Weekly WISE #4

This week we visited the Port of Argentia and Vale in Long Harbour. Read what Molly-Claire P., Christina L., Norah Y., & Isabelle G. have to say about the SSEP so far!

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Molly-Claire P., Atlantic Puffin Research Assistant in the Department of Psychology

Hi! My name is Molly-Claire Pelley, and for the past four weeks I’ve had the amazing opportunity to work as an Atlantic puffin research assistant in MUN’s department of psychology under Professor Pierre-Paul Bitton. I’ve learned so much about visual ecology, behavioural ecology, and studying and handling wild animals.

In my first full week on the job, I spent four nights on Great Island in Witless Bay assisting two graduate students with their different research experiments on Atlantic puffins. The reserve where Great Island is located is home to almost 300,000 breeding pairs of puffin, not to mention hundreds of thousands of gulls, kittiwakes, petrels, murres, and several other species of sea bird. During that first week I learned how to handle, weigh, and measure baby puffins, as well as how to grub both babies and adults (‘grubbing’ is the term for removing birds from their burrows). I measured burrows, collected data, set up recording equipment, and identified colour tagged birds on the landscape. I was shown how to band an adult puffin, as well as how to band, measure, weigh, and collect blood from a Leach’s storm petrel. 

I’ve spent another full week on the island since then, and being in the field is a fantastic experience. Even though I’m disgusting and full of mud and bird poop by the end of it, getting to observe so many wild creatures grow and survive in such a beautiful environment is well worth it. 

Outside of the field, I’ve been working with the software and equipment used for various types of research. I set up and tested RFID antennae for detecting PIT tags, as well as worked with a software which enables us to develop images of puffins to assist in understanding individual recognition. Next week I’ll begin to analyze recordings of puffin calls to assist in another grad student’s project regarding how sound permeates through puffin burrows.

The past few weeks have been an amazing experience and I’m so grateful to be here! I was already considering wildlife biology or zoology as a path of study in university, but my recent experiences have deepened my interest in the field even further. Through the WISE program I’ve been making friends, learning about different positions and fields in STEM, and making so many memories. I can’t wait to see what the final few weeks have in store!

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Christina L., Lab Technician at AGAT Laboratories

Hi! My name is Christina Lewis, and I would love to share my WISE summer placement experience! I am currently working as a Lab Technician at AGAT Laboratories. At AGAT, we analyze and report on customer samples. These tests are conducted on a wide range of items including town water supplies and supermarket food to raw fish samples.

So far during my time at AGAT, I’ve worked in both the Microbiology Lab and the Inorganics Lab. In Microbiology, I typically weigh samples into sterile bags to prepare them for testing. Additionally, I clean and maintain the lab, which is crucial for both decontamination and overall functionality. In the Inorganics Lab, we primarily test water samples. When I’m there, I usually record various measurements such as water pH and dissolved oxygen content (DOC). I also input charts and data into the computer so that reports can be sent back to clients.

I believe this job has given me valuable insight into what a career in environmental science and analytical chemistry might look like, and it has definitely helped me find more direction when considering post-secondary programs.

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Norah Y.,  Nutrition Sciences Research Assistant

Hey! I’m Norah and this summer I’ve been working as a Nutrition Sciences Research Assistant with Dr. Scott Harding, along with a group of wonderful graduate students. My placement is in the biochemistry department within the Core Sciences Facility—which, thankfully, actually has air conditioning. The focus of the lab is to understand how diet and lifestyle impact the risk of developing diseases. 

So far, the main topics I’ve explored include: lab techniques, cell and nutrient biology, the benefits of exercise and a healthy diet. I also learned how to properly clean glassware…unfortunately there is now one less beaker in the lab.  In my opinion, the most interesting thing I learned was the links between high fructose consumption and diseases such as obesity, type two diabetes, steatosis, atherosclerosis and hypertension.

 The main experiences I’ve had feature a wide variety, like exploring the Ocean Sciences Centre and Marine Institute, creating social media posts for the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax, touring the NRC, Engineering, Medicine, Science, Port of Argentia and Vale. 

My favourite moment was when Maddie (a hilarious grad student) and I were cleaning dirty ocean water tanks to prep them for kelp storage. To clean them she had to start the siphon by sucking on a pipe, then letting go at just the right moment. Maddie did not let go at the right moment. Apparently dirty ocean water doesn’t taste so great.

I’m really enjoying this program. I’ve learned so much that now, I can actually understand a solid sixty percent of the conversations going on around me. All in all, I’m truly grateful to have been selected for this program and placement. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer holds!

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Isabelle G., WISE Website Content Editor

Hi! My name is Isabelle Gabriel, and I’m working as the WISE Website Content Editor for the summer. I am responsible for updating and maintaining the WISE Student Summer Employment Program (SSEP) website and the WISE Indigenous Youth Initiatives (IYI) website. My supervisors, Melissa and Michael, oversee my work and have helped me learn how to use WordPress and maintain the websites.

My main responsibilities in this position include updating the websites’ information to ensure it’s current, reworking different pages to add my personal touch, posting the participants’ Weekly WISE blogs each week, and adding program highlights for this summer’s activities. This involves uploading pictures and writing summaries of our tours and social events.

My first week on the job was spent learning how to use WordPress and getting used to its features. After getting the hang of things, I began working on improving the actual websites. Each week, I work on updating the 2025 program highlights, adding pictures, and writing about our events. I’ve also been taking pictures during the events. Every Monday, I compile the blog posts from Friday and post them on the website. I’ve been developing my own design ideas for some of the website’s pages and working on improving navigation to make the site more user-friendly. While most of my work is on the WISE SSEP website, I’ve also been helping with the IYI website, which mostly needs small updates and occasional reworking.

The tours and social events have been my favorite part of this program so far and I wouldn’t have had the chance to experience these opportunities otherwise. So far, we’ve toured the NRC, MUN Engineering, MUN Medicine, MUN Science, the Port of Argentia and Vale. The tours have given me a great insight into different faculties at MUN and what it means to be a student or pursue a career in those fields. They’ve helped me better understand what I might be interested in, what I definitely am not interested in, and what I might pursue after high school. The social events and tours have also helped me make new friends and meet so many wonderful people.

The WISE SSEP has been an absolutely incredible experience so far, and we’re only a little over halfway through the program. I’m so excited for everything else to come!