Saint Mary’s ITSS and partners win national award for collaboration

‘Innovative IT collaboration wins national award

Saint Mary’s University, on behalf of Nova Scotia’s 11 higher education institutions, has been selected as one of three finalists to receive a prestigious national award.

The 2018 CUCCIO Collaboration Award - presented by the Canadian University Council of Chief Information Officers - recognizes initiatives that promote collaboration between institutions, campuses, faculties or departments within the higher education IT sector.

Nova Scotia Higher-Ed IT Shared Services (HISS) was formed in 2014 when 11 institutions agreed to share IT services to improve service delivery and manage costs.

Together, the group successfully implemented cloud-based Microsoft Office365 across eight institutions -- the first province-wide implementation of its kind in Canada. Last year, the group was recognized for this work at the Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO) annual conference in Ottawa with the Canadian Quality and Productivity Award.

The CUCCIO award recognizes the achieved benefits of knowledge sharing between institutions and increased efficiency from the on-going collaboration of shared services. By 2019, Nova Scotia institutions will have avoided costs exceeding $950,000, with additional savings and efficiencies projected from future IT Shared Services projects.

Upcoming priorities for the group include moving ahead on shared network architecture and cyber security standards.

Congratulations to Vice President Finance and Administration, Gabe Morrison, the ITSS Senior Director, Perry Sisk, and the ITSS team, for taking the lead in the initiative at Saint Mary’s and to our partner institutions for being a shining example of collaboration!

Celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day

Today let’s all take a few moments to recognize and celebrate the persistence, perseverance, and strength of all Indigenous Peoples across Canada. As Indigenous Canadians, let’s celebrate ourselves, our place in history, our ancestors and our future. #NationalIndigenousPeoplesDay

— Boyce Campbell (@BoyceCampbell) June 21, 2018

People across Nova Scotia and Canada are taking part in celebrations today, Thursday, June 21st, as part of National Indigenous Peoples Day.

National Indigenous Peoples Day is a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

In cooperation with Indigenous organizations, the Government of Canada chose June 21, the summer solstice, for National Aboriginal Day, now known as National Indigenous Peoples Day. For generations, many Indigenous peoples and communities have celebrated their culture and heritage on or near this day due to the significance of the summer solstice as the longest day of the year.

Events are taking place across Nova Scotia today. Click here for more information about events taking place here and across Canada.

Today is National Indigenous Peoples Day. Visit our online exhibit for information on indigenous people in Nova Scotia. https://t.co/ZaMosQKNXMhttps://t.co/n2UrHDWvGX

— Nova Scotia Archives (@NS_Archives) June 21, 2018

Today we celebrate peace and friendship through National Indigenous Peoples Day! Learn more about this day as well as the many events taking place: https://t.co/RxGDmXiLzb #NIPDCanada pic.twitter.com/s6kXjs9aqB

— SMU Halifax (@smuhalifax) June 21, 2018

Intercultural success at SMU

From June 14 - 16, Saint Mary’s hosted distinguished academics from around the world for the International Conference in Intercultural Studies: Immigration, the Dynamics of Identity and Policies for Managing Diversity.

The main goal of the bilingual conference—a collaboration between Modern Languages & Classics professor Dr. Jean-Jacques Defert, Psychology professor Dr. David Bourgeois, and Université Laval faculty member Dr. Jean Ramdé—was to build bridges between researchers and professionals in the public and private sectors.

“We had representatives and employees from the federal and provincial governments, as well teachers, civil servants, and social workers from YMCA and the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia, and many others,” said Defert. “They gave very positive feedback, especially around the variety of themes we tackled.”

Variety was a keystone of the conference: more than 40 workshops, panels, and keynote presentations covered subjects ranging from child soldiers to international-student retention to immigrant entrepreneurs.

“The workshops given by community organizations pointed at really concrete ways of dealing with diversity,” said Defert. “For example, we had 45 people from the Conseil acadien scolaire provincial, the Acadian school board in Nova Scotia, attend a workshop by Marie McAndrew of the Université de Montreal on equity and diversity in education, and at the end invited her to continue the discussion.”

Keynote speaker Dr. Ather Akbari, Chair of the Atlantic Research Group on Economics of Immigration, Aging and Diversity, gave a talk entitled “In-Migration and Out-Migration: Atlantic Canada at a Crossroad.” In an interview with Star Metro Halifax, he said “whatever focus groups I have done, I found…if people were given a choice to live either in Nova Scotia to go to another province, if they have a job offer, then they would prefer to stay in Nova Scotia.”

Gatherings of academics and public and private-sector workers like this are critical, says Defert, to build intercultural competence in the province and ensure those immigrants do remain here.

“Nova Scotia is relatively new to having significant levels of diversity,” he said, “so it’s important to exchange ideas and practices.”

The conference was structured around some of the main themes of intercultural studies—education, health, social services, and the workforce—which are also the pillars of a new Intercultural Studies degree program offered by Saint Mary’s.

“This was really the strength of the conference and the program,” says Defert: “bringing together people of all backgrounds to discuss how they deal with, and support, diversity in their own ways.”

Saint Mary's unveils the details of The Dauphinee Centre

June 18, 2018

Saint Mary’s University celebrated the philanthropy behind the new on-campus arena and unveiled its design, renderings and name, today, June 18.

The facility will be named The Dauphinee Centre, in honour of the late Bob Dauphinee, a Saint Mary’s alumnus and community champion, who donated $2 million for an arena through his estate.

“Saint Mary’s University has a proud and successful hockey tradition that will continue for generations to come in The Dauphinee Centre,” said Saint Mary’s President Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. “This new arena will contribute to the continued success of our varsity men’s and women’s hockey teams, providing our athletes and coaches with a new home to continue their tradition of excellence.”

The Dauphinee Centre will feature an NHL-sized ice surface with seating and sightlines designed to enhance the fan experience. The centre will have seating for 850 fans with ample standing room that brings the capacity to more than 1200 people.  The building is fully-accessible with an elevator between floors and six accessible changing rooms for visiting teams, community-based recreational sports groups and summer camps.

The centre will also feature an upper-level warming room with an attached fan room overlooking the ice surface, a pedway link to the Homburg Centre for Health & Wellness, and men’s and women’s varsity dressing rooms that are equal to the best junior hockey facilities in the country. These enhancements to the project were made possible by a generous gift of $2 million from local entrepreneurs Glen and Nancy Holmes, parents of two current Saint Mary’s students. Glen and Nancy Holmes are the owners of Pseudio, Samuel & Co and Envy.

“Glen and Nancy Holmes have been true partners in the vision for this facility,” said President Summerby-Murray. “Their tremendous gift has elevated the entire project, and we are incredibly grateful to them for their vision, leadership and passionate support of Saint Mary’s, the Halifax community and this project.”

If you would like to make a gift to the arena project, please click here.

The new arena will continue Saint Mary’s tradition of hockey excellence and community engagement and is being constructed on the same site as the former arena. The overall cost of the project is approximately $14.8 million, and the centre is scheduled to open in time for the 2019 varsity hockey season.

“For 50 years, the Saint Mary’s Alumni Arena served as a community gathering space. A place where students who are new to Canada experience what it’s like to strap on skates for the first time and where young children learn to love skating and Canada’s game,” said President Summerby-Murray.

“Today, we look forward to the next 50 years. A time when students, friends and families will create new memories in The Dauphinee Centre, a new facility designed to meet the needs of our university, and the greater Halifax community, for years to come.” 

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See updates on the progress of the Dauphinee Centre.

An evening with John Ralston Saul

John Ralston Saul gave his insights into immigration and Atlantic Canada at Saint Mary’s University on Friday, June 1st. Ralston Saul praised the centuries-long Canadian approach to welcoming newcomers, something he said is unique to this country and learned from Indigenous peoples. Ralston Saul noted that Canada now stands out among westernized nations for its pro-immigration policies and practices including government programming and citizen volunteers. 

Growing the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: Saint Mary’s shines a light on alumni entrepreneurs

A sold-out crowd gathered to hear from Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray and three entrepreneurial alumni at a Halifax Chamber of Commerce luncheon on May 24.

More than 120 guests attended “Growing the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Halifax and Beyond”, where Dr. Summerby-Murray highlighted Saint Mary’s leadership and vision for creating a thriving economy and then interviewed Ross Simmonds, Janet Chiang and Gregg Curwin - all proud Saint Mary’s alumni at different stages of their entrepreneurial journeys.

Alumni Entrepreneurs

Gregg Curwin, Janet Chiang, Ross Simmonds, and Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray

Live at @halifaxchamber’s Distinguished Speaker luncheon. https://t.co/7NatIa3Qgb

— Rob Summerby-Murray (@smuprez) May 24, 2018

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Related

• Entrepreneurial Disruptors from Saint Mary's
• The Saint Mary's University Entrepreneurship Centre
• The Entrepreneurship program at Saint Mary's

Dr. Wendy Carroll receives the Dr. Geraldine Thomas Educational Leadership Award

Dr. Wendy Carroll (right) receives the Dr. Geraldine Thomas Educational Leadership Award from Dr. Madine VanderPlaat, Associate Dean of Arts

In 2007, the Quality of Teaching Committee (now the Senate Committee on Learning and Teaching) established an Educational Leadership Award to recognize the faculty who develop, enhance, and promote the quality of teaching at Saint Mary’s and beyond. The Committee gratefully acknowledges the support of the Saint Mary’s University Faculty Union for this award. The award is named for Dr. Geraldine Thomas, national teaching award winner and founding member of the Quality of Teaching Committee. Throughout her academic career, Dr. Thomas supported efforts to improve teaching and learning within the University, the Atlantic region, and nationally.

Dr. Carroll is an award-winning teacher and researcher who is an Associate Professor and the Director of the EMBA program. As an educator, Dr. Carroll has worked boldly to advance the quality of education in business programs in the Sobey School and to raise the profile of Saint Mary’s as a centre of excellence in evidence-based management. In all that she does, Dr. Carroll is an advocate for using evidence-based approaches. Her teaching has motivated students to answer challenging questions about human resource management and to transfer this knowledge to practice. Her excellence as an educator is evidenced by the seven teaching awards she has received in the past eight years.

Dr. Carroll’s research focuses on current issues and challenges in human resource management and leadership. In July 2016, she was awarded a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) grant for work on exploring employee silence in organizations after unjust events, such as harassment or bullying. She has advised and mentored students to examine the evidence about a variety of human resource practices and worked with them to share the findings through conference presentations and other publications. Through scholarship and workshops, Dr. Carroll is committed to sharing her pedagogical approach and methods with colleagues within and outside of the University.

Dr. Carroll’s commitment to enhancing decision making goes beyond the classroom and takes her into a number of practitioner forums to share knowledge about evidence-based HR. As an early associate of Center for Evidence-based Management, Dr. Carroll subscribes to the principles of knowledge mobilization and sharing by presenting at HR conferences, and at other practitioner associations. For her role as an educator and researcher impacting practice, Dr. Carroll was named one of the top HR professionals of 2016 in Canada by Canadian HR Reporter Magazine

Dr. David Bourgeois wins Father William A. Stewart Medal for Excellence in Teaching

Dr. David Bourgeois receives the Father William A. Stewart Medal for Excellence in Teaching from Mary-Evelyn Ternan (BA’69, BEd’70, MEd’88), Past President of the Saint Mary's Alumni Association

Dr. David Bourgeois, Associate Professor of Psychology, is known for offering students interactive, hands-on learning experiences. He respects diverse learning needs and places great importance on cross-cultural education.

Aside from teaching in the classroom, Dr. Bourgeois shares talks and lectures with the broader community, including Nova Scotia school teachers, prospective Saint Mary’s students and their parents, and visiting academics from Beijing Normal University. He also created the Documentaries with Dave series, which is open to the public and covers social justice issues and politics. Dr. Bourgeois’ interest in Peace and Conflict Studies is demonstrated in his role as a faculty mentor in the Northern Ireland Conflict Resolution Program (NICRP); this initiative has existed at Saint Mary’s since 2004 and has included more than 180 students in its mission of fostering peace education locally and abroad. Dr. Bourgeois also contributed significantly to the development of the University’s new Peace and Conflict Studies minor, and he has been a member of the Board of Directors for Peaceful Schools International, a partner organization of the NICRP, for over a decade.

Committed to university affairs, Dr. Bourgeois serves on a number of Saint Mary’s committees, including the Faculty of Science Curriculum Committee, the Academic Discipline Committee, the Social Benefits Committee of the Faculty Union, and the Conflict Resolution Advisory Committee.

The Medal for Excellence in Teaching is named for the late Father William A. Stewart, a philosophy professor and administrator at Saint Mary’s from 1950-1982. Father Stewart was known for his inclusivity, approachability, innovative teaching, and service to the University.

Saint Mary’s professor receives national award for her contributions to subatomic physics

Saint Mary’s University physicist Dr. Rituparna Kanungo

Saint Mary’s University physicist Dr. Rituparna Kanungo’s outstanding research is being recognized with the 2018 CAP-TRIUMF Vogt Medal for Contributions to Subatomic Physics.

"I feel highly honoured receiving this prestigious recognition which I would like to share with my collaborators,” said Dr. Rituparna Kanungo. “Canada’s world-leading subatomic physics facilities attracted me here, thanks to the pioneering efforts by Erich Vogt. I feel fortunate with the support I received, and want to thank the physics community and Canada for valuing my contributions."

Dr. Kanungo working with students. 

Dr. Kanungo’s research aims to answer fundamental questions about existence. Where do we come from? What are we and most of visible matter in our Universe made of? To address those questions, Dr. Kanungo looks at not only what humans are made of but everything else that we can see around us. At the heart of which lies the nucleus. The nucleus is such a fundamental part of existence that it has driven Dr. Kanungo to look closer to examine the different types of nuclei present in matter and what makes them so varied. This has led her to look beyond nuclei found here naturally on earth and look toward the wider variety, the rarer isotopes occurring in the Universe.

Dr. Kanungo launched her research program in rare isotope science with experiments at the RIKEN facility in Japan where she developed techniques to investigate the structure of rare isotopes using neutron removal reactions. Her work has revealed new information on nuclear halos and associated shell changes. 

She has spearheaded a program in Canada using low energy nuclear reactions to view the inner workings of the rare isotopes. For this she developed at TRIUMF the IRIS facility to study nuclear reactions and is the project leader. With IRIS she has made impactful measurements revealing sensitive ways to constrain the strong nuclear force of nature and illuminated characteristics of halo nuclei. Dr. Kanungo has taken on leadership of the Canadian Rare Isotope Beam Facility with an Electron Beam Ion source (CANREB) for producing beams of heavy rare isotopes, focusing on current and future scientific programs at TRIUMF

Dr. Kanungo working with students in a lab at Saint Mary's University

Dr. Kanungo has made outstanding contributions to the understanding of the physics of rare isotopes using direct reactions. She has led experiments involving large international collaborations in Canada, Germany, and Japan exploring the properties of rare isotopes. She is at the forefront of a rapidly evolving new field of direct reactions with radioactive ion beams. In addition, she has provided leadership and service to the international and Canadian communities, with a particular focus on current and future scientific programs at TRIUMF.

“This award is a result of a collaborative effort, from the assistance of undergraduate and graduate students to my incredibly experienced colleagues and researchers—everybody has played a role, and I tremendously value everything that they have done to support achieving our goals,” said Dr. Kanungo. "I would like to thank NSERC, Canada Foundation for Innovation and Nova Scotia Research and Innovation Trust for supporting our research."

First introduced in 2011, the Vogt Medal recognizes and encourages outstanding experimental or theoretical contributions to subatomic physics.

Dr. Kanungo will be presented with her medal at the Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) Medallists' Recognition Banquet in Halifax on Wednesday, June 13, 2018.

Congratulation to Dr. Kanungo on behalf of the Saint Mary’s University community!

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ABOUT TRIUMF

TRIUMF is Canada’s particle accelerator centre. The lab is a hub for discovery and innovation inspired by a half-century of ingenuity in answering nature's most challenging questions. From the hunt for the smallest particles in our universe to research that advances the next generation of batteries or develops isotopes to diagnose and treat disease, TRIUMF drives more than scientific discovery. Powered by its complement of top talent and advanced accelerator infrastructure, TRIUMF is pushing the frontiers in isotope science and innovation, as well as technologies to address fundamental and applied problems in particle and nuclear physics, and the materials and life sciences. In collaboration with 20 Canadian universities, TRIUMF's diverse community of nearly 600 multidisciplinary researchers, engineers, technicians, tradespeople, staff, and students create a unique incubator for Canadian excellence, as well as a portal to premier global collaborations. Our passion for understanding everything from the nature of the nucleus to the creation of the cosmos sparks imagination, inspiration, improved health, economic opportunity, and a better world for all.

For more information, visit www.triumf.ca  and www.triumf50.com. @TRIUMFLab

Click here to read the CAP media release on the award. 
 

Saint Mary’s University celebrates the achievements of four exceptional leaders

Dominic Barton

Dr. Bernie Francis

Paul Gauthier

Robert (Rob) G. Steele

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The accomplishments of four exceptional leaders will be recognized this May with honorary degrees at Saint Mary’s University’s Spring Convocation 2018.

The University is pleased to recognize the extraordinary achievements of:

• Dominic Barton, a global managing partner of consulting firm McKinsey & Company, who is committed to the internationalization of Canadian universities and colleges. He leads his company’s focus on the role business leadership plays in creating long-term social and economic value.
   
• Dr. Bernie Francis, a thoughtful and passionate voice for the Mi'kmaw people, who has helped preserve the Mi’kmaw language through an easy-to-learn orthography, which is officially recognized by Mi’kmaw chiefs across the province and by the Canada-Nova Scotia-Mi’kmaw Tripartite Forum. 
   
• Paul Gauthier, one of Canada’s most successful entrepreneurs. He is the founder and president of the Cole Harbour Foundation, a non-profit focused on improving educational opportunities for children and youth, which has helped many Saint Mary’s students over the years.
   
• Robert (Rob) G. Steele, one of Atlantic Canada's top chief executive officers. With more than 18 years in the communications industry, he is a Canadian Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame inductee. In addition, he has an impressive record of success in the auto sales sector where he has built the region’s largest and most diversified automobile group.

“Saint Mary’s University recognizes the important role that leadership and innovation play in the growth of our institution and the Atlantic region,” said Saint Mary’s University President Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. “Our honorary degree recipients are leaders in business, culture and philanthropy, people who drive growth and prosperity. We are incredibly proud they are joining the Saint Mary’s community, and we look forward with excitement to Convocation and the conferring of their honorary degrees.”

The honorary degree recipients will receive their degrees later this May at Saint Mary’s University’s Spring Convocation 2018, which runs from May 16 to May 18.

Saint Mary's University community driving growth as Top 50 CEOs

Saint Mary’s University is celebrating the success of the Saint Mary’s alumni whose innovation, drive and business leadership were recognized by Atlantic Business Magazine’s Top 50 CEO Award.  

The well-attended award ceremony took place in the recently opened Halifax Convention Centre. It was a fantastic night of entertainment and celebration, that recognized the successes of leaders who are driving growth and prosperity in the Atlantic region.

It was a particularly spectacular night for Saint Mary’s University, our alumni, our friends and our partners. This year's award winners includes alumni Joyce Carter, BComm’84, Stuart MacLean, EMBA’97; Darren Nantes, BComm’89; Carl Sparkes, MBA’87 and Saint Mary's University President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray.

Read on for more about our alumni recently named Top 50 CEOs by Atlantic Business Magazine.  

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Joyce Carter, BComm’84
President & CEO,
Halifax International Airport Authority

Joyce Carter, BComm’84
President & CEO,
Halifax International Airport Authority

Joyce joined the Halifax International Airport Authority in 1999, and since then she has been integral in its growth and development, becoming Chief Financial Officer in 2006, Chief Strategy Officer in 2008, and President & CEO in 2014. Since she became CEO in 2014, there’s been tremendous growth in both passenger and cargo numbers. In 2016 alone, the airport contributed $2.8 billion to the Nova Scotia economy.

 

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Stuart MacLean, EMBA’97
CEO, WCB Nova Scotia
 

Stuart MacLean, EMBA’97
CEO, WCB Nova Scotia

Stuart is passionate about making a difference in the lives of working Nova Scotians by reducing the impact of workplace injury. Five years ago, the commercial fishing sector had the highest rates of injury and fatality in Nova Scotia. MacLean was determined to end the tragic legacy. He and WCB teamed up with government and safety champions in the fishing industry, engaged their board, made investments and watched a safety culture begin to emerge. Today, injuries are at an all-time low.

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Darren Nantes, BComm’89
Chairman & CEO, Nantes Capital Inc

Darren Nantes, BComm’89
Chairman & CEO, Nantes Capital Inc.

Darren started his career as a CA and went on to hone his entrepreneurial skills by acquiring underperforming companies and implementing change to increase value. Nantes acts on investment opportunities through his private venture capital firm, Nantes Capital Inc. He currently owns 10 companies in a variety of business sectors.

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Carl Sparkes, MBA’87
President & CEO, Devonian Coast Wineries Ltd.

Carl Sparkes, MBA’87
President & CEO, Devonian Coast Wineries Ltd.

To Carl, business is like a sport. Winning is important but having fun while doing it makes it worthwhile. If the fun leaves, so does he. As president of Olivieri Foods, he quadrupled growth in as many years. That was followed by similar results for Canada Bread, Eastern Bakeries, Omstead Foods and Bento Nouveau. By 2011, he was more than ready to pour his energies into a business of his own, so he created Devonian Coast to acquire Jost and two other Nova Scotia wineries.

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Saint Mary's is proud to have five members of the Saint Mary's community recognized as Top 50 CEOs by Atlantic Business Magazine. You can read more about the Top 50 CEOs in the May-June issue of Atlantic Business Magazine, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the awards. 

Premier Stephen McNeil on campus to congratulate Enactus team on the success of the Square Roots food token program

Premier Stephen McNeil came to Saint Mary’s recently to congratulate Enactus team members on the success of the Square Roots food token program, as they prepare for a national competition. Enactus is a global student organization focused on addressing social issues through entrepreneurship. A total of 38 students are heading to Toronto next week to compete in the Enactus Canada National Exposition.

The Province of Nova Scotia recently supported Saint Mary’s work in entrepreneurship when it announced an $11 million investment for the creation of the Entrepreneurship, Discovery and Innovation (EDI) Hub on campus.