No summer break for research students

By Lethbridge Herald on August 30, 2025.

Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
Lethbridge Herald

While most students leave campus behind in the summer, some make the decision to stay during the summer to gain some valuable skills and connections. 

The research assistant positions at Lethbridge Polytechnic are paid positions, with students spending time in the field collecting and processing data, collaborating with stakeholders and learning about themselves.

Two Lethbridge Polytechnic students who stayed behind as research assistants recently shared their experience about taking part in research projects related to their field of studies.

Aleksandra Calic, a fourth-year Bachelor of Ecosystem Management student, has spent the past few summers assisting the Mueller Irrigation Research Group. She spent her first summer researching greenhouse gas emissions from potato plants, and this summer, she was part of a team contributing to a national research initiative aimed at meeting federal fertilizer nitrous oxide emissions reduction targets by 2030. 

“This is my fourth summer at the Polytechnic doing student research and I really enjoy the work, I do agricultural research for irrigation specifically and I think is really important for southern Alberta to have good research for strong yields and reduce emissions,” said Calic. 

She said she has gained hands-on, leadership and delegation skills, and the project has led her to become a field lead which is a valuable experience for her. 

The research she has been involved with has allowed her to make a difference in the environmental world, which is important to her as an ecosystem management student. 

“I have a strong passion for the environment and the wilderness and being outside, and I think it’s important to try and make a difference with conservation,” said Calic. 

She said the data collected through her research goes into a national database and therefore helps her feel like she is in fact making a difference. 

Sierra Stumborg, graduated this spring with a diploma in Criminal Justice, Policing and is returning this fall to complete the bachelor program. 

She spent the past year assisting with Community Integration Through Art – Pissatsinaskssini (CITAP), a multi-year study in partnership with the Ninastako Cultural Centre and supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, that focuses on developing an arts-based social-recreational peer support program.

“CITAP is working with creating a space for everyone to join, indigenous and non-indigenous where we work and create art projects to share an indigenous worldview,” said Stumborg. 

She explained that she got involved with CITAP because it allowed her to learn about indigenous community, which is vital to ensure she is successful in her career as a criminal justice student. 

“In CITAP I work directly with people, analyze data and survey results on how participants are engaging with the program. And I also ensured that everyone in my team is staying organized and know their roles,” said Stumborg. 

In terms of her career, she said her goal is to become a police officer and explains that she believes policing is not just about enforcement, but also ensuring the community is happy. 

“As I worked through this project, I definitely learned some lessons that I can carry on with me as I move into my career,” said Stumborg.