Story by Logan Jackson

Published on April 9, 2025

Two University of Missouri juniors – Sophia McCann and Gabriella Ramirez – recently earned the Fulbright Canada-Mitacs Globalink Research Internship. The award is offered through the Foundation for Educational Exchange between Canada and the United States (Fulbright Canada) and is designed for students from the U.S. who are interested in traveling to Canada to participate in advanced research projects in their interest areas.

McCann and Ramirez are both pursuing the Honors Certificate at Mizzou.

“The Mitacs Globalink application pushes Mizzou students to look at their research interests from a different cultural perspective,” said Erik Potter, program manager for the MU Office of Global and National Fellowships. “I’m excited for Sophia and Gabriella. The mentorship, full-time research placement and cultural immersion they will get from the program will allow them to level-up their skills and stand out in future fellowship or graduate school applications.”

Students who receive the internship spend 10 to 12 weeks in the summer on an established research project, supervised by a professor. There are also ample opportunities for professional trainings, and scholars are able to participate in cultural, social and recreational experiences. Unusual among research awards, students from all majors are encouraged to apply.

An Exciting Research Opportunity

Sophia McCann

• Junior geography (regional/cultural) major; pursuing the Honors Certificate

A year ago, Sophia McCann traveled to Aberystwyth University – located in Wales – through the Fulbright UK Summer Institutes program. This year, McCann will be taking part in another exciting opportunity. McCann will head to Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, through the Fulbright Canada-Mitacs Globalink Research Internship. The award will allow McCann to conduct research for the first time in her college career.

“It’s going to be really nice to have official research experience on my resume,” McCann said.

While details are still being ironed out, McCann said she will serve as a research intern with Maxwell Hart, an associate professor at Queen’s University. He has a variety of research interests, including studying shrinking cities and aging populations. The work will dovetail nicely with McCann’s interest in urban planning.

“I’ve spoken with Dr. Hart a few times, and he’s been very supportive and wants me to help lead the project, which is really exciting,” McCann said.

Within urban planning, McCann has a specific interest in sidewalks. She grew up in a neighborhood without sidewalks and eventually moved to a neighborhood that did feature some sidewalks. However, they were tough to use as the road she lived on was very busy.

“As we look at shrinking cities, they’re often losing revenue,” McCann said. “As part of this project, I think it would be interesting to see how they’re using that funding and where sidewalk maintenance falls on the priority lists. While the project will definitely have primary focuses, we are discussing how we can incorporate some of my interests into the work.”

Taking Research to the Next Level

Gabriella Ramirez

• Junior computer science major; pursuing the Honors Certificate

Gabriella Ramirez has been incredibly active in research throughout her time as a Tiger. For more than a year, Ramirez has been part of the Middleton Lab, which has a research focus on vertebrate musculoskeletal physiology, form and function in the contexts of animal locomotion. The lab is led by Kevin Middleton, an associate professor of biological sciences.

Ramirez said she has been using deep learning methods to predict cranial growth in the Middleton Lab. They are currently working on a paper tied to their findings.

“While my classes have provided me good exposure to concepts in computer science, it all comes together when you apply what you learned outside the classroom,” Ramirez said. “Being in the Middleton Lab has given me the confidence to engineer solutions and try new things even if they don’t work.”

Last summer, Ramirez worked as an undergraduate research fellow at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Through the MARC Program, Ramirez was able to present on her summer work during the annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists in Pennsylvania.

With the Fulbright Canada-Mitacs Globalink Research Internship, Ramirez will study generative AI.

“The project I will be working on not only aims to understand how people are using generative AI to seek out medical information but develop tools to help people better identify health misinformation,” Ramirez said. “Some of my responsibilities will include conducting and analyzing surveys, developing prototype tools and prototype testing.

“I’m excited to see what triumphs and challenges lie ahead.”