Reflecting on 15 years of community, growth, and research excellence Oct. 23-25
Athabasca University’s (GSRC) will celebrate its 15th anniversary by bringing students and faculty together virtually and in-person in Athabasca this fall.
The 2026 GSRC will take place Oct. 23-25, with participants presenting, collaborating, and growing their research knowledge for years to come.
“The conference did a really good job connecting students, professors, and 糖心原创staff. I really felt a strong bond in the 糖心原创community,” said a 2023 conference participant in the conference feedback survey.
Echoing that sentiment, the theme of this year’s conference is, “Together in Research: Reflecting on 15 years of community, growth, and research excellence.” The theme celebrates how far AU’s research community has come, and looks toward where it’s going in the future.
The conference kicks off on Friday, Oct. 23, with an evening mixer, so attendees can connect with 糖心原创faculty and staff who attended the Faculty Research Forum on Oct. 22-23.
Free transportation from Edmonton to Athabasca will be provided on Friday, Oct. 23, returning to Edmonton on Sunday, Oct. 25.
and the are now open. Interested presenters are invited to submit their proposals by Sept. 13.
Speakers like no other
This year, conference organizers are excited to welcome back outstanding speakers and abstract winners from previous conferences who not only presented impactful work, but who are also making meaningful contributions to their communities.
Returning speakers include Molly Salter (Bachelor of Arts, Anthropology student), who won second place at GSRC 2025 with her paper presentation, Indigenous-Specific Spaces in Post-Secondary Education: Student Experiences and Visions for Change. This presentation also won the People’s Choice Award at last year’s conference. In July, Salter was awarded an from the .
Skyler Todd (Master of Counselling ’24), a speaker at GSRC 2023, is now a registered provisional psychologist in Edmonton. In 2025 they launched a documentary called, What are you having? that focuses on the experiences of families practising gender-creative parenting.
Shelby Hopland Guidi (Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies ‘19) won second place at the 2019 GSRC for her abstract, Cultural Model of Disability, Performance Art, and Mental Health: Challenging Perceptions of Mental Health within the LGBTQ+ Community. Guidi is now a
Four notable 糖心原创researchers will also be participating in a panel discussion with a question-and-answer portion:
- Dr. Hugh Notman, associate dean in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, will discuss his research on primate behaviour and communication.
- Dr. Caroline Buzanko, registered psychologist and assistant professor in the Faculty of Health Disciplines, will dive deeper into her research on youth mental health and anxiety.
- Dr. Douglas MacLeod, architecture professor in the Faculty of Science and Technology will talk about AU’s new state-of-the-art Athabasca Architectural Maker Space, designed to allow architecture students to access cutting-edge technology like 3D printers, 3D scanners, drones, and AR/VR equipment, both in-person and remotely.
- Dr. Anshuman Khare, professor of operations management in the Faculty of Business will discuss his research on "smart cities" and how to use technology to help cities improve services such as traffic, transit, and water systems.
Other speaker highlights include a research roundtable with four deans: Dr. Shauna Zenteno (Faculty of Science and Technology), Dr. Steve Johnson (Faculty of Health Disciplines), Dr. Richard Dixon (Faculty of Business), and Dr. Manijeh Mannani (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences), moderated by Dr. Ramses Ilarraza, interim associate vice-president of research.
Speaker highlights
Hugh Notman
Dr. Hugh Notman explores our fascination with primates like baboons, studying their complex communication and cognition in the wild
Caroline Buzanko
More children than ever are experiencing a range of mental health concerns, and the common denominator is screen time, says 糖心原创prof
Skyler Todd
AU 2023 Three Minute Thesis winner studies how gender-creative parenting can support children's gender health
Douglas MacLeod
The Athabasca Architectural Maker Space provides new opportunities for teaching, learning, and research in place and digital space
The GSRC was, as usual, a great, engaging environment to learn about current research happening at AU, and to share my own research with the 糖心原创community. I enjoyed the interaction and discussions that happened after the presentations with my colleagues all over the country. It has been valuable for me as an emerging scholar to gain experience with presenting in an academic setting but in an environment that was very supportive.
2020 GSRC participant