Huskies earn first win of the season with 20-13 victory over StFX

The Saint Mary's Huskies picked up the first victory of the AUS football season with a 20-13 win over the StFX X-Men Friday night at Huskies Stadium on a balmy summer evening in front of over 1300 fans.

The turning point in the victory came late in the fourth quarter when Huskies quarterback Kaleb Scott (Mount Albert, ON) punched in a one-yard touchdown to give them a 17-13 edge. The play came after a Brian Hope (Port Coquitlan, BC) field goal was negated due to a StFX illegal substitution call. Had the field goal stood the game would have been knotted at 13-13. 

With the momentum, the Huskies added a late field goal for the 20-13 win. 

Scott was 18 for 28 with 208 total offensive yards, despite throwing three interceptions in the game. 

Freshman running back Jonathan Cimankinda (Ottawa, ON), the Subway Player of the Game, picked up 105 rushing yards on 21 carries for Saint Mary's.

The home team opened the scoring on their first drive of the game off a 36-yard field goal from Brian Hope (Port Coquitlan, BC) in what was the only scoring in the first quarter. Scott connected with Cimankinda on several carries to move the ball up field.

The X-Men had a chance to even the score early in the second quarter but Kieran Burnham's (Cambridge, ON) 42-yard field goal attempt went wide. 

Hope added a second field goal with just over four minutes left in the opening half, this time from 33 yards out. 

The X-Men got on the board at 13:14 of the second quarter to cut the SMU lead to 6-3 when Burnham connected from 15 yards out. StFX quarterback Bailey Wasdal (Calgary, AB) found receiver Greg McDonald (Halifax, NS) for a 31-yard pass to gain field position. 

The first half scoring rounded out with a Huskies rouge off a missed 26-yard field goal attempt from Hope with under a minute to play as SMU took a 7-3 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Wasdal found McDonald again in the third quarter for a 29-yard catch that set the X-Men up for 1stand goal from the one-yard line. Running back Jordan Socholotiuk (Waterford, ON) punched it in for StFX's first major score of the season. An Ethan Mastin (Chilliwack, BC) interception kicked off the drive for the X-Men.

The Huskies evened the score with just over a minute left in the third quarter as Hope booted his third field goal of the night, a 25 yarder that tied the game at 10-10.

StFX regained the lead three minutes into the fourth quarter on a 35-yard Burnham field goal.

The Scott touchdown with 6:42 left on the clock was the Huskies only one of the game. He scored after the X-Men strung together three consecutive penalties that set up Saint Mary's at 1stand goal.

Hope's fourth field goal of the game gave the Huskies the 20-13 edge with 1:31 left in the game. This one came from 10 yards out after a long Huskies possession wasted a lot of time off the game clock.

Saint Mary's had 383 total offensive yards to the X-Men's 213. Penalties also cost the X-Men in the game as they had 15 for 110 penalized yards to the Huskies 9 for 60.

Rick LeMoignan (Edmonton, AB) had 5 catches for 68 yards for the Huskies, while Liam O'Brien (Parksville, BC) was 5 for 68.

For the X-Men, Greg McDonald (4-91) and Kaion Julien-Grant (4-45) were the favorite targets for Wasdal who ended up going 15 for 23 for 181 total yards in his first AUS regular season game. Socholotiuk was held to 39 yards on the ground on 16 carries. 

On the defensive side of the ball, Gordon Whyte (Toronto, ON) led all X-Men with 9.5 tackles, while defensive back Cole Virtanen (Nanaimo, BC) had two interceptions in the game.

Brad Herbst (Ottawa, ON) led the Huskies defense with 5.5 tackles as the SMU defense sacked Wasdal three times in the game for a total loss of 25 yards. 

Both teams are back in action next weekend. The Huskies travel to Lennoxville, QC to face Bishops on Saturday, while the X-Men will host Acadia on Friday night in their home opener.

Recap courtesy StFX Sports Information

Saint Mary’s University lowers flags to remember Fredericton victims

This weekend, the flags in front of the McNally Building will fly at half-staff in solidarity and in remembrance of the victims of last week’s shooting tragedy in Fredericton.

Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray, President and Vice-Chancellor, said, “As the City of Fredericton prepares to honour publicly this Saturday two fallen police officers, the entire Saint Mary’s community and communities across Canada grieve the tragic loss of life. ”

“Our condolences and thoughts are with the Fredericton Police Force and the family and friends of those taken.”

"Fake it until you make it" not a good plan for job interviews

Adapted with permission from the University of Calgary.

Dr. Nicolas Roulin

Researchers study impression management in job interviews, suggest honesty is best policy when talking about yourself

Honesty is the best policy in a job interview, but not everyone is comfortable being truthful about their skills, psychology researchers have found in an extensive study published in Personnel Psychology. 

Dr. Nicolas Roulin, associate professor of industrial/organizational psychology at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, and Dr. Joshua Bourdage, associate professor in the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts at University of Calgary, studied the behaviour of 1,470 North American job applicants during interviews — a field called ‘impression management.’

Much research has explored how people promote themselves in job interviews and try to ingratiate themselves with the organization that’s hiring. Bourdage and Roulin advanced this work by studying the differences between people who engage in honest versus deceptive practices during a job interview.

“Someone who is more extroverted will be more likely to engage in more of the honest tactics and less in the deceptive tactics. Someone who is more conscientious will also engage in more honest tactics,” says Roulin of the findings. “The people who are extroverted are more able to be honest, they have the ability to sell themselves and ingratiate themselves with the interviewer or the organization. Those who are less extroverted may be a bit shy and may not know to promote themselves.”

Further, applicants who use deceptive practices in a job interview — embellishing their qualifications or offering fake compliments about the organization — may be younger, have less work experience and fewer qualifications to talk about. They may also be less conscientious and therefore haven’t put in the time to prepare for the interview. 

“Faking in an interview tends to be someone making up for something,” says Bourdage. “It’s not that you go in and say ‘I’m going to fake my way through this interview,’ it’s an adaptive response to ‘I don’t know what I’m doing, I don’t have the experience, I am uncomfortable in this situation and this interview is very difficult.’”

The researchers suggest job applicants do their homework before an interview so they can speak truthfully about themselves and the organization. They found that people who took some training on how to nail an interview tended to use more honest impression management. 

“The key going into an interview is to really prepare so that you can speak honestly about the skills that you have and your high points — what are your strengths and how do they relate to the job?” says Bourdage. “And, find genuine ways that you fit with that organization as opposed to making up things that you think the organization would want to hear.” 

People who sell themselves in an honest way tend to receive a job offer whereas those who fake it are often “found out” in reference checks and other verification processes. The researchers also found that the interviewer can encourage more honesty from an applicant by having a longer interview and asking specific questions about past behaviour or job-related situations.

Mi’kmaq Grand Council flag permanently installed at Saint Mary’s

A sign of acknowledgement and acceptance

The Mi’kmaq Grand Council flag now has a permanent home on the Saint Mary’s campus, along side the Canadian and provincial flags that fly in front of the McNally Building.

The flag-raising followed a special meeting between members of the Sɨkɨpne’katik (Shubenacadie) District Grand Council, Saint Mary’s senior executive and Board of Governors member Chief Bob Gloade on Aug 2. Dr. Trudy Sable arranged the meeting in her capacity as Community Engaged Research Facilitator to uphold the university’s 2010 MOU with the Grand Council and to discuss further partnership and research opportunities. Friends and supporters – including Raymond Sewell, Indigenous Student Advisor, SMUSA President Ossama Nasrallah and Isaiah Bernard, co-president of the Saint Mary’s University Indigenous Society – also attended.

“To see our flag side-by-side with the Canadian and Nova Scotian flags, nation to nation, is very significant to us,” said Grand Chief Ron Knockwood, District Chief of the Mi'kmaq Grand Council, Sɨkɨpne’katik District. “It acknowledges our nation and our presence.”

Keptin Russell Julian, Grand Council member, Sɨkɨpne’katik District said the flag would also be a source of pride for the community, a welcoming sight for Indigenous students, and a way to spark conversations. “People will see it and maybe start asking questions – Why is it there? What is that flag for? It’s an opportunity to educate.”

“This is symbolic of our relationship moving forward, and the university’s commitment to fostering an environment that reflects and honours the cultures, histories and traditions of the Indigenous community,” said Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray.

Saint Mary's welcomes new University Librarian

Suzanne van den Hoogen

The Saint Mary’s University community has a new member. Suzanne van den Hoogen (BA’91), the recently appointed University Librarian, will be joining us on campus on Tuesday, August 7th.

"Being named the University Librarian at Saint Mary’s is an honour, and most definitely the highlight of my career," said van den Hoogen. "I am very excited about this opportunity, and I look forward to collaborating with the excellent library staff, engaging with students, and partnering with faculty to build upon the existing foundation of exemplary services and programs that the Patrick Power Library offers."

Suzanne brings more than twenty years of experience working in and managing academic libraries. She joins us from Saint Francis Xavier University, where she took on roles of increasing responsibility, including her current position as Public Services Librarian. Suzanne has also held leadership roles in key regional and national organizations, such as the Atlantic Provinces Library Association (APLA), the Council of Atlantic University Libraries (CAUL), Novanet, and the Canadian Federation of Library Associations.

Suzanne is committed to the library as a strong and vibrant resource for learning and research on campus. With her passion for education and a strong background in developing and implementing new and innovative services, Suzanne will be a welcome addition to the library team and to Saint Mary’s.

Please join us in welcoming Suzanne to campus.

Saint Mary’s a Top Intercultural Destination for "Aspiring Citizens of the World"

Saint Mary’s has become an annual intercultural port of call for global learners.

We are delighted that for the seventh year in a row, international students from Beijing Normal University Zhuhai have enrolled in our Summer Institute, Cross-Cultural Communication – North American Studies, as their choice for a summer study abroad program.

This unique program, which integrates academic and cultural studies with language learning, is an increasingly popular way for students to attend a university renowned for its diverse and globally-engaged campus. With more than 200 students having completed the Institute, the choice of attending Saint Mary’s underscores that the University is recognized for its expertise in intercultural engagement.

Over the next three weeks, students will attend a series of lectures presented by faculty and staff. Lecture topics range from An Archaeological Tour of Halifax to Love to Gender and Service in “Twelfth Night,” while classroom learning will be enriched by visits to historic, cultural, and natural scenic attractions around HRM, including the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre and the Halifax Pride Festival.

Check in on the Summer Institute activities at the Studio's blog:

Saint Mary’s University appoints new Associate Dean – Student Affairs, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research

Dr. Colleen Barber

Saint Mary’s University is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Colleen Barber, Professor in the Department of Biology, to the position of Associate Dean – Student Affairs, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research (FGSR) effective September 1, 2018. Dr. Barber will take over from Dr. Diane Crocker, Department of Criminology, who successfully completes her 5-year term on August 31.

Dr. Barber joined Saint Mary’s University as an Assistant Professor of Biology in 1999 and brings close to 20 years of academic experience and leadership to her new role. In addition to her passion for science, research, and teaching, Dr. Barber has a strong history of student mentorship, having advised and supervised more than 75 students at Saint Mary’s.

Dr. Barber also has excellent administrative experience, most notably from her six-year tenure as Coordinator for the Forensic Sciences program, where her responsibilities included hiring instructors, admitting and mentoring students, developing curriculum and serving on the Science Curriculum and Executive committees.

Continuing on the foundation prepared by Dr. Crocker as FGSR’s inaugural Associate Dean, Dr. Barber will be the FGSR lead on all student-related issues. She will continue to work closely with FGSR’s Graduate Studies Officer and all of the Graduate Program Coordinators to support a positive learning environment for graduate students, and provide avenues for mentorship, professional development, and problem resolution.

Saint Mary’s University appoints new Director of Philanthropy

Jillian Gibson

Saint Mary’s University is pleased to announce the appointment of Jillian Gibson as the Director of Philanthropy in the Office of Advancement, effective August 27, 2018. Reporting to the Vice-President, Advancement, Jillian will provide leadership for the University’s philanthropy programs and staff in the area of major gifts, planned giving, annual giving, and donor relations. 

A member of the Advancement Leaders Team and the Senior Management Group, Jillian will play a vital role in building the university’s capacity to attract private sector support through strategic engagement of a broad range of stakeholders in integrated fundraising programs and long-term relationship building.

Jillian has extensive experience in the development, fundraising, and leadership fields, with a career spanning twenty-five years in education and educational advancement.  A member of Memorial University’s (MUN) Advancement team since 2009, Jillian has held increasingly progressive positions in annual giving, faculty development and major gifts, including leading a $5 million campaign for the Faculty of Medicine and management of the major gift team for the university during the “Dare To Campaign for Memorial University” which raised $67 million.  Prior to joining MUN, Jillian served as Director of Development at the Queen’s College Foundation in Nassau, Bahamas for four years, after an 11-year career as a teacher in Canada and Bahamas.

An alumna of the University of Ottawa with Bachelors of Arts and Education degrees, Jillian also has a Masters of Education in Educational Leadership from Memorial University. An active member of the Rotary Club in Bahamas and Newfoundland since 2006, Jillian is past President of the Rotary Club of St. John’s Northwest and looks forward to continuing her strong engagement in the community.

First cohort graduates from unique, international joint program

On June 24, the first cohort of a unique program based on an international partnership between Saint Mary’s University and Beijing Normal University-Zhuhai (BNUZ) walked across the stage to receive their degrees in China.

The business students are the first to graduate from a joint program from BNUZ and Saint Mary’s University.

A delegation from Saint Mary’s were in China to attend the ceremony, including Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray, President and Vice-Chancellor; Dr. Esther Enns, Associate Vice President, and Dr. Miguel Morales, from the Sobey School of Business. They joined Prof. Qingyun Tu, President, Beijing Normal University-Zhuhai; Prof. Ailan Fu, Vice-President and Prof. Xin Zhong, Dean of International Business Faculty to confer the degrees. Ms. Wenjun Zheng presented the Valedictory Address to her fellow graduates.

The successful partnership between Saint Mary’s and BNUZ dates back to 2002. Since then hundreds of BNUZ and Saint Mary’s students have benefitted from unique shared programs and international education opportunities.

“Together, Beijing Normal University - Zhuhai and Saint Mary’s University share one vision,” said Dr. Summerby-Murray at the ceremony. “We are working to create a world that embraces and values global connections. That original vision, to form lasting connections between our nations and between our cultures, is the foundation of our partnership.”

Government of Canada partners with Saint Mary’s to create new coastal habitat and combat climate change

Dr. Danika van Proosdij

Nova Scotia will soon be home to more coastal habitat and defences against flooding and erosion as the result of a $1.8 million partnership between the Government of Canada and Saint Mary’s University.

“This support from the federal government is crucial. We will use it to create new salt marsh habitat around the Bay of Fundy and beyond, addressing the impact of climate change on our region and tackling a global problem,” said Dr.  Danika van Proosdij, the project lead and a professor at Saint Mary’s University. “Using nature-based strategies and restructuring dyke systems, we will create new vibrant ecosystems for marine life to prosper and new marshes that can absorb rising sea levels and storm surges.”

The new project, Making Room for Wetlands: Implementation of Managed Realignment for Salt Marsh Restoration and Climate Change Adaptation in Nova Scotia, seeks to restore over 75 hectares of tidal wetland (i.e., salt marsh) habitat through the realignment and decommissioning of dyke infrastructure at multiple sites in the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia. The project will also help to build the Atlantic region’s scientific and technical capacity to manage future realignment and restoration projects.

“At Saint Mary's, community is at the heart of what we do, and that extends to our research,” said Saint Mary’s University president Robert Summerby-Murray. “Dr. van Proosdij’s project shows our commitment to using our knowledge and expertise to address challenges facing our region and the world. I want to thank the Government of Canada for supporting Atlantic Canadian researchers who are at the forefront of combating climate change.”

This project will be undertaken through a well-established partnership between Saint Mary’s University and CB Wetlands & Environmental Specialists (CBWES) Inc. using innovative and proven techniques with a comprehensive monitoring program.

Aspects of the project will also be conducted in consultation with the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and in collaboration with Queen’s University Department of Civil Engineering, the Ecology Action Centre (EAC), Dalhousie University’s School of Planning and School of Resource and Environmental Studies.

This project was announced on Monday, June 25, 2018, as part of the Coastal Restoration announcement made by the Honourable Scott Brison, President of Treasury Board Canada, M.P. for Kings-Hants on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard. It was announced that four organizations will receive together over $7 million over 5 years for projects to help restore coastal habitats in Nova Scotia and in the Arctic.

““I am proud to support these Coastal Restoration Fund projects that will restore and rehabilitate important coastal habitats in Nova Scotia and Nunavut. Our funding will encourage and build local community capacity to maintain and restore aquatic habitats.”

- The Honourable Scott Brison, President of Treasury Board Canada”

---

From the announcement event

Saint Mary’s new Department of Criminology hosts ground-breaking national conference on harm-reduction in the justice system

More than 200 scholars, corrections workers, and social-justice experts from Canada and beyond came together for a fruitful exchange of ideas on harm reduction in the criminal-justice system at Saint Mary’s this past Thursday and Friday.

Criminology graduate student Omotimilehin Idris presenting during the “Transnational Perspectives” session

For the past eight years, the National Conference on Critical Perspectives: Criminology and Social Justice has been held in Ottawa, and focused on scholarly participants. This year marks the first in which the conference will begin visiting communities across Canada, and also the first in which it substantially moves outside the university’s walls to holistically address issues around crime and justice.

Besides scholars, professionals and employees within the Canadian corrections system, social-justice experts, and non-profit workers came together to discuss new ideas around harm reduction.

“The classic idea of harm reduction is around drug use,” says Diane Crocker, chair of Saint Mary’s Department of Criminology. “And that’s being addressed here, but we’re also expanding the scope to look at how the criminal-justice system at large can harm people, or even how larger social structures cause harm, and exploring how that can be recognized.”

Represented at the conference were universities in Canada, New Zealand, and the UK; criminal-justice experts from the Nova Scotia Department of Justice, and the Halifax Regional Police; representatives from First Nations across Canada; and several levels of government.

Government representatives included Karen Hudson, QC, Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General of Nova Scotia; Denise Perret, Deputy Minister of the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness; Tracey Taweel, Deputy Minister of the Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture, and Heritage; Lynn Hartwell, Deputy Minister of the Nova Scotia Department of Community Services; and Karen Gatien, Associate Deputy Minister of the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

Dr. Crocker hopes that the conference’s success will be replicated in coming years.

“We’ve set a high bar in terms of having an integrated conference of academics, community members, and criminal-justice professionals coming together to share ideas,” she says. “This has been an incredibly valuable two days.”

The conference was a joint effort between the newly formed Department of Criminology of Saint Mary’s University, and the Nova Scotia Criminal Justice Association.

Saint Mary’s University appoints new Dean of the Sobey School of Business

Dr. Harjeet Bhabra

Saint Mary’s University is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Harjeet Bhabra to the position of Dean, Sobey School of Business, Saint Mary’s University, effective September 1, 2018.

“I am honoured to announce the appointment of Dr. Harjeet Bhabra as the new Dean of the Sobey School of Business,” said Saint Mary’s University president Robert Summerby-Murray. “Under Dr. Bhabra’s leadership, the Sobey School of Business will continue to advance its position as a top business school in Canada.”

Dr. Bhabra brings over 20 years of experience in university teaching, research and leadership, having served as Associate Dean of Research and Research Programs and as the Director of the MBA and Certificate in e-Business Programs, both at Concordia University. Dr. Bhabra is a Professor of Finance in the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University.

“I am grateful and honoured that I have been given this opportunity to lead an innovative and highly recognized business school in the country, known for its student-centric learning environment and impactful scholarship. I am excited to join a school that has a strong international presence and a diverse community, offering outstanding inter-cultural learning experiences,” said Dr. Bhabra. “These strengths have not gone unnoticed with the Sobey School's programs in recent years having been ranked among the very best in the country. My immediate priorities will be to consolidate and build on the successes of the current strategic plan which focused on internationalization, engagement, and innovation and development.”

Dr. Bhabra says he looks forward to engaging with the Saint Mary’s community to continue developing entrepreneurial mindsets and to build on the strength of the school’s research profile.

The Sobey School is one of the top business schools in Canada, acclaimed nationally and internationally, and is recognized with the prestigious Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation, a distinction achieved by only 5% of the world’s business schools. Established in 1934, it is one of the oldest business schools in the country, and offers new and innovative undergraduate and graduate programs such as the Master’s of Applied Economics, Master’s in Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Graduate Diploma of Co-operative Management.  Sobey School enrolls approximately 3200 students per year and enjoys an alumni network of more than 25,000 worldwide.