – Pissatsinaskssini (CITAP), a multi-year study in partnership with the Ninastako Cultural Centre and supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, that focuses on developing an arts-based social-recreational peer support program.
“It was this time last year that I was approached to join CITAP and it’s been an incredible experience,” says Stumborg. “I work directly with people, analyze data and survey results and collaborate with other researchers. My instructors are also researchers, so I’m learning more from them each day in a supportive environment.”
Although she has two years to go in her bachelor program, Stumborg already has her eyes set on the future.
“My goal is to become a police officer, but I’m learning more and more that career isn’t what it used to be,” she says. “Law enforcement is more than just enforcement. It’s about community involvement and engagement, along with forming relationships for the betterment of all those we deal with.”
“It’s incredibly rewarding,” Stumborg adds. “This is where I want to be.”
To learn more about programs offered at Lethbridge Polytechnic, visit www.lethpolytech.ca or come to campus on Oct. 22 for Fall Open House.