Exploring The Salinity Tolerance Of Zooplankton Communities On The Great Plains, Abbeneet Binning Bath, Derek Gray

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Palaeoecological data shows fluctuating salinity levels in lakes across the Great Plains due to alternating wet and dry periods over the last two millennia. Droughts caused by this natural variation may be exacerbated by anthropogenic climate change, as the Great Plains are expected to become drier over the coming decades. As conditions become drier, the evaporation of water will increase the salinity of lakes across the region. Increases in salinity may significantly impact biodiversity, including important members of lake food webs such as zooplankton. Due to the region's history of alternating wet and dry periods, zooplankton may have adapted to …

Environmental, Governance, And Bibliometric Research On Corporate Tax Avoidance, Harjot S. Mehmi

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This dissertation is composed of a literature review and three essays positioned in the corporate tax avoidance (CTA) space. The literature review summarizes the relationship between CTA and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors. Although there are mixed findings within each of the E-S-G categories in the CTA literature, in general, better environmental circumstances are negatively associated with CTA, social performance displays an inverse relationship with CTA, and governance factors also display an inverse relationship with CTA. The first essay is an empirical archival investigation of the relationship between CTA and an environmental factor – the risk of environmental hazards …

Thermokarst Can Stimulate Tall Shrub Productivity And Plant-Soil Feedbacks In The Low-Arctic Tundra, Claire O'Brien

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Warming temperatures are exacerbating permafrost thaw disturbances in the Arctic. Permafrost thaw disturbances are facilitating tall, deciduous shrub expansion. However, potential productivity differences between shrubs that colonize disturbed areas and those in undisturbed tundra remain understudied. More productive shrubs optimize for fast growth over leaf longevity, meaning they may produce more abundant and higher quality litter which could accelerate decomposition rates and lead to faster nutrient cycling. Faster nutrient cycling could create a positive feedback loop between shrubs and soil, maintaining greater ecosystem productivity. I measured in situ soil characteristics and physiological and structural shrub functional traits for green alder …

Reinforcement Learning For Scheduling And Routing: Electric Vehicles Charging And Patrol Scheduling, Majid Ghasemi

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis offers a comprehensive exploration of Reinforcement Learning (RL), beginning with fundamental theoretical constructs, Markov Decision Processes, Dynamic Programming, Monte Carlo, and Temporal Difference methods, and extending into state-of-the-art deep RL approaches such as Deep Q-Networks (DQN) and policy-gradient algorithms. Through analytical experiments in controlled environments, the thesis demonstrates how distinct algorithmic choices (e.g., exploration techniques, eligibility traces, or network architectures) influence convergence and stability. These foundational insights pave the way for two in-depth case studies, which apply RL techniques to critical, real-world scheduling and routing challenges.

The first case study tackles the Electric Vehicle (EV) routing and charging …

Fallow Fields Or Fertile Ground: Analysing Food Governance In A Changing World, Johanna L. Wilkes

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Our food systems are failing us. In particular, industrial food systems fail to deliver healthy, adequate food to billions of people (FAO et al. 2019; FAO et al. 2024) and have led to increased instances of mental health crises for farmers (Jones-Bitton 2019; Younker & Radunovich 2021). In addition, industrial food systems contribute to the devastating impacts of a warming climate (IPCC 2021), biodiversity loss (WWF 2021), and soil erosion (Wise 2019; Badreldin and Lobb 2023) worldwide. Yet, little structural change has occurred in the way agriculture is governed and the problems created by industrial agriculture are becoming increasingly entrenched. …

To Encounter The Other? How Journalists Make Catholic Faith-Based Organizations In Mexico And Russia (In)Visible, Xochiquetzal Luna Morales

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Catholic Faith-Based Organizations (CFBOs) in Mexico and Russia are unique entities of study and comparison to understand the power dynamics between majority/minority institutional religions and their media representation. Although both countries recognize their religious diversity, Catholicism is still the major religion in Mexico, not only because of its large number of adherents but also its significant cultural and political capital. In contrast, in Russia, Catholicism is considered a minority religion and is often viewed as foreign to Russian values and traditions. These conditions influence how CFBOs have been featured in the news media in both countries. However, no single factors …

Inside The Circle 2025: Exploring The Ontario Cpe Supervisors' Lived Experience Of The Interpersonal Relations Group Process Portion Of Cpe, Kelly L. Collins

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This research used a philosophical phenomenological (primarily Gadamer) methodology and asked the question, “What is the lived experience of Ontario Clinical Psychospiritual Education (CPE) Supervisors in the Interpersonal Relationships (IPR) group process portion of CPE?” It used a 90-minute, semi-structured interview format as it sought to understand the supervisor experience of safety in the group. 11 Ontario Certified Supervisors were interviewed and explored this question in relationship to participant supervisors’ experience as students and/or as educators. In the history of CPE, there has been significant harm done to students by some supervisors who were well-meaning, but unaware of their impact …

Optimizing Electric Vehicle Charging And Energy Consumption: Routing, Booking, And Real-Time Traffic Integration, Md Shahed Hossen

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Modern transportation has been revolutionized by smart technology and vehicle automation, and electric vehicles (EVs) are essential to developing connected, eco-friendly, and effective mobility solutions. Green transportation promotion is more crucial than ever as smart cities develop. With their zero emissions and ability to integrate with smart infrastructure, EVs are central to reducing pollution and supporting sustainable travel. However, challenges like efficient route planning, charging management, and travel cost still hinder widespread EV adoption. Overcoming these issues is essential to fully realizing the benefits of EVs in future smart cities. Continued innovation in intelligent routing systems, real-time traffic analysis, and …

What Is Success? How Peer Support Workers In Ontario See Addiction & Recovery, Ngaire Rasmussen

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The drug crisis in Canada has high mortality rates, especially in remote and rural communities, but there are significant barriers to accessing healthcare to which peer support may represent a partial solution, (Eddie et al., 2019; Englander et al., 2020; The Government of Canada, 2023; Kourgiantakis et al., 2023; Lavalley et al., 2020; Lennox et al., 202; Russell et al., 2021). Research how peer support workers define success in their work with adults experiencing addiction in Ontario, Canada is lacking, but important to understanding the crisis and implementing peer programs. Grounded in Marxist theory, the following exploratory research investigated the …

Don’T Stop Believin’: Emotion Beliefs And Daily Affective Experiences Across Adulthood, Jocelyn A. Rutledge

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Emotion control beliefs reflect the extent to which people believe emotions “should” and “can” be controlled and have been linked to psychological well-being. Research has yet to examine age-related differences in these beliefs and their daily associations with affective experiences. The present study examines age differences in daily emotion control beliefs and their within-person associations with positive and negative affect. The study used 14-day daily diary data from an adult lifespan community sample (younger adults: 18-36 years old, N = 72; older adults: 66-92 years old, N = 66). The results revealed that older adults reported …

Student Engagement And Resistance: Exploring The Stories Of African Canadian Girls In High Schools In Southwestern Ontario, Esther R. Hayford

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract

Student resistance is complex and has been described in existing literature as self defeatist, reactionary, conformist, transformational or strategic. Some Black students respond to interactions considered oppressive at school by engaging in a variety of resistive actions. Existing scholarship about Black student resistance in the US and Canada are largely framed within deficit frameworks with limited focus on Transformational Student Resistance. Research that focuses on transformational student resistance by Black girls, how schools respond, and how some resistive behaviours can be considered opportunities for change, is limited. While a diverse community, studies about Black girls often portray them as …

Marine And Freshwater Habitats Used By Sympatric Anadromous Arctic Char (Salvelinus Alpinus) And Dolly Varden (S. Malma Malma) In The Central Canadian Arctic, Simon W. Depasquale Mr.

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Two closely related but distinct species of char, Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus) and Dolly Varden (S. malma), are critically important to the food security and culture of Indigenous peoples in northern North America. Subsistence Inuit fishers in Kugluktuk, NU, Canada, have noticed changes in the timing and locations of their catches of char in the past ~ 10 years. In response, an ongoing partnered research program between the Kugluktuk Hunters and Trappers Organization (HTO) and scientists was formed to study Arctic Char and northern form Dolly Varden (S. malma malma). Char research near Kugluktuk presents a unique opportunity to further …

Weight Stigma In Health-Related Undergraduate Programs, Alicia Rodney

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Health-related undergraduate programs are common pathways for future health care providers and play a critical role in shaping attitudes toward weight, as biases formed during training often carry over into professional practice. While weight stigma (WS) has been examined among practicing professionals and medical students, little is known about how it is experienced by undergraduate students in different health-related programs, particularly across the weight spectrum. This qualitative study contributes to closing this gap by exploring and comparing how students in one kinesiology and one health sciences program experience WS within an academic setting.

Using Reflexive Thematic Analysis, open-ended survey responses …

Examining Gender Differences In Heritage Language Maintenance And Loss Among South Asian First-Generation Canadians, And The Effect On Well-Being, Amreen Sangha

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Language is prevalent in various aspects of life. Not only is it often essential for communication, but it also has deep roots within cultural contexts. Specifically, within South Asian culture knowing one’s heritage language is considered to be necessary when it comes to connecting with one's cultural group and identity. Heritage language maintenance can be seen differently within different individuals and have different implications for them. This study was designed to explore gender differences in heritage language loss as well as the role language may play in one’s well-being. Canadian-born South Asian children and young adults aged 10-25 completed an …

Examining The Impact Of Early Literacy Interventions On Teachers’ And Parents’ Learning And Perceptions Of Early Literacy Development, Abigael Mary Hogarth Todd Miss

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Parents and teachers play a vital role in fostering early literacy development; however, many require additional training to enhance their understanding of alphabet knowledge and phonological awareness. This study examined the effectiveness of two instructional videos—one on phonological awareness and one on evaluating alphabet books—in increasing teachers’ (n = 35) and parents’ (n = 34) perceptions about these domains and the practical application of information covered in the videos. The 69 participants viewed each video, and results indicated a general decrease in confidence following exposure to these videos, likely reflecting an increased awareness of the complexity of the …

Technology-Enhanced Professional Development For Early Literacy: A Comparative Study Of Online Teacher Learning Models In Kenya, Constanza Uribe-Banda

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Growing recognition of early literacy as essential for lifelong learning, along with evidence that teachers’ mastery of foundational literacy instruction influences student outcomes (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017; UNESCO, 2020), has led to increased investment in teacher professional development. Despite these efforts, many educators face significant challenges in accessing high-quality training, particularly in resource-constrained settings where geographical barriers and limited institutional support persist. This is especially true in rural Kenyan communities, where teachers often work in under-resourced schools with unreliable electricity and internet connectivity yet bear responsibility for laying critical literacy foundations. The present study examines the potential to deliver effective …

Negotiated Cultural Identity And Belonging Of Self-Identified Indo-Guyanese Immigrant Women, Neta (Goomatee) Deonarain-Gear

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This dissertation examines how young, self-identified Indo-Guyanese women who immigrated to Southwestern Ontario in the 1970s negotiate cultural identity and belonging. Utilizing a bio-ethnographic bricolage narrative methodology, the study explores the impact of postcolonial diaspora and social displacement on these women’s experiences within the "third space" or borderlands. Grounded in relativist ontology and constructivist epistemology, storytelling serves as the primary data collection method through a critical theory lens. Interviews with 12 participants were analyzed thematically and reflexively, revealing how participants construct meaning and navigate cultural identities. The analysis, conducted through feminist, decolonial, and trauma-informed perspectives, offers insights into "psychological homelessness" …

Exploring Laurier Health Sciences Students’ Knowledge Of Lgbtq+ Health, Grace Emma Henry, Todd Coleman

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In all health-related fields, the need for well-informed, holistic healthcare providers is paramount. For the heathcare field to be impactful in positive ways, providers should emerge from multifaceted academic backgrounds, equipped with an array of knowledge and skills to address the complex needs of different patients. Central to this is the idea that all aspects of an individual's identity and the intersectionality of these identities should be considered when providing care. Intersectionality recognizes that various social and personal identities, such as race, gender, sexuality, and socioeconomic status, intersect to shape individual experiences and health outcomes (Kelly et al., 2022).

Lesbian, …

A Pilot Study Examining Children’S Evaluations And Reasoning About Concealment And Instrumental Forms Of Antisocial Lying, Noah Battaglia

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Children as young as 4 years of age judge self-benefitting lies (i.e., antisocial lying) as wrong. Although this has traditionally been interpreted as evidence that young children view honesty as a moral obligation, contemporary moral development theory and research suggests that right/wrong judgments fail to capture important aspects of children’s social cognition. Research from a perspective known as social domain theory (Smetana et al., 2014; Turiel, 1983) has shown that children’s understanding of morality (i.e., norms concerning others’ rights and wellbeing) is distinct from their understanding of other types of socially unacceptable behaviour. While children judge many social events as …

More Than Meets The Eye: A Phenomenological Study Of Self-Concept, Identity, And Meaning-Making In Adults With Acquired Vision Loss, Melinda M. Szilva

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The qualitative research project examines the lived experience of acquired vision loss in adulthood and its impact on the way participants see themselves and the world around them, both sensorially and metaphorically. The research question, “What are the lived experiences of adults with acquired vision loss as they relate to identity and conceptions of self?” is informed by the researcher’s clinical practice as a psychotherapist in a low vision clinic. The dissertation includes a literature review focussed on the psychosocial aspects of vision loss to provide insight into the intended population and context for the study. Data for the phenomenological …

The Influence Of Self-Efficacy On Support Provision In People With Low Self-Esteem, Daniella Rinaldo

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

People with lower self-esteem (LSEs) tend to underestimate their capabilities and are reluctant to provide support to close others. The literature has primarily focused on how self-esteem affects individuals as support recipients. However, less is known regarding how to improve LSEs’ reluctance and perceived capabilities as support providers. The present research examines how LSEs could be led to be more willing to provide support to a close other through enhancing their support self-efficacy. I also examined whether LSEs (vs higher self-esteem; HSEs) differ in their abilities and perceptions of the support they provide. I hypothesized that encouraging LSEs to see …

An Antiviral Response Induced By Dsrna Against Vesicular Stomatitis Virus And Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus In Bovine Turbinate Cells, Carly Au

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Canada is one of the largest beef exporters in the world. Viruses like vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) can negatively impact the cattle industry, and a prophylactic treatment is needed to protect against these viruses. Viruses produce long (L)dsRNA (>30-40bp) during replication that is not found in healthy cells. As such, the innate antiviral immune response, including the RNA interference (dsRNAi) pathway, are stimulated by viral LdsRNA. When low concentrations of LdsRNA are present, the RNAi pathway is triggered resulting in the degradation of viral mRNA of matching sequence, halting specific viral protein production. …

A Dance Of War Or Love: Applying A Gendered Lens On The Lived Experiences Of Women Social Entrepreneurs In Nigeria, Grace C. Ihejiamaizu

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study explores the lived experiences of Nigerian women social entrepreneurs, using a qualitative methodology rooted in yarning circles, a culturally respectful, relational approach that foregrounds storytelling and co-construction of knowledge. Through this method, the research examines how these women navigate the intersections of gender, culture, power, and purpose within highly patriarchal and institutionally constrained environments.

The findings assert that Nigerian women social entrepreneurs are not static actors driven by fixed motivations, but dynamic changemakers whose goals shift as they gain access to resources, legitimacy, and social capital. The Cycle of Privilege framework helps us understand this evolution as an …

Terpenes Mitigate Thc-Induced Working Memory Deficits: Behavioural Evidence Of The Entourage Effect Using A 2-Component Operant Memory Task, Lara Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Most research on cannabis and cognitive function has focused on delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). However, this approach overlooks the complex chemical composition of cannabis products consumed by the public, which often includes cannabidiol (CBD) and various terpenes. These additional constituents may interact with THC to modulate its effects, a phenomenon known as the entourage effect. While this theory has gained traction, experimental evidence for the cognitive impact of terpenes in combination with THC remains limited. This study aimed to assess whether terpenes can mitigate THC-induced cognitive deficits using a 2-Component Operant Memory task. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received intraperitoneal injections of either …

Macroinvertebrate Communities And Food Web Structure In Tundra Streams Are Shaped By Substrate Size And Beaver Impoundments, Mathew K. Mervyn

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

North American beavers (Castor Canadensis) are expanding their range into the Arctic tundra as climate change drives earlier ice and snowmelt, and increased shrub cover. As ecosystem engineers, beavers build dams that alter water chemistry by creating impoundments within streams, trapping sediment and organic matter, and modifying nutrient cycling. This thesis evaluates how beaver impoundments interact with natural geomorphic variation in tundra streams and how impoundments affect tundra freshwater ecosystems in the western Canadian Arctic.

In Chapter 2, I compared water chemistry and benthic macroinvertebrate (BMI) community composition across 16 stream reaches, including those with and without beaver dams, with …

Crime Modeling Using An Integrated Cnn–Lstm Architecture With Embedded Self-Excitation, Pawandeep Kaur

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

It is often assumed that natural phenomena occur randomly over time. However, careful analysis reveals that these events typically form some series or sequences and exhibit distinctive temporal patterns. These patterns are not exclusive to nature. They also appear in human activities, often studied under the concept of bursty human dynamics. The statistical methods analyzing bursty human dynamics not only capture overall trends or seasonality but also explore how past events influence future ones. It makes the analysis more realistic and the results more closely aligned with reality. Bursty human dynamics can be studied at two levels: the individual level …

Exploring The Experiences Of Racialized Immigrant Mothers In Contributing To Patterns Of Community Life In The Victoria Hills Neighbourhood, Carmel Tatiana Mahdi Miss

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The experiences of racialized immigrant mothers are complex, nuanced, and beautiful. Oftentimes, their stories are described in a way that frames women as helpless victims, merely writing about their challenges in the absence of their protagonism. The stories in this thesis suggest that, against the obstacles unique to racialization, motherhood and immigration, mothers are often the primary caretakers of their families and play a significant role in the development of children, while creatively exploring and responding to questions pertinent to community development. They navigate community life in a place different from the one they grew up in – addressing questions …

Nature For All? Assessing Equitable Public Access To National Urban Parks In Canada: A Comparative Analysis, Andrew Tenute

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The number of health challenges is rising both globally and in Canada. Research consistently shows that time spent in nature can mitigate some of these health challenges, offering significant mental, physical, and well-being benefits. Parks and protected areas in Canada, including the expansion of the National Urban Park (NUP) program by Parks Canada, provide valuable opportunities for nature-based engagement. However, access to these spaces is unjust, as many individuals face structural, intrapersonal, and interpersonal constraints. While prior studies have explored the motivations and well-being outcomes of women and Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) individuals, there remains a limited …

Feeling Blue: The Effects Of Blue Light Exposure On Reproduction And Physiology In Drosophila Melanogaster, Laura Hampel

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Blue light, the wavelengths ranging from ~400-500 nm, is emitted from the sun and more recently, by artificial lights including those in technology. In humans, prolonged exposure to blue light has been consistently linked to circadian rhythm disruption and retinal damage, and has also been associated with changes in neurodegeneration, aging, mortality, and oxidative stress in model organisms. This thesis explores the multifaceted effects of blue light exposure through two independent but complementary approaches. An initial rapid review of the current state of knowledge on blue light induced oxidative stress in humans was conducted. This revealed that the most studied …

Geographies Of Trauma And Healing: Resistance, Resilience, ‘Ustawi Wa’, And The Lived Experiences Of African Women Refugees From The Ehagl Region In Canada, Rosemary Njeri Kimani-Dupuis Dr., Rosemary Kimani-Dupuis

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This dissertation explores the lived experiences of African women refugees from the East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes (EHAGL) region resettled in Ontario, Canada, with particular focus on the complex intersections of trauma, resilience, and healing within global refugee governance. It asks: How do the gendered and spatial dynamics of refugee protection and Canadian settlement systems sustain structural violence against African women refugees, and how do their transnational experiences challenge and reshape dominant frameworks of care, well-being, and institutional response?

Through a multi-scalar analysis—macro (legal governance frameworks), meso (institutional actors), and micro (women’s narratives)—the study explores how trauma …