Christopher Richard never imagined when he arrived at StFX that a required first-year calculus course would be the place he found his calling. While apprehensive about the course, Mr. Richard, a May 2026 honours graduate, instead discovered a passion for the subject that today has earned him national recognition for research exploring youth mental health and mortality in Atlantic Canada.
Mr. Richard, who graduated in May with an honours Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics, won first place in the Bachelor's Poster category at the 14th Annual Canadian Statistics Student Conference, held at McMaster University in Hamilton, ON. He received the award for his presentation, Spatially Analyzing Mortality of Youth Aged 20–24 as a Response to Mental Health Predictors.
The poster was based on research Mr. Richard completed during the summer of 2025 with his supervisor, Dr. Kyran Cupido of StFX's Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
"I was surprised and really excited," Mr. Richard says on the national recognition. "I really enjoy presenting at these conferences. You get to bring your work to the community that is most interested in that work."
His research examined youth mental health and mortality in Atlantic Canada. Statistics Canada data shows that youth mental health has been worsening, he says, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Using predictors such as education, employment, income, gender, Indigenous identity, and religion, Mr. Richard explored factors associated with mental health and mortality among young adults. He also examined whether these issues were more prevalent in certain geographic areas to better understand where additional resources may be needed.
For Mr. Richard, the topic was more than an academic exercise.
Before arriving at StFX as a mature student, he spent four years working with youth, including two years in group homes, where mental health was a significant part of his work.
"I was very inspired when I learned I could use mathematics to help people," he says.
Mr. Richard originally came to StFX intending to study biology. Mathematics wasn't on his radar, but calculus was a required course for his science degree. Having struggled with the subject in high school, he approached the class with some apprehension. Instead, he discovered he enjoyed mathematics. StFX has many great resources for math, he says, and he began taking advantage of them.
Mr. Richard went from using those resources to becoming a resource himself, mentoring other students, Dr. Cupido noted.
Mr. Richard served both as a mathematics learning support person and as vice-president of StFX’s Math, Statistics, and Computer Science Society.
His interest in research developed after attending events and learning about the work of several StFX faculty, including Dr. Cupido, who use spatial statistics and mathematical models to address broader societal challenges.
Inspired, he approached Dr. Cupido to discuss his idea of helping address problems in youth mental health.
Dr. Cupido notes undergraduate research is important, and it’s great to see students thinking about problems that exist in the world and applying their knowledge to something they care about. He says it’s great to see Mr. Richard’s success at the national conference. “He worked so hard,” he notes. “I was just there for some guidance. It’s nice he got recognized.”
Mr. Richard also received James Chair student travel funding from StFX to attend the conference where he presented his award-winning research.
This summer, he is again working in research at StFX, this time as the recipient of an NSERC USRA award. In September, he will begin a graduate program in mathematics at McMaster University.
Looking ahead, the Salisbury, N.B., native hopes to become a university professor. As someone who struggled with math, he looks forward to being in a position to help people, while also still doing his own research.
His advice to current students is simple: take advantage of the resources that are available and don't shy away from exploring subjects that may seem intimidating.
If you're interested in research, take those opportunities, he says.
