For the past four years, the Faculty of Creative and Critical studies has supported two students each year to pursue an independent research project.
Asia Li was one of last year’s recipients, and is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in Art History and Visual Culture. With this support, Asia worked on a project to research and write an advisory report for the Armstrong Heritage Advisory Committee and the City of Armstrong on the topic of the city’s proposed Chinese memorial to the Chinese market gardeners of Armstrong and their legacy.
Asia Li
“Ms. Li has done an admirable job of researching the memorializing process in relation to Chinese cultural heritage in the region and making that research accessible and relevant to the Armstrong community,” says faculty supervisor, Hussein Keshani.
The final report includes research on successful interpretation, criteria for successful memorials, case studies on memorials and plaques, as well as recommendations.
“I feel very honoured to have received this prestigious award and it pleases me knowing that it has gone towards recognizing a significant part of our cultural history,” notes Asia.
The other recipient from last year was Ashton Kinley, a major in Creative Writing. For Ashton’s project, he worked on a short film entitled ‘The Vermillion Hitchhiker’. Set as a road-film with a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age narrative, the film is centred around the fraught relationships between place, identity and sexual politics.
Ashton Kinley
“When I was awarded the research grant, I knew that it would be no small task to undertake the rewriting, filming, and editing processes over the summer, but I also understood that there was no better opportunity to do so,” notes Ashton.
Ashton took the time over the summer months working with supervisor Michael V. Smith to write, shoot, and edit his first dramatic film.
“I’m elated. Ashton did all the steps as he predicted, learned a huge pile of super practical tips, including some key components of project management, and was a steady, reasonable, patient, quick-witted joy to work with,” says Michael V. Smith.
The Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies is now accepting applications from undergraduate students to pursue innovative and original research as part of their learning experience. There are 2 awards available for domestic students for $2500 each, and one award available for international students for $6,000. These awards provide undergraduate students support to engage in research and creation activities over the summer months.
Find out more about previous award recipients in FCCS.
The awards are meant to encourage undergraduate students who are enrolled in a major in FCCS B.A. or B.F.A. programs (English, Cultural Studies, Art History and Visual Culture, French, Spanish, Creative Writing, Visual Arts and Interdisciplinary Performance, or Combined Majors) to pursue innovative and original research under the supervision of one or more FCCS faculty members. The international undergraduate research award (IURA) is being offered for the first year and is in partnership with the International Student Initiative.
The deadline for both awards is January 30th at 4pm. For more information on these awards and the application process, visit fccs.ok.ubc.ca/students.html (under the Funding and Awards heading).