Saint Mary's Engineering Team Victorious at Atlantic Engineering Competition

Saint Mary’s students Amy Kehoe and Andrew Ollerhead

Congratulations to Amy Kehoe and Andrew Ollerhead for winning the Junior Design competition at the Atlantic Engineering Competition, hosted virtually by the University of Prince Edward Island last month. The pair were competing in a field of 11 Atlantic university teams.  

Only knowing in advance that their topic would focus on either Prince Edward Island aquaculture or agriculture in some way, the Atlantic competitors received their instructions and a box of supplies that included cardboard, coat hangers, Styrofoam balls, straws and duct tape. Then, teams had just six hours to build a prototype to solve this agricultural problem facing Island farmers and present it to the judges:

Problem

Due to the lack of natural pollinators, many personal gardens and greenhouses suffer from poor plant health and low crop yield. To fix this, humans have developed artificial pollination methods. A device that can mechanically pollinate a tray of plants is required.

Challenge

Design a device or system that is capable of pollinating the provided tray of plants. The priority is to pollinate the highest number of plants with a sufficient amount of pollen under the designated time limit. 

The pair quickly got to work brainstorming ideas on a white-board, narrowing their ideas down to three before coming up with their strategy.

“Within the first hour, we chose a design and started working out the mechanics of building it,” Kehoe says.

Their project design consisted of a cardboard frame with two poles to allow a set of three hoppers that would slide open or closed depending on the position of a sliding plate with holes that would align.

“Our goal was to cover the bottom of nine Styrofoam cups with salt; the cups were on a three-by-three grid, which is why we chose the shape we did,” Kehoe adds. “We used an elastic to make sure each position was the one we wanted; we had to use string to make anything move on the machine.” 

Contest rules specified that the device had to remain on the table, and only one person could operate the device. The teams could not physically touch the tray of cups, and the pollen had to be dispensed in a controlled manner. 

“Our pollinator can pollinate nine plants, but since a greenhouse doesn’t normally have nine plants, we have to be able to scale it up easily,” the team explains. “We had to think of those things in the design process. That’s why we chose this design. We made ours out of cardboard, but we discussed that we would use plastic in real life, and we looked up costs of materials.”

“The prototype is part of it, but a big part is the presentation,” Kehoe adds. “Talking in front of an audience, and more importantly, coming up with the design and thinking of how to translate this to a real-world application.”  

In preparation for this event, Engineering instructor Luke MacDonald coached the Saint Mary’s teams on creating professional presentations. He ran a practice competition to help the students prepare to work under pressure. 

“These competitions give students the opportunity to use the skills they have learned in various courses on real-world problems,” MacDonald says. “Students work on a design problem in teams to come up with solutions—it’s a good experience for them, and helps build useful skills which they can use in their future careers.”

Both Kehoe and Ollerhead are in their second year of Engineering. Ollerhead plans to finish a Bachelor of Science in Engineering before continuing onto studies in Mechanical Engineering.

As for Kehoe, she plans to take Electrical Engineering after finishing her BSc but first hopes to travel next year to volunteer in her role as a Council Youth Commissioner for Nova Scotia at an international scouting centre if Covid-related travel restrictions are lifted by that time.

The pair will virtually compete at the Canadian Engineering Competition 2021 later this month, which will be hosted by the University of New Brunswick.

Saint Mary’s University professor goes above and beyond with astronomy research and teaching

Dr. Luigi Gallo is a professor in the Department of Astronomy and Physics at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax.

Black holes are voracious eaters that gulp up everything they can, from stars and dust clouds to other space debris. Supermassive black holes are hundreds of thousands of times the mass of the sun. Understanding the behaviour of these astronomical objects can be complicated.

Dr. Luigi Gallo’s research can attest to that. Through his research on black holes and supermassive black holes, Dr. Gallo, a professor and researcher in the Department of Astronomy and Physics at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, has helped gain new understanding of the topic.  

“Certain kinds of black holes eject material, and this is more widespread than initially thought,” said Gallo. “We have found that black holes and their host galaxies have an interesting relationship that grows and evolves together,” he says.

Gallo is part of an esteemed international team working with NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and is also part of XRISM, the international X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission. His work has led to groundbreaking discoveries that altered scientists’ understanding of black holes.

Sophia Waddell – Faculty of Science from Saint Mary's University.

“We are studying high-energy X-rays emitted from the region around the black hole. Fundamentally, these X-rays are just light you cannot see with your eyes,” explained Gallo.

Since the X-rays do not penetrate Earth’s atmosphere, NASA and JAXA, are building the XRISM satellite, which is set to launch into space in February 2022, to study X-ray sources in the universe.  The primary instrument on XRISM is a calorimeter called Resolve.

It’s like a supersensitive prism that breaks white light into colours,” he explained. “But we are looking at X-ray colours as opposed to visible colours. How a prism will separate the white light into 6-7 distinctly coloured band, the calorimeter is so sensitive it will show separations within each of the bands.”

Gallo says the XRISM will perform high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy in the medium around black holes and in clusters of galaxies, and can reveal the composition of the material, temperature and how it moves — smooth, spiralling, or turbulent.

These missions can take decades to launch, but a revolutionary observation from the previous 2016 Hitomi (ASTRO-H) satellite mission pushed the timeline of XRISM into production.

“We learned through Hitomi while observing the Perseus cluster [a cluster of galaxies] that the environment was not as turbulent as we might have expected,” said Gallo. “The composition of the material was different, so all these kinds of things showed us that our models needed to be improved.

Passing it on 

Dr. Gallo completed his PhD at the prestigious Max Planck Institute in Garching, Germany, followed by postdoctoral research in Japan. He later joined the Saint Mary’s faculty and works with the Canadian Space Agency on these missions.

His passion for astronomy was born at an early age, and he shares his love for space with his students. “I was one of the kids that always looked up instead of looking down,” he said.

“One of my favourite parts of being a teacher is working with students on research projects. You measure your success through the success of your students, seeing them figure things out and even find better solutions.”

Dr. Luigi Gallo is a professor in the Department of Astronomy and Physics at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax. - Photo Contributed.

A professor at Saint Mary’s University since 2007, Dr. Gallo has invited students to work with him on his current projects as a way to learn more about current research methods, and has helped many students get their own original papers successfully published, an exciting milestone.

But one of the greatest aspects of teaching at Saint Mary’s University is the smaller classroom environments, says Gallo, where students appreciate the opportunity to stand out from the crowd in a warm, welcoming setting.

“As a smaller university with around 7000 students, Saint Mary’s is unique because it has a level of excellence in research that stands up to any large institution in the country,” he said. “Our astronomy department has as many researchers as much larger schools.”

“It often shocks the undergraduate students when I know their names, even if they haven’t taken a class with me,” said Gallo. “We have a strong sense of community, where students feel they can immediately begin making vital contributions.”

This story first appeared on the Chronicle Herald website.

Saint Mary’s students benefiting from Mitacs Accelerate Program experience

Dr. Hugo Medeiros, postdoctoral fellow

Graduate student Tabatha Thibault

Graduate student Daniel Meagher

The Mitacs Accelerate program allows Saint Mary’s University students to test their skills in a professional environment and earn the experience they need to thrive. Four Saint Mary’s student who participating share how they benefited from their Mitacs sponsored internships.

Graduate student Tabatha Thibault gained the confidence to assert herself as an expert in her field.

“I was applying exactly what I’ve been taught for four years,” says Thibault, who recentlyrecently started a second internship with Air Institutes. “It's helped me realize that I do have valuable skills and knowledge--that I have something to bring to the table.

Dr. Hugo Medeiros’s internship at Port Hawkesbury Paper helped him as a professional and as a newcomer, as he was able to practice his skills and improve his English.

“I now have work experience in Canada, which is important for a new immigrant, and a network outside of the academic setting. I have an opportunity to get a job that I don't know I would have without this internship,” says Dr. Dediros, postdoctoral fellow.

Even though his studies are focused on geology, graduate student Daniel Meagher jumped on the opportunity to challenge himself at an internship outside of his field at Dillon Consulting.

“It was a good opportunity to get something that was out of my comfort zone and expand my options. I could look into environmental jobs now as well as mining and exploration,” says Meagher.

After his internship at Clinical Logistics, Sree Babu Nukarapu, an M.Sc. in Computing & Data Analytics grad, says his profile became more appealing to recruiters.

“It has helped me gain expertise in the Canadian market, made me a much more confident person, and it has helped me prove my passion for analytics. I was able to secure a job at an MNC in Halifax,” says Sree.

For more information about the Mitacs Accelerate program, click here.

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.

SMU Studio for Teaching and Learning lands Universities Canada Innovation Fund Grant

Saint Mary’s mandate to foster intercultural education got an important boost this month with news that a grant application submitted through the Office of Global Learning and Intercultural Support was successful, paving the way for the University to hire ten student Global Learning Ambassadors.

As part of Canada’s International Education Strategy 2019-2024, Universities Canada launched the Innovation Fund as part of Canada’s new Outbound Student Mobility Pilot Program, which includes provisions to fund innovative outbound student mobility projects across the country.

“Our successful application included a proposal to launch Intercultural Learning for Students by Students, a peer-support project designed to help students develop intercultural competencies while they research access to international opportunities,” says Miyuki Arai, the Director of Global Learning and Intercultural Support. “The $25,000 award attached to the Innovation Fund will be used to hire ten students as part-time Global Learning Ambassadors, so we see this as an exciting investment in interculturalism and student mobility for our whole university community,” she adds.

Saint Mary’s new Global Learning Ambassadors will participate in knowledge creation and sharing, community outreach, and intercultural relationship-building initiatives guided by the principles of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, with a particular focus on enhancing the accessibility of international opportunities for students from historically marginalized groups. Stakeholders include students, faculty, staff, alumni, and local organizations that tackle a range of systemic social and environmental issues.

A second Universities Canada funding application, submitted by a consortium of universities in Atlantic Canada, including Saint Mary’s, was also successful. The $40,000 project “Increasing International Student Mobility in Atlantic Canada: Reducing Barriers and Enhancing Capacity to Deliver Programs” will be led by UNB.

“While the pandemic has interrupted study abroad opportunities all over the world this year, it feels like the news of this award is a harbinger of the wonderful intercultural learning opportunities that lie ahead for our students,” says Ms. Arai.

Engineering student Emily Veinot wins the 2020 Montreal Women’s Memorial Scholarship

Emily Veinot

Congratulations to Emily Veinot, the winner of the 2020 Montreal Women’s Memorial Scholarship at Saint Mary’s University. Typically this award is presented at a ceremony on campus to observe the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women.

Awarded each year to a female Engineering student, the scholarship honours the memory of the 14 women who were killed on December 6, 1989 at the École Polytechnique, the engineering school at the Université de Montréal. At the time it was the deadliest shooting in Canada, and gunman killed only women in the anti-feminist attack.

“As a woman in engineering but also as a Francophone,
I believe it is extremely important that we remember and honor the lives and goals of the women who were lost on that day,” said Emily.

“This award is an important reminder of the vital role that women play in scientific fields, and that there is still work to be done to reach the goal of gender equality in all disciplines,” said Dr. Lori Francis, Dean of Science at Saint Mary’s.

“Congratulations Emily on achieving this honour, your enthusiasm for engineering is inspirational, and I’m so proud that your hard work has paid off.”

Emily grew up in the Acadian community of Clare on the south-western tip of Nova Scotia and attended École Secondaire de Clare. She was athletic, playing soccer and track and field, and was very interested in environmental work, doing a volunteer study with a teacher and professor from the University of Saskatchewan, looking at human infrastructure influences on wildlife.

With a diesel mechanic father who taught her how to how to change tires and the oil in her car, Emily grew up around cars, and says she has always found mechanical and technological systems complicated and exciting.

“I’ve been around machinery my whole life. That sparked my passion for problem-solving and led me to pursue a career in mechanical engineering,” she said.

“My parents are proud,” she said. “If I was ready to do it, they were ready to support me.”

Now in her second year of study, Emily has an impressive 4.04 GPA. She has won a number of academic awards and bursaries, including a renewable entrance scholarship to Saint Mary’s, the Dr. Robert and Suzanne Van Den Hoogen Bursary, and a Nova Scotia Future Engineers Award.

“I always loved math and physics and design…calculus is a good time for me,” she laughed. My first year I really loved it, and during Design I we built boats and I thought that was so cool… I thought “I’m doing mechanical, that’s so fun.’”

Along with her studies, Emily is a Teaching Assistant for the Design I class. She is a member of the Canadian Federation of Engineering Students and the Atlantic Council of Engineering Students. As the bilingualism commissioner for the Atlantic Council of Engineering students, she provides French representation so it’s more linguistically diverse, and appreciates learning from her colleagues, most of whom are in their fourth year of study.

Next year she plans to attend Dalhousie University to complete her degree in Mechanical Engineering, and has applied to the co-op program to further develop her professional skills.

Emily says that while she’s happy to have been born at a time with a lot more gender equality, “it’s still an uphill battle, and there’s still a lot of underrepresentation of women in sciences and engineering. I think a lot of women are intimidated and talked out of it, and I think that’s so unfortunate. It’s never going to change if we don’t make the change.”

On Giving Tuesday, Nova Scotia universities encourage support for student-led food security programs

In an unprecedented move, nine Nova Scotia universities, in partnership with their student unions, are combining their efforts to improve food security for students on Giving Tuesday, Dec. 1. The J & W Murphy Foundation inspired this collaboration, providing a minimum donation of $3,500 to each university with the potential for additional matching funds if the campaigns exceed this threshold.

Today is #GivingTuesdayCA. Thank you for considering your gift to the @smuhalifax Student Wellness Fund. The J & W Murphy Foundation will match your gift, doubling the impact on increasing food security for our students. https://t.co/91Br4Z84iJ #Food4thoughtNS #SMUCommunity pic.twitter.com/Am46ZrgvH5

— Rob Summerby-Murray (@smuprez) December 1, 2020

 "As COVID-19 shut down our schools and universities, libraries and restaurants, drop-in centres and meal support services, we knew we had to step up to help prevent vulnerable Nova Scotians from falling through the cracks,” says Lisa Murphy, on behalf of the family foundation she and her sister, Karen Spaulding, co-direct. “That includes students, many of whom have lost jobs and access to on-campus food services," says Murphy.

Food insecurity is the uncertainty that an individual is and will be able to eat well. It means they  struggle to afford, access and store healthy food, or to have the time and skills to shop for and prepare nutritious meals. According to Statistics Canada, food insecurity affects between 10 and 14% of Canadians and is more prevalent in families with children. Other studies show that these rates approximately triple amongst post-secondary students, suggesting that two out of five (39%) of Canadian university students have experienced some degree of food insecurity.

The nine universities participating are Saint Mary’s University, Dalhousie University, Mount Saint Vincent University, St. Francis Xavier University, Acadia University, Cape Breton University, Atlantic School of Theology, NSCAD University and the University of King’s College.

The excellence of SMU's Master of Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation recognized by major gift

The excellence of Saint Mary's University's Master of Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MTEI) program is being recognized by a major gift from a leading figure in Canada's business and entrepreneurship community.

Rishbah Arora, MTEI student; Dr. Robert Steele, DComm’18; and Laura Russell, MTEI student.

"I have always been impressed by Saint Mary's University and the Sobey School of Business. From my time as a student and in every interaction I have with a Saint Mary's student going back decades," says Dr. Robert Steele DComm'18. "I have seen the impact that a strong business foundation from Saint Mary's provides students. I know that through this gift, Saint Mary's will be able to continue to attract amazing students from Atlantic Canada, Canada and around the world to the MTEI program and the Sobey School. Students will learn from great professors and receive the support they need to successfully develop their business ideas and start-ups into thriving businesses that will give back to the economic vitality of our region."

Dr. Steele is investing a $2 million philanthropic gift in the Sobey School of Business' Master of Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation program which will enable it to double the size of the program, create new resources for research in the area of entrepreneurship, and support students by providing scholarships and awards to student entrepreneurs.

Over ten years, three major initiatives will be supported by this gift. They are:

• The Steele MTEI Scholarships: These scholarships will support bright, creative and motivated students who have chosen the MTEI program to help them achieve their dreams of being an entrepreneur.
  

• The Steele Entrepreneurship Awards: These entrepreneurship awards will be awarded to MTEI student entrepreneurs who are in the earliest stages of starting new businesses.
  

• The Steele Professorship in Entrepreneurship in the Sobey School of Business: This new professorship will provide additional capacity and support to expand and broaden entrepreneurship research intensity at the Sobey School. 

“This gift reflects the outstanding success of our MTEI program over the past six years and recognizes the tremendous impact of the program on entrepreneurship and innovation in Atlantic Canada,” says Saint Mary’s University President Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. “Saint Mary’s and the Sobey School of Business are the entrepreneurship leaders in our region, and programs like MTEI show why we are part of a rising entrepreneurship tide both nationally and internationally.” 

“On behalf of Saint Mary’s University, the Sobey School of Business, and the MTEI program, I want to thank Dr. Steele for his commitment to the continued success of our institution and entrepreneurship in Atlantic Canada and beyond,” says President Summerby-Murray.  

The Master of Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Saint Mary’s University is a comprehensive, cross-sector program that combines the knowledge and skills of a management program with marketing, leadership, finance, accounting, communications, economics and information technology. Alumni from the program have started their own companies ranging from rope-less lobster traps to companies specializing in customized lighting, water quality measurement, and training for recreation gaming to e-sports. Alumni have also added value to companies by bringing their MTEI expertise to management at different businesses. Those business areas include companies that deal with cybersecurity, virtual conferencing solutions, and transitioning traditionally retail-based services to at-home delivery.   

“The Sobey School of Business is preparing the next generation of Canadian entrepreneurs and researchers in business and entrepreneurship,” says Dr. Harjeet Bhabra, Dean of the Sobey School of Business. “With the rapid change this year in how businesses operate, programs focused on the integration of technology and innovation like MTEI are more important now than ever before. With this gift, we can continue to expand the scope of the program, engage more entrepreneurs and researchers in growing knowledge creation and expanding the entrepreneurship and start-up sector.”

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.” 

New SMU lab tackles society’s wicked problems

Saint Mary’s University’s new Wicked Problems Lab is a teaching, learning, and research hub that brings big data, software, analytic techniques, and resources together to tackle wicked problems.

Wicked problems are complex and multifaceted issues that are difficult, if not impossible, to solve. Saint Mary's aims to take on these challenges, evaluating the problems from various perspectives and offering potential solutions to address the issue.

Made possible by gifts from The Windsor Foundation, the Hewitt Foundation and Dr. Daniel McCarthy BComm'76 DComm'11, this new lab’s mandate is to help students and researchers across the university tackle some of society’s most wicked problems.

"Our lab is working to build capacity in employing the large quantities of data currently available and advanced analytical tools to track, assess, and tackle wicked problems both locally and globally," says Dr. Mathew Novak, a Saint Mary's associate professor and director of the Wicked Problems Lab. "We invite students and faculty to bring us their wicked problems, and we will work them to find a solution.  We can help find data and use a host of analytical software that will help in understanding the complexity of the problem and contribute to our pursuit of new knowledge and solutions."

"The resources and expertise of the lab will help our researchers and our students in every discipline. Students writing a term paper may want to include data to support their arguments," says Dr. Novak. "We can help them with the skills, tools and support needed to wade through the mountains of publicly available data and demonstrate how to look at that data in new ways."

The lab follows three critical facets to its resourcing: teaching, learning, and research.

As a teaching resource, the lab offers problem-based learning activities for undergraduate and graduate-level courses. Each exercise has students engage with data and analytical tools to assess a problem while posing questions about challenges in tackling the issue.  These virtual classroom sessions are available for instructors in all disciplines and are timely demonstrations of how Saint Mary’s is innovating in its delivery of courses online.

As a learning resource, the lab will deliver individual and group training to any Saint Mary's community member that wants to enhance their knowledge and use of data analytics and specialized software tools and databases. Training sessions with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are already underway, demonstrating how the software may be employed in various disciplines across campus and offering participants hands on exercises in map making, data management, and spatial analysis. 

As a research resource, Saint Mary’s faculty and students can work with Dr. Khan Rahaman, the full-time research analyst, for free assistance in addressing their wicked problem.  Dr. Rahaman will work with the lab's clients and help them collect, manage, and analyze data for reports, theses, and other research outlets.

"We are very excited to be up, and we are embracing online learning and collaboration, offering our services remotely," says Dr. Novak. "We also look forward to when we can be back on campus, and our lab space will be available for in-person teaching and training as well as research assistance.”

“I also want to thank the people behind the gift that supports all of the work that we do,” adds Novak. “A special thanks to The Windsor Foundation, the Hewitt Foundation, and Saint Mary’s alumni Dr. Daniel McCarthy for making this possible.”

• For more information, visit the Wicked Problems Lab website.

Service learning moves online

In fall of 2020, 95 students are participating in the Service Learning program offered through our faculties in Career and Experiential Learning, a department within Student Affairs and Services. With 15 Community Partners offering virtual placements for students, students will apply what they learn in the classroom to support local organizations.

Virtual placements and projects this term included: 

• Mapping different species of eelgrass photographed throughout Nova Scotia.

• Collecting cherished watermark stories from Maritimers about their favourite waterfront memories.

• Helping a local organization to create new business plans and a rebrand strategy. 

• Creating an App to support clients at a local non-profit organization.

• Creating virtual events for long term care facilities, such as fundraising events, virtual trivia games and auctions.

• Mentoring and supporting young students at a virtual capacity through tutoring and reading support.

• Providing social media and website support to organizations.

Service learning planning is underway for winter 2021, and there is still time to incorporate service learning into your course. Whether a course is taught online, or using a blended model, service learning can help apply course content to community-based learning.

Faculty interested in learning more about service learning for winter 2021 can email service.learning@smu.ca to sign-up for access to a Service Learning Brightspace course. This resource covers everything from incorporating service-learning into your course to providing peer-reviewed research about service-learning. 

Saint Mary's University climbs into top tier of Maclean’s rankings

Saint Mary's University now ranks fourth among undergraduate universities in Canada.

According to Maclean’s magazine, the university is ranked fourth among primarily undergraduate universities for 2021. Saint Mary’s has continued to climb in the rankings over the past decade.

Among the highlights in this category, Saint Mary’s ranked:

• 1st in student awards (national awards won by students)

• 5th in medical/science grants for faculty

• 5th in student services (under student support)

• 5th in library acquisitions and expenditures

• 5th in the reputational survey

• 6th in faculty awards (national awards won by faculty members)

In addition to ranking fourth among undergraduate universities, both Saint Mary's and the Sobey School of Business's national prominence continue to rise. Saint Mary's is now ranked 33rd in the country when it comes to the national reputational ranking of all universities. This year, the Sobey School of Business ranks among Canada's top 15 business programs. The university's business program is tied for 14th in the country and has the highest reputation for business research in the Atlantic region.