Five earn research opportunities in Canada

Five University of North Georgia (UNG) students have earned selection for the Fulbright Canada Mitacs Globalink program for summer 2024.   

The program provides sophomores and juniors the opportunity to conduct 10-12 weeks of fully-funded research in Canada between May and August. UNG had one student take part in the program in 2023.  

"We are thrilled to see a growth in interest across the disciplines and campuses," Dr. Anastasia Lin, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs and director of the Nationally Competitive Scholarships office, said. "Our winners include both STEM and humanities majors, and many have taken classes on multiple UNG campuses."  

UNG's Fulbright Canada Mitacs Globalink scholars are:  

• Jessica Case, who is pursuing a degree in international affairs with a European concentration. Case will look at how to counter disinformation and misinformation being spread about Ukraine within Canada at the University of Winnipeg. Her UNG mentors include Dr. Bibek Chand and Dr. Jon Miner.  
• Lillie Hayes, who is pursuing a degree in biology, is a member of the Honors Program and participated in research through the 2023 Faculty Undergraduate Summer Engagement (FUSE) program. Hayes will research androgen receptors and prostate cancer at the University of British Columbia. Her UNG mentor is Jessy Patterson.  
• Audrey Nesbit, who is pursuing a degree in biology and is a member of the Honors Program. Nesbit will be working with cancer cells at the Université de Sherbrooke in Quebec. Her UNG research mentors include Dr. Alison Kanak.  
• Susana Olivo Sandoval, who is pursuing a degree in East Asian studies and is a McNair Scholar. Olivo Sandoval will focus on Japanese language and anthropology at the Université de Montréal. Her UNG mentors include Dr. Robin O'Day and Dr. Tomoe Nishio.  
• Taryn Tu, who is pursuing a degree in biology and participated in research through the 2023 FUSE program. Tu will standardize approaches for assessing and monitoring endangered mussels at the University of New Brunswick - Fredericton. Her UNG mentors include Dr. Nancy Dalman and Dr. Chris Leapheart.  

Nesbit, a junior from Lawrenceville, Georgia, who is also pursuing a minor in chemistry, aims to either work in research or occupational therapy when she graduates from UNG. She said this summer will allow her to dive deeper into her passion for research.  

"It's almost like a puzzle. You get this information, but you don't know why you got it," Nesbit said. "You have to figure out what's going on. It's very mentally stimulating."  

Case, a junior from Gainesville, Georgia, is excited about learning more about disinformation and misinformation because "it's a topic that touches everything." Her goal is to one day work for the United Nations or as a diplomat. She credits Chand and Miner with inspiring her as advisers for Model United Nations, of which she serves as president at UNG's Dahlonega Campus.  

"They want the best for me, and they constantly push me out of my comfort zone into new academic pursuits that will help me grow," Case said.   

Hayes, a junior from Johns Creek, Georgia, is considering hematology, which studies blood and blood disorders, and oncology, which studies and treats tumors, as potential career options. She plans to attend medical school within the next two years. Her research experience with FUSE, where she studied the effects of artificial lighting on African mammal behavior at water holes, was transformative.   

"FUSE prepared me and taught me how to do research and ask questions," Hayes said.