Pushing Boundaries: The Power of Interdisciplinary Research

Pushing Boundaries: The Power of Interdisciplinary Research 

Have you wondered about the difference between interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and cross-disciplinary research? Would you like to learn more about exciting research happening on campus? 

Interdisciplinary work is increasingly prevalent in Canadian universities, and we know students have many questions about their potential for interdisciplinary work. At this event, you will hear from current members of the Provost’s Program for Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Scholars at the University of Waterloo, who will share their journeys towards interdisciplinary excellence.  Join us to explore how to use interdisciplinary approaches in your own work, enhancing collaboration and strengthening your research impact. 

This session is of interest to all students, but particularly those applying for doctoral or postdoctoral positions with an interdisciplinary approach.  Postdoctoral scholars are also welcome to join us. 

Moderated by Monica Munaretto, Graduate and Postdoctoral Programming Specialist, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs. 

Complimentary lunch will be provided to registered attendees.

Panelist Bios: 

Sebastian Cmentowski  

Faculty of Arts – Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business
Faculty of Health – School of Public Health Sciences 

Dr. Cmentowski’s research will address one of the most urgent problems of our modern society: sedentary lifestyles. A highly promising solution to motivate people towards more physical activity are so-called exergames that combine joyful gameplay with strenuous exercises. Especially when using the latest generation of extended reality systems (e.g., VR headsets), such applications could provide a highly individualistic, responsive, and motivating training experience. However, research on such use is still in its infancy and requires highly interdisciplinary collaborations with computer scientists, sports researchers, and accessibility experts to ensure the safety and efficacy of these applications. His work will involve numerous collaborations within his research group, across faculties, and internationally to address the most urgent research questions of this up-and-coming field. 

Read Dr. Cmentowski’s Profile 

James Kim 

Faculty of Arts – Department of Sexuality, Marriage, & Family Studies; St. Jerome's University  
Faculty of Environment – Department of Knowledge Integration | Sociology & Legal Studies 

Online misogyny is widespread, persistent, and a global challenge in addressing systemic gender-based prejudice, discrimination, and violence. In recent years, national and international government organizations have raised concerns about growing online activity in channels fostering misogynistic beliefs and aggression. Tragic events such as the 2018 Toronto Van Attack highlight a pressing need to better understand and address the root causes and mechanisms by which online misogyny translate into real-world GBV (Gender Based Violence). Dr. Kim’s research will seek to examine the nuanced links between online and real-world manifestations of misogyny and develop new methodological tools and frameworks to guide GBV prevention and intervention efforts. Overcoming these challenges requires an approach that is interdisciplinary in theory, method, and application. 

Read Dr. Kim’s Profile 

Christine Mills 

Faculty of Health – Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences 
Faculty of Health – School of Public Health Sciences 

As a registered dietitian, Dr. Mills’ work involves developing nutrition programs and resources for older adults living in the community and evaluating their effectiveness, with an interest in nutrition risk and malnutrition, their causes, and how they can be prevented. Most older adults want to age in place, in their communities, and nutrition is one of the few modifiable factors that can support aging in place. However, approximately one-third of community-dwelling Canadians aged 65 and older are at nutrition risk, nutrition depletion that occurs when dietary intake does not meet an individual’s needs. Dr. Mills’ research involves many different disciplines, including nutrition/dietetics, geriatrics/gerontology, implementation science, sociology, and adult education. Nutrition itself is an interdisciplinary discipline, involving co-design, a participatory research approach, and working with an organization that serves older adults in the community. This collaborative approach builds on the skills of older adults in this setting and furthers the project's interdisciplinary nature. By designing and delivering nutrition education programs and resources, older adults will have access to credible, evidence-based, easy to understand nutrition knowledge and will develop practical, realistic means to improve their dietary intake. This, in turn, should result in reduced nutrition risk, and improved overall health and well-being of participants, resulting in greater capacity for aging in place. 

Read Dr. Mills’ Profile 

Stuart Schussler 

Faculty of Environment – Department of Knowledge Integration 
Faculty of Arts – Department of Social Development Studies, Renison College 

Member-led community organizations are at the heart of the social movements that make history. Yet the very characteristics that create such dynamism – their inclusive and non-hierarchical membership, the flexibility of not having legal status – mean that universities seldom engage them as viable sites of service learning. Dr. Schussler’s postdoctoral research explores how to remedy this. "Bridging the Gap: The Makings of Constructive Service Learning with Community Organizations" is an interdisciplinary inquiry into the practices that allow university students, faculty, and staff to support community organizations in constructive ways, sometimes through research and more often through hand-on volunteer work. 

Read Dr. Schussler’s Profile