March 6, 2002 For Immediate Release

Research on health care, natural resource management, high-tech applications for northern business, and popular culture will be exhibited at Pine Centre Mall this weekend as part of a public display of research organized and presented by UNBC graduate students.

On Friday, March 8th and Saturday, March 9th, nearly 20 students will be displaying poster presentations of their research. Topics will include air pollution, local history, organisms on the high Arctic tundra, the fungi that contribute to tree growth, popular culture, women's issues, forest structures, doctor-patient communication, gun control in Canada post-September 11, and the application of new technologies to northern BC business.

The students participating in the display are vying for awards of up to $600 for the students who can most effectively convey the importance of their research and the relevance of their findings.

"UNBC has about 350 graduate students and all of us are involved in research that often has very real relevance to local economic, social, and environmental issues," says Garth Frizzell, a UNBC graduate student who has organized the local exhibit. "Unfortunately, not a lot of people in the community are aware of what we're doing. This event will provide an opportunity for local residents to gain a new understanding of our research, while providing us with the opportunity to gain experience in communicating our research to the general public."

Following the Pine Centre Mall exhibit, a variety of the poster presentations will be displayed at UNBC's regional campuses in Fort St John, Terrace, and Quesnel.