Hockey for everyone: Huskies host Canadian Blind Hockey for fun practice

You could tell from the sounds of rattling ball bearings and children’s laughter in the Dauphinee Centre on Wednesday afternoon that this wasn’t a usual practice for members of the Saint Mary’s Huskies men’s hockey team.

The Huskies hosted Canadian Blind Hockey for their annual Learn to Skate and Try Blind Hockey program on Nov. 24. Nearly 20 participants, between the ages of two to over 30, took to the Dauphinee Centre ice to skate, pass, shoot and have some fun with the Huskies.

“We haven’t been able to get on the ice in a while because of COVID, so we partnered with Saint Mary’s to bring blind hockey to the Dauphinee Centre, and to show kids young and old what blind hockey is all about,” explained Kelly Serbu, President of Canadian Blind Hockey, and the captain of the Canadian Blind Hockey National Team.

Serbu is a former Saint Mary’s Hockey player who was diagnosed with Stargardt, a hereditary eye disease during his second year with the team and continued playing after being declared legally blind.

Now he’s on a mission to spread awareness of blind hockey, and make the sport accessible to everyone, even those who are partially sighted and blind.

Blind hockey is much like traditional hockey with a few key differences, most notably the noisy puck.

“We play with a larger puck, it’s a metal puck, about 5.5 inches across the top and has eight ball bearings inside of it. People like me, who are partially sighted can track the puck on the ice by seeing it, but also by hearing it,” says Serbu. “The only other differences are the nets are one foot shorter, the goalies are totally blind, and wear blindfolds, and before you score a goal you have to complete a pass in the offensive zone. Other than that, it’s just like regular hockey.”

Some of the young hockey players say blind hockey has created a community and taught them some valuable life lessons.

“Just because you’re disabled, doesn’t mean you can’t play sports. They’ve tried to adapt many sports for everyone to be able to play,” said Carter Ryan, who has been playing hockey for three years.

“I came out to have a lot of fun with the community of blind hockey. Since I was like four years old, this has been a supportive group, like a family kind of. Not only just in hockey, but in anything you’re doing, they’re very supportive and always there for you,” said Mary Ellen MacEachen.

According to the Huskies head coach, his players were also inspired.

“This is part of our culture, we’ve been involved in Move for Inclusion, Motionball, Ronald McDonald House. So for our players, it’s very rewarding for them, they know they get a lot and they’ve been given a lot growing up, so it’s very rewarding to see them giving back,” said Huskies interim head coach Tyler Naugler. “We didn’t tell them to come, we told them about the event and we had almost everyone of our guys who didn’t have a class commitment today stay, so it’s a very rewarding experience for everybody.”

After a fun session on the ice, the group had a pizza party lunch and were given a tour of the Huskies facilities. It was an afternoon full of smiles, laughs, and inspiring messages.

A 75-Year Legacy: Community Gathers to Celebrate Viola Desmond and the Viola Desmond Bursary

From left to right: Ms. Jane Adams Ritcey, Senator Wilfred P. Moore, Leah Matheson (2021/22 Bursary recipient), and Dr. Mayann Francis.

The legacy of Viola Desmond and the Saint Mary’s University Viola Desmond Bursary in her honour, was celebrated on the 75th anniversary of her heroic anti-segregation action at a gathering hosted by the Delmore Buddy Daye Learning Institute (DBDLI) and Saint Mary’s University. The event honoured Viola’s legacy and acknowledged the latest recipients of the Viola Desmond Bursary for their roles as emerging business professionals and community leaders.  

At the event, Senator Wilfred P. Moore, BComm’64 LLD’07, and Ms. Jane Adams Ritcey, the donors of the bursary, announced an additional gift to support the bursary in recognition of the 75th anniversary of Viola’s history-defining action, which will result in the awarding of three bursaries starting with the 2022 - 2023 academic year.  

The Viola Desmond Bursary, established in 2018, is awarded to female African Nova Scotian undergraduate students studying commerce or entrepreneurship at Saint Mary’s University. This event and the announcement of the bursary all occurred on November 8th , the date of Viola’s heroic action in 1946. The award amount marks the year of Viola Desmond’s anti-segregation action, with students receiving $1,946.  

Sylvia Parris-Drummond, CEO of the DBDLI hosted the event. The Hon. Mayann Francis BA’72 DCL’12 and Viola’s sister Wanda Robson offered very moving tributes to Viola’s inspirational legacy of bravery social activism.  

Ryan Francis Returns for Two-Year Indigenous Research Fellowship at Saint Mary’s

Ryan Francis

A familiar face to the Saint Mary's University community is back to continue working on projects that foster the potential of sport and recreation to bring people together for intercultural understanding.

Ryan Francis, the university’s first Indigenous Visiting Fellow, recently returned for a two-year fellowship with the Faculty of Arts and the Centre for the Study of Sport and Health (CSSH). His first fellowship was  a four-month term from January to April 2020, coinciding with the onset of the global pandemic.

“A lot of our plans and programs involved people gathering and coming together, so it was very challenging to do that,” says Francis. “We highlighted in the previous fellowship that there is a lot of work that can be done. With a longer runway, we’ll be able to implement a lot more of those meaningful opportunities for the university community.” 

Part of the fellowship includes working with Saint Mary’s and organizers of the North American Indigenous Games, postponed in 2020 but now scheduled to take place July 15-23, 2023 in several locations in Kjipuktuk (Halifax) and Millbrook First Nation. NAIG 2023 will include competitions in 16 sports, bringing together 3,000 local volunteers with more than 5,000 athletes, coaches and team staff from 756 Indigenous Nations.

“SMU’s commitment to being a part of the Games, through facility use and accommodations, is really significant,” says Francis. “It will be really neat to think about how we can play a role, and factor in how to support the participants coming to campus, and make this environment feel especially welcoming to them.”

One idea already in development is the creation of “Brave Spaces” – spaces on campus where athletes and attendees can gather to share and learn more about each other’s cultures, since the Indigenous athletes will be attending from across Turtle Island.

During his first fellowship in 2020, Ryan was also a key player in the university’s inaugural Red Tape Game, working with Athletics and Recreation and the men’s Huskies hockey team. The growing movement across Canada and the U.S. aims to promote inclusion in ice hockey. The initiative was started and inspired by Logan Prosper of Whycocomagh First Nation – now an Arts student at Saint Mary’s – and his father Phillip, to create awareness of racism in hockey and encourage players to take responsibility for combatting racism. SMU’s second Red Tape Game is in the planning stages for this winter. Francis and Dr. Cheryl MacDonald, Associate Director of Outreach for the CSSH, hope to build on the idea and expand it to other teams.

“Ryan has been such a wonderful contributor to the Centre,” says Dr. MacDonald, noting he has provided guest lectures in the Health, Wellness and Sport in Society program, and participated in the international Hockey Conference hosted by the Centre.

“The Centre’s mandate is very much to facilitate and disseminate research on sport and health,” she adds. “We’re also committed to community outreach and interdisciplinary approaches. I think what we are creating here is meaningful opportunities to combine research and education with community.”

The fellowship builds on Saint Mary’s ongoing initiatives to engage with Indigenous communities, strengthen intercultural research and curriculum, and respond to the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.

Francis grew up in Cole Harbour and is a member of Acadia First Nation. He is currently the Manager of Provincial Outreach & Coordination for the Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage, in its Communities, Sport, and Recreation Division. He has a Master of Physical Education degree from Memorial University, and majored in sport management for his Bachelor of Science degree at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. Follow him on Twitter at @RyanFrancis58.     

Meet the new Sobey National Innovators and Sobey MBA Scholars

The 2021 Sobey National Innovators.
Top row (left to right): Rylee Pearl, Adam Culbert, Isabella MacKay, Alyssa MacDonald, Arthur (Sandy) Hiltz. Bottom row (left to right): Mackenzie Kearnery, Braden Marshall, Finn Kimball, Rahjay Brown, Abigail Duggan

Saint Mary’s University and the Sobey School of Business are proud to announce the newest recipients of the 2021 Sobey National Innovator and Sobey MBA Scholarships.   

The Sobey National Innovator and Sobey MBA Scholarships are presented to exceptional students from across Canada in recognition of their accomplishments, and as encouragement and support for their success at Saint Mary’s Sobey School of Business. This scholarship program will support 150 students over a ten-year period, inspiring the best and brightest graduate and undergraduate business students in the country to come to Saint Mary’s University and the Sobey School of Business.  

The following is a list of the 2021 Sobey National Innovators:  

• Rahjay Brown 

• Adam Culbert 

• Abigail Duggan 

• Arthur Hiltz 

• Mackenzie Kearney 

• Finn Kimball 

• Alyssa MacDonald 

• Isabella Mackay 

• Braden Marshall 

• Rylee Pearl 
   

“On behalf of all recipients, I would like to thank the Sobey Family, The Sobey Foundation and Sobeys Inc. for this incredible award. It has truly been a gamechanger and has had an immense impact on my family and I already!” says Isabella Mackay. “There is so much to look forward to with all the amazing opportunities that come along with this award.” 
 

2021 Sobey MBA Scholarship recipients 

(Left to right): Kartikey Handa, Liam O’Brien

The following is a list of the 2021 Sobey MBA Scholars:  

• Kartikey Handa  

• Liam O’Brien 
   

“A huge thank you and a salute to the Sobey family for this gracious contribution towards building a better, more inclusive, and more sustainable future. It’s because of these benevolent gestures and kind contributions that individuals, both capable and smart, are able to expand their horizons and prepare themselves to better serve the society and the nation at large,” says Kartikey Handa.  

In 2019, Saint Mary’s University announced a historic gift of $18 million from the Sobey Family, The Sobey Foundation and Sobeys Inc. which established this transformative scholarship program as well as investments in entrepreneurship, faculty support, research and new space for the Sobey School of Business. 

“We are pleased to welcome the newest recipients as members of the 2021 cohort of Sobey National Innovators and Sobey MBA Scholars and welcome them to the Sobey School of Business and Saint Mary’s University” says the Sobey School of Business Dean, Dr. Harjeet Bhabra. “We look forward to seeing the impact they make while completing their studies at Saint Mary’s University.”  

These students join last year’s inaugural recipients as members of the Sobey Scholars Network, a special cohort that includes all current and past students, alumni, Chair holders, named Professors and Post-Doctoral Fellows who have been the recipients of philanthropic financial support from the Sobey Family, The Sobey Foundation, Sobeys Inc., and Empire Company Limited.  

“Congratulations to the new Sobey National Innovators and the Sobey MBA Scholarship recipients. This has been a year like no other, and your selection as recipients of these prestigious awards recognizes your hard work, talent and resilience”, says Saint Mary’s University President Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray.   

“We are grateful to the Sobey family, Sobeys Inc. and The Sobey Foundation for your ongoing commitment to student success,” adds President Summerby-Murray. “Together, we are creating a World without limits for our students.”  

To learn more about these scholarships and other areas of impact, please visit the Sobey Scholars Network website. 

Saint Mary’s University Publishes Vaccination Rate Statistics

Saint Mary’s University is publishing the vaccination statistics of the campus community.  

The university remains committed to ensuring the safety of the campus community and the publication of this data is an essential component of that commitment. The statistics are anonymous and divided between students, faculty, staff, and visitors that come to campus. The stats are divided between daily vaccination disclosure rates and a cumulative vaccination rate report that is updated weekly all based upon data collected through the Anonymous COVID Vaccine Disclosure form. Saint Mary’s vaccination statistics can be found here.  

“The health and safety of our community are of the utmost importance, which is why we are sharing these statistics as we work towards our October 15 fully vaccinated date,” says Saint Mary’s University President Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. “Based upon the data reported to us, we are seeing a rise in vaccination rates among our community with a significantly higher percentage of people who are fully vaccinated than that of the general population of Nova Scotia. Thank you to everyone who is doing their part to protect the Saint Mary’s community by being fully vaccinated.” 

Since the university announced the requirement for proof of full vaccination on August 27, every single day, the fully vaccinated rate of the Saint Mary’s campus community has exceeded the fully vaccinated rate of Nova Scotia and Canada. In fact, since that announcement, the self-reported daily fully vaccinated rate of people on campus has ranged from 87.93 percent to as high as 95.59 percent. 

As announced last month, all faculty, students, and staff must submit proof of vaccination immediately if available and by no later than October 15. Proof of vaccination can be uploaded here. For those who still need to schedule appointments, there are free walk-in vaccination clinics on September 27 and October 5, 6, 12, 13, 25 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Homburg Centre Community Room. Those who cannot meet the vaccination requirement because of medical or other grounds must apply for an exemption. 

And lastly, a special reminder that everyone on campus must complete the daily check-in form when coming to campus.  The daily check-in form is an integral part of the university’s proactive efforts to fight COVID-19. The form is a critical part of any potential contact tracing and works together with the Anonymous COVID Vaccine Disclosure form, to gather data for the university’s daily vaccination rate. 

First observation of light from behind a black hole

Researchers observed bright flares of X-ray emissions, produced as gas falls into a supermassive black hole. The flares echoed off of the gas falling into the black hole, and as the flares were subsiding, short flashes of X-rays were seen – corresponding to the reflection of the flares from the far side of the disk, bent around the black hole by its strong gravitational field. (Image credit: Dan Wilkins)

Fulfilling a prediction of Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity, researchers report the first-ever recordings of X-ray emissions from the far side of a black hole. 

Saint Mary’s University researcher Dr. Luigi Gallo contributed to the analysis and interpretation of this collaborative research project, which was recently published in Nature. 

“While we have seen X-ray flares before and we have seen them “reflect” off the accretion disc around the black hole, this is really the first time we have been able to isolate individual events (flares) as originating from behind the black hole,” said Dr. Gallo, who has been working on this type of research for 20 years.  

“This is really important because these regions are so small in size and dynamic on such rapid time scales that it is impossible to take an image.  Events like this allow us to determine what the region closest to the black hole looks like,” he said.

Watching X-rays flung out into the universe by the supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy 800 million light-years away, Stanford University astrophysicist Dan Wilkins noticed an intriguing pattern. He observed a series of bright flares of X-rays – exciting, but not unprecedented – and then, the telescopes recorded something unexpected: additional flashes of X-rays that were smaller, later and of different “colors” than the bright flares.

According to theory, these luminous echoes were consistent with X-rays reflected from behind the black hole – but even a basic understanding of black holes tells us that is a strange place for light to come from.

“Any light that goes into that black hole doesn't come out, so we shouldn’t be able to see anything that's behind the black hole,” said Wilkins, who is a research scientist at the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology at Stanford and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. It is another strange characteristic of the black hole, however, that makes this observation possible. “The reason we can see that is because that black hole is warping space, bending light and twisting magnetic fields around itself,” Wilkins explained. 

The strange discovery, detailed in a paper published in Nature, is the first direct observation of light from behind a black hole – a scenario that was predicted by Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity but never confirmed, until now.

“Fifty years ago, when astrophysicists starting speculating about how the magnetic field might behave close to a black hole, they had no idea that one day we might have the techniques to observe this directly and see Einstein’s general theory of relativity in action,” said Roger Blandford, a co-author of the paper who is the Luke Blossom Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences and Stanford and SLAC professor of physics and particle physics.

 How to see a black hole

The original motivation behind this research was to learn more about a mysterious feature of certain black holes, called a corona. When material is falling into a supermassive black hole, it powers the brightest continuous sources of light in the Universe, and as it does so, forms a corona around the black hole. This light – which is X-ray light – can be analyzed to map and characterize a black hole.

The leading theory for what a corona is starts with gas sliding into the center of the black hole where it superheats to millions of degrees. At that temperature, electrons separate from atoms, creating a magnetized plasma. Caught up in the powerful spin of the black hole, the magnetic field arcs so high above the black hole, and twirls about itself so much, that it eventually breaks altogether – a situation so reminiscent of what happens around our own Sun that it borrowed the name “corona.”

“This magnetic field getting tied up and then snapping close to the black hole heats everything around it and produces these high energy electrons that then go on to produce the X-rays,” said Wilkins.

For this project, the researchers trained two space-based X-ray telescopes, NASA’s NuSTAR and the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton, on the galaxy known as I Zwicky 1. The two bright flares that they observed are only the second example of flares that can be associated with a corona being launched away from a black hole.

They processed the observations with a new technique, which takes advantage of the fact that the immense gravity around the black hole shifts the wavelength of light. By accounting for that shift and the time delay between the initial flash and when it bounces off the spinning disc of superhot gas encircling the black hole – known as an accretion disk – the researchers were able to translate the X-rays into a map of the environment just outside the event horizon of the black hole.

As Wilkins took a closer look to investigate the origin of the flares, he saw the series of smaller flashes. These, the researchers determined, are the same X-ray flares but reflected from the back of the disk – a first glimpse at the far side of a black hole.

“I've been building theoretical predictions of how these echoes appear to us for a few years,” said Wilkins. “I'd already seen them in the theory I’ve been developing, so once I saw them, I could figure out the connection.” 

Future observations

The mission to characterize and understand coronas continues and will require more observation. Part of that future will be the European Space Agency’s X-ray observatory, Athena (Advanced Telescope for High-ENergy Astrophysics). As a member of the lab of Steve Allen, professor of physics at Stanford and of particle physics and astrophysics at SLAC, Wilkins is helping to developing part of the Wide Field Imager detector for Athena.

“It's got a much bigger mirror than we've ever had on an X-ray telescope and it's going to let us get higher resolution looks in much shorter observation times,” said Wilkins. “So, the picture we are starting to get from the data at the moment is going to become much clearer with these new observatories.”

---

Co-authors of this research are from Saint Mary’s University (Canada), Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON), University of Amsterdam and The Pennsylvania State University. 

This work was supported by the NASA NuSTAR and XMM-Newton Guest Observer programs, a Kavli Fellowship at Stanford University, and the V.M. Willaman Endowment.

Note: This story originally appeared on Stanford University’s website.

Saint Mary’s University Launches Tuition Waiver for Former Youth in Care

Saint Mary’s University is joining the growing list of post-secondary institutions across Nova Scotia which are reducing barriers to education for students who have lived in the care of the provincial child welfare system and associated services.  

“Education is a driving force for change in the lives of every student who enters our doors,” says Saint Mary’s University President Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. “Each year, we commit almost $9 million in scholarships and bursaries to support students, and we are continually looking for new ways to reduce barriers to scholarship. I am proud to be extending this new opportunity to youth formerly in the care of the province.”  

Students who are eligible for the Saint Mary’s University Post-Care Tuition Waiver Program will receive a bursary that covers up to 100 percent of their tuition and course fees. Applications will open later this fall and will be retroactive to the beginning of the Fall 2021 semester.    

“For people who grew up in care like me, access to post-secondary studies is a game changer,” said Jane Kovarikova, Founder of Child Welfare PAC Canada and PhD Candidate at Western. “I am so grateful to Saint Mary’s for joining the movement to ensure brighter futures for current and former foster kids.”  

The Saint Mary’s University Post-Care Tuition Waiver Program supports individuals who have lived in care for at least one year in the Nova Scotia child welfare system; Mi’kmaw Family and Children’s Services of Nova Scotia; and the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children as defined by the Children and Family Services Act, 2017. It also supports those who have received services through the Department of Community Services, Youth Services Program. Additional criteria can be found here.  

Members of the Saint Mary’s University community who are interested in supporting this program through a philanthropic gift can contribute here.  

New SMU Scholarship Celebrates Diversity Excellence

The Diversity Excellence Award recipients with donors Scott McCain and Leslie McLean, Charimsa Grace Walker, Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray, and Board Chair Larry Freeman

Saint Mary's University is proud to announce a new scholarship for Black and Indigenous students – the Scott McCain and Leslie McLean Diversity Excellence Award.

Made possible by a $500,000 gift from philanthropists Scott McCain and Leslie McLean, the awards are available to full-time undergraduate Indigenous or Black students with financial need. This generous investment was made to Saint Mary’s most ambitious campaign in history - A World Without Limits: The Campaign for Saint Mary’s University, bringing the total amount of funds devoted to diversity excellence scholarships and bursaries to over one million dollars.

"Saint Mary's University celebrates the importance and impact of diverse perspectives," says Saint Mary's University President Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. "This new scholarship is about creating space for possibility and potential, and it does so through increasing access to post-secondary educations for Black and Indigenous communities. I want to thank Scott and Leslie for their generous gift that will support students from these communities in attending and thriving at Saint Mary's as we work together toward a World without limits."

"Leslie and I both recognize the importance a high-quality education can make in the lives of Canadians, and we want to help reduce barriers to post-secondary education," says Scott McCain.

Every year, eight students will receive the Scott McCain and Leslie McLean Diversity Excellence Award of $2,500 each, which is renewable up to and including the student's fourth year of study. Students can be enrolled in any faculty or program at Saint Mary's. Students must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada, with a preference for students who are from Atlantic Canada.

"Saint Mary's University has shown a commitment to ensuring access and support to post-secondary learning for Black and Indigenous students, and this award will help further that commitment by providing direct assistance to students," says Leslie McLean.

First-year psychology student Teannah McMullen is one of the recipients of this year’s award. "Without this support, I wouldn’t have been able to afford university or had the opportunity to attend Saint Mary’s," says Teannah. "Thank you, Scott and Leslie, for helping me make my dream of studying at Saint Mary’s come true."

Charisma Grace Walker, the African Nova Scotian/Black Student and Community Liaison at Saint Mary's University, is grateful for the new diversity awards, which will help increase access to education for Black and Indigenous students. "Receiving a diversity excellence award can truly change a student's life," says Walker. "Awards like this one can break down barriers to university and create a sense of community and support on campus. It can also alleviate financial worries for students, which enables them to focus on their studies and achieve their goals."

Scott McCain and Leslie McLean with award recipient Brooke Barker and her mother Sonya

Award recipient Paige Carvery, who gave brief remarks at the announcement event on September 1, with her family

Leslie McLean and award recipient Madison Bond

Scott McCain meeting award recipient Teannah McMullen and her mother Shawna

Scott chatting with SMUSA VP Advocacy Kyle Cook and SMUSA President and CEO Franklyn Southwell

The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, Scott’s mother, chatting with the Honourable Myra Freeman and Board Chair Larry Freeman

The Diversity Excellence Award recipients with donors Scott McCain and Leslie McLean, Charimsa Grace Walker, Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray, and Board Chair Larry Freeman

News release: New SMU Scholarship Supports Aspiring Writers of African Nova Scotia Descent

Floyd Kane BA'92, on the set of the show he created, DIggstown.

Saint Mary's University is launching an innovative new scholarship to support aspiring writers of African descent upon graduation.  

"I know the challenges and barriers that face aspiring writers of African Nova Scotian descent because that’s my lived experience," says Floyd Kane BA'92, the person behind this generous philanthropic gift. "This award is named in honour of my mother and aunt—two women who supported my dreams from the beginning.  I am proud to have the opportunity to pass along that support to the next generation of African Nova Scotian writers via an award that bears their name." 

The Edna and Velma Thomas Kane Writers Award has three main goals. To mitigate the burden of financial debt and insecurity for undergraduate students of African Nova Scotian descent in the Faculty of Arts. To support them in pursuing further post-secondary studies or training such as internships, apprenticeships, self-directed projects. And lastly, to advance their aspirations for careers in writing. The award recipient will receive $30,000 in support of these goals.

"Saint Mary's recognizes the importance of diverse voices and perspectives in all fields of research and study, including the creative arts and industries," says Saint Mary's University President Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. "Writing and storytelling are essential tools for sharing our province's unique histories and experiences. This award will help us support African Nova Scotian students by reducing financial barriers as they embark on their next steps toward careers in writing. We are committed to creating possibilities for our students at Saint Mary's, celebrating their creative talents, and working together toward a World without limits."   

A member of the Saint Mary's University Board of Governors, Kane is a successful writer, filmmaker and television producer with numerous projects shot internationally – and in Nova Scotia, such as the feature film Across the Line (2014) and current hit TV series Diggstown, airing nationally on CBC-TV and soon in the U.S. on the FOX network. Kane grew up in East Preston and currently resides in Toronto. He was inspired to establish the award as a result of seeing talented fellow African Nova Scotian writers face challenges in pursuing careers in the arts and culture sectors due to barriers such as limited access to financial support.

The Edna and Velma Thomas Kane Writers Award is available for applications this academic year. For details and the online award application form, see Faculty of Arts Awards and Funding.

Saint Mary’s University Appoints New Dean of the Faculty of Arts

Dr. Mary I. Ingraham

Saint Mary's University is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Mary I. Ingraham to the position of Dean, Faculty of Arts, Saint Mary's University, effective October 1, 2021.     

"I am honoured to announce the appointment of Dr. Mary I. Ingraham as the new Dean of the Faculty of Arts," says Saint Mary's University President Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. "I look forward to Dr. Ingraham continuing to advance the position of Saint Mary's Faculty of Arts in our region as a preferred destination for students, faculty and staff engaged in high quality scholarship, teaching and research that explores and advances our World without limits.”   

Dr. Ingraham comes to Saint Mary's University by way of the University of Lethbridge, where she was the Dean of Fine Arts. Previously, Dr. Ingraham served as the Director of the Sound Studies Institute at the University of Alberta. While there, she also served as a Professor of Musicology for 16 years.    

"I am inspired by Saint Mary's commitment to equity and diversity as well as the Faculty of Arts' active participation in intercultural community engagement. The relationships and reciprocity students and faculty experience through interdisciplinary practices across SMU’s programs are invaluable in the development of strong global citizenship," says Dr. Ingraham. "I look forward to building upon the efforts of the university's faculty, students and staff to promote diversity, equity and inclusion and advance the importance and growth of Arts education for today's students and society."    

Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Dr. Ingraham's career began with a love of music, beginning with the piano at age three. From that early passion, a life and career dedicated to music and the arts began. While completing her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance at Mount Allison University, Dr. Ingraham's focus shifted to German  literature and music history, earning a master's degree at the University of Victoria and a doctorate at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom. Her research is interdisciplinary in nature, emphasizing cultural studies and considering issues of ethnicity, race, gender and spirituality in identity studies.   

Dr. Ingraham and her husband David Owen, a professional oboist, are looking forward to returning to Nova Scotia after many years away from home. They will arrive in Halifax this fall, and she will assume her new role as dean this semester. 
 

Saint Mary’s University Enacts New COVID-19 Measures

With the full endorsement of the Board of Governors, and after broad consultation with students, faculty, and staff, Saint Mary’s University is taking action to ensure the safety of the university community ahead of the Fall 2021 semester.  The university is adopting COVID-19 mandatory vaccination requirements for residence students, varsity and club sport student-athletes and Department of Athletics and Recreation staff and coaches, together with heightened health and safety protocols.

“As we prepare to return to campus this fall, and as COVID-19 variants continue to emerge around the world and in Canada, we have an opportunity as a university community to make a difference for ourselves and the wider community,” says Saint Mary’s University President Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. “After a year and a half of managing our collective response to COVID-19 with much effort and sacrifice on everyone’s part, it is time to resume more fully the unique, vibrant and engaging experience that is the hallmark of Saint Mary’s University.”   

The goal is to have everyone in the Saint Mary’s University community: faculty, staff and students, fully vaccinated by October 15, 2021. By achieving this goal, the university will keep the community safe, enjoy a vibrant on-campus experience and contribute to the health and safety of the greater community.  

Saint Mary’s University is taking the following measures to ensure that campus is prepared to return to in-person activities for the fall:  

• Varsity athletes, students in club sports, coaches, staff in the Department of Athletics and Recreation, and students living in residence must be fully vaccinated by October 15, 2021.

  • They will be required to provide proof of vaccination status before participating in varsity or club sport or accessing their residence room.

  • The university may extend these requirements to other groups in the future.

• Students, staff, and faculty not subject to the mandatory requirement for vaccinations are required to follow public health recommendations to be fully vaccinated.

  • On-campus, pop-up vaccination clinics will be provided and access to other centres for vaccination will be supported so that this objective can be achieved by October 15, 2021.

• Masks are required in all common areas and in shared indoor spaces on campus unless physical distancing of at least one metre can be maintained. This is a requirement for all when present on campus.

• Asymptomatic rapid testing will be available on campus for all students, faculty and staff. 

• Faculty, staff, students and visitors are required to use the daily check-in process upon arrival at campus. Effective September 1, there will be an added anonymous form for self-declaration of vaccination status.

The university recognizes that some individuals may have legitimate circumstances for seeking an exemption or accommodation and will provide an application process for accommodation.    

“Saint Mary’s University and Nova Scotia have fared well during these challenging times due to concerted and decisive action, and we can be proud of what we have achieved so far,” says President Summerby-Murray. “From the outset of this pandemic, I have said that the health and safety of our community come first. This new policy embodies that commitment.”   

For more information on the COVID-19 protocols in place at Saint Mary’s University, visit https://www.smu.ca/virtualuniversity/welcome.html.

Dr. Rachel Zellars to Assist Federal Public Service with Anti-Racism, Equity and Inclusion Commitment

Saint Mary’s congratulates Dr. Rachel Zellars on her appointment as the inaugural Jocelyne Bourgon Visiting Scholar in the Canada School of Public Service for 2021-2022.

Dr. Zellars, Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Justice and Community Studies, will be working closely with the federal service in the implementation of the recent Call to action on anti-racism, equity, and inclusion in the Federal Public Service. Her appointment begins on September 1, 2021.

Dr. Zellars has facilitated dozens of critical implicit bias trainings for government leaders and management, both provincially and federally since 2014. She is widely recognized for her abilities to center local historical contexts, locate implicit bias within living histories of anti-blackness, and address barriers to personal and structural change with pointedness and vision. She regularly facilitates critical implicit bias trainings in a multitude of areas related to social identity and difference, as well.     

Recently, Dr. Zellars completed a five-month project with the Department of Justice, where she designed the data collection stage for ongoing, transformational agency-wide work regarding anti-blackness, diversity, and inclusion; designed and facilitated closed employee interview circles for hundreds of employees and managers; worked closely with the Director of Workplace Wellbeing & Mental Health to ensure proper data collection and respectful facilitation for Indigenous employees; and prepared a final report to the DOJ, detailing findings.

The Call to Action, released January 22 by the Privy Council, directs leaders across the Federal Public Service to take practical actions that will be the basis for systemic change. For more details, see this message and guidance for deputy ministers and heads of federal agencies, shared July 8 by Janice Charette, Interim Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet. 

The Canada School of Public Service was established in 2004, with a legislative mandate to provide a range of learning activities to build individual and organizational capacity and management excellence within the federal public service. The Honourable Jocelyne Bourgon is President Emerita of the School; Founding President of Public Governance International (PGI); and Project Leader of the New Synthesis Initiative. She has had a distinguished career in the Canadian public service, serving as Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, as well as Deputy Minister of various departments and Canadian Ambassador to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).