Research Seminar Series

About the Research Seminar Series

The Research Seminar Series is a venue for faculty to engage with colleagues and students to discuss and showcase their impactful and innovative research.

This year, we will continue this tradition by focusing on the pivotal role that students play in research, whether as investigators, research assistants, or participants. Faculty and students will engage in thought-provoking discussions about the challenges, experiences, and benefits of student involvement in research, as well as how it shapes their learning experience, nurtures critical thinking skills, and contributes to their overall development as global citizens. The series will spotlight innovative practices, successful collaborations, and the far-reaching outcomes of involving students in research activities across diverse disciplines.

 

Winter Semester 2025

Seminar 4: Checking in on the Frontlines: A Mixed Methods Study of the Needs of Workers at the Frontlines of Human Services
Date: Wednesday, February 12, 12:30 - 1:30 pm
Location: Vitali Lounge & Zoom
Panelists:
• Jane Sanders, Associate Professor, School of Social Work,
• Paige Logan (MSW student and Research Coordinator, KCSC)
• Carrie Smith, Associate Professor, School of Social Work
• Stephanie Baird, Associate Professor, School of Social Work
• M.K. Arundel, KCSC Creator and Research Collaborator

Direct service providers and organizational leaders in the health and homelessness sector often work in complex, constrained environments, supporting low-resourced communities with minimal recognition. This can lead to moral injury. This research project aims to explore the needs and experiences of service providers who assist individuals and communities affected by homelessness. Utilizing an integrated knowledge translation (IKT) approach and participatory action research (PAR), this study involves professional students and researchers actively engaged at the frontline throughout all research stages. It consists of two phases: the first analyzes qualitative data from focus groups using reflexive thematic analysis, and the second gathers quantitative data through an online survey distributed across Canada. This research seeks to fill a significant gap in the understanding the needs of this growing workforce. The findings will benefit the broader research community, particularly the King’s Community Support Centre (KCSC) Workforce Development program, which supports social work students and frontline community workers. The panelists will also discuss the impact of this research on student learning, student-faculty collaborations in field research, and mentorship within professional programs.

Seminar 3: Committing Sociology: Student Experiences of Engaging in Public Sociology
Panelists: Dr. Tara Bruno, Associate Professor of Sociology
Fourth-year students: Samavia Choudhary, Lilly Ferguson, Brittany Halliwell, Cole Nelson, Anastasia Perangin-Angin, Caitlyn Ramdharry, and Tyria Vassallo
Date: Wednesday, January 15, 12:30 - 1:30 pm
Location: DL 112, Dante Lenardon Hall

This talk will highlight the research and experiences of honours sociology and criminology students currently enrolled in a fourth-year experiential learning course entitled “Committing Sociology”. Dr. Bruno will introduce each of the student-led research projects and briefly share some of her insights as an instructor for an applied research course, including the purpose of the course, the challenges she sees, and the positive impacts of mentoring and engaging students in social issues outside of the university. Students will share some of their thoughts and experiences about student-led research and engaging in applied sociology, with a focus on the challenges they faced throughout the research process including identifying a social issue of interest, networking with stakeholders, engaging with target audiences, and developing a knowledge translation strategy. They will explore the ways in which they see their research having a meaningful impact not only for the broader society but also themselves. The session will conclude with students sharing some of the personal impacts of their research experience, including skill development, building connections, and identifying ways that experiential learning and applied sociology can help them in their futures.
 

Fall Semester 2024

Seminar 2: Student-Faculty Collaboration on Leadership/Supervisory Training and Evaluation in Community Mental Health Settings
Dr. Rosemary Vito, School of Social Work
Laura Brunskill, MSW and Research Assistant, School of Social Work
Wednesday, December 4, 12:30 - 1:30 pm **Postponed
DL 112, Dante Lenardon Hall

This presentation will describe a series of successful student-faculty collaborations in field research, and the impact of this research on student learning and development. Specifically, this field research involved partnering with the local Canadian Mental Health Association Thames Valley Addiction and Mental Health Services (CMHATV-AMHS), the Ontario Canadian Mental Health Association, King's and Renison University College Schools of Social Work, and several student Research Assistants from both institutions. An overview of four successive projects will be highlighted, which had a dual focus of meeting the immediate leadership and supervisory needs at CMHATV and supporting a broader training program for the CMHA provincial network. These projects included exploring leaders’ coping and resilience during the pandemic, developing and evaluating online leadership resilience training with directors, online reflective supervisor training with managers, and group supervision training with team leads. An innovative approach was employed by offering two of these trainings virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing continued support and capacity building despite the challenges of remote work. Financial/in-kind support was provided by a SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant (PEG), CMHA Ontario, and four King’s internal grants. Results included the delivery of three community-based training workshops, four peer-reviewed publications, three international and one national peer-reviewed conference presentations, one provincial presentation, and three executive summaries. The main Research Assistant through all four projects, who is a post-MSW graduate of King’s, will present an overview of their research experience, noting strengths, challenges, and lessons learned, and how this experience has shaped their ongoing learning and development.

Seminar 1: Engaging Local Communities for Social Change – Faculty, Student and Community Collaboration
Shawna Lewowitz, Instructor and Community Based Learning Coordinator at Social Justice and Peace Studies
Andrea Smith, 4th year, Social Justice and Peace Studies and Political Science and International Relations student
Meagen Ciufo, Program Coordinator at LIFE*SPIN
Wednesday, November 6, 12:30-1:30 pm
DL 112 Dante Lenardon Hall

This presentation explores how collaboration among faculty, students, and community partners in the Social Justice and Peace Studies course, Engaging Local Communities, leads to meaningful changes in policies and social issues within the London community; and how it challenges and deepens students' understanding of social justice concepts and theories. This unique experiential course immerses students in partnership with local organizations working for change. The community partner serves as a vital co-teacher, working alongside the instructor to deepen students’ insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by nonprofits, charities, and grassroots organizations. Our faculty-student-community panel will discuss our partnership principles, course design, and the experiences of both students and partners, highlighting how these elements collectively drive tangible social change and student learning.