Faculty of Health Sciences PhD student earns Vanier Scholarship
September 08, 2025
Faculty of Health Sciences PhD student Ben Csiernik is part of the 2025 class of Vanier Scholars.
Under the supervision of Dr. Nick Wattie, Ben's PhD research in the Expertise & Skill Acquisition Lab is focusing on our understanding of how different rules and environments change how boys and girls play and engage with ice hockey in Sweden and the United States. Should kids play on smaller ice surfaces, with smaller nets, and with less people, or is how we've always done it the best way? Do these conditions impact players and goaltenders equally? This work will help to determine the first steps in understanding what we think is the "best" approach to support how kids develop in hockey for fun, and learning.
Contact information:
nick.wattie@ontariotechu.ca
Have questions about this post? Feel free to reach out to the contact listed above — they’ll be happy to help!
More news
Dr. Sharon Lauricella discusses AI and student assessment on CBC’s Cross Country Checkup
Aimée Danis joins National Indigenous University Senior Leaders’ Association
Research Excellence Awards and Research Excellence Chairs Program 2025 Recipients
FSSH Professor featured in CBC’s The Nature of Things 101 program about lie detectors
FSSH/FEd Professor publishes book on women in higher education