What did you have for lunch today?

A growing body of research shows that what children are eating for breakfast and lunch – and the environment in which they’re eating – is critically important for their growth and development.

Dr. Rachel Engler-Stringer (PhD), a professor in the University of Saskatchewan (USask) Department of Community Health and Epidemiology in the College of Medicine, is a strong proponent of school food programs that give young people access to structured and nutritional meals.

Engler-Stringer's work highlights the positives of school food programs, from nutritional benefits to social and community support and equality for students.

These school food programs have seen success in countries around the world, leading to short and long-term benefits for the students involved – but researchers like Engler-Stringer are looking to keep building the body of research to support growing school food programs in Canada.

The Government of Canada announced a $1 billion investment for a national school food program in 2024. While that support is crucial, the shape that program takes will need to be supported by robust research.

On this episode of the USask Signature Series podcast, we answer the question “What should your children be eating for lunch?”

Listen to the episode to learn more!

• Host: Matt Olson
• Producers: Matt Olson and Leslie-Ann Schlosser
• Editor: Matt Olson
• Graphics and Marketing: USask Research Profile and Impact office
• Original Music created by Silas Friesen

Questions? Email research.communications@usask.ca
Check out USask research on Instagram, X/Twitter, LinkedIn and on the University of Saskatchewan's web pages!

Feb. 11 marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a day that was was adopted by the United Nations to help promote the role and participation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). But even in the decade-plus since the UN established the day of recognition, men still outnumber women in professional STEM fields — though the number of women entering these fields is growing.

Zoe Slusar, also known as hip-hop artist ZHE the Free, is a graduate student in anthropology at the University of Saskatchewan (USask), and is the coordinator for USask’s Science Ambassador Program. The program pairs USask students with K-12 classrooms across 11 northern communities, helping create two-way learning relationships rooted in respect, reciprocity and joy.

The program helps inspire young people to embrace science and research from a young age – many of them young women and girls who may not get a similar opportunity.

On this special episode of the USask Signature Series podcast, we answer the question “How are we encouraging future scientists?”

Special guest host: Leslie-Ann Schlosser

• Host: Matt Olson
• Producers: Matt Olson and Leslie-Ann Schlosser
• Editor: Matt Olson
• Graphics and Marketing: USask Research Profile and Impact office
• Original Music created by Silas Friesen

Questions? Email research.communications@usask.ca
Check out USask research on Instagram, X/Twitter, LinkedIn and on the University of Saskatchewan's web pages!

Why does a curling rock curl?

If you’re unfamiliar with the sport of curling, it’s fairly straightforward: two teams slide granite rocks from one end of a sheet of ice to the other, trying to get as many of their rocks closest to the centre of the rings on each end as possible. And true to its name, the rocks are rotated so they “curl” across the sheet and around other rocks.

Curling is also one of Canada’s biggest sports. Canada is the world leader in curling gold medals and overall medals in the Olympics, and the vast majority of the world’s curlers are from Canada.

Though curling might look like a simple game, there is a slew of science and engineering that goes into understanding how the sport works. Dr. Sean Maw (PhD), an associate professor with the University of Saskatchewan (USask) College of Engineering in the Ron and Jane Graham School of Professional Development and the Jerry G. Huff Chair in Innovative Teaching, is an expert in winter sliding sports.

Maw’s research explores the complexities of curling—how the rocks move across the ice, the effects of sweeping a rock and so much more—in an effort to better understand and expand our knowledge of this nationally and internationally celebrated game.

On this episode of the USask Signature Series podcast, we answer the question “How does a curling rock curl?”

Listen to the episode to learn more!

• Host: Matt Olson
• Producers: Matt Olson and Leslie-Ann Schlosser
• Editor: Matt Olson
• Graphics and Marketing: USask Research Profile and Impact office
• Original Music created by Silas Friesen

Questions? Email research.communications@usask.ca
Check out USask research on Instagram, X/Twitter, LinkedIn and on the University of Saskatchewan's web pages!