UCalgary’s social work research symposium focuses on building healthier communities

This feels like a good time of the year to start thinking about what “being healthy” really means. For many the zeal of January’s new year resolutions has faded, fitness centres are starting to empty out, and many are left looking for more sustainable answers for their own health. 

This spring, researchers from the Faculty of Social Work and across the University of Calgary are inviting you to think about sustainable ways to promote and support health in the community during Social Work’s 16th annual Research Symposium: Making CHANGE together: partnering for well-being and health, taking place on March 19 and 20.

This free, two-day event, is open to all and highlights groundbreaking UCalgary research focused on building healthier communities. With in-person events in Calgary and Edmonton, as well as an online component, the symposium will showcase how researchers are tackling complex health challenges—often through transdisciplinary collaborations and community-driven partnerships—to create lasting, meaningful change.

Is health the same for everyone? 

What you need to be healthy, really depends on who you are in our society. 

“Health is about a lot more than individual choices, it’s shaped by systemic and structural factors that need to include poverty, discrimination, housing, and access to care,” says Dr. David Nicholas, Associate Dean of Research and Partnerships with the Faculty of Social Work. “This year’s research symposium highlights the power of collaboration in addressing these complex challenges. By working together across disciplines and with communities, we can create meaningful, lasting change that improves well-being for all, especially those most impacted by inequities.”

To address these issues, researchers are casting transdisciplinary nets and integrating perspectives, methods, and theories from multiple disciplines, including those not traditionally considered as being tightly linked to social work. The March 19 - 20 symposium aims to highlight collaboration between the Faculty of Social Work and other faculties and groups on campus, across Alberta, and with community partners locally, across Canada and around the world. 

“By embracing a transdisciplinary approach, we tap into diverse perspectives, methods, and expertise to tackle the complex factors that shape health and well-being,” adds Nicholas. “The research showcased at this year’s symposium reflects our commitment to centering communities in this work, welcoming diverse voices, prioritizing those most affected by health inequities, and co-creating solutions that promote well-being and social justice for all.”

Nicholas points out that the symposium is more than just a celebration and exploration of transdisciplinary collaboration. Past symposiums have sparked new research collaborations, community partnerships and ideas that have made a substantial difference in our work and its impact. 

Symposium Schedule

March 19, 8:30 a.m. - noon (online)
Register Now
A keynote presentation from Faculty of Social Work professors Linda Nguyen, PhD (Azrieli Accelerator Professor in Youth, Sibling, and Community Engaged Research), and Rosslynn Zulla, PhD, (Institutes for Transdisciplinary Scholarship) will address disability and innovation in research. The presentation will be followed by a dynamic panel of respondents with disability-related research and lived experience expertise.
 
Another dynamic keynote presentation from esteemed, emeritus social work professor Dr. David Este, PhD, will address Africentric social work and ways to move forward in a good way. The presentation will be followed by a discussion featuring expert panelists from social work and other disciplines and community.
 
March 19, 12:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Student-led Research Poster Presentations (on-campus event, Calgary)
Register Now
Join us on the 7th floor of UClagary’s MacKimmie Tower, to see an amazing collection of student-led research from a variety of perspectives. Posters will focus on the many ways in which social justice and societal issues intersect or have implications for well-being and health. Specific topics will include violence prevention and intervention, racism, healthy relationships, rural communities, gender justice, houselessness, cultural diversity and many more. The free event will also feature a light lunch and refreshments.
 
March 19, 5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Enhancing Reciprocal Partnerships with Racialized and Equity-Deserving Communities on Community-Based Action Research (in-person event, Calgary)
Register Now
This year we are introducing an exciting new community event at the Best Western Premier Hotel (1316 33 St NE, Calgary). This special evening seeks to strike a conversation between the community and our faculty about how we can meaningfully and collaboratively partner on solutions for optimal well-being and health for all. Our faculty members are looking forward to learning from and listening deeply to the community! The free event will also feature a light dinner and refreshments.
 
March 20, 5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Panel discussion and Research Presentations (on-campus event, Edmonton)
Register Now
Join us on at the Faculty of Social Work’s Edmonton campus, for a compelling panel discussion and an amazing collection of student-led research from a variety of perspectives and disciplines. Posters will focus on the many ways in which social justice and societal issues intersect or have implications for well-being and health. The free event will also feature a light dinner and refreshments.