About the prize
The UBC Undergraduate Prize in Library Research is a way to showcase students’ effective and innovative use of library services, information experts and resources provided by the UBC Library. Applications for these prizes also provide students with an opportunity to reflect on their information-seeking experience, showcase their research beyond the classroom, and promote scholarship excellence at the undergraduate level at the University of British Columbia.
The Prize was established by UBC Library to encourage more and deeper use of its resources and collections, to advance information literacy at UBC, and to promote academic excellence at UBC.
Q: Could you tell us a little bit about your project?
My project, originally prepared for a course on the history of medicine taught by Dr. John Christopoulos, examined how a 16th century work on anatomy by Andreas Vesalius was received by his contemporaries. The book, which I got to see in-person through a workshop with the UBC Rare Books and Special Collections was pivotal in reshaping academic thought about anatomy and the teaching of medicine. With the help of UBC’s collections, I was able to illustrate what I thought was an overlooked narrative in tracing the history of this work. Where current literature had highlighted the revolutionary nature of the work and its demonstration of Vesalius’ genius, I decided to write about how its revolutionary nature also garnered a noticeable response by critics, which gives us further insights on how such a monumental work that challenged traditional academic discourse was received.
Q: What does winning this prize mean to you?
I’m immensely grateful and honoured to receive this award because it affirms that there is value in going the extra mile in consulting a variety of resources local to our institution when preparing an assignment. I am also happy to see undergraduate research be acknowledged and celebrated in our community.
Q: What are your plans for the future?
In the short term, I want to continue learning as a student researcher in the arts. Whether it be work in engaging with communities, analyzing policies, or constructing a history, I really want to contribute to and be inspired by the complex world we live in. I’m currently doing some of this in a community-focused research project at UBC and would also love to continue some of the volunteering I did before completing my program. In the long term, I want to study law. I think there are several aspects of law school and being a law student that suit my interests and passions, and law has been a topic that I’ve wanted to focus my studies towards for a while.
Q: Do you have a favourite research spot at UBC Library?
I really like the Woodward Library. From the memorial room with its beautiful tapestry, to the study carrels with plenty of light, or nooks with lush plants, I think there is a space for everyone, which makes it my favourite.