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Partnerships

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Launch of new partnership to support diverse student entrepreneurs

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The Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre at Saint Mary’s University is pleased to announce the launch of the TD Entrepreneurship Inclusion Initiative, which was made possible through the generous gift of $200,000 by the TD Bank Group. This two-year pilot is designed to amplify the support of diverse student entrepreneurs, advance the entrepreneurial mindset and innovate business models. Three key initiatives include:

"Helping create an environment where everyone can adapt, thrive and reach their full potential is extremely important to us at TD. By supporting the TD Entrepreneurship Inclusion Initiative, through the Sobeys School of Business and the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre, we know that we will contribute to providing entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds with the right tools to realize their dreams," says Jenn Auld, Vice-President Atlantic Region, TD Canada Trust.

 The program will leverage the expertise and passion of the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre, creating a holistic support environment for diverse entrepreneurs. Michael Sanderson, Director of the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre said, “The TD Entrepreneurship Inclusion Initiative is a significant milestone for our students and the broader entrepreneurial community. This initiative represents an important step towards creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for our students and aspiring entrepreneurs. It aligns perfectly with our mission to foster innovation, diversity and excellence in the entrepreneurial community.”

The first TD Entrepreneurship Inclusion Initiative event, TD Connect: Celebrating Diversity Through Entrepreneurship, was held on October 26. This event provided a platform for students to connect and engage with a diverse cohort of entrepreneurs and professionals. It highlighted the endeavours of eight student entrepreneurs and a panel discussion featuring accomplished and diverse business leaders. With an attendance of over a hundred enthusiastic students, the event emphasized the importance of DEIB in the entrepreneurial world.

 Learn more about the programs and events offered by the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre and the spaces in the new Sobeys Inspiration Hub.

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Future business leaders graduate from cross-cultural program in China

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This past week, the sixth cohort of students graduated from the BNUZ-SMU Joint Bachelor of Commerce program based in Zhuhai, China. Twenty-six graduates received both a Bachelor of Commerce from Saint Mary’s University and a Bachelor of Economics from Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, with 19 earning a major in finance.

Prof. Zhong Xin, Dean of the International Business Faculty at BNUZ, offered words of encouragement to the graduating cohort, “Graduation is not the end, but a new beginning. Continuous learning is crucial, and lifelong growth is the key to success in an ever-changing world. I wish you all the best as you embark on this journey, reaching new heights and achieving happiness along the way.”

She went on to express her “heartfelt gratitude to the faculty and staff of the International Business Faculty and the Sobey School of Business for their ongoing dedication and guidance” to the students in this partnership program.

The Joint Bachelor of Commerce program allows students at BNUZ to experience a truly cross-cultural undergraduate education, with half of their courses taught by BNUZ professors and the other half taught by visiting SMU faculty. More than 400 students have graduated from the program since it began in 2014, with graduates earning a reputation as high performers in business and finance.

This fall, more than half of the graduating cohort will begin postgraduate programs around the world, including in Hong Kong, the Netherlands, the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom. Others will enter the workforce directly or begin preparing for the postgraduate entrance exam in China.

Dr. Harjeet Bhabra, Dean of the Sobey School of Business, highlighted the importance of this international education experience in his congratulatory message to this year’s grads, “The uniquely global perspective you have acquired throughout your studies will form the foundation for your future growth as business leaders both in China and beyond. We congratulate all of you on reaching this important milestone, and we wish you continued success as you join the ranks of our extensive alumni community.”    

The longstanding partnership between Saint Mary’s University and Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, dates back to 2002 and has included a range of 2+2 programs in Arts, Business and Science, as well as a number of other exchange programs and summer institutes for students, faculty and members of the community.

More than 40 SMU faculty members from the Sobey School of Business and the Faculty of Arts have travelled to Zhuhai to teach in the Joint Bachelor of Commerce Program since 2016, which has led to collaborative research opportunities with the International Business Faculty at BNUZ.  

We proudly honour the achievements of this year’s graduates in Zhuhai, and we extend our warmest welcome to the newest members of our 55,000+ global alumni network.

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Nova Scotia Provincial Heritage Fair returns to SMU

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Budding young history buffs from across the province converged on campus last week, as Saint Mary’s University hosted the 2023 Nova Scotia Provincial Heritage Fair.

“We were thrilled to welcome students back in person this year,” said the event’s coordinator Dr. Kirrily Freeman, Director of Outreach and Experiential Learning for the Faculty of Arts. “The Heritage Fair encourages young research talent to shine and connect with the expertise of our Arts faculty and heritage partners. It’s so great to be able to do that in person again.”

The annual celebration of history and heritage returned to campus on June 8 and 9 for the first time since June 2019. Virtual versions were offered over the past few years due to the pandemic.

Forty students—some in costume—shared projects on a wide range of topics, after being selected at their school and regional fairs. Subjects this year ranged from the history of the Jingle Dress to Vimy Ridge, Oak Island, ham radios and even local rapper Classified. The learning opportunity is designed for students in Grades 4 through 9, encouraging them to explore Canadian culture, history and heritage while gaining research and public presentation skills.

“By doing these projects, students focus on research and critical thinking. But they also learn how to share that knowledge with the public, and how to explain the significance of events from the past,” said Freeman.

The students and their chaperones arrived June 8 to set up their displays, attend workshops and get acquainted at a banquet with entertainment by Halifax ‘wizard rock’ band The Lovegoods. On June 9, the projects were open for public viewing in the McNally Theatre Auditorium. Students and their parents enjoyed chatting with The Honourable Arthur J. LeBlanc, ONS, KC, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, and Her Honour Mrs. Patsy LeBlanc, who wandered among the displays and stayed for the awards ceremony afterwards.

Educational workshops both days ranged from podcasting to archaeology, and astronomy sessions in the Burke-Gaffney Observatory. Awards recognized student research in such areas as Acadian and Indigenous heritage, environmental history, equity and justice, immigration studies, history of science and technology, military heritage and more. The judging panel included professionals who are active in the fields of culture, history and heritage: history professors, archivists, librarians, museum curators, museum interpreters and more.

Related:

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$25 million landmark investment in Saint Mary’s University

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Loyola Conference Hall was overflowing with excitement on March 8 with students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends celebrating the news of a $25 million investment in the university.  

Announced by the Honorable Brian Wong, Minister of Advanced Education, Saint Mary's University is the recipient of a $25 million investment from the Province of Nova Scotia to expand its programs, research and capacity in healthcare data analytics, management, and leadership, with a focus on creating solutions to improve the province’s healthcare system.   

"I want to thank Premier Tim Houston, Minister Wong, and the provincial government for putting their faith in Saint Mary's University and our ability to improve the health and well-being of Nova Scotians through our excellence in data analytics, health research and professional development expertise," says Alan R. Abraham, Jr. BComm'80, Chair of the Saint Mary's University Board of Governors.  

The $25 million investment marks the most significant single government investment in the history of Saint Mary's University. 

"Thank you to all the faculty, students, and staff who joined us on Wednesday for this landmark announcement," says Erin Sargeant Greenwood, Vice-President of Advancement and External Affairs. "Your support and excitement made this event a resounding success."  

This investment will support the university’s capacity to expand and grow and will include, but not be limited to:   

  • expanding health data analytics programming and research at Saint Mary's. This will support hiring additional faculty members and researchers and creating the right spaces to support growth in our student population and research activity. This includes investments in technology to support teaching, learning and research; 

  • developing management and leadership programming for healthcare professionals. This programming would target healthcare administrators, family doctors, and office directors. Delivery could take several forms, including micro-credentials, diplomas, certificates, and executive professional development; and 

  • expanding the articulation agreements with the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC). This will create and promote new pathways between the healthcare programs at NSCC and undergraduate degree programs at Saint Mary’s University.  

“Community is at the heart of all that we do at Saint Mary’s University,” says Saint Mary’s University President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. “Expanding our focus to support a vital component of any great community, its health and well-being is an excellent part of the solution to improving healthcare in Nova Scotia.”   

This tremendous investment recognizes Saint Mary’s strength in interdisciplinary collaboration and engagement with community. Saint Mary’s students have world-class opportunities while benefiting from exceptional student-faculty relationships. Here, ideas and possibilities from diverse and varying perspectives are nurtured and explored. New pathways, breakthroughs and careers emerge.  

Watch for more news and ways to get involved in maximizing the impact of this opportunity for Saint Mary’s, for our students and faculty and for all Nova Scotians. 

Watch clips from the announcement on March 8, 2023

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The Province of Nova Scotia makes a historic investment in healthcare data analytics and management at Saint Mary’s University

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Brian Wong, Minister of Advanced Education, announced today, March 8, 2023, a historic investment in Saint Mary's University for healthcare data analytics and management programs.   

“The future of patient care is increasingly dependent on new technology and innovation -- our students need to be ready so they can help provide better, faster, and more options for care across the province,” said Brian Wong, Minister of Advanced Education. “We’re fortunate to have post-secondary institutions, like Saint Mary’s, that are ready to help us train the workforce we need to take advantage of these modern tools.”   

The $25 million investment represents a significant step forward to support the future of healthcare in Nova Scotia. The investment also recognizes the success of Saint Mary’s unique programs and strengths in data analytics, management and leadership. 

“I want to thank Premier Tim Houston, Minister Wong, and the provincial government for putting their faith in Saint Mary’s University and our ability to improve the health and well-being of Nova Scotians through our excellence in data analytics, health research and professional development expertise,” says Alan R. Abraham, Jr. BComm'80, Chair of the Saint Mary's University Board of Governors. “Nova Scotia will become a magnet for healthcare provider management and leadership training, led by Saint Mary’s, as a result of this historic investment from the Province of Nova Scotia.”  

A diploma in healthcare data analytics, micro-credentials targeted to support healthcare administrators, office directors and family doctors, and an articulation agreement with the Nova Scotia Community College’s (NSCC) healthcare programs to provide a Bachelor of Science are amongst the new initiatives that form this transformational healthcare investment.  

“Community is at the heart of all that we do at Saint Mary’s University,” says Saint Mary’s University President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. “Expanding our focus to support a vital component of any great community, its health and well-being, is an excellent part of the solution to improving healthcare in Nova Scotia.”  

“Our faculty and researchers have the expertise needed to be solutionists and help build a better Nova Scotia, and I am incredibly proud to share the news of this historic investment in our institution,” adds President Summerby-Murray. “I want to extend my gratitude to the provincial government for their support as we cultivate excellence together.”  

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Telling unheard stories: unlocking museum collections

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The soul of a community is embodied by culture and the telling of stories, but what happens when the stories told are not aligned with lived experiences? Partnering with the Association of Nova Scotia Museums and communities across Nova Scotia, Dr. Kirrily Freeman is working to help museums unlock their collections and ensure that history is told accurately. Her students gain experience ensuring that the history and heritage of African Nova Scotian, Acadian, Gaelic and Mi’kmaq communities are better represented in Nova Scotian museums.  

“Community engagement is integral to the whole process,” says Dr. Freeman. “Communities are telling us what is needed, what is missing and what needs to be done to move forward. This knowledge will influence not just how we proceed but hopefully will shape the future of museum work in the province.” 

Maggie MacIntyre, Executive Director of the Association of Nova Scotia Museums, is excited about the short and long-term benefits of this partnership with Saint Mary's.

“Working with students is giving us the capacity to move community-centered work forward,” she says. “In the long run, we see it playing a big role in creating the next generation of museum professionals.”   

Dr. Freeman says their priority is to ensure marginalized groups have access to their communities’ histories and material culture. “We all benefit from having a more inclusive, more nuanced, more comprehensive representation of the past.”

Did you know? Dr. Kirrily Freeman is piloting two new courses, ‘Museum Fundamentals: Unlocking Community Collections’ and ‘Heritage Field Placement’, as part of a newly proposed Public Humanities and Heritage major in the Faculty of Arts.  

Related stories:


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Researchers identify what could be clusters that contain the first and oldest stars in the universe

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Webb’s First Deep Field. Thousandsof galaxies flood this near-infrared, high-resolution image of galaxy cluster SMACS 0723. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

Researchers at Saint Mary’s University and the University of Toronto have identified what could be clusters that contain the first and oldest stars in the universe.  

The researchers used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to identify the most distant globular clusters ever discovered. These dense groups of millions of stars may be relics that contain the first and oldest stars in the universe. The early analysis of Webb’s First Deep Field image, which depicts some of the universe’s earliest galaxies, is published today in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 

In the finely detailed Webb’s First Deep Field image, the researchers zeroed in on what they’ve dubbed “the Sparkler galaxy,” which is nine billion light years away. This galaxy got its name for the compact objects appearing as small yellow-red dots surrounding it, referred to by the researchers as “sparkles.” The team posited that these sparkles could either be young clusters actively forming stars—born three billion years after the Big Bang at the peak of star formation—or old globular clusters. Globular clusters are ancient collections of stars from a galaxy’s infancy and contain clues about its earliest phases of formation and growth.  

From their initial analysis of 12 of these compact objects, the researchers determined that five of them are not only globular clusters but among the oldest ones known. 

“JWST’s made-in-Canada NIRISS instrument was vital in helping us understand how the three images of the Sparkler and its globular clusters are connected,” says co-author Dr. Marcin Sawicki, Canada Research Chair in Astronomy and professor in the Astronomy and Physics Department at Saint Mary’s. “Seeing several of the Sparkler’s globular clusters imaged three times made it clear that they are orbiting around the Sparkler galaxy rather than being simply in front of it by chance.”  

Dr. Marcin Sawicki

Dr. Sawicki worked with a team of researchers from the Canadian NIRISS Unbiased Cluster Survey (CANUCS) team, including colleagues from at the University of Toronto and a group of six postdocs and students at Saint Mary’s.  

“The oldest clusters we found formed when the universe was just a few percent of its current age.  The stars they contain must be almost as old as the universe itself!” says SMU postdoctoral fellow Dr. Vicente Estrada-Carpenter who worked on the NIRISS data as part of the team.  “Our results show the amazing power of Webb when combined with that of gravitational lensing to study the distant universe in unprecedented detail” adds SMU team member Dr. Guillaume Desprez.  “We are excited about the discoveries that will come when Webb observes five more galaxy clusters as part of the CANUCS program.” 

The Milky Way galaxy has about 150 globular clusters, and how and when exactly these dense clumps of stars formed is not well understood. Astronomers know that globular clusters can be extremely old, but it is incredibly challenging to measure their ages. Using very distant globular clusters to age-date the first stars in distant galaxies has not been done before and is only possible with JWST.  

Until now, astronomers could not see the surrounding compact objects of the Sparkler galaxy with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). This changed with JWST's increased resolution and sensitivity, unveiling the tiny dots surrounding the galaxy for the first time in Webb’s First Deep Field image. The Sparkler galaxy is special because it is magnified by a factor of 100 due to an effect called gravitational lensing — where the SMACS 0723 galaxy cluster in the foreground distorts what is behind it, much like a giant magnifying glass. Moreover, gravitational lensing produces three separate images of the Sparkler, allowing astronomers to study the galaxy in greater detail. 

JWST will observe the CANUCS fields starting in October 2022, leveraging JWST data to examine five massive clusters of galaxies, around which the researchers expect to find more such systems. Future studies will also model the galaxy cluster to understand the lensing effect and execute more robust analyses to explain the star formation histories.  

Collaborating institutions include Canada’s National Research Council, York University and institutions in the United States and Europe. The research was supported by the Canadian Space Agency and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

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Nova Scotia launches new Atlantic Media Preservation Laboratory, Margaret Perry exhibit

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Dr. Jennifer VanderBurgh

Artists, researchers and film lovers will have better access to Atlantic Canada’s remarkable film heritage through a new lab at the Nova Scotia Archives, partially inspired by the work of Saint Mary’s University led research team.

The Atlantic Media Preservation Laboratory, a partnership between the archives and the Atlantic Filmmakers Co-operative, will help ensure film from earlier eras is protected and preserved. The lab will preserve the work of artists like film pioneer Margaret Perry, the subject of the new online exhibit Margaret Perry: A Life in Film.

“Margaret Perry is one of the most influential, yet unknown, people in Nova Scotia in the 20th century,” says Saint Mary’s University Associate Professor Dr. Jennifer VanderBurgh, and lead of the research team examining Margaret Perry and her work. “Her promotional films about the province offer us a glimpse into how Nova Scotia saw itself in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s, or at least how the government wanted others to see the province. Perry was very interested in highlighting women's labour, co-operative labour, and how things were done or made. The films reflect her interests and understanding of Nova Scotia.”

To support the new lab, the Province of Nova Scotia provided $35,000 to the filmmakers co-operative toward a $70,000 archivist Lasergraphics motion picture film scanning systems scanner. The federal government also provided additional funding.

“Archival films have the power to change the world by helping us understand and bring awareness to important issues, events and people of the past,” says Pat Dunn, Minister of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage. “This new specialized film lab is the first of its kind in Atlantic Canada and will help ensure our stories continue to be told.”

The exhibit on Perry’s work officially launched on in September, as part of FIN Atlantic International Film Festival and can be found here.   

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Saint Mary’s research into sustainable agriculture and more efficient 3D modeling receives federal funding

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The Science Building at Saint Mary’s University.

Research into sustainable agriculture and more data-efficient 3D modeling will benefit from newly announced federal funding through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF).

Funding for biology researcher Dr. David Chiasson will allow him to explore sustainable agriculture practices in a project titled “Symbiotic nitrogen fixation in legume plants.”  

Dr. David Chiasson

“A central goal of sustainable agricultural practice is to provide nutritious food and plant products while minimizing the impact on the environment,” says Dr. Chiasson. “Legume plants such as beans, alfalfa, and clover are a key component of sustainable agriculture since they do not require nitrogen fertilizer for growth. This unique group of plants forms a symbiotic relationship with soil bacteria called rhizobia. Rhizobia can convert nitrogen gas from the atmosphere into nitrogen fertilizer for the plant in a process termed nitrogen fixation. This association therefore reduces the need for applied nitrogen fertilizers in agriculture.”

The production of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers consumes vast quantities of fossil fuels, and their application leads to negative environmental outcomes such as greenhouse gas emissions and contaminated water resources. Coupled with the rising price of fertilizers, farmers are increasingly turning to legumes as a sustainable means of adding nitrogen to the soil.  

“The long-term goal of this project is to increase the productivity of legume plants,” explains Dr. Chiasson. “This research will provide the knowledge base for strategies aimed to reduce the environmental impact of the agricultural sector while increasing the productivity of our crops. An improved understanding of the nitrogen-fixation symbiosis is both timely and essential as we move towards a future of more environmentally responsible farming practices in Canada.”

Dr. Jiju Poovvancheri, a researcher in the mathematics and computing science department, received funding for a project titled “Research Infrastructure for Large-scale 3D Geometry Acquisition and Modeling.”  

“The CFI fund will be used to set up the lab and purchase research equipment including an AI server, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) scanner and high-performance workstations capable of acquiring and processing large-scale three-dimensional data,” says Dr. Poovvancheri.

Dr. Jiju Poovvancheri

Current practices in city modeling include acquiring raw measurements of the physical world using LiDAR sensors and turning the sensor data into three dimensional meshes. Large-scale meshes created in this manner normally contain trillions of triangles, putting a huge burden on rendering, data transfer and storage of applications. Furthermore, most of the reconstructed meshes lack geometric details and therefore do not represent a good choice for 3D navigation, and AR/VR.  

“High fidelity digital representations of cities are essential for modern-day applications such as urban planning, 3D navigation, and augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR),” explains Dr. Poovvancheri. “This project aims at bridging existing gaps in urban modeling pipeline by developing an AI (Artificial Intelligence) driven urban modeling software ecosystem consisting of algorithms, tools, and data for creating lightweight and highly detailed 3D urban models.”

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced more than $64 million to support 251 research infrastructure projects at 40 universities across Canada.

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Competition to solve freshwater issues begins in Atlantic Canada

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Field sampling is an important part of the work Environmental Science students do in classes and in research work with professors. Photo Credit: Dr. Linda Campbell

A competition to solve Atlantic Canadian water issues through technology, innovation and entrepreneurship begins this week. The competition is organized by AquaAction in partnership with Saint Mary’s University. 

“We are excited to bring the AquaHacking Challenge back to Atlantic Canada,” says Dr. Anne-Pascale Richardson, AquaHacking Challenge Program Manager at AquaAction. “AquaAction’s mission is to restore freshwater health in North America. We do this by engaging with local communities to empower talented young innovators and support them as they work to improve freshwater in their region. The first Atlantic Canada AquaHacking Challenge was a great success, and we look forward to this year’s competition.” 

Atlantic Canada is home to a spectacular system of dynamic freshwater and marine environments. Water is core to ecosystems and communities across the region. The Atlantic Canada AquaHacking Challenge brings students, developers, designers, scientists, programmers, engineers, technology enthusiasts and entrepreneurs together to form interdisciplinary teams to tackle different freshwater challenges facing these important ecosystems. 

The issues they’ll be focusing on are:  

  1. Innovations for alteration projects in Lakes and Rivers
    Water Issue Leader: Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change - Water Branch

  2. Affordable Automated Water Quality Monitoring
    Water Issue Leader: Eastern Charlotte Waterways Inc.

  3. Saltwater Intrusion
    Water Issue Leader: Clean Foundation’s Clean Coasts team

  4. Aquatic Invasive species
    Water Issue Leader: Coastal Action

  5. Green Infrastructure (Stormwater Prevention)
    Water Issue Leader: ACAP Saint John

 

“AquaHacking is the type of interdisciplinary competition that allows students and young people to apply their knowledge to practical, real-world situations,” says Michael Sanderson, Director of the Saint Mary’s University Entrepreneurship Centre (SMUEC). “We are proud to partner with AquaAction to bring this great competition back to Atlantic Canada.” 

Participants should have an interest in problem solving, collaborating with students from various faculties and applying innovative solutions to bring impactful change to communities in the Atlantic region. They are required to be between 18-35 years of age, a resident of Canada within the Atlantic region and enrolled in a post-secondary institution or be a recent graduate. The entire team doesn’t need to be residing in the Atlantic region, but the majority of the team should be within the Atlantic region.  

“Our students are excited and ready to challenge the freshwater issues facing Atlantic Canada,” says Adam Khamis, the Project Coordinator of Skills, Development and Training with SMUEC. “This competition is a dynamic blend of entrepreneurship, social action and science that offers students a unique opportunity to work with people in areas they may not otherwise have discovered.”  

After working on their pitches for nine months, all teams will have the opportunity to pitch their solution during the AquaHacking semi-final event. The top teams are selected from these pitches to go on to phase two of the program.  These finalists receive $2,000 to support the continuation of their work as they refine their solution in preparation for their pitch at the AquaHacking finale. All five finalist teams are winners, receiving kick-start business training, leadership training, a spot in a local incubator, Lavery Lawyers credits and seed funding based on their final ranking. 

For more information about the challenge, how to participate and the great partners that support the competition, visit https://aquaaction.org/challenge/atlantic-canada-2022-23/.  

About AquaAction 

AquaAction is a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring the health of freshwater by engaging young innovators in solutions creation and supporting the activation of their technologies. Its flagship program is the AquaHacking Challenge, a tech innovation competition which aims to engage university students in developing new solutions to water issues. Recently AquaAction developed the AquaHacking alumni and AquaEntrepreneur Québec. Across Canada, 36 water technology startups have emerged from the Challenge. AquaAction was established by the De Gaspé Beaubien Foundation in 2015, is powered by the RBC Foundation since 2018, accelerated by Ovivo since 2017 and supported by several partners including IBM Canada, Lavery Lawyers, and Mitacs. 

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Celebrating excellence: Dr. Danika van Proosdij elected as a new Fellow of The Royal Society of Canada

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Dr. Danika van Proosdij

Saint Mary’s University is proud to share that Dr. Danika van Proosdij has been elected as one of the new Fellows by The Royal Society of Canada (RSC) and its members.  

“Being elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada is an incredible honour. It should come as no surprise to anyone who has had the pleasure of working with Danika that her outstanding contributions to her field of research are being recognized,” says Dr. Adam Sarty, Associate Vice-President, Research, and Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at Saint Mary’s University. 

Dr. van Proosdij is the Director of TransCoastal Adaptations: Centre for Nature-Based Solutions and a professor with the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Saint Mary’s. Dr. van Proosdij is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and is studying how coastal systems respond to natural and human drivers of change and is leveraging this understanding to integrate nature-based adaptation options in the protection of coastal communities. She has over 25 years of applied ecosystem-based coastal adaptation projects and vulnerability assessments in Canada and abroad.  

One hundred and two new Fellows have been elected by their peers for their outstanding scholarly, scientific and artistic achievements. Recognition by the RSC for career achievement is the highest honour an individual can achieve in the Arts, Social Sciences and Sciences. 

On Friday, November 25, 2022, the RSC will welcome the 2022 class of new Fellows and new Members of the RSC College and present awards for outstanding research and scholarly achievement. The ceremonies will be held in person in Calgary, Alberta.  

Founded in 1882, the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) comprises the Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences and The College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. The RSC recognizes excellence, advises the government and the larger society, and promotes a culture of knowledge and innovation in Canada and with other national academies around the world. 

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SMU Huskies Esports is taking shape

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A student plays Rocket League in the new home of SMU Huskies Esports, the Esports Arena.

SMU Huskies Esports is taking shape at Saint Mary's University. Student-athletes are preparing, and identification camps will take place this month to establish the teams and Esports available for competition.   

"I think it's great," says Audrie Yue Min Au, a 3rd-year student majoring in Computing and Information Systems at Saint Mary's. "Esports, as an industry, has a level of organization and viewership that is comparable to that of traditional sports like football and basketball. So why not treat it like other sports? It also has the added bonus of being accessible to new players because anyone who has a laptop can play games online and join a community." 

Enterprise Information Technology and the Department of Athletics and Recreation are collaborating on Huskies Esports. There will be two streams available to students: recreational and competitive. The recreational stream will feature drop-in play sessions, tournaments, and other activities. The competitive stream is being established this fall. It will see our Huskies compete against other colleges and universities in games such as the vehicular-based, rocket-powered soccer game, Rocket League, and the team-based multiplayer online fantasy battle arena, League of Legends. For both streams, their home base on campus is the new Esports Arena at the heart of campus in the McNally East basement, ME009. 

"Esports offers students a unique opportunity to get involved, whether recreationally or competitively, within a growing industry and community," says Connor Miller BComm'16, Coach of the League of Legends competitive team. "Bringing Esports to campus is an excellent idea. I am excited to be a part of it, to give back to my university and help build a positive culture around Esports at Saint Mary's." 

Esports means competitive video games. It is sometimes referred to as 'competitive gaming', 'pro gaming', or 'egaming'. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, with athletes competing individually or as teams. This can be through structured leagues including varsity college, university associations, competitive circuits, or tournament play for the purpose of entertainment, prizes, or money. 

Esports has seen a considerable surge in popularity and professionalism in recent years and is a billion-dollar global industry. Over 23 million Canadians play video games, with an average player age of 34 years old. Canada’s video game industry has grown into one of the largest and most successful in the world, with more than 900 active video game studios. The video game industry adds $4.5 billion annually to Canada’s GDP. As a business and art form, the industry is an emerging academic study and research area.   

Identification camps take place this month for the competitive stream and are as follows:  

  • Friday, Sept. 16 – League of Legends  

  • Monday, Sept. 19 – Rocket League 

  • Thursday, Sept. 22 . – Apex Legends 

  • Tuesday, Sept. 27 – Valorant 

More details on the I.D. camps will come shortly.  

For those interested in getting involved as a student-athlete, coach or team staff and need more information, reach out via email at esports@smu.ca.