At a Canada-wide annual general meeting held November 29 on Zoom, Dr. S. Karly Kehoe became President of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. The role carries a two-year term and means Dr. Kehoe is also a member of the RSC Board of Directors.
Dr. S. Karly Kehoe
“It’s important for Atlantic Canada,” says Kehoe. “It puts our early- to mid-career scholars on the national map, and that’s empowering.”
The College of New Scholars represents Canada's emerging generation of scholarly, scientific and artistic leaders. Elected members have demonstrated artistic or research excellence within 15 years of their post-doctoral program or its equivalent.
For faculty members in small-to-medium-sized universities, membership in the College can help boost the national profile of their contributions to Canada’s research ecosystem, Kehoe says. First elected to the College in 2017, she is an associate professor of History at Saint Mary’s, graduate coordinator of Atlantic Canada Studies, and the Canada Research Chair in Atlantic Canada Communities.
Her new presidency comes with a lot of responsibility, but it’s a great opportunity, she says. She looks forward to working with colleagues on key priorities, including Reconciliation, increasing interdisciplinary collaboration within the College, and fostering a close relationship between the College and the RSC. One primary focus of collaboration right now is a joint Covid-19 Task Force.
“Internationalization is important for me as well,” adds Kehoe. “Making those connections with similar organizations elsewhere. It’s very good to have Canadian scholars at the table and participating in moving forward the important research development discussions happening around the world.”
Her primary research areas are religion, migration, and minority identities in the British Atlantic. Still, she’s also interested in sustainable development and rural change in Nova Scotia and the Scottish Highlands. She runs the SMU Emerging Researcher Program, a 12-week program for grades 11 and 12 students in rural Cape Breton. She also leads the Gorsebrook Research Institute for Atlantic Canada Studies and is an alumna of the Global Young Academy and the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Young Academy of Scotland.
Kehoe is a strong advocate for displaced, refugees and at-risk academics. She recently co-edited the book, Responsibility for Refugee and Migrant Integration, released in 2019. This year saw the publication of British Colonization in Atlantic Canada, 1700-1900: A Reappraisal, co-edited with SMU colleague Dr. Michael E. Vance.
Her research continues on 'A Catholic Atlantic? Minority Agency in the British World, 1763-1860', supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. This fall, a related conference was scheduled to take place at Saint Mary's but postponed due to the pandemic. With support from CLARI, Kehoe is also embarking on an exciting project on Nova Scotia's South Shore, titled "Kingsburg: A Social and Economic History in 10 Objects" with Dr. Seán Kennedy of the Irish Studies program and students in her Community Leadership course.
The Faculty of Arts at Saint Mary’s has four more scholars associated with the Royal Society of Canada. Dr. Peter Twohig, Associate Dean of Arts, and Dr. Gavin Fridell, Canada Research Chair in International Development Studies, and Dr. R. Blake Brown, Professor of History, are members of the College of New Scholars. Dr. John Reid, Professor Emeritus of History and Atlantic Canada Studies, is a Fellow of the RSC’s Academy of the Arts and Humanities.
Kehoe first got involved as an active member of the RSC’s Atlantic chapter and highly recommends it. “What a great bunch of people to work with. It’s important for us to work together to see how we can harness the cutting-edge research that is happening here for the benefit of the region, and also make it more accessible to communities beyond the universities.”
The Royal Society of Canada has existed since 1882. Established in 2014, the College of New Scholars now has more than 370 members. Learn more at rsc-src.ca/en/college-members.