Year: 2026, 2026
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Vaccine hesitancy continues to influence public health practice in Ontario, particularly within a system that requires parents to complete non-medical exemptions under the Immunization of School Pupils Act, 1990. The purpose of this study was to explore how vaccine-hesitant parents understand their decisions and navigate institutional processes during the exemption pathway. Using Thorne… more Year: 2026, 2026
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Ageism is pervasive and harmful, creating an urgent need to understand how ageist attitudes can be improved. Building on the novel age-conscious student concept, this thesis explored the outcomes of a pilot intergenerational classroom, aimed at reducing ageism, that integrated 13 older community participants into a university-based psychology of aging course alongside 60 younger students… more Year: 2026, 2026
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This thesis presents a comprehensive investigation into machine learning approaches forlandmine detection using thermal imagery. It addresses both classification and precise lo-
calization challenges that are integral for humanitarian demining operations. The research
encompasses two complementary methodological frameworks: comparative evaluation of
traditional machine learning versus… more Year: 2026, 2026
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>This thesis concerns the history of the Muhammad Ali Museum and Education Center (MAC) from 1992 to 2005. The MAC originated from the vision of Paul Bather, a local politician in Louisville, who proposed building it in 1992, incorporated it, and formed its Board of Directors in 1994. The planning of the MAC involved collaboration among Ali and his wife, Lonnie Ali, community leaders,… more Year: 2026, 2026
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Is trauma representation possible without re-traumatization (of self or other)? Developed through the creation, performance, and critical analysis of Titty Cakes: A Recipe for Radical Acceptance—an autobiographical, ritual-performance rooted in lived experiences of breast cancer and gang rape—this thesis argues that trauma representation is (im)possible: possible only by accepting its… more Year: 2026, 2026
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Community gardens can provide access to green spaces in urban environments and intertwine within their neighbourhood when their structure and vision are clear. This study sought to understand the effects of gardens on psychosocial well-being and knowledge sharing. Gardens provide a space for regaining intergenerational and intercultural connection, even after the challenges of COVID-19.… more Year: 2026, 2026
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The diversification of mammals has been shaped by climatic fluctuations and geological changes over millions of years. Among them, shrews (Soricidae) stand out as one of the most diverse mammalian lineages. Shrews are found on most continents and have evolved remarkable adaptations at the species and population levels. Although evolutionary studies of shrews have been limited by a lack… more Year: 2026, 2026
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>In 1980s Ontario, racialized migrant domestic workers faced systemic exploitation, precarious immigration status, and exclusion from labour protections, reinforced by provincial and federal policies that devalued domestic labour. This thesis examines how INTERCEDE, a Toronto-based coalition, challenged these structural inequalities. Employing an intersectional approach, this study… more Year: 2026, 2026
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Older adults with dementia experience higher rates of hospitalization than those without dementia, yet nurses in acute care frequently feel unprepared to support patients with responsive behaviours using non-pharmacological approaches. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of nurses' using activity-based interventions, such as colouring, word games, therapeutic dolls… more Year: 2026, 2026
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Maladaptive fear can develop when nonthreatening stimuli are misinterpreted as dangerous. While fear extinction has been extensively studied, organisms can also learn safety through relief learning, in which cues signalling the termination of an aversive event acquire positive value. Although the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is implicated in regulating responses to threat and safety… more Year: 2026, 2026
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Steinke, Leah Jade, Thesis advisor (ths): Brown, Liana E, Degree committee member (dgc): Paquette, Sebastien, Degree committee member (dgc): Henriques, Denise, Degree committee member (dgc): Fournier, Neil, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Freezing is a debilitating phenomenon that reduces quality of life for people withParkinson's disease (PwPD). This study tests the hypothesis that: 1) freezing is linked to
executive dysfunction; 2) freezing is a global motor phenomenon, not limited to gait. We
compared 14 PwPD to 16 controls. Several aspects of executive function were measured
using pro- and anti-saccade tasks… more Year: 2026, 2026
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Freezing of gait is a debilitating symptom affecting individuals with Parkinson's disease. Emerging evidence suggests freezing may represent a global motor control deficit beyond gait. We investigated freezing episodes in the upper limbs using spatially-constrained reaching tasks known to elicit freezing of gait. Fourteen people with Parkinson's disease and 13 controls… more Year: 2026, 2026
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>The ᐃᓕᓕᐗᔅᑭᔾ | Ililiwaskiy (Moose Cree First Nation Territory) in Ontario's James Bay region has long faced industrial impacts on its ecosystems. Community concerns about mercury in culturally important fish prompted an interdisciplinary study bringing together chemical analysis and community knowledge. Researchers partnered with Moose Cree members through workshops, training, and… more Year: 2026, 2026
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Carr, Teagan A, Thesis advisor (ths): Vreugdenhil, Andrew J, Degree committee member (dgc): Zenkina, Olena V, Degree committee member (dgc): Katz, Michael J, Degree committee member (dgc): Stewart, Kate, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>This thesis presents the design, synthesis, and evaluation of activated carbon polyacrylamide (AC-PAM) composites for oil sands tailings remediation, integrating flocculation and adsorption functionalities. Surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) was employed to graft high molecular weight PAM brushes onto petroleum coke and commercial activated carbon, with SARA… more Year: 2026, 2026
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Abstract: <p>Diversified agroecosystems supporting greater genetic, structural, and functional diversity improve soil health and ecosystem function. However, there is limited understanding of how multiple forms of diversification, such as mixing cover crop species and adding arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), alter belowground carbon supply to soil. In a controlled environment experiment using… more Year: 2026, 2026
Member of: Trent University Graduate Thesis Collection
Name(s): Creator (cre): Kaszecki, Emma, Thesis advisor (ths): Saville, Barry J, Thesis advisor (ths): Emery, R. J. Neil, Degree committee member (dgc): Morrsion, Erin N, Degree committee member (dgc): Thompson, Karen A, Degree granting institution (dgg): Trent University Abstract: <p>Acid mine drainage (AMD) and metal-contaminated tailings represent some of the most inhospitable aquatic environments on Earth, characterized by low pH, elevated metal concentrations, and chronic carbon limitation. Yet these systems support microbial consortia with remarkable resilience. Among the most conspicuous inhabitants is Euglena mutabilis, an acidophilic protist traditionally… more
