USURJ

10/16/2026

Hair can carry our histories, reflect our identities, connect us to our cultures, and shape how we move through the world.

Hair Story, a special issue of USURJ, explores the personal, cultural, and social meanings of hair through student stories and creative expression.

Have a story to share? We’ve extended the submission deadline to October 21!

09/13/2026

What does your hair mean to you?

Does your hair have cultural, political, familial, or personal significance? How?

What do you wish people understood about your hair?

What cultural traditions, histories, or practices inform your relationship with your hair?

How has your experience in higher education influenced your relationship with your hair?

The University of Saskatchewan Undergraduate Research Journal invites USask undergraduate students to submit writing or creative projects for an upcoming special issue: Hair Story: An Autoethnographic Collection on Identity, Culture, and Embodiment.

This special autoethnographic issue will examine the social, cultural, and political meanings of hair. Selected works will be published in a special issue of USURJ (print and online) and featured in an accompanying exhibition. Guest Editors are
Sophia Abiara (Student, College of Medicine) and Dr. Jacob Alhassan (Faculty, College of Medicine).

We welcome personal stories, reflections, and creative expressions that explore how hair shapes identity, culture, belonging, and lived experience.

Selected contributors will participate in a collaborative photography process focused on documenting their hair, with photographs included in the publication and exhibition. Participant faces will not be shown.
Who Can Submit?

Submissions are open to current USask undergraduate students from all colleges and programs. Experience and education in fine arts or creative writing are not required. All submissions must be previously unpublished.

If you are interested or have more questions, please check out the 🔗link in our bio🔗 or email us! [email protected]

07/24/2026

Student Photographer & Editorial Board Member Opportunity: USask Undergraduate Research Journal, Fall/Winter Terms, 2026-27

Deadline to Apply: August 14th 11:59pm 

USURJ is seeking an undergraduate student photographer to join its editorial board as a Humanities and Fine Arts Associate Editor in the upcoming Fall and Winter Terms!

This is a volunteer, experiential learning experience. The concentration of work will be on a fall special issue: “Hair Story: An Autoethnographic Collection on Identity, Culture, and Embodiment.”The successful candidate will play a key role in photographing subjects and shaping both the visual direction of the publication and subsequent exhibit. 

Following the completion of the project (see timeline at the bottom of this posting), the role will shift to working with USURJ’s Humanities and Fine Arts team in the Winter Term, soliciting and adjudicating its regular student submissions. 

About the Role 

The student photographer / Associate Editor will work closely with the special editors and the Humanities and Fine Arts editorial team, which includes faculty, staff, and graduate and undergraduate student editors. This role requires not only technical photography skills but also a thoughtful, respectful, collaborative approach to working with diverse individuals and communities. 

The selected student will contribute to editorial discussions, help develop the photography plan for the issue, conduct portrait and feature photo sessions with participants, and assist in preparing images for publication and exhibition. 

Link, time commitment etc. in bio!

07/15/2026

When does religion become “heritage”? Political Studies student Nolan Long’s new USURJ article looks at how Canadian courts have reduced Christianity’s formal role in public life while still protecting it when framed as culture. The result raises important questions about bias, neutrality, and fairness in religious freedom debates. Read more at USURJ.journals.usask.ca!

The journal would love to read your work! USask undergraduate students — and those who graduated within the last two years — are invited to submit articles, artwork, or creative work to USURJ for publication consideration. Contact us for more information [email protected]

Link to our website, where you can read the article and learn more about publishing your own work, by checking out the link in bio. USURJ.journals.usask.ca

06/22/2026

Congratulations to the recipients of the 2025–2026 USURJ Best Papers Award!

Owen Deis’s paper, Framing the Reich: Visual Narratives of Guilt in American-Occupied Germany, presents a sophisticated historical analysis of how visual media were used during the Allied occupation of Germany to shape public understandings of guilt, responsibility, and denazification following the Second World War. Drawing on a diverse range of primary sources, Deis offers an original perspective on postwar reconstruction by examining the role of visual culture in re-educating German society.

Amy Gerein’s paper, Just a Click Away? Evaluating the Use of Positive Reinforcement in Equine Training, presents a thorough and well-organized review of the literature on positive reinforcement techniques in horse training. Synthesizing evidence from animal behaviour and welfare research, Gerein provides a clear and accessible evaluation of the benefits, challenges, and practical applications of positive reinforcement, offering valuable insights for both researchers and practitioners interested in evidence-based approaches to equine training.

The other nominated papers were Hardcore Parqueer: The Potential of Parkour for Q***r Expression by Gavin Robertson and "The Cradle of Canadian Social Democracy" from the CCF to the NDP: The Impact of Prairie Activism on Saskatchewan Women’s Political Leadership by Emma Reese Wintermute.

Congratulations to all the authors on their outstanding contributions to undergraduate research.

The judges thank USURJ Staff Advisor Liv Marken and Undergraduate Editor-in-Chief Michael McDonald for coordinating the nomination process. We also thank the University of Saskatchewan Office of the Vice-President Research for funding the award.

2025–2026 USURJ Best Papers Award Adjudication Panel

Heather Tornblom, Panel Chair and USURJ Faculty Advisor, Assistant Librarian, University Library

Dr. Colin Sproat, Associate Professor, Geological Sciences

Jason Friedman, Assistant Dean, Collections and Discovery, University Library

Owen Deis
Gavin College of Arts and Science Anthropology USASK History Department USask Dept of Political Studies Emma University Library

05/20/2026

We are featuring Greta and Matthew, two of our authors, as they share their experience with USURJ

05/06/2026

Get professional feedback with USURJ and publish your work with confidence✨

04/14/2026

04/14/2026

Thank you to everyone who stopped by the celebratory reception and launch of the spring issue of the University of Saskatchewan undergraduate research Journal!

We had an amazing turnout of community members, staff, faculty, students, artists, and authors.

Be sure to check out our latest issue.

We will be continuing to add articles to the issue throughout the spring and summer.

04/10/2026

You are invited to the University of Saskatchewan Undergraduate Research Journal volume 11 issue 2 celebration launch!

🗓️ 5:30 to 6:30 on Monday, April 13th.
📍Murray 145

🎉Take a break from studying and check out the artwork and articles published in our most recent issue! We will have some snacks, swag, and refreshments.

ℹ️At 6:00, we will turn our attention to a short information session for students who are wanting to submit their scholarly or artistic work to the journal before they head off this spring.

No registration required!