Dr. Wendy Carroll receives the Dr. Geraldine Thomas Educational Leadership Award

Dr. Wendy Carroll (right) receives the Dr. Geraldine Thomas Educational Leadership Award from Dr. Madine VanderPlaat, Associate Dean of Arts

In 2007, the Quality of Teaching Committee (now the Senate Committee on Learning and Teaching) established an Educational Leadership Award to recognize the faculty who develop, enhance, and promote the quality of teaching at Saint Mary’s and beyond. The Committee gratefully acknowledges the support of the Saint Mary’s University Faculty Union for this award. The award is named for Dr. Geraldine Thomas, national teaching award winner and founding member of the Quality of Teaching Committee. Throughout her academic career, Dr. Thomas supported efforts to improve teaching and learning within the University, the Atlantic region, and nationally.

Dr. Carroll is an award-winning teacher and researcher who is an Associate Professor and the Director of the EMBA program. As an educator, Dr. Carroll has worked boldly to advance the quality of education in business programs in the Sobey School and to raise the profile of Saint Mary’s as a centre of excellence in evidence-based management. In all that she does, Dr. Carroll is an advocate for using evidence-based approaches. Her teaching has motivated students to answer challenging questions about human resource management and to transfer this knowledge to practice. Her excellence as an educator is evidenced by the seven teaching awards she has received in the past eight years.

Dr. Carroll’s research focuses on current issues and challenges in human resource management and leadership. In July 2016, she was awarded a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) grant for work on exploring employee silence in organizations after unjust events, such as harassment or bullying. She has advised and mentored students to examine the evidence about a variety of human resource practices and worked with them to share the findings through conference presentations and other publications. Through scholarship and workshops, Dr. Carroll is committed to sharing her pedagogical approach and methods with colleagues within and outside of the University.

Dr. Carroll’s commitment to enhancing decision making goes beyond the classroom and takes her into a number of practitioner forums to share knowledge about evidence-based HR. As an early associate of Center for Evidence-based Management, Dr. Carroll subscribes to the principles of knowledge mobilization and sharing by presenting at HR conferences, and at other practitioner associations. For her role as an educator and researcher impacting practice, Dr. Carroll was named one of the top HR professionals of 2016 in Canada by Canadian HR Reporter Magazine

Dr. David Bourgeois wins Father William A. Stewart Medal for Excellence in Teaching

Dr. David Bourgeois receives the Father William A. Stewart Medal for Excellence in Teaching from Mary-Evelyn Ternan (BA’69, BEd’70, MEd’88), Past President of the Saint Mary's Alumni Association

Dr. David Bourgeois, Associate Professor of Psychology, is known for offering students interactive, hands-on learning experiences. He respects diverse learning needs and places great importance on cross-cultural education.

Aside from teaching in the classroom, Dr. Bourgeois shares talks and lectures with the broader community, including Nova Scotia school teachers, prospective Saint Mary’s students and their parents, and visiting academics from Beijing Normal University. He also created the Documentaries with Dave series, which is open to the public and covers social justice issues and politics. Dr. Bourgeois’ interest in Peace and Conflict Studies is demonstrated in his role as a faculty mentor in the Northern Ireland Conflict Resolution Program (NICRP); this initiative has existed at Saint Mary’s since 2004 and has included more than 180 students in its mission of fostering peace education locally and abroad. Dr. Bourgeois also contributed significantly to the development of the University’s new Peace and Conflict Studies minor, and he has been a member of the Board of Directors for Peaceful Schools International, a partner organization of the NICRP, for over a decade.

Committed to university affairs, Dr. Bourgeois serves on a number of Saint Mary’s committees, including the Faculty of Science Curriculum Committee, the Academic Discipline Committee, the Social Benefits Committee of the Faculty Union, and the Conflict Resolution Advisory Committee.

The Medal for Excellence in Teaching is named for the late Father William A. Stewart, a philosophy professor and administrator at Saint Mary’s from 1950-1982. Father Stewart was known for his inclusivity, approachability, innovative teaching, and service to the University.

Saint Mary’s University celebrates the achievements of four exceptional leaders

Dominic Barton

Dr. Bernie Francis

Paul Gauthier

Robert (Rob) G. Steele

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The accomplishments of four exceptional leaders will be recognized this May with honorary degrees at Saint Mary’s University’s Spring Convocation 2018.

The University is pleased to recognize the extraordinary achievements of:

• Dominic Barton, a global managing partner of consulting firm McKinsey & Company, who is committed to the internationalization of Canadian universities and colleges. He leads his company’s focus on the role business leadership plays in creating long-term social and economic value.
   
• Dr. Bernie Francis, a thoughtful and passionate voice for the Mi'kmaw people, who has helped preserve the Mi’kmaw language through an easy-to-learn orthography, which is officially recognized by Mi’kmaw chiefs across the province and by the Canada-Nova Scotia-Mi’kmaw Tripartite Forum. 
   
• Paul Gauthier, one of Canada’s most successful entrepreneurs. He is the founder and president of the Cole Harbour Foundation, a non-profit focused on improving educational opportunities for children and youth, which has helped many Saint Mary’s students over the years.
   
• Robert (Rob) G. Steele, one of Atlantic Canada's top chief executive officers. With more than 18 years in the communications industry, he is a Canadian Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame inductee. In addition, he has an impressive record of success in the auto sales sector where he has built the region’s largest and most diversified automobile group.

“Saint Mary’s University recognizes the important role that leadership and innovation play in the growth of our institution and the Atlantic region,” said Saint Mary’s University President Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. “Our honorary degree recipients are leaders in business, culture and philanthropy, people who drive growth and prosperity. We are incredibly proud they are joining the Saint Mary’s community, and we look forward with excitement to Convocation and the conferring of their honorary degrees.”

The honorary degree recipients will receive their degrees later this May at Saint Mary’s University’s Spring Convocation 2018, which runs from May 16 to May 18.

Honorary Degree: Rob Steele

Robert (Rob) G. Steele, Doctor of Commerce, Honoris Causa
President & CEO, Newfoundland Capital Corporation Limited CEO, Steele Auto Group

Rob Steele

Recognized as one of Atlantic Canada's top chief executive officers, entrepreneur Rob Steele is a natural-born trailblazer.

With more than 18 years in the communications industry, Mr. Steele, a Canadian Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame inductee, also has an impressive record of success in the auto sales sector; he has built the region’s largest and most diversified automobile group.

Through meaningful and targeted philanthropy, Mr. Steele’s companies, Newcap Radio and the Steele Auto Group, support many charitable causes, and he is personally involved with the Alzheimer's Society, the Mental Health Foundation, Family SOS, Daffodil House, Feed Nova Scotia, and the Arthritis Society.

Committed to giving back to the community, Mr. Steele currently sits on the boards of Montreal-based Stingray Digital and Atlantic Signature Mortgage of Halifax. He also serves as a director of the Halifax Mooseheads and is on the advisory committee for Junior Achievement of Nova Scotia; he will be inducted into the Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame in June of this year.

Mr. Steele is past co-chair of the East Coast Music Awards (ECMA) event committee and continues to be involved with the ECMAs in an advisory capacity. He is also a former Halifax Metro Chamber of Commerce board member and former director of Advancement Nova Scotia, an advocacy organization designed to help build a stronger Nova Scotia economy.

Honorary Degree: Dr. Bernie Francis

Dr. Bernie Francis, Doctor of Civil Law, Honoris Causa
Author, Linguist, Advocate

Dr. Bernie Francis

A thoughtful and passionate voice for the Mi'kmaw people, Dr. Bernie Francis, along with his mentor and friend, Doug Smith, helped preserve the Mi’kmaw language through an easy-to-learn orthography, which is officially recognized by Mi’kmaw chiefs across the province and by the Canada-Nova Scotia-Mi’kmaw Tripartite Forum.

Raised in Cape Breton’s Maupeltu (Membertou) First Nation, Dr. Francis initiated Nova Scotia’s Court Worker Program (CWP). Facing opposition and some harassment, he worked for five years to establish the CWP to ensure the fair and proper treatment of Mi’kmaw people within the provincial and federal court systems.

Dr. Francis, a Grand Chief Donald Marshall Senior Memorial Elder Award recipient, later introduced a Mi’kmaw Language Studies Program at Cape Breton University. He also visited First Nations’ communities across the Atlantic provinces, helping teachers produce curriculum materials.

An author of academic articles on Mi’kmaw law, Mi’kmaw spirituality, the conceptual differences of thought between Mi’kmaw People and Europeans and books explaining Mi’kmaw tradition and language, Dr. Francis has contributed to the Saint Mary's University community through participation in numerous colloquia, seminars, and conferences.

As a published storyteller and successful linguist, Dr. Francis has expanded people’s understanding of the Mi'kmaw language and geographical vision of traditional Mi’kmaw territory, including Nova Scotia. His work has contributed so much to the appreciation of Mi'kma'ki – even among his own people.

Pride has arisen in leaps and bounds, raising great hope for future generations of the First Peoples of this land, Mi’kma’ki!

Honorary Degree: Paul Gauthier

Paul Gauthier, Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa
Founder & President, Cole Harbour Foundation

Paul Gauthier

Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, native Paul Gauthier is one of Canada’s most successful entrepreneurs. As founder and president of the Cole Harbour Foundation, a non-profit focused on improving educational opportunities for children and youth, Mr. Gauthier has a close connection to Saint Mary's through the many students his Foundation has helped over the years.

The Cole Harbour Foundation supports the children and youth of Cole Harbour, from birth through university graduation. It provides thousands of free books each month for parents to read to their infants and pre-schoolers. The Foundation supports students through math and literacy tutoring and by offering classroom materials to teachers. And this year, the Foundation will award its 100th university scholarship.

Previous to launching the Cole Harbour Foundation, Mr. Gauthier was the chief technology officer at Groupon, where he worked to scale the global platform for local e-commerce. Before his time there, he co-founded Inktomi, a Silicon Valley-based software business that developed search engine technology employed by some of the world’s biggest brands. He was also a co-founder of Ludic Labs; there, he designed and developed a new class of online promotional tools.

With a bold and ambitious vision to protect The 100 Wild Islands along Nova Scotia’s eastern shore, Mr. Gauthier is also a strategic environmentalist. He donated what is believed to be the largest philanthropic gift to environmental conservation in Nova Scotia’s history.

Honorary Degree: Dominic Barton

Dominic Barton, Doctor of Commerce, Honoris Causa
Global Managing Partner, McKinsey & Company London-based

Dominic Barton

Dominic Barton, global managing partner of consulting firm McKinsey & Company, is committed to the internationalization of Canadian universities and colleges; he leads his company’s focus on the role business leadership plays in creating long-term social and economic value.

Author of more than 80 articles on business and society, the issues and opportunities facing markets worldwide, and other related topics, Mr. Barton is the chair of the Canadian Minister of Finance’s Advisory Council on Economic Growth and of the Seoul International Business Advisory Council.

A trustee of the Rhodes Trust and the Brookings Institution, Mr. Barton has received multiple accolades for his corporate leadership and contributions to the communities in which he has lived and worked.

Ahead of becoming McKinsey’s managing partner, Mr. Barton served as its Shanghai-based Asia chairman. Before that, Mr. Barton headed McKinsey's Korea office. In recognition of this work, he was awarded South Korea’s Order of Civil Merit and received the Singaporean Public Service Star.

Mr. Barton, an honorary fellow at Brasenose College and an adjunct professor at Beijing’s Tsinghua University, is also a member of the Singapore Economic Development Board’s International Advisory Council. He also serves on the boards of the University of Oxford Saïd Business School, Memorial Sloan Kettering, the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, and FCLT Global.