CEW prides itself on providing an amazing Student Program by giving students ample opportunities to network, learn, and exchange ideas at a reduced registration cost and lower short-course fees. Just indicate which events you are interested in when you sign up via the online registration form, show up, and we will do the rest!
Graduate Student Advisors
The purpose of the GSA positions is to introduce student members of CEW at the start of their careers to the function and goals of the Board of Directors in hopes that, once established, they will develop an interest in chairing a CEW and/or serving on the Board of Directors.
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In addition to advising the Board of Directors, the role of the GSA is to assist the Organizing Committee (OC) with the Student Program subcommittee. GSAs have a varied role and duties include evaluating and reporting on the student program to the Board of Directors, providing a level of core consistency for the student program from year to year, orient each new OC of past student events, and providing information of value to the new OC.
Want to provide feedback or suggestions on the CEW Student Program?
Reach out to Braedon and Reyd! Contact information below.
Braedon Humeniuk | University of Manitoba
2022-2023 Graduate Student Advisor
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Braedon is a Ph.D. student in the Stress Ecology Lab at the University of Manitoba in the Department of Environment and Geography. He is co-supervised by Dr. Mark Hanson (University of Manitoba) and Dr. Jose Luis Rodriguez-Gil (IISD – Experimental Lakes Area). His research focuses on characterizing the ecological risk of chloride salts in Canadian freshwaters using the Lake Winnipeg watershed as a case study. Braedon also completed his Bachelor of Environmental Science (Honours) at the University of Manitoba. During his undergraduate research, he published on invertebrate community responses in outdoor mesocosms as part of a larger study exploring the effectiveness of recycled crushed glass as a substrate in constructed wetlands. Braedon has also contributed to mesocosm studies on the fate and effects of pharmaceuticals, wastewater effluents, and groundwater contaminants, as well as done work on data quality and reporting within ecotoxicology.
Reyd is a Ph.D. student at Carleton University and Environment and Climate Change Canada. She is co-supervised by Dr. Joseph Bennett (Carleton University) and Dr. Jennifer Provencher (ECCC). Reyd completed her Bachelor of Science (Honours) at the University of Manitoba under the supervision of Dr. Kevin Fraser, where she published her research demonstrating how overwintering artificial light exposure advances purple martin (Progne subis) spring migration timing. Her M.Sc. was completed at the University of Windsor with Dr. Oliver Love, where she published her research on stable isotope niche dynamics and the effects of multiple stressors on breeding phenology and behaviour of Arctic-breeding common eider (Somateria mollissima). For her Ph.D., Reyd is collaborating with the Nunatsiavut Government to research polycyclic aromatic compound exposure patterns and sub-lethal health implications in three harvested seabird species following a local diesel oil spill in 2020.
Student Program Overview
*Signup for all student program activities is available upon registration except for the
Tweet Your Thesis and Meme Competitions.
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For any student program questions, please contact the Graduate Student Advisors.
Student-Mentor Activities
Monday Evening Networking | October 2nd, 2023
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During our speed-networking style event, mentors and mentees will be seated such that mentees rotate to new tables/breakout rooms every few minutes. Each “table” will have some suggested questions covering a wide range of topics including but not limited to job/postdoc search tips, work/life balance, early career advice, science communication and media, and inclusivity in science that the seated parties can discuss.
This is a great opportunity to identify mentors that you would like to get to know over the course of the workshop. Additional details about the event’s logistics will be sent to the participants ahead of the workshop. Light snacks and a beverage will be served.
Tuesday Student-Mentor Lunch | October 3rd, 2023
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The Tuesday networking event will consist of mentees choosing or being assigned to mentor tables on various themes (e.g., early career advice, women in science and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion in STEM, science communication, work-life balance, travelling for research continuing in academia, tips for publishing, and working in industry or government). Each table will be given ice breaker questions to facilitate conversation. Details about the event’s logistics will be sent to the participants ahead of the workshop.
Student Competitions and Awards
Volunteer judges will evaluate all poster, platform, and TikTOX presentations in these competitions according to CEW-identified criteria. A sample judging rubric will be made available shortly, and we encourage students to keep these criteria in mind when preparing their presentations. There is also a meme competition, with winners decided by a popular vote, and an award for outstanding BSc and MSc theses!
Poster and Platform Competition: Are you presenting your research and want valuable feedback as well as a chance to win cash prizes? Then sign-up during registration to be included in the Student Poster and Student Platform Competition!
Playle Awards: If you have had your thesis submitted and accepted in the past year, you are eligible to be nominated for the Dr. Richard Playle Award for Outstanding Thesis in Ecotoxicology. Two awards (one each at the BSc and MSc level) are awarded annually.
TikTOX: The CEW TikTOX competition offers a platform for students to share their research; we’re looking for short (2 to 3 minute) videos of your research, your methods, or a day in the life of an ecotox researcher. The goal is to capture the audience’s attention by showcasing the exciting and intriguing aspects of your research. Don’t hesitate to throw in some fun facts, humour, or share a story from the field or lab.
Meme Competition: What better way to deal with the crippling pressures of school than with humour? Here, students and non-students alike compete by designing their own toxicology memes to communicate the funny side of your science! There are cash prizes for the best meme.
Tweet Your Thesis: Science communication through Twitter is becoming increasingly popular, and we’re challenging students of CEW to join in and spread the word about their research by explaining their thesis in three tweets.
Co-Judging
Take advantage of this opportunity to co-judge platforms and/or posters with a mentor-judge. Each student will be assigned a presentation and use the judging rubric to independently review the presenter and their work. They will then coordinate with their judging mentor to meet and discuss each other’s scores. This is a great opportunity for students to get a behind-the-scenes view of what professionals look for in well-prepared scientific presentations, either in a poster or platform format. Participation will provide insight that can help you improve the presentation of your own research!
Student Co-Chairs
Ever wonder what it takes to be a session chair? Well, wonder no more! Students have the opportunity to assist session chair(s) during the workshop and learn what it takes to keep a workshop productive, organized, and on schedule. Assisting the chair(s) involves loading presentations and ensuring they are in the proper queue, keeping track of attendance at each presentation, thinking of possible questions to ask presenters, and possibly introducing presenters to the audience.
Student Buddy System
Attending a workshop for the first time can be overwhelming! If it’s your first time attending CEW or you’ve been to CEW before and you want to show first-time attendees the ropes, consider participating in our Buddy System. First-time CEW student attendees will be paired up with experienced student attendees on Monday before the start of the workshop. This is a fun way for students to network with each other and meet new people with similar interests in a casual setting while helping first-time attendees feel more comfortable with other workshop events. The Buddy System will be available to both virtual and in-person attendees.