Dr. Rohini Bannerjee
Saint Mary’s is pleased to announce that Dr. Rohini Bannerjee has been appointed as Associate Vice-President, Diversity Excellence. This is a new position for Saint Mary’s University and reflects an increasing focus on EDIA (Equity, Diversity Inclusion and Accessibility) at the university.
"Much of the work I have been doing on the side of my desk these past 15 years at Saint Mary's is now front and centre in my new role,” says Dr. Bannerjee. “I am grateful for this opportunity."
Dr. Bannerjee will work with the new Associate Vice-President, People and Culture, Mark Moffett, and the Diversity and Inclusion Advisor, Deborah Brothers-Scott, among other university leaders to support accessibility and inclusivity on campus for all persons, with a particular focus on the academic environment. Dr. Bannerjee brings academic and lived experience to the role and will not hesitate to challenge existing structures at the university.
“It is important that the leadership for change comes from within, with knowledge of culture and where change is needed,” says Dr. Malcolm Butler, Vice-President, Academic and Research. “We are pleased to have Dr. Bannerjee in this new role where she will use her convictions and experience as an acknowledged advocate for cultural understanding and engagement, along with her solid knowledge of our institution, to lead us in becoming a truly inclusive university.”
Dr. Bannerjee is an Associate Professor in the Department of Languages and Cultures and has taught courses in French language, Francophone literature and culture, Asian Studies, Women & Gender Studies, International Development Studies and Intercultural Studies. Her primary area of research is in Francophone Literatures and Cultures of the Indian Ocean, research that brought her to the University of Mumbai in 2019 as a Visiting Professor and to Mauritius where she co-organized an international Francophonie conference with Dalhousie University and the University of Mauritius. Born and raised in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, daughter of immigrants from Himachal Pradesh, India, Dr. Bannerjee has also published short stories and poetry, in English and in French, in Canada, Spain and India.