“It was a great day to bring everyone together to hear about the academic research and field work currently underway, and to learn about developments in our colleagues’ explorations,” said Dr. Rita Bode, associate dean of Trent University Oshawa. “The students did a great job of presenting their work.”

“What do Ancient Maya Ruins have in common with the poetry of free-verse Ghazal in Canada?” asked Dr. Joel Baetz, assistant professor in English as he introduced the “Research in Action” session, noting the hidden connections in research that can appear across disciplines when colleagues share their discoveries.

The day was broken into four sessions: Back to the Future in Diverse Ways, Blogs in the Classroom Environment, Research in Action, and Mind matters, ending with a forum discussion on Educational Change and Teachers’ Work in Historically-Neglected Communities. A diverse range of papers and research findings were presented by faculty and students from Trent Departments ranging from Cultural Studies to History and Sociology.

Dr. Helen Haines, assistant professor in Anthropology, shared her interest in the historical role of smaller city centres in larger political landscapes by illustrating some startling discoveries she and her team made recently on the archaeological site of Ka’Kabish, in Belize, challenging assumptions presented by previous research.

Dr. Rob Winger, from the Department of English gave an in-depth history of the free-verse Ghazal in Canada, naming a few key figures in the poetic landscape such as John Thompson, who described the form as one that “allows freedom to escape from careful construction …” Professor Winger read samples of the form in English, some from his own poetry, to an intrigued audience and discussion ensued around the challenges of translation.

Psychology professor Dr. Nancie Im-Bolter,presented “Children’s narratives: A window to their inner world,” examining the relationship between psychopathology and language disorders and Dr. Beth A. Visser, also from the Department of Psychology, presented her research findings on “Psychopathic Traits in Non-Psychopathic Samples.”