by Omar Elsharkawy, CFICE Admin RA
At Community First: Impacts of Community Engagement (CFICE), we are inspired to work every day because of our enthusiastic, dynamic, and successful team, which aims to really make a difference in their respective communities. Lily Haines is CFICE鈥檚 current Knowledge Mobilization聽(KMb) Research Assistant (RA) and is a fourth year undergraduate student in Biology and Journalism.
Lily Haines values making research accessible. 鈥淐FICE is all about knowledge mobilization…it鈥檚 about disseminating research in a way that is understandable to anyone and everyone,” she says. “It鈥檚 a bridge between the academic community and the Ottawa community.鈥� Lily is always working hard to translate knowledge into聽infographics, podcasts, and other creative outputs聽to help people understand CFICE鈥檚 reports and research.
Lily’s work with CFICE has also inspired her to develop new connections in her community. In October 2015, she founded a new organization at 杏吧原创 University called the 杏吧原创 University Student Riverwatchers (CUSR). This group鈥檚 goal is to inspire youth to become involved in nature preservation, as well as ensure the Rideau River鈥檚 cleanliness alongside the .聽Both organizations also work in collaboration to ensure the public has access to a clean, safe, and healthy environment. This year, the CUSR plan to participate聽in climate聽marches, river cleanups, and fundraising events.
After all the exciting work she has conducted during her undergraduate degree, Lily plans on going on to graduate school to study Marine Biology in Vancouver. Her goal is to preserve nature, and she’s excited by the possibility of moving to a new city.
To students that are just starting their undergraduate, Lily offers them this really valuable piece of advice: 鈥淒evelop a relationship with your professors, because three years later you鈥檙e going to need them as references when applying to graduate school!鈥� Lily also encourages students to get out of the classroom and get involved in their community, whether it鈥檚 with extracurricular activities or helping out with fundraisers and charity events for non-profit organizations.