Unveiling the Sobey School of Business Community Revitalization & Prosperity Network

Saint Mary’s University has unveiled the Sobey School of Business Community Revitalization & Prosperity Network.

Established as a recovery network for communities and businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, the Sobey School Community Revitalization & Prosperity Network puts the university’s academic and industry experts’ perspectives into service, supporting the recovery of the regional economy. 

Experts are drawn from faculty, research centres, alumni and partners in industry. They will tackle subjects including how data analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence can serve in business recovery; how retirement savings will be affected; and how the retail industry can recover.  

“People describe our current situation as unprecedented, but universities have come through these sorts of times before,” says Saint Mary’s University President Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. “The successful universities have done so by embracing transformation and harnessing the dynamics of extraordinary circumstances to help their communities. This prosperity network brings our experts into the community at a time when they are needed most.”

Through this network, the University will foster a resilient community of innovation and support for Nova Scotia’s businesses and communities and provide resources for entrepreneurs and business leaders, including:

• experts businesses and governments can consult to help navigate the economic recovery;

• evidence-informed free webinars to help communities and businesses recover from the pandemic;

• an opportunity to receive discussion papers and advance invitations to online events; and

• blog posts and opinion editorials with which to engage, and share thoughts and knowledge.

Saint Mary’s University has been actively engaged in responding to the pandemic—providing  personal protective equipment, COVID-19 related research and free business coaching and expert advice for entrepreneurs, businesses and government. The Sobey School of Business and the Entrepreneurship Centre have been at the forefront of these efforts, in keeping with their roles and long tradition as a driver of business excellence, entrepreneurship and economic strength in the region.

“We must come out of this crisis stronger, and we know that will take a coordinated effort across all sectors of our economy,” says Harjeet Bhabra, Dean of the Sobey School of Business. “We anticipate this project will enable meaningful collaborations between our Sobey School researchers, industry experts and those on the frontlines, sparking the innovation that will revitalize our economy. We want our joint efforts to produce a more prosperous province for all Nova Scotians.”

Saint Mary’s University and the Sobey School of Business have long been committed to making a positive impact on local and global business practice and the region’s economy. In the Sobey School’s strategic plan, Elevating Impact, the school committed to “Engage with the broader community to enrich learning and discovery, and address issues of local and global significance.” The COVID-19 pandemic has had a drastic effect on the economy around the globe. Governments protected their citizens by curtailing public life, including commerce. Lives have been saved, and peoples’ health protected by these means. As the region begins the hard work of restarting the economy, the Sobey School of Business is prepared to play an essential role in helping Nova Scotia businesses and communities cope. 

The first free webinar is scheduled for July 16: Business in the COVID-19 Era and Beyond: Using Data Analytics to Achieve Sustainable Recovery and Growth.

In addition to the no-cost resources offered by the Sobey School of Business Prosperity Network, there are paid courses offered through the Sobey School of Business Executive and Professional Development program that address some of the specifics around coping with COVID-19, including financial planning during the pandemic’s uncertainty; mindfulness and stress; new manager skills; and leading virtually.

Saint Mary’s researcher to study the effect of COVID-19 on dating, romance and sex

Dating can be difficult at the best of times, and social distancing requirements, face masks, and limited access to restaurants and bars during a global pandemic make finding new romantic partners even more difficult.

This issue has inspired a new survey that looks at how the COVID-19 pandemic has potentially changed how we feel about ourselves in terms of dating and romantic relationships. Respondents will be asked to complete a series of surveys examining their attitudes about sexuality, how many sexual partners they have had or wish to have, how they feel about themselves, and how much money they have recently spent on items related to appearance.

"This is a fascinating time to conduct research because people are having to adjust, to be creative in the way they date," said Dr. Maryanne Fisher, the Saint Mary's University researcher conducting the study. "Online dating websites are reporting a surge of membership enrollments and messages between users, which indicates people are trying to make connections, and potentially different types of connections, than ever before. I'm really intrigued by how we view ourselves as mates has changed due to the pandemic."

Dr. Maryanne Fisher, a researcher and professor of Psychology at Saint Mary's, has been studying these issues since 2017 and is tracking changes over time. She is an expert on the evolutionary foundations of human interpersonal relationships. Her primary research areas include the evolutionary foundations of human interpersonal relationships and women's mating strategies and indicators of female physical attractiveness.

This survey on the effects of COVID-19 on dating and romantic relationships, as well as perceptions of self-worth and attractiveness, will require about 20 minutes to complete. We have removed the collection of IP addresses in an effort to anonymize the responses, and you will not be asked your name or other identifying information. We are seeking volunteers 18+ to complete the confidential now.

Click here to take the survey.

Saint Mary’s University Language Centre takes world-renowned certification course online

COVID-19 is changing the way we study, work and live, and that includes how the Saint Mary’s University Language Centre offers its world-renowned Cambridge course for teaching English. The Cambridge Authorised Teaching Awards Centre at the language centre is now offering the opportunity to gain the Cambridge CELTA qualification 100 percent online in just five weeks. 

“If you have considered taking this course in the past, now is a good time to gain an internationally-recognized teaching English as a second language certificate online from the comfort of your home,” says Julian L’Enfant, CELTA Administrator at Saint Mary’s University. “You will receive the same rigorous training from our expert tutors in a dynamic online environment and teach real students from the local community.”

The CELTA is the gold standard teaching qualification with three out of four employers requesting CELTA for English language teaching jobs worldwide. Candidates will complete all of the training, teaching practice and assignments online and have access to the opportunities available to all CELTA graduates upon successful completion of the course. The CELTA is for anyone interested in starting a career as an English teacher, or for experienced teachers interested in developing their skills. 

For more information and to download the application form and pre-interview task, click here or email CELTA@smu.ca.

Sobey School researcher looking into the factors that may impact COVID-19 transmission

Dr. Yigit Aydede leads a research project that brings together data on the effects of weather, climate and local air quality, along with social mobility, to determine their effects on the transmission of COVID-19. The project was recently funded through the Nova Scotia COVID-10 Health Research Coalition.

Dr. Yigit Aydede

“The expectation is that warmer days will mean lower transmission,” noted Sobey School of Business economics professor Aydede. “The assimilation of this data is going to be one of the best policy tools in terms of understanding the risk awareness, expectations and forecasting. This project will help the government determine the possible effects of mobility restrictions.”

Dr. Aydede said the project can only be done locally. “We are not the only one. This kind of research is being done around the world. You can’t take a model from, say, Amsterdam and use it here. It has to be local.”

The study will harness techniques of machine learning and neural networks to crunch vast amounts of data, examining them for relationships. Researchers will examine high-dimensional air quality and atmospheric data localized to a street-by-street basis, alongside satellite weather data, looking at their impacts on respiratory health. It will also factor in publicly available data from Google and Apple on social mobility, including not only what the reason for mobility is (shopping or recreation, for instance), but also what type of mobility is employed: car, transit, or walking, for example. Finally, they will pull in the publicly-available 811 and COVID testing data provided by the Nova Scotia government.

The weather and air quality data are coming from several different companies, two of which are based in Boston and Israel, called ClimaCell and Breezometer respectively. The actual analysis will rely on the robust processing platforms of Google and Amazon.

The funding was part of the Nova Scotia COVID-19 Health Research Coalition. Dr. Aydede is the principal investigator, and leads a collaborative team of co-investigators including Dr. Mutlu Yuksel (Dalhousie) and Dr. Daniel Silver (Acadia). The project is a partnership with MLport (a research portal on machine learning Dr. Aydede helped found), Acadia’s Institute for Data Analytics (AIDA), and Saint Mary’s University’s CLARI, the Change Lab Action Research Initiative.

The project team initially came together in 2018 to examine the data relating to chronic respiratory illness, such as asthma. When COVID-19 began infecting the Atlantic region, they recognized there would be value in pivoting to address the urgent needs brought by the pandemic. The project has received additional funding from Mitacs. Dr. Aydede notes that most of the project funding will go to support the staff required for the data analysis, including graduate students. 

The COVID-19 Health Research Coalition is dedicated to fostering a research environment that engages our academic partnerships and responds to the current needs of Nova Scotians and our health system, in addition to maintaining the expertise in innovative research, discovery science, population/social sciences, and health system improvement.

Exploring ways to help Nova Scotian pulp mills produce medical-grade pulp for N95 respirator production

Dr. Christa Brosseau (left)

A Saint Mary’s University researcher is leading a project to help address a key support needed for the COVID-19 pandemic: personal protective equipment and their components.

“As a result of COVID-19, there is a massively increased global demand for N95 respirators,” says Dr. Christa Brosseau. “New technologies are urgently needed to help manage impending shortages, ideally with ’home-grown’ solutions.”

Dr. Christa Brosseau is a professor in Saint Mary’s University’s Faculty of Science and Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Chemistry & Materials. Her project will explore innovative chemical strategies to help determine if Nova Scotian pulp mills can produce medical-grade pulp for N95 respirator production. A recent grant from Research Nova Scotia will help propel this work forward.

N95 masks are typically composed primarily of synthetic polymer materials (polypropylene, polyester) with cellulose sometimes incorporated into one of the many layers that make up the respirator. At present, a single mill in Canada is producing medical grade pulp and they are struggling to keep up with the increased demand.

“Over the years, there has been an increased interest in making N95 respirators using only wood pulp”, says Dr. Brosseau. “However, wood pulp typically lacks certain properties that translate into effective respirator material.”

Dr. Brosseau’s team, in collaboration with the pulp and paper industry in Nova Scotia, will develop and test chemical additives that can address key challenges in the production of medical-grade pulp from thermomechanical pulp. Using combined expertise in the areas of chemical synthesis, materials characterization and process development, they will work towards an innovative “made-in-Nova Scotia” approach for creation of a product similar to the Western red cedar formulation currently produced in British Columbia.

If successful, this project could help meet the needs of frontline healthcare workers by supplying adequate PPE protection from COVID-19 while also supporting the Nova Scotian pulp and paper industry. The research team will work collaboratively with Port Hawkesbury Paper Mill who will provide thermomechanical pulp for experimentation.

“Although this research project was identified through our COVID research response initiative, it could also have a positive impact on the Nova Scotia forestry sector”, says Stefan Leslie, CEO of Research Nova Scotia. “As we pursue both a sustainable forestry industry and a response to the COVID pandemic, the research community is demonstrating its creativity and initiative.”

Note: This story originally appeared on the Research Nova Scotia website.

New international research study asks: Is COVID-19 changing the way we cook and eat?

It might sound familiar: flour, pasta and yeast are more difficult to find than in the past, and you cannot ignore the photos of homemade bread or desserts circulating on social media. It seems for many that the approach when it comes to meals is completely different than before the emergence of the coronavirus. This has not escaped the notice of several researchers, either.

This change in cooking habits has led to a partnership between Saint Mary's University and the Food, Media & Society (FOOMS) at the University of Antwerp in Belgium to launch a research study into the matter. The Corona Cooking Survey is a large-scale international survey study into the impact of COVID-19 on how people deal with food and food-related media. This study allows the shifts brought on by the coronavirus in terms of buying, cooking and eating habits, to be identified. More than 30 countries have already confirmed that they will participate in the research project. 

Dr. Maryanne Fisher

"This is a really exciting project to be involved with for many reasons. Academics around the world have very quickly come together to explore one of the most basic parts of our daily life: eating," says Dr. Maryanne Fisher, a professor of Psychology at Saint Mary's and part of the study's project team. "The number of people who have turned to baking bread - one of the most basic skills that has endured for centuries - is simply amazing. But how did they learn how to make that bread, and what prompted them to do so?"

In Belgium, the survey has received more than 6,000 respondents in less than two weeks.

"We know from previous research that family and friends play an important role in people's relationship with food. Just think of the typical "family classics" or all the tips that friends and colleagues share about food," says Dr. Charlotte De Backer, an Associate Professor at the University of Antwerp and the study's project leader. "Other sources, such as influencers on social media, celebrities on television or recipes in magazines also have an impact on our food choices. That's why we want to use this study to investigate whether our habits have changed since the preventative measures were taken, and what role various media and people play in these changes."

Interested in participating in the survey? Click here.

Preventing burnout among front-line care workers during COVID-19 focus of new Saint Mary's research project

Dr. Debra Gilin

Dr. Debra Gilin, a professor in Saint Mary’s University’s Faculty of Psychology, is leading a study that will rapidly develop tailored screening and intervention tools to support mental health and prevent elevated job burnout or safety risks in COVID-19-responding health care staff in Nova Scotia.

“For Nova Scotia to successfully fight COVID-19, front-line health care workers must be physically and mentally well, and feel safe at work over the long haul,” says Dr. Gilin.

Dr. Gilin’s research team is comprised of leading Canadian experts in occupational health psychology, patient and occupational safety, and job burnout (Dr. Lori Francis, Dr. Mark Fleming, and Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley). A recent grant from the Nova Scotia COVID-19 Health Research Coalition will now help propel their work forward.

The team is poised to rapidly deliver research that will screen and intervene for job burnout among front-line health care workers and deliver a “COVID Pulse” staff screening tool to identify those at high risk of burnout. Currently, the team is actively collecting job burnout data from health care and trauma exposed front-line workers during the peak of the COVID-19 escalation in Canada and the US. From there, they will mine the data, finding the most diagnostic factors of workload, stress, personality, and life demands that predict elevated burnout. Partner groups can use “COVID Pulse” to triage the most at-risk employees for earlier and greater support and mitigation. The hope is that this tool will be available by summer.

“We know that the protection of our health care workers’ emotional well-being and safety is a critical priority to succeed in the fight against COVID-19 long-term,” says Dr. Gilin. “By leveraging in-progress research resources, we will deliver these important outcomes with minimal research burden on the front-line workers who are already shouldering a heavy toll for the good of all Nova Scotians.”

Dr. Gilin’s study will use physically-distant, confidential interview and survey methods to listen to emerging sources of stress, trauma, safety risks, and needs among key staff groups on the front lines. The team will then tailor a set of resources, supports, and direct brief interventions, to leaders and their staff.

“The healthcare system response to COVID-19 in Nova Scotia will be a marathon, rather than a sprint,” she says, “And our front-line health care workers’ physical and mental well-being is perhaps the most critical resource we must preserve to be successful in the fight.”

This research project was funded by the Nova Scotia COVID-19 Health Research Coalition. Partners include the Nova Scotia Health Authority, Dalhousie University, Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation, IWK Health Centre, IWK Foundation, QEII Health Sciences Foundation, Dartmouth General Hospital Foundation, and Research Nova Scotia. The Coalition is dedicated to leading and fostering a research environment that engages our academic partnerships and responds to the current needs of Nova Scotians and our health care system, in addition to maintaining the expertise in innovative research, discovery science, population/social sciences, and health system improvement. This funding partnership provides the opportunity to catalyze COVID-19 related research initiatives and achieve collective social impact.

Take the survey now

Researchers at Saint Mary’s are conducting this survey on empathy, burnout, and trauma among front-line workers during the COVID-19 response now, and they welcome your voice! Please consider responding, or sharing: https://traumaworksurvey.wordpress.com

For more information visit https://researchns.ca/covid19-health-research-coalition/

Note: This story originally appeared in the May Edition of the Research Nova Scotia Newsletter and has been republished with their permission.

Dr. Mohammad Rahaman: The calm before the economic storm

Dr. Mohammad Rohaman

The following is an excerpt from an article Dr. Mohammad Rohaman wrote for The Chronicle Herald.

The effect of COVID-19 on the Canadian economy has been swift and dramatic. Before COVID-19, the economy was expected to grow at a 1.6 per cent to 1.7 per cent rate in 2020. The Bank of Canada now expects economic activity to slow by as much as 30 per cent from the end of 2019; one estimate by Bloomberg projects a slump as high as 40 per cent. Just by looking at the number of unique applicants for the $2,000 Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), it appears that the pandemic has effectively wiped out all job gains made in the Canadian economy over the last 30 years.

How prepared are Canadians to weather such an unprecedented and virulent economic storm? To begin with, Canadian household and business insolvencies spiked dramatically even before COVID-19. Every single day in 2019, a whopping 375 people filed for insolvency proposals, a number that hasn’t been seen since the recession of 2008-2009. To add insult to the injury, the collapse in oil and gas prices led to a sky-high number of business insolvencies in 2019, the first such increase since 2001. On top of that, Canadian households owe $1.76 for every dollar in disposable income, one of the highest rates in the developed world. In places like Vancouver and Toronto, that spikes to about $2.40, at a level only seen in Iceland before the global financial crisis. The insolvency accounting firm MNP Consumer Debt Index, released recently, found that about half of Canadians (49 per cent) surveyed are now on the brink of insolvency, saying they are $200 or less away from not being able to meet their monthly debt obligations. It is therefore fair to say that Canadians entered the COVID-19 episode quite ill-prepared.

Why aren’t we seeing bankruptcies piling up? Because we are now witnessing the calm before the storm. Right now, every Canadian consumer and business are essentially creditor-proof due to the federal and provincial income, wage and rent support system and, of course, courts are closed. The trouble is the government does not know whose credit is good and whose is bad, but the bank knows. When the economy starts to reopen, the fault line will emerge, and some businesses will likely fall through the crack. Being accountable to their shareholders, banks are unlikely to pick up the slack when the government safety net ends…

Click here to view the entire article Dr. Rahaman wrote for the Chronicle Herald.

Saint Mary’s researchers receive funding as part of Nova Scotia COVID-19 Health Research Coalition

In this unprecedented time of local and global uncertainty, there has never been a greater need to conduct medical and health-related research to collect real-time evidence to inform practice, policy and decision making. The Nova Scotia research community has come together to respond to the COVID-19 global pandemic with a collective investment of just over $1.5 million in COVID-19 focused research. 

Today, the Nova Scotia COVID-19 Health Research Coalition announced the lead researchers who are receiving funding. Among the recipients are two Saint Mary’s University researchers: Dr. Yigit Aydede, and Dr. Debra Gilin.

“The researchers receiving funding as part of this announcement are tackling the impacts and spread of the COVID-19 virus, turning their expertise to this global problem,” says Dr. Adam Sarty, Associate Vice-President Research and Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research. “Our researchers are tackling this problem with the tools of machine learning and data analytics to track the virus spread in one case, and the expertise of workplace training and interventions to prevent front-line burnout in the other case.  These projects provide a window into the breadth of the research we do at Saint Mary’s. We work collaboratively and engage in research that matters to our communities.”

This funding supports COVID-19 research that will inform health system decisions, facilitate vaccine development, identify novel treatments, develop devices, and influence social response to the pandemic. Funding will also leverage existing research capabilities to help rapidly respond to the urgent need to support further COVID-19 focused research right here in Nova Scotia.

The COVID-19 Health Research Coalition is dedicated to fostering a research environment that engages our academic partnerships and responds to the current needs of Nova Scotians and our health system, in addition to maintaining the expertise in innovative research, discovery science, population/social sciences, and health system improvement.

Dr. Yigit Aydede

Funding recipient: Dr. Yigit Aydede

Project: The Role of Environmental Determinants and Social Mobility in Viral Infection Transmission in Halifax

Description: This study will analyze the relationships between COVID-19 transmission rates, meteorological and air quality, and the fluctuations in social mobility in Nova Scotia to allow for better calibration of spatial spread in simulation models that are used to inform policy making.

Funding amount: $36,900

Dr. Debra Gilin

Funding recipient: Dr. Debra Gilin

Project: Preventing Burnout Among Front-Line Care Workers to Fight Covid-19: Screen and Intervene

Description: This study will rapidly develop tailored screening and intervention tools to support mental health and prevent elevated job burnout or safety risks in COVID-19-responding health care staff in Nova Scotia.

Funding amount: $47,640

Additional information:

• The full list of Nova Scotia COVID-19 Health Research Coalition funding recipients.  

Saint Mary's University ready to support business, help rebuild economy

960 Tower Road, home to the Saint Mary’s University Entrepreneurship Centre and the Saint Mary’s University Language Centre.

Following last week’s provincial announcement, Saint Mary’s University president Robert Summerby-Murray says the university is ready to continue and scale its business coaching and mentoring services. 

“Our entrepreneurship centre started offering free coaching and mentoring services to businesses throughout Atlantic Canada early in March - we are ready to expand our capacity to help more businesses and entrepreneurs,” said Dr. Summerby-Murray. “The centre’s free programming is designed to help businesses manage through the pandemic and also provides advice on what businesses can do to be more resilient to future shocks.” 

“We have been doing our part to help the economy and the business community – we are ready to do more.” 

Summerby-Murray said that business owners and entrepreneurs get access to world-class experts thanks to the Saint Mary’s University Entrepreneurship Centre’s partnership with Metronome United. Metronome United was founded by SMU alumna and entrepreneur Shannon Byrne Susko BComm’89 BSc’92.  

"We are tremendously grateful to Ms. Byrne Susko for her help and support,” said Summerby-Murray. “Having access to the expertise provided by her and her team will be invaluable to entrepreneurs and business leaders here in Nova Scotia.” 

SMU alumni are also reaching out and showing their willingness to help. 

“Our graduates are ready to serve the province and its business at this time of need,” said Summerby-Murray. “The resourcefulness of our alumni is a source of pride for me and for the Saint Mary’s community.” 

Summerby-Murray said he is pleased the province is taking measures to help small businesses in the province and that combining capital with knowledge will ensure more businesses are ready to re-open when the time is right. 

“Money alone won’t ensure business resilience or innovation,” said Summerby-Murray. “It’s part of what’s needed but having access to the knowledge and skills is a necessary part of the equation.” 

“World class coaching and mentoring services, like those provided by the Saint Mary’s University Entrepreneurship Centre, will ensure the province maximizes its investments in the business community.” 

Saint Mary’s applauds and welcomes support for students

Saint Mary’s University President Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray said the announcement today, April 22, by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, will help students throughout the country.  

“We know students were worried about their personal finances and their family's finances,” said Dr. Summerby-Murray. “Today, Prime Minister Trudeau provided those worried families support and hope.” 

The federal government’s new programs will provide support for students over the summer months and will increase support for students as they return to study this fall. 

“The best way to have a stronger economy in the future is to invest in students today,” said Dr. Summerby-Murray. “This is an unprecedented investment in students and our sector. This investment will help students this fall, and it will help our economy grow and be more resilient to future shocks.” 

Dr. Summerby-Murray said all levels of government have worked hard to create new supports at record speed while being responsive to the sector and other stakeholders. 

“This crisis is testing our institutions, and they are proving they are up to the challenge,” said Dr. Summerby-Murray.  

He noted Saint Mary’s University has worked with alumni, staff and faculty donors to provide short-term emergency support to its students who need it most, provided PPE to frontline health workers, engaged in rapid response research funded by the federal government, and is providing free mentoring to businesses throughout the region.  

“All sectors of our society are standing together as we combat the pandemic, and we remain committed to being active partners in the fight.”  

Saint Mary’s calling on its alumni and friends to support emergency funding for students who have been financially impacted by COVID-19

The Saint Mary’s community is coming together in support of emergency funding for students who have been financially impacted by COVID-19. 

“Our students need our support more than ever,” said Saint Mary’s University President Robert Summerby-Murray. “It is imperative that we join together and help our students during this unprecedented time.”

The goal of the Emergency Student Bursary Fund is to help students with unexpected and urgent expenses in extenuating circumstances. Related to COVID-19, the fund will provide short-term and long-term support for students and cover the basics such as rent, bills, groceries, and other necessities.

Many Saint Mary’s students were employed in the industries hardest hit by COVID-19 closures including hospitality, tourism, and retail. This has resulted in significant job loss and an urgent need for student financial assistance.

“Every day, we are receiving new applications for financial aid from students who are in challenging situations and we are responding as quickly as we can to meet their  needs,” said Erin Sargeant Greenwood, Vice President, Advancement.

The Emergency Student Bursary Fund provides resources to help students complete their studies and finish the academic term.

“The funds will help alleviate financial pressure and keep our students on track towards graduation,” said President Summerby-Murray. “The fund represents our commitment to our students and reminds them that we are always here for them. We are in this together.”

If you are interested in supporting Saint Mary’s University students, please visit our online giving page for the Student Emergency Bursary Fund to make a gift.

To learn more about Saint Mary’s response to COVID-19 please visit: https://smu.ca/virtualuniversity/covidupdates.html