Health Sciences student earns nuclear safety scholarship

OSHAWA, ON. - By mixing her University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) Health Sciences studies with research opportunities and an internship at Ontario Power Generation (OPG), Jessica O'Brien has become the first-ever Canadian student to receive a Roy G. Post Foundation Scholarship.

O'Brien, who is in her fourth year of the Bachelor of Health Sciences program with UOIT's Faculty of Health Sciences, will travel to Phoenix, Arizona in March where she'll be honoured with seven other Post scholarship winners at a luncheon that is part of the Waste Management 2010 Conference. The conference brings together more than 2,000 participants representing international environmental and radioactive waste management fields, offering O'Brien an outstanding opportunity to meet industry professionals, learn more about pursuing post-graduate work, and to attend workshops, including a session about women in nuclear safety that particularly interests her.

"I'm very honoured to have received this scholarship and for the chance to attend the conference and explore the opportunities before me," said O'Brien, a 21-year-old Whitby native. "This is an area that greatly interests me, so this is a tremendous opportunity as a student to meet and learn from experts from around the world and to build on all my experiences at UOIT."

The Post Foundation is a non-profit corporation dedicated to education in the safe management of nuclear materials. Scholarship recipients receive $5,000 towards furthering their education and are judged on their academic records, have to submit reference letters and discuss their area of interest. In O'Brien's case, she submitted a paper about nuclear safety that took a broad look at nuclear waste management, including health impacts. She developed an interest in the subject during her first internship with OPG, and, as a Health Sciences student, brings a unique perspective to the topic and field.

When O'Brien first arrived at UOIT, her plan was to pursue her undergraduate degree as the first step in becoming a doctor. She quickly realized though that her program offered many different career paths within the health realm and that she was excited about a number of different areas. She notes her professors were inspirational in providing support and guidance and encouraging her to keep her mind open to all possible paths.

Her plans now are to pursue graduate studies in health and environmental law and policy and then pursue a career in the field, including perhaps a research career at a university.

"To be selected for this scholarship from a field of international applicants is a significant accomplishment for Jessica and a clear indicator of the outstanding students here at UOIT," said Dr. Mary Bluechardt, dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences. "Our students understand that we offer innovative programs, opportunities to pursue groundbreaking research and a high-tech learning environment - all of which prepares them to be next-generation health-care leaders."

Along with her program and internship commitments, O'Brien is also a teaching assistant and research assistant at UOIT, which continues to demonstrate the academic, extracurricular and leadership skills that have made her a Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation Excellence Award winner and UOIT Chancellor's Scholarship recipient over the past few years. As a research assistant she has investigated the role of environmental pollutants in breast and prostate cancers, and also the links between environmental factors and human cancer development and progression.

The opportunity for undergraduate students to collaborate with professors on research projects is a key differentiator between UOIT and traditional higher-learning institutions.

About Ontario Tech University
A modern, forwarding-thinking university, Ontario Tech advances the discovery and application of knowledge to accelerate economic growth, regional development and social innovation. We inspire and equip our students and our graduates to make a positive impact in a tech-focused world. For us, it’s not only about developing the next tech breakthrough. Understanding and integrating the social and ethical implications of technology differentiates us as university. Learn more at ontariotechu.ca.