Dr. Karly Kehoe named to Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists

Dr. Karly Kehoe

The Royal Society of Canada (RSC) recently announced the incoming 70 members of The College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists for 2017, and among those honoured with admission to the cohort was Saint Mary’s Professor of History Dr. Karly Kehoe.

“I’m absolutely delighted with the news, and I look forward to working with colleagues to expand the College’s activities in Atlantic Canada,” says Dr. Kehoe.

Dr. Kehoe is the Canada Research Chair in Atlantic Canada Communities, and her areas of expertise include migration, religion, and slavery in the British Atlantic world. She is also a member of both the Global Young Academy and the Young Academy of Scotland, and is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

“An important research focus for me right now is an exploration of how community development in eastern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton was connected to plantation slavery in the Caribbean,” she says. “The work I’d done in Scotland before returning to Canada revealed that the Highlander Scots were hugely invested in slavery. Those who came to the Maritimes built equally strong links, but in different ways. Being named to the College will provide me with an important platform for sharing this important work and for exploring its interdisciplinarity.”

Those named to the College “represent the emerging generation of scholarly, scientific and artistic leadership in Canada,” according to the RSC, and this year’s cohort includes members from Canadian universities coast-to-coast, nominated by Canadian universities and the National Research Council.

“Dr. Kehoe is an innovative researcher with a deep commitment to community engagement,” says Saint Mary’s Dean of Arts Dr. Margaret MacDonald. “I am delighted that she has been named to the College and will be representing Saint Mary’s in this group of emerging scholarly leaders.”

The RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada was established in 1882 as the senior Canadian collegium of distinguished scholars, artists, and scientists. It is Canada’s National Academy. The primary objective of the Society is to promote learning and research in the arts, the humanities, and the natural and social sciences.

Saint Mary’s launches new Innovative, Creative and Entrepreneurial Mindsets Fund, calls for proposals

Saint Mary’s University invites faculty, students and staff to develop activities, events, research and teaching to enhance creative, innovative and entrepreneurial thinking.

Successful proposals will be supported through the new Innovative, Creative and Entrepreneurial Mindsets Fund.

The learning outcomes that we aspire to have all students graduate with and that this fund will help develop are:

1. Development of critical thinking skills and good judgement/discernment
2. Ability to identify problems and seek opportunities through discovery and design thinking
3. Capacity to cultivate new ideas and solve problems
4. Courage to take a risk and resilience to deal with failure
5. Aptitude to move to action and take advantage of opportunities/create social and economic value
6. Self-reflection and ability to learn from both mistakes and successes
7. Understanding of alternative ways of organizing (e.g. cooperatives, collectives, nonprofits, social enterprises, for-profits, start-ups)

Call for Proposals

Proposals are invited from individual Saint Mary's faculty, students and staff as well as from Departments, Programs, Societies and groups of individuals. The primary applicant must be a member of the Saint Mary’s University community. Applicants will provide a detailed plan including a budget (normally expected to be in the range of $1,000 to $5,000 to a maximum of $10,000/per application) with expected outcomes and agree to share what they learned in a seminar, published article and/or workshop. Applicants are encouraged to be creative in their approach and to wisely use the money they apply for. The budget is not to be used for course releases or for curriculum development activities that are a normal part of faculty teaching responsibilities.

Possible projects include everything from design thinking workshops for staff and students across the university to pitch competitions for IP that can be commercialized or a community of practice using critical thinking to address wicked problems. Note that this not funding for a start-up.

Submission of Applications for Funding and Deadline

Applications for funding are to be submitted electronically to donna.filek@smu.ca and must be received by 4 p.m. on October 31, 2017.

More information and application form (PDF)

Saint Mary’s mourns the passing of Dr. John Leonard McMullan

John Leonard McMullan, BA, MA, PhD, age 68, passed away on July 13, in Halifax.

McMullan was a well-loved member of the Department of Sociology & Criminology from 1985 until his retirement in 2014, after which he was named Professor Emeritus. Known for his warmth and enthusiasm—and for challenging students with lively and provocative subject matter—he was a greatly  respected academic and contributor to his field. 

The winner of a President’s Award for Excellence in Research in 2012, and the author of eight books on crime, historical criminology, law enforcement, and justice, Dr. McMullan held visiting scholar positions at Cambridge University, The London School of Economics and Political Science, Simon Fraser University, and Concordia University.

He was also a Commissioner of the Law Reform Commission of Nova Scotia and a member of the executive board of the Nova Scotia Criminal Justice Association.

It is with regret that Saint Mary’s announces his passing.

Dr. John Leonard McMullan

Saint Mary's mourns the passing of Dr. Edward McBride

Edward John McBride, 83, BS, MA, DCL (Hon.), of Halifax, Nova Scotia, passed away peacefully at his home at Parkland on the Gardens on May 31, 2017.

McBride was a popular member of the Department of Political Science from 1967 to 1994. He received the William Stewart Medal for Teaching in 1987, was named Professor Emeritus in 1990 and received an honorary Doctor of Civil Law in 2012.

Read SMU’s McBride made future leaders on the Chronicle Herald site.

Edward John McBride

Saint Mary’s students embark on extraordinary archaeological expedition to Cuba

At Wednesday's media event, Dr. Jonathan Fowler showed students some of the equipment they'll be using in Cuba

Twelve Atlantic Canadian university students are about to embark on an extraordinary archaeological expedition to Cuba, spearheaded by Saint Mary’s University’s Department of Anthropology.

Aaron Taylor

From June 1 to 17, students from Saint Mary’s University, the University of New Brunswick, Memorial University, and Dalhousie University will be excavating artifacts at Cuba’s historic Angerona Coffee Plantation. The excavation is in partnership with Havana’s Cabinet of Archeology and the College of San Geronimo. The dig is the first collaboration of its kind between Cuban and North American students and archaeologists.

“I don’t believe anyone in the world is doing anything like this right now,” said Aaron Taylor, an alumnus of Saint Mary’s Anthropology and Atlantic Canada Studies programs who will serve as the program’s instructor. 

“One reason we’re being permitted to dig is because we’re from Canada, and Cuba and Canada have a good relationship,” said Taylor. “But the other reason is that Saint Mary’s wants to collaborate and make it a true joint Cuban-Canadian project.”

 

Angerona is a Cuban national historic site and former slave plantation, 80 kilometres east of Havana. During the 19th century it was one of the largest slave plantations in the Americas—yet little is known about the day-to-day lives of the people who lived there. The Canadian students, as well as a student from Cuba, will work to uncover artifacts and other evidence to create a more complete picture of those lives and how they fit into our knowledge of the Atlantic slave trade.

The trip is the first of what will be at least a five-year partnership between Saint Mary’s, Havana’s Cabinet of Archeology and the College of San Geronimo.

“As the world seems to be dividing into us-vs-them, it’s essential that young people get to experience another culture, one very different from theirs,” said Taylor. “Many Canadians know Cuba by its beaches, but not as much the people and the history. Cuba has been isolated for a long time in so many ways, so this is an exciting time, and an exciting project to be a part of.”

Advanced Placement students get a taste of university life at SMU conference

Saint Mary's President Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray addresses AP students

Hundreds of top high school students descended on the Saint Mary's campus to get a taste of life at university.

The one-day Provincial Advanced Placement Conference was for students enrolled in AP courses in Nova Scotia high schools.

Students were introduced to the three faculties at Saint Mary's: Arts, Commerce (Sobey School of Business) and Science. Afterwards, students attended workshops focused on learning, curiosity and student leadership. Other sessions included introductions to university-level courses such as Astronomy, Biology, Criminology, Religious Studies, Sociology, Geology and Computer Programming.

Students reactions

Audio clips

Related information

• The benefits of Advanced Placement at Saint Mary's
• Why choose Saint Mary's?

Dr. Marc Doucet receives the Stewart Medal for Excellence in Teaching

For the great impact he has had on his students in their current and future studies, and for the inspiring leadership he provides his colleagues, Dr. Marc Doucet has been awarded the Reverend William A. Stewart, S.J., Medal for Excellence in Teaching.

Dr. Doucet is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Political Science Department at Saint Mary’s, where he has taught since 2000. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from Université de Moncton, his Master of Arts in Political Science and Ph.D. in Political Science from University of Ottawa.

Dr. Doucet describes his teaching philosophy as “facilitating the creation of an environment, inside and outside the classroom where students can cultivate their learning capabilities and hone their analytical skills”. This philosophy is proven in his engaging classes and tireless work with the Model UN Delegation, which sees great success each year under Dr. Doucet’s guidance.

Highly regarded by his colleagues for his teaching methods, service as department Chair, and published academic works, Dr. Doucet proves again and again his passion for the study of politics and world issues.

Students greatly enjoy his classes and have found his in-class learning exercises to be engaging and thought provoking. In their comments on his teaching, current and former students often highlight his Model UN course, which is described as “the gem of the Political Science Department and the University as a whole” and has been credited with “shaping students future aspirations in academia and beyond”.

Dr. Doucet guides students through the course, which culminates with attending the annual National Model UN (NMUN) Conference in New York, where Saint Mary’s students have received numerous awards and honours in recognition of their outstanding individual and group achievements.

The award is in honour of Reverend William A. Stewart, who faithfully served the Saint Mary’s community for many years, both as a teacher of Philosophy and an academic administrator. In 1983, the Alumni Association, in cooperation with the Faculty Union and the Students’ Representative Council, established the award, which is open to faculty members who have made an extraordinary contribution to the education of Saint Mary’s students through teaching in the University’s tradition of quality undergraduate education.

Cyborgs and the Second Machine Age are coming to Saint Mary’s University

From killer robots to sex robots, worker robots to companion robots, the second machine age is here and is the topic of the Cyborg Futures workshop to be held at Saint Mary’s University’s March 31 to April 1, 2017.

The Cyborg Futures: Animal Life and Social Robots Workshop brings together an international group of scholars from the University of the West of England to the University of California, Berkeley, to discuss how robots and artificial intelligence are shaping the future of labour, war, the environment, and human relationships.

“This workshop brings together scholars from across the sciences, humanities and social sciences to discuss artificial intelligence and robotics,” said Saint Mary’s professor and workshop organizer, Dr. Teresa Heffernan. “Experts from both science and fiction will come together to discuss what our increasingly robot-filled future means for humanity and non-human animals.”

The workshop will discuss topics such as cyborgs and the mixing of organic and non-organic bodies, autonomous robots and the question of rights, and the increasing tension between technological progress and the environment.

The two-day workshop is free and open to the public, however registration is required.

To register or learn more about the workshop, visit www.cyborgworkshop.com . 

Saint Mary’s student takes home honours at National Japanese Language Speech Contest

Kensey Phillips (left) receives congratulations from Asako Okai, Consul General of Japan in Vancouver

Last weekend, Saint Mary’s Asian Studies major Kensey Phillips made the strongest showing ever by an Atlantic Canadian student at Canada’s National Japanese Language Speech Contest.

Competing among 25 students from 13 institutions from coast to coast, Phillips took home the second-place prize in the “open category”—an exceptionally impressive feat, according to Dr. Alexandre Avdulov, a Professor of Japanese and a key supporter for students entering the contest from Saint Mary’s University.

“This is the most difficult category,” says Dr. Avdulov, “because there are no restrictions on the number of years that participants have spent in Japan, or whether their parents or other family are Japanese. So it’s really an extraordinary accomplishment for a born-and-raised Nova Scotian who’s only been studying Japanese for a few years.”

The national contest follows closely after seven regional competitions held throughout Canada. Phillips and international student Lee Jeongseob, of South Korea, earned top honours in the Atlantic Canadian competition held earlier in March.

“But going to the national competition is a different situation,” says Phillips. “You’re facing top students from all over the country. It’s much more intimidating initially, but when you get there it really is all about learning and sharing.”

Speech contests are heavily promoted by Japanese embassies and consulates worldwide as a means of cultural outreach—bringing Japanese culture to the world. As the only university offering advanced Japanese studies in Atlantic Canada, Saint Mary’s has long been a strong performer regionally and nationally, says Dr. Avdulov, who also credits the university’s strong commitment to intercultural education.

“The reason I chose Saint Mary’s was because of the Asian Studies program,” says Phillips, who has long been interested in Japanese language and culture. “I think it’s just an amazing thing for the university, and to have opportunities like this to interact with peers from across the country is just so, so valuable.”

At the regional and national level, the contests feature four categories—beginner, intermediate, advanced, and open—in which students deliver three to five-minute speeches on a topic of their choosing. Phillips chose a reflection on Minamata Disease, a form of extreme mercury poisoning affecting residents of Minamata City, near the city of Kumamoto, where Phillips spent a study-abroad year.

“We did a field trip to there,” says Phillips, “and went to a place called Hot House, a vocational centre for survivors.” Kensey’s speech focused on the social stigma faced by the survivors, and their efforts to find work and be seen as contributing members of society.

Phillips’ placement is an impressive feat for herself and Saint Mary’s, and Dr. Avdulov believes it’s no fluke. “Kensey really earned this,” he says, “and Saint Mary’s has become a regional leader. e are striving to create a comprehensive lingua-cultural environment which urtures th individuality and creativity of each student hile   enriching them with a multicultural international experience. The speech contest s an excellent teaching and learning tool, which inspires students to make real stetowards global citizenship.”

Booker Prize-winning author of Life of Pi, Yann Martel, to deliver two-part Cyril Byrne Lecture

Updated with event slideshow:

Booker Prize-winning author of Life of Pi, Yann Martel, will be in Halifax on March 23 and 24, 2017, for two-nights as part of the Cyril Byrne Memorial Lecture.

“We are proud to host world-renowned author Yann Martel as he discusses the themes of loss and the imagination,” said Saint Mary’s University President Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. “The Cyril Byrne Memorial Lecture has grown in stature over the past decade and it builds on our tradition of taking the highest level of knowledge and discourse beyond the university lecture hall and out into the wider community for the enjoyment and appreciation of all.”

Martel’s lecture is a special Saint Mary’s University and Halifax Public Libraries joint presentation and celebrates the 40th anniversary of the first public education courses ever offered by Saint Mary’s through the Halifax Public Libraries system.

“Access to education supports an individual’s ability to have informed engagement in society,” says Åsa Kachan, Chief Librarian and CEO of Halifax Public Libraries. “Offering university lectures at the Library that are open to all feeds curiosity, supports learning, and offers personal fulfillment. Together – the university, the Library, and learners - we work to create an informed citizenry which has remarkable impact.”

The two-night lecture begins on Thursday, March 23 at 6:30 p.m. in the Paul O’Regan Hall at the Halifax Central Library where Martel will speak on the recurring subject of loss in his fiction. Guests are invited to dress all in black to match the theme of the event.

On Friday, March 24 at 7 p.m., the action shifts to the McNally Theatre at Saint Mary’s University, where the lecture will conclude with a celebration of the power of the imagination. Guests are invited to dress in colourful outfits to match the theme of the event.

The Cyril Byrne Memorial Lecture is presented to the community free of charge and all are welcome. Attendees are able to choose between going to one night or both, however seating may be limited.

Saint Mary’s launches Success Maps to support students

Dr. Steven Smith, Dean of Science, introduces Success Maps.

Saint Mary's has launched Success Maps, a tool to help students set goals, track accomplishments, discover new opportunities, and prepare for their post-graduation career.

Students using the site will be given guidance on their specific academic requirements and suggestions for other worthwhile activities tailored to their year and their major. They can use the site on their own, and as a tool to review their progress with academic advisors.

Saint Mary’s is the first university in Atlantic Canada to offer such a resource to its students, and only the second in Canada.

The launch was attended by Karen Oldfield, Board Chair; Robert Summerby-Murray, President & Vice-Chancellor; and Dr. Steven Smith, Dean of Science.

Kitrina Godding (BSc ’05) spoke about her experiences at Saint Mary's as being a strong foundation for her life as a geologist, offshore surveyor and accomplished SCUBA diver.

Interest in creating the conditions that enhance student learning and supporting students in their educational goals is at an all-time high at Canadian universities.

The Success Maps tool is representative of Saint Mary’s University's ongoing efforts to help students make successful transitions into university, through their academic programs, and into the larger community as knowledgeable citizens of the world.

SMU student contributes profiles to African-Canadian war heroes celebration

Until November 18, visitors to the Patrick Power Library can get a look at one Saint Mary’s student’s contribution to a national effort to commemorate Canada's contributions to the First World War.

James During (right, beside his profile of Pte. George Downey) is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in History. He researched and wrote biographies of five African-Canadian soldiers for an exhibit in Parks Canada’s “‌Hometown ‌Heroes" initiative, which commemorates the stories of Canadians who fought in the Great War, with exhibits at National Historic Sites nationwide. A permanent display of James’ work can be found at the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, with the Patrick Power Library hosting a copy.

James’ research focused on members of the No. 2 Construction Battalion, the only black battalion in the Canadian Forces during World War I. The battalion, largely comprising African-Nova Scotians, also included black soldiers from Ontario, Western Canada, and the United States.

James conducted research at the Nova Scotia Archives and the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia.

James During