News Stories
VIU Student Group Hosts Climate Change Symposium
April 14, 2022
The symposium includes a keynote presentation by Dr. Elizaveta Malinina, a Research Scientist at the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling. We must act now to fight climate change. This cry of alarm has been sounded many times, but it hasn’t been answered sufficiently to halt the release of greenhouse gases or the impacts of climate change, including the increased frequency and intensity of... Read more
Microplastics Exposed to Sunlight Can Change their Behaviour in the Environment
March 1, 2022
VIU alum Misha Zvekic’s research on microplastics and the effects of exposure to light was recently published by the Royal Society of Chemistry. Microplastics are everywhere – in the oceans, rivers and the air you breathe – and are being ingested by various animals and other organisms. And while microplastics are already problematic on their own, they can also absorb toxins and other harmful... Read more
Vancouver Island Marmot Breeding Program is Preserving the Genetic Diversity of the Species
February 24, 2022
VIU alum Kimberley Barrett publishes a research paper in an esteemed international journal that promotes conservation of biodiversity. The Vancouver Island marmot is one of Canada’s most endangered mammals and a captive breeding program was started in the late 1990s to help prevent extinction. With such a small population, however, conservationists were concerned about the genetic diversity of... Read more
VIU Researcher Developing Precise Chemical Tests Requiring Minutes Instead of Hours
February 23, 2022
Chemistry Professor Dr. Chris Gill receives a $240,000 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada grant to pursue research. For two decades, Dr. Chris Gill and his research team have been revolutionizing scientific methods using direct mass spectrometry – an analytical technique that is used to rapidly measure the chemical makeup of substances. Gill, Co-Director of Vancouver... Read more
5 Questions with Xueling (Julie) Luo
February 8, 2022
Dr. Xueling (Julie) Luo knew engineering was her pathway in life after she participated in a technical competition during her sophomore year at the School of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at Sichuan University in Chengdu, China. Inspired by the movie Iron Man, Luo and her teammates constructed a gesture sensing system for a robot hand. The team received third place in the... Read more
VIU Researcher Investigating Impact of Plastic Pollution on Deep-Sea Organisms
October 13, 2021
Chemistry professor Dr. Heather Wiebe is pursuing her research with the help of a $120,000 NSERC Discovery Grant. Plastic pollution is reaching the deepest depths of the ocean and the impact of these contaminants on marine life that live in these high-pressure environments is unknown. Dr. Heather Wiebe, a VIU Chemistry Professor, is investigating the ability of deep-sea organisms to metabolize... Read more
Alum of the Month: Sara Guzman
September 15, 2021
Sara Guzman has always been fascinated by tiny things you can’t see with the naked eye, from microbes to chemical reactions in cells. It’s the reason Guzman knew she wanted a science career. Her parents encouraged her to pursue higher education. Guzman, originally from Bogota, Colombia, decided to attend university abroad and selected Vancouver Island University (VIU). She graduated from VIU in... Read more
VIU Program Focuses on the Future of Food Security Through Aquaculture
March 24, 2021
VIU’s new, unique aquaculture minor program allows students to combine it with either a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts degree and prepares them for careers in the growing field of aquaculture. People with a passion for creating food security solutions and advancing knowledge for sustainable and earth-friendly food production can now enroll in Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) new... Read more
Scholarly Article Sheds Light on Whether Island Wolverines are a Distinct Subspecies
February 4, 2021
Through DNA analysis, VIU researchers determined that Vancouver Island wolverines are not a distinct subspecies from those found on the mainland in North America. Scientists and conservationists have been questioning for decades whether wolverines on Vancouver Island are a distinct subspecies from those found on the mainland in North America. The answer to this question is critical because... Read more
VIU Researchers Examining Genetics of Canada Lynx
December 14, 2020
Data could help governments and wildlife conservation groups understand how climate change might impact the life cycles of the Canada lynx and other species in the boreal forest. The lynx-hare predator-prey cycle that has existed for thousands of years in North America is increasingly under threat from climate change. “The lynx are specialist predators that rely almost exclusively on snowshoe... Read more