RESEARCH IN THE WILD
Nexus Centre fellows bring academic ideas to an everyday space: Tim Hortons

Not every research talk takes place in the glow of a bustling Tim Hortons kiosk.

But, in a memorable end to Memorial's recent Research Week, the Nexus Centre's four fall fellows embraced the unconventional.

Before an audience of roughly 30 onlookers, the researchers took to the Arts and Administration atrium, with each delivering a focused, five-minute presentation on their respective recent work on the subject of environments.

"The goal was to go where people are," said Dr. Jennifer Selby, director of the Nexus Centre. "And in this building, that's Tim Hortons, right? Beyond that, we wanted to do something fun. Nerdy fun!"

Guerrillas' in the wild

Billed as a "guerrilla research pop-up," the event reflected the Nexus Centre's mission in action.

As the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences' research hub, the centre champions work that crosses disciplines, sparks conversations and brings big ideas into public view.

"This is where we foster community and connection." Lisa-Jo van den Scott

The inaugural cohort of fellows Drs. Arn Keeling and Mahyar Masoudi (Geography), Lisa-Jo van den Scott (Sociology) and Nicole Whalen (Philosophy) have been meeting regularly since the summer, working collaboratively across disciplines and bringing together their research, ideas and energy on a shared theme.

Though their areas of expertise differ, their presentations revealed common threads connecting their work, from questions of place and belonging to the ethical frames that shape how societies understand the natural world.

For the researchers themselves, the pop-ups were an opportunity to engage with the community outside of a classroom setting.

Dr. Lisa-Jo van den Scott says the experience felt "fundamentally different" from what people imagine as a typical lecture.

"Going into civic spaces is incredibly important," she said, "as is listening to people in those spaces. Asking them questions and being asked questions. This is civic life. This is where we foster community and connection. I felt a part of something in a way that is often lacking in academic worlds these days."

As each researcher took their turn, the atmosphere in the atrium shifted between focused academic attention and everyday campus bustle.

"We wanted to offer something easily digestible . . . this was an amuse-bouche." Dr. Jennifer Selby

A running dishwasher clattered rhythmically behind the Tim Hortons counter. A student rushing through the building paused to navigate his way around the unexpected crowd.

Rather than distract from the event, the sounds and unplanned elements added to its charm, serving as a reminder that research shouldn't retreat from the noise of the world.

Creating connections

While the unorthodox location was certainly the most attention-grabbing element of the event, for the researchers themselves, the biggest challenge came from distilling years of work into five-minute presentations.

"We wanted to offer something easily digestible," said Dr. Selby. "In many ways, this was an amuse-bouche. Hopefully, the audience goes away wanting to learn more about these scholars and their research."

To build a quick connection with the audience, Dr. van den Scott (with the assistance of her graduate assistant, Yiyin Liu) used simple, often comical illustrations to bring her ideas to life.

She says it was a fun challenge.

"I could have filled my slides with concepts, previous research or findings, but I didn't feel that people would walk away feeling that my work had made any impression on them," she said. "Instead, I opted to keep things straightforward, simple and as entertaining as possible. Images can speak to a wider audience than a list of concepts, definitions or other jargon-driven slides."

In the end, the pop-up highlighted the value of meeting people where they are, whether they're a graduate student or a first year just between classes, whether they're in a lecture hall or a take-out line.