Education, advocacy and collaboration to eliminate relationship violence

Jennifer Marchbank

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

What can be done to prevent violence in close relationships? Professor of gender, sexuality and women's studies Jennifer Marchbank works closely with communities on issues of social justice. She recently collaborated with BCIT, KPU and SFU colleagues on a book exploring the complexities of violence in relationships. Making Sense of a Global Pandemic: Relationship Violence & Working Together Towards a Violence Free Society is a free, open-access resource offering insights and tools for educators, service providers and the public.

Multidisciplinary research advances hydrogen and fuel cell technologies

Erik Kjeang

Faculty of Applied Sciences

SFU expert in community-centred climate innovation, mechatronic systems engineering professor and Canada Research Chair Erik Kjeang leads the Fuel Cell Research Laboratory. The research team is working to develop efficient, affordable and durable fuel cells that will provide reliable and sustainable clean energy options.

Global energy models demonstrate best use of resources

Taco Niet

Faculty of Applied Sciences

Sustainable energy engineering professor Taco Niet is an expert in community-centred climate innovation and studies the nexus—or interactions—between climate, land, energy and water systems (CLEWs) as a whole. His global energy systems models are designed to inform policy and ensure the most beneficial use of finite natural resources.

TOP 22 OF 2022: SFU’s scholarly impacts, innovations and ideas

Throughout 2022, SFU scholars continued to make breakthrough scientific discoveries that are transforming their disciplines, benefitting our communities and broadening our understanding of the planet.

This week we highlight the scholarly works that received the most attention according to Altmetric and the most-cited academic papers—SFU's top 22 publications of 2022.

For British Columbians, possession of illegal substances is not so simple

Alissa Greer

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Starting in January, small amounts of some illegal substances will be decriminalized in British Columbia. SFU Criminology professor Alissa Greer says this is an excellent step forward to reframe drug use as a health issue instead of a criminal issue. As a Michael Smith Health Research B.C. Scholar, Greer will study how the new law is interpreted and used day-to-day by police officers. 

Greer recently published a study, Simple possession as a 'tool': Drug law enforcement practices among police officers in the context of depenalization in British Columbia, Canada. 

More urban greenspace may reduce diabetes risk

Scott Lear

Faculty of Health Sciences

Health Sciences Professor Scott Lear studies how the neighbourhoods we live in can affect our health. His recent study finds that more urban greenspace plus higher socioeconomic status is linked to lower risk of diabetes—advice that urban planners can literally take to heart.

Business resiliency in a time of global crisis

June Francis

Beedie School of Business

The COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, mass migration and other shocks have disrupted organizations across the globe. SFU Beedie School of Business professor June Francis says businesses can improve their resiliency by drawing upon the diverse range of capitals found in the wider community.

Her paper, Resources for business resilience in a COVID-19 world: A community-centric approach, co-authored with Beedie alumnus and IE Business School professor Stephanie Beninger, outlines how businesses can use the novel and actionable integrated capital framework to survive—and to thrive.

New interdisciplinary technology to aid wilderness search and rescue

Carman Neustaedter

Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology

School of Interactive Arts and Technology Professor Carman Neustaedter and collaborators Brennan Jones and Anthony Tang used an interdisciplinary approach to create RescueCASTR – new technology that uses wearable cameras to help search and rescue personal communicate in the backcountry. 

Urgent support needed for children’s mental health

Charlotte Waddell

Faculty of Health Sciences

Health Sciences Professor Charlotte Waddell and her research team at SFU’s Children's Health Policy Centre found that in many affluent countries—Canada included—less than half of children with mental health disorders receive any services for these conditions. She recommends an urgent call to action to support children’s mental wellbeing.

The study, Prevalence of childhood mental disorders in high-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis to inform policymaking, was published in Evidence-Based Mental Health.

Are small farms really more productive than large farms?

Fernando Aragón

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Research from SFU Economics professor Fernando Aragón suggests that policies to foster small-scale agriculture in the Global South may be counterproductive. Facilitating land transactions and eliminating distortionary policies could help farmers thrive.

His article, Are small farms really more productive than large farms? co-authored with Diego Restuccia (University of Toronto) and Juan Pablo Rud (Royal Holloway, University of London) was published in Food Policy.