Certificate in Health, Wellness and Sport in Society sees first graduate

At the end of a challenging year, it’s important to celebrate the positive highlights – including a milestone for the new Certificate in Health, Wellness and Sport in Society.

Julie Naugler BA’20

The first student to graduate with the new certificate, Julie Naugler BA’20 says it adds extra value to her Bachelor of Arts degree and nicely complemented her major in Anthropology. She graduated in May just a few months into the global pandemic, which brought another dimension of timeliness to the new program.

“Everyone has been impacted by this,” she says. “The pandemic will definitely strengthen interest in the program – it has shaped the way people are learning, and the things they want to learn about. The program offers a great opportunity for people to study health and wellness in more depth.”

Open to students in all three faculties at Saint Mary’s, the interdisciplinary program is administered by the Faculty of Arts in collaboration with the Centre for the Study of Sport and Health. With three core courses and a flexible range of electives, the program delves into the social, cultural, political and moral aspects of health, wellness and sport.

“For me, it really broadened my education,” says Naugler. “Health and wellness are a really big part of workplace culture, so it’s valuable knowledge in a lot of different fields.”

The certificate can provide an extra edge going into further studies and job interviews. Upon graduating, Naugler landed a job right away with Manulife in Halifax. Health and wellness are central aspects of the insurance industry, so she’s grateful for the academic background. The certificate is also beneficial to students who are interested in health care administration, health policy, sport management, the personal wellness or recreation fields, and much more.

“I would also recommend it because it’s a unique classroom situation,” says Naugler. “The professors are great and the other students add so much to the whole experience, with a lot of open dialogue and class participation.” 

A rugby player and student leader at Saint Mary’s, Naugler was first drawn to the HWSS program because it combined her academic interests with her experience in sports. The 2016 AUS Rookie of the Year for women’s rugby, she was named to the AUS All-Star Team for three seasons. She volunteered on the SMU Athletic Council and also helped organize the first TEDxSaintMarysU event in late February, with talks by a wide cross-section of students, alumni and faculty.

“Athletics are my passion, so I hope to get back to campus soon to support the Huskies!” says Naugler, who also plans to stay involved with rugby through her summer league, high school coaching and volunteering.

Proud to be the first to graduate with the new certificate, Naugler watched the virtual spring ceremony with her parents and enjoyed a socially distanced driveby from friends. 

“It wasn’t a graduation I had ever pictured before but I will remember it forever,” she says. “It was really special. And I’m definitely looking forward to a day when we can be back on campus with friends to celebrate together!”   

• Find out more about the Certificate in Health, Wellness and Sport in Society at www.smu.ca/sportandhealth/certificate.html. The next application deadline is April 15.

International book award for Dr. Stella Gaon

Dr. Stella Gaon

A Political Science professor at Saint Mary’s is the winner of the 2020 Annual Symposium Book Award, presented by the Canadian Society for Continental Philosophy (CSCP/SCPC). Dr. Stella Gaon received the 15th annual award for her monograph, The Lucid Vigil: Deconstruction, Desire and the Politics of Critique (Routledge, 2019).  

The competition is organized by the CSCP/SCPC and Symposium: Canadian Journal of Continental Philosophy, and judging criteria include originality and the importance of a book in its field of investigation. The award results were conveyed on December 11 by Symposium’s Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Lorraine Markotic of the University of Calgary’s Department of Philosophy. As with previous winners, Dr. Gaon has been invited to deliver a plenary paper at the 2021 annual conference of the CSCP/SCPC, to be held at Memorial University next fall.

The Lucid Vigil: Deconstruction, Desire and the Politics of Critique

The Lucid Vigil is the first publication in Routledge’s new Psychoanalytic Political Theory series, which aims to “deepen our understanding of the complex relationships between the world of politics and the inner world of the psyche”. In this contribution Dr. Gaon explores the psychoanalytic theories of Sigmund Freud through the lens of his contemporary interpreter, Jean Laplanche. The intent, she explains, is to “demonstrate the imperative nature and the political implications of deconstructive practices of reading, particularly with regard to contemporary debates about political identity.”

The Saint Mary’s Department of Political Science held a book launch on campus last year, and since then The Lucid Vigil has received positive reviews in the U.S. as well. It's a “brilliant new work,” says a review by Michael Naas of DePaul University, Chicago. “This work should set the record straight once and for all and should cause anyone interested in questions of ethics and politics to return to Derrida’s work, both early and late, with renewed attention, passion, and urgency."

In another review, Elisabeth Weber of the University of California, Santa Barbara adds, “For Gaon, deconstruction exemplifies critical thinking: the unflinching interrogation of the categories through which good and evil, fact and fiction, the righteous and the reprehensible are established. With admirable conceptual clarity, Gaon’s captivating book explores the pivotal ramifications of a deconstructive mode of analysis for pedagogy, politics and ethics.” 

Dr. Gaon specializes in political theory and contemporary social and political thought. She is also Adjunct Professor of Women and Gender Studies. Previous publications include Democracy in Crisis: Violence, Alterity, Community (Manchester UP, 2010) and, most recently, an article entitled “Lies in the Time of COVID.”

Dr. Skye Stephens receives New Health Investigator Grant from Research Nova Scotia

Dr. Skye Stephens

Saint Mary’s University researcher Dr. Skye Stephens is receiving a New Health Investigator Grant from Research Nova Scotia. Dr. Stephens is one of 21 recipients across Nova Scotia receiving funding for new health research.

The New Health Investigator Grant supports new health researchers engaged in work that aligns with Nova Scotia’s health research priorities. The grant aims to provide two years of support of up to $100,000 for researchers who are within the first five years of their academic appointment in Nova Scotia or who are new to the field of health research. For the 2020-21 academic year, funding for this grant comes from the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness.

“There has never been a greater need to support new health researchers in Nova Scotia to help inform practice, policy and decision making,” says Stefan Leslie, CEO of Research Nova Scotia. “Today, we’re pleased to announce funding for these researchers and are confident their work will positively impact the health of Nova Scotians.”

Funding provided will support the establishment of independent research programs, support and expand the research productivity necessary for obtaining long-term funding from national and external agencies and expand the potential for early-career investigators to make significant contributions in their field.

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Project title: The Feasibility of a Program for the Prevention of Childhood Sexual Abuse.

Project description: Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a universal public health problem impacting 18% of girls and 8% of boys worldwide. Children are overrepresented as victims of sexual abuse, as 56% of police-reported sexual assaults in Nova Scotia involved victims under 18. Rates of sexual abuse in Nova Scotia are above the national Canadian average. CSA contributes to a significant disease burden, as it connects to a wide range of adverse mental and physical health outcomes. Effective prevention programs could stop CSA from occurring in the first place and prevent adverse health outcomes. In Nova Scotia, a significant gap in prevention programming is delivering comprehensive mental health services to individuals who may be at risk of CSA perpetration. Previous research has suggested that there are individuals who have not offended but struggle to stay offence free and experience mental health challenges. Through her research, Dr. Skye Stephens and the team aim to enhance capacity to provide CSA prevention programming in Nova Scotia by exploring development barriers. Knowledge gained during this study will lay the groundwork for developing and evaluating a prevention program that could reduce the occurrence of CSA and associated adverse health outcomes. Overall, the project could increase the health and safety of Nova Scotians by proactively addressing risk factors for CSA perpetration.

Team members: Etta Brodersen, Loren Klein, Angela Connors, Christina Shaffer, Amy Ornstein, Ray MacNeil, Ian McPhail, Jamie Livingston & Ainslie Heasman

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Research projects span a broad range of topics, including diabetes, cancer and dementia care, pre-term infant gut health, and food security during the COVID-19 pandemic. For a complete list of recipients and projects, visit https://researchns.ca/new-health-investigator-grant-recipients/.

Dr. S. Karly Kehoe helms national group of leading scholars

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.

SMU students lauded for Remembrance Day research

A Canadian diplomat has expressed appreciation for the work of a Saint Mary’s Geography class, following his participation in Remembrance Day ceremonies in West Africa.  

Sébastien Beaulieu, Ambassador-Designate to The Gambia, travelled this week to pay special tribute to 10 Royal Canadian Air Force servicemen who are buried at the Fajara Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery. The airmen died in 1942 while serving with the 200 RAF Squadron and one had a Nova Scotia connection: Warrant Officer Basil Ralph Yorke was from Cumberland County.

It’s the first time an official Canadian delegation has honoured the fallen airmen. “Attending the ceremonies in person this week was important to me,” Ambassador Beaulieu said in an email exchange with Saint Mary’s.

“I find it very moving, as Canada's representative to The Gambia, that the many personal bonds between our two countries includes the fate of these brave Canadians from B.C. to Nova Scotia who died so far away from home, in WWII,” he said. “The research and field work of the students from Saint Mary's, led by Dr. Cathy Conrad, which was conducted in 2018, has helped connect the dots and contributed to ensure that these Canadians continue to be properly honoured and remembered.”

In the fall of 2018, Dr. Conrad’s Geography International Field School class did a lot of prep work in advance of their trip to The Gambia. They planned to honour Gambian veterans in a local Remembrance Day ceremony during their stay in Banjul, not realizing at first that Canadians were also buried in the cemetery. A flurry of research here on campus and during their trip helped them piece together a largely forgotten chapter of history that took place nearly 80 years ago.

The fallen airmen had served as part of an effort to supply troops in Northern Africa, and to combat German U-boats in the Atlantic Ocean. When Conrad and her students visited the gravesite, they generated quite a lot of media attention in Banjul and Halifax. They also met Sharon Wardle, then British High Commissioner to The Gambia, who shared photos of the students that day on her Twitter site.

“This is how the Canadian Ambassador learned of us,” recalls Conrad. “He emailed me to learn more and we have remained in contact ever since. I can only hope that we will be able to meet with him in the future on West African soil.”

Beaulieu, who grew up in Moncton, shared his own Remembrance Day highlights this week on his Twitter site at @Beaulieu_CAN. “As a fellow Maritimer, I'm so pleased to witness the rich connections between The Gambia and Canada, and the ties with Nova Scotia in particular,” he said.

Conrad plans to offer the next Gambia field school next fall, if COVID-19 travel restrictions allow by then. She’s hoping to forge new connections between Saint Mary’s and the University of the Gambia, and also to assist with plans for a commemorative plaque at the site where a Canadian warplane went down.

“I’m very grateful for my students who were so vigilant in connecting the pieces of our WWII history in The Gambia, and for participating in a wreath laying ceremony two years ago,” says Dr. Conrad. “They should feel enormous pride in the fact that a Canadian Ambassador went this year, acknowledging their work. Although we wish we could have been there to attend with him this year (as was the pre-COVID plan), the fact that he reached out to us to recognize our efforts is greatly appreciated.” 

Homecoming celebrates 25 years of Women and Gender Studies at SMU

It’s a virtual Homecoming 2020 for Saint Mary’s alumni next week, with online events ranging from poetry readings to panel talks on accessibility and the Black Lives Matter movement. Starting things off is a Back to the Classroom webinar highlighting milestones and new developments in the Women and Gender Studies Program, with Dr. Michele Byers and Dr.Tatjana Takševa.

Taking place September 30 at 1 pm, the talk will mark the program’s 25th anniversary with a brief history and timeline. It will also consider the question “who is Women and Gender Studies for?” using examples from recent news, media and culture. The event will also introduce the new Minor in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) at Saint Mary’s, the only one of its kind in Atlantic Canada. For this Q&A we spoke with Dr. Takševa, acting coordinator for WGST during Dr. Byers’ sabbatical. She is also a professor in the English Language and Literature department, and current Chairperson of the Saint Mary’s University Academic Senate.

How did this Homecoming talk come about?

“It’s intended to provoke reflection on the growing relevance of this field of study for the complex world we live in, and the often erroneous assumptions that its scope and topics are of interest only to women/girls. The program at Saint Mary’s has been growing steadily over the last two decades … the talk is meant to show the breadth and depth of the field of study and its importance for anyone who is interested in how we inhabit the world around us as richly diverse human beings, and in the nature of identity and its enmeshment with larger social, cultural and political structures.”

Who do you hope will tune in for this virtual presentation?

We are delighted to be able to address the SMU Alumni group with this topic. We hope they will spread the word more widely and that we may be able to address parents of prospective and current students, as well as students themselves.

Can you tell us about the new undergraduate minor launching soon?

The program faculty has worked hard on putting together the minor for Fall 2021. We are thrilled that students will be able to take the minor to complement and strengthen their major areas of study. In addition to gender studies, the minor provides the opportunity to study sexuality, which makes it the first of its kind in this region. Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies offers theoretical and methodological advantages in understanding complex social worlds and addressing pressing global problems, such as the dynamics of migration, uneven global power geometries and climate change. The new minor is uniquely positioned to engage students in investigating how the big issues in the contemporary world are underpinned by social divisions including those based on sex and gender, as well as how issues addressed by sexual politics are often a key catalyst for activism and change.

Can you address the growing need for Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies in the 21st century?

The history of the program is extremely important to remember, just as it is important to remember the social, political and cultural conditions that precipitated the birth of the field in the first place. Many of these unfavourable conditions we haven't yet fully overcome. At the same time, this program and area of study has shown willingness to reflect on its own boundaries and to debate them while actively negotiating change and the possibility of improvement. This is its main strength, and what makes it a vibrant, living, evolving field of study of continued and growing relevance to the 21st century.

Even a cursory glance at the headlines over the last five years will reveal topics that have grown in global importance such as the #MeToo movement and its implications for social policy and legal frameworks; continued gender and wage inequalities; persistent inequalities in division of labour within the home; migration and refugeeism and their intersections with gendered identities and access to services and supports; racism and discrimination in all their guises as they intersect and interact with gender and sexuality; discourses of equity, diversity and inclusion and their implications for gender and sexuality, and more. As a global community, these are the challenges that we have been grappling with increasingly, and this is precisely what we study in WGSS, how to understand them and how to provide some of the solutions.

Homecoming 2020 takes place from September 30 to October 4. Two more Back to the Classroom events include #BLM and Steps to Become Anti-Racist with Dr. Rachel Zellars (Oct. 1), and Putting the "Science" into "Forensic Science" with Dr. Timothy Frasier (Oct. 2). For the complete schedule and to register for Homecoming events, see smu.ca/alumni/alumni-events.html.

MA graduate Grace McNutt finds the perfect hobby for a funny historian

Grace McNutt

Finishing a graduate degree is a monumental task, one that requires dedication, perseverance, and the internal motivation to complete a self-directed thesis.

While working on her Master of Arts thesis, recent graduate Grace McNutt also found time for a side project, a history podcast which allows her to share her passion for Canadian history.

The arrangement happened by chance, when Grace’s friend and co-host Linnea Swinimer, who she met at the Halifax Curling Club, recommended her as “a funny person who likes history” to Halifax podcast producer Marc Boudreau at BNV Media. Grace took that offhand mention and ran with it, writing a successful proposal for a funny Canadian podcast— with a twist.

“This is my moment, this is my opportunity to do a hobby I’d love,” Grace said with a laugh. “I love podcasts and I love history podcasts.”

Grace’s take on Canadian history is unique; she uses iconic Canadian Heritage Minute ads as a launching point to dig deeper into interesting historical figures and topics.

“The most transcendental piece of Canadian history, that everyone from history buffs to history newbs knows about, are Canadian Heritage Minutes,” said Grace.

 “When you only have a minute to talk about a topic, what crazy stories do you have to leave out of Canadian history? We expand that minute to an hour-long story – what else is there about this person?”

The weekly podcast, with 30 episodes and counting, is called MinuteWomen. It uncovers the “funny, weird, and terrifying stories left out of Canada’s national history. Recent episodes on Nova Scotian activist Viola Desmond, basketball inventor James Naismith, Laura Secord (the hero, not the chocolate shop!), and the dark underworld of maple syrup are illuminating, clever, and funny.

Grace, co-host and resident historian, says “Linnea is my guinea pig audience, who I force to listen to things I find interesting. It’s such a fun hobby, it has kept me so engaged during the pandemic.”

 Her thesis, which she completed under the supervision of advisor Dr. Peter Twohig, explores the development of the Indian Affairs Department in Nova Scotia, the treatment of the Mi’kmaq and indigenous people of Nova Scotia, and compares their experience with the experience of indigenous peoples in the rest of Canada.   

After completing her Bachelor of Arts Honours in History at Cape Breton University, Grace followed in her parents’ footsteps to pursue a Master of Arts in Atlantic Canadian Studies at Saint Mary’s; her parents graduated with the same degrees in the 1990s. She’s now investigating PhD programs in Nova Scotia and Ontario where she can further pursue her Master’s thesis topic, after taking a well-deserved gap year.

Summer research projects enhance education for Arts students

One of the many benefits of attending an institution such as Saint Mary’s is the research opportunities afforded to undergraduate students. This summer, five students from various departments in the Faculty of Arts were able to gain skills, knowledge and experience in their chosen fields of study – two will even end the summer with publications in their name.

Yingjun Chen, a fourth-year Honours French student, jumped at the chance to work with Dr. Rohini Bannerjee translating “Coupeuses d’azur,” a feature poem by Mauritian artist Khal Torabully, from French to English. “I’m finding it really enjoyable, because I’m doing something I love,” says Chen. She’s discovering many intricacies involved in translation, including appreciating the challenges of word choice, and whether to keep a rhyme or focus on the meaning. The goal is to send the 35-page poem to a publisher and use this experience as the basis for her Honours thesis. 

Fourth-year Honours Psychology student Le Khoi Anh Pham spent his summer conducting research alongside Dr. Nicolas Roulin and two graduate students, on asynchronous virtual interviews and cross-cultural personnel selection. “Contributing ideas to the research gave me confidence and insight into what post-graduate-level research and academic work are like.” He will be named as a third author in an upcoming article using the research, and has already been hired to complete another project with Dr. Roulin.

Bethany Leal just finished her first year of university, but that didn’t stop her from applying to work with Dr. Alexandra Dobrowolsky on a project critically examining Canada’s image of being a diverse, multicultural, welcoming nation. The project began with the Trudeau blackface scandal but expanded from there, considering this summer’s events. “Learning and self-reflection is a lifelong journey,” says Leal. “It can’t really be condensed into one summer or one research project, but it really helps to have had this opportunity.” This experience helped to solidify her future goals. Now majoring in Political Science, she hopes to specialize in systemic reform and holding governments to account – especially around issues of race and culture.

Fifth-year IDS and Political Science student Katheryn Lewis has been busy this summer on projects, also with Dr. Dobrowolsky. She is helping round out research on the Atlantic Immigration Pilot program, legislative responses to COVID-19 among the provinces, territories and national government overall, and feminist governance with regards to COVID-19, comparing and contrasting feminist institutions in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

Minoring in Film Studies, third-year student Andrés Guardia is researching Nova Scotia film director Margaret Perry, with Dr. Jennifer VanderBurgh. He has been working to create a more in-depth picture of Perry’s life and work – to show she is an auteur, not simply a director of industrial (tourism) films. “Now that I have watched them, I am really seeing the artistic elements to the films and Ms. Perry’s authorship. It’s very powerful and, as art, I can appreciate it,” says Guardia of the unexpected outcome of his work. He wants to create music once he finishes his degree – and this experience has given him a good base and understanding of the principles to apply to his own creations.

The robust research experience gained by all five students this summer has already greatly impacted their future careers and aspirations, thanks to funding through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). These examples of undergraduate involvement in hands-on learning showcase the benefits and power of putting the motto “do what you do” into practice.

Saint Mary’s research in psychology, management, and history receives federal funding

Saint Mary’s University researchers have received federal funding for projects totaling $300,000 from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council’s Insight Grants competition.

“Research in the social sciences and humanities is a fundamental element of how society understands and interprets itself, providing the insight needed to critically explore the true impact of our established institutions, both positive and negative,” says Dr. Adam Sarty, dean of Graduate Studies and associate vice-president of Research at Saint Mary’s University. “These grant recipients are all challenging key aspects within our culture – from the criminal justice system, to sexual abuse cover-up within the Catholic Church, to workplace incivility, to examinations of medical malpractice. I am very proud of our recipients for their willingness to challenge conventions and engage in this research that enriches both our local and global communities.”

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The following is a list of Saint Mary’s Insight Grant recipients:

Recipient: Dr. Meg Ternes (Psychology)
Title: Lie Detection in the Criminal Justice System: Exploring Deception Cues in Field and Laboratory Studies

Dr. Meg Ternes

Description: Most of us are not good lie detectors; lie detection accuracy is usually at chance level. Yet, lies accompanied by powerful emotions and false emotional displays can have major consequences, especially in the criminal justice system where the perceived credibility of an alleged victim’s distress or an offender’s remorse can inform decisions concerning verdicts, sentencing, or parole. For this project, Dr. Ternes and her team will examine the efficacy of nonverbal, verbal, and facial cues to deception (together and separately) using laboratory and field research approaches. The laboratory study will consider emotionally-laden lies and truths told by undergraduate students under controlled conditions, while the field study will consider lies and truths told by criminal suspects in police interviews. The results of these studies will improve our understanding of which combinations of cues contribute the most to deception detection. These results will be shared with professionals in the criminal justice system who have to make these important credibility judgements on a regular basis.

Dr. Cathy Driscoll

Recipient: Dr. Cathy Driscoll (Management)
Title: Exploring Collective Moral Disengagement in Cover-up of Sexual Abuse in the Roman Catholic Church

Description: The broad aim of my research project is to better understand, and effect change in, organizations that are engaged in potentially contradictory practices to their principles, mission, and values. Specifically, this project will focus on institutional and leader moral disengagement in the context of the cover-up of clergy sexual abuse (CSA) of minors in the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). Using content and discourse analysis, I will study current and historic RCC leader discourse from 1990 to 2020 across four countries. Better understanding insights into the organizational dynamics and discourse strategies in this context can provide valuable applications to the RCC with an estimated 1 billion members, as well as to other organizations’ crises, control dynamics, corruption, and misconduct issues (e.g., banks and public sector).

Recipient: Dr. Camilla M. Holmvall (Psychology and Management)
Title: Examining how workplace incivility impacts leader well-being: The moderating role of leader gender

Description: Workplace incivility has been highlighted as highly prevalent in organizations and also highly damaging to employee attitudes, behaviours, and well-being. Research has focused predominantly on mistreatment directed from supervisors toward subordinates, and between coworkers. However, supervisors, managers, and leaders can also be targets of disrespect. Understanding how, and when, leaders’ well-being is impacted by workplace incivility has significant implications, in part due to leaders’ influence on the achievement of the objectives of the organization as well as on their followers’ performance and well-being.  In this 5-year mixed-methods grant, we draw on relevant theory (e.g., selective incivility, stereotype activation and threat) to examine the possible different experiences of male and female leaders in terms of both their likelihood of experiencing incivility as well as on its impacts on their well-being. 

Recipient: Dr. Blake Brown (History)
Title: A History of Canadian Medical Malpractice Law, 1935-1980

Description: This research will break new and exciting ground in historical research in Canada. It will produce the first history of medical malpractice law in English Canada from 1935 to 1980. One of the most contentious areas of law in the mid twentieth century, malpractice law developed in significantly different ways in Canada than in the United States. The project will explain key changes and trends, and also consider the impacts of technology and the roles of gender, ethnicity and race in shaping the results of malpractice lawsuits. The study ends in 1980, by which time Medicare and the emergence of professional self-regulation complaint systems altered how governments, the medical profession, and individuals approached negligence issues. Focusing primarily on actions against physicians and surgeons, the research will also explore how hospitals and other medical professionals became entangled with litigation. This research will interest historians and also legal scholars, medical professionals, lawyers, policy makers and the general public, since medical malpractice is an important and pressing policy issue.

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The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council’s Insight Grants support research excellence in the social sciences and humanities. Funding is available to both emerging and established scholars for research initiatives of two to five years. Stable support for long-term research initiatives is central to advancing knowledge. It enables scholars to address complex issues about individuals and societies, and to further our collective understanding.

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) is the federal research funding agency that promotes and supports postsecondary-based research and research training in the humanities and social sciences. By focusing on developing talent, generating insights and forging connections across campuses and communities, SSHRC strategically supports world-leading initiatives that reflect a commitment to ensuring a better future for Canada and the world.

The work SSHRC supports encourages the deepest levels of inquiry. It spurs innovative researchers to learn from one another’s disciplines, delve into multiparty collaborations and achieve common goals for the betterment of Canadian society. Research outcomes are shared with communities, businesses and governments, who use this new knowledge to innovate and improve people’s lives.

Nova Scotia Provincial Heritage Fair goes virtual for 2020

The 2020 Nova Scotia Heritage Fair is going virtual and is open to all Nova Scotian students in Grades 4 to 9.

"It was very important to us to find a way to continue, despite school closures,” says Dr. Kirrily Freeman of the Saint Mary’s Department of History, who coordinates the Provincial Heritage Fair each year. “Students work so hard on their projects throughout the year to prepare for this. Holding a virtual fair will be a good way to keep a connection with the kids, showcase their wonderful work, and highlight our youth and community, as well as our history and heritage, in these challenging times."

Every year, schools across the province hold fairs featuring heritage and history-themed projects by students in Grades 4 to 9. Winners go on to participate in the Nova Scotia Provincial Heritage Fair, usually held over two days in early June at Saint Mary’s University with educational workshops, awards and a public showcase.

Africville is the 2020 honouree for the provincial heritage day and heritage fair. The close-knit community was built on the shores of Bedford Basin by descendants of the Black Loyalists and Black refugees who came to Nova Scotia in the late 1700s and early 1800s. See the Nova Scotia Heritage Day website for information and videos.

Students are invited to submit their projects on any aspect of Canadian history or heritage to kirrily.freeman@smu.ca  before June 1, 2020.  Any parents or students with questions can also send an email to the address above.

Submissions should include:

• 2-3 digital photos of the project;

• captions explaining each photo and describing the research for the project; and

• project information and parent consent form.

Projects will be displayed publicly throughout the month of June on the Nova Scotia Provincial Heritage Fair Instagram site, @nsprovincialheritagefair. Any students looking for inspiration can check out these highlights from the 2018 and 2019 Provincial Heritage Fairs.

Updates from the Nova Scotia Provincial Heritage Fair will be posted on its website, on Facebook at @novascotiaheritagefairs, and on Instagram at @nsprovincialheritagefair.

Developing comprehensive mental health services for those attracted to minors

As a researcher and psychologist, I’ve always had a strong interest in violence prevention, particularly the prevention of sexual violence against children. Although it is a difficult subject that impacts many, we must conduct research on the causes of childhood sexual abuse if we want to reduce its occurrence.

Risk for sexual abuse can never be explained by one single factor, and we need a multi-pronged approach to prevent it. An example of one risk factor is a sexual interest in children; however, research shows that this is not the same as child sexual abuse. Not everyone with a sexual interest in children offends against children or is destined to do so.

The area my team and I have focused on is individuals with a sexual interest in children who reside in the community and are not involved in the criminal justice system. While it’s not common knowledge, there are people with a sexual interest in children who desire mental health services. It bears stating that there are others who are not struggling, are coping with this reality, and live offence free lives.

Of those interested in treatment, some seek support to help them avoid offending. Others would like treatment to address various mental health concerns.  Both treatment needs are important. Helping people to develop healthy coping strategies is vital so that people can live meaningful and offence free lives. Unfortunately, outside of the criminal justice system, there are significant barriers to accessing mental health services for this group.

My research has more recently focused on understanding treatment needs and barriers to treatment. The aim is to develop mental health programs for people with a sexual interest in children who are not involved in the criminal justice system. One of the areas that have been identified as a significant barrier for people who may desire these services is concern about negative attitudes that influence their desire to seek treatment and how these attitudes might impact their care.

We are currently conducting a survey to determine how to accurately measure the attitude of the general public on this topic. This survey is part of an unfunded study conducted by myself and two students. We hope that this will advance research in the area.

We can create an environment where people who are dealing with a sexual interest in children and want mental health services can access those services. I believe we have a moral and ethical responsibility to help anyone who wants these services, regardless of their identity.

I recognize that this topic evokes strong emotions in others, which is understandable given the nature of this matter. Sadly, strong emotions can prevent the tough conversations we must have if we hope to develop effective responses that can prevent sexual abuse.

Written by Skye Stephens, Ph.D. R.Psych, a psychologist and Assistant Professor at Saint Mary's University.