Statement: Informing the SMU Community of a positive test for COVID-19

The following statement was shared with the Saint Mary’s University community.

Informing the SMU Community of a positive test for COVID-19

Dear SMU community,

Public Health has informed the university of one positive case of COVID-19 in our residence community. The case is travel-related, and the person has been following protocols. They have been in self-isolation since their arrival, and they will continue to self-isolate. The procedures we have put in place to protect our community are being followed. 

The university and this individual received this news due to following the travel and testing protocols for post-secondary students entering Nova Scotia. Specifically, through scheduling a test between days 6 to 8 of their self-isolation period. We encourage all students entering the province and self-isolating to schedule a test through the COVID-19 self-assessment website.

Out of respect for their privacy and in-keeping with privacy legislation, no other details will be shared at this time. We pass along our best wishes to them on their recovery and thank them for following the proper procedures to self-isolate, which minimized the risk of exposure to others and helped protect our community.

The university website has more information regarding the protocols in place on campus. For more information on the public health protocols in place for Nova Scotia for COVID-19, click here.

Saint Mary’s will continue to work with Public Health to keep our students and our community safe.
 

Sincerely,

Michelle Benoit
Vice-President, Finance & Administration

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.

CFI funded CANREB project for rare isotopes rolls to success

The EBIS in the TRIUMF clean room. From left to right: Rituparna Kanungo; Christopher Charles; Paige Harford; Saint Mary’s Vice President Academic and Research, Malcolm Butler; Brad Schultz, and Mathieu Cavenaile.

A partnership between Saint Mary's University, TRIUMF, and the University of Manitoba for the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) project CANREB, has borne significant fruit when it comes to radioactive isotope research.

Saint Mary's University leads this national CFI project for rare isotope research at Canada's particle accelerator centre, TRIUMF in Vancouver, British Columbia. On December 6, 2020, the CANREB (CANadian Rare isotope facility with Electron Beam ion source) team of scientists and engineers achieved a major milestone accelerating for the first time a radioactive isotope beam through the CANREB facility and delivered to the IRIS experiment in the ISAC-II experimental hall. The IRIS facility is also a SMU-led CFI project that unveils the secrets of the rare isotopes with nuclear reactions.

"CANREB opens an exciting new era for exploring the rare isotopes in nature. It enables the capacity to accelerate, with high-purity, high-mass isotopes," says Rituparna Kanungo, Principal Investigator for the CANREB project, Professor of Physics at Saint Mary's University and a TRIUMF Affiliate Scientist. "CANREB unlocks new opportunities for research and the training of students and postdocs from across Canada and around the world. The project has been a strong team effort from its conception to its realization. I am thankful to everyone in the team for making CANREB a success story."

The first beam – copper-59, at a charge state of +19 – was manoeuvred through a multifaceted sequence of several complex state-of-the-art, custom built components that were all designed by the CANREB team.

The Radio Frequency Quadrupole at the CANREB beamline.
From left to right: Rituparna Kanungo, Paige Harford, Brad Schultz, Friendhelm Ames, and Mathieu Cavenaile.

A key element of the successful beam delivery and the final piece to be commissioned in the CANREB puzzle was the electron beam ion source (EBIS) – a special device for enhancing the electrical charge ("charge-breeding") of isotopes.  It was developed in collaboration with researchers at the Max Planck Institute für Kernphysik in Heidelberg, Germany.

“I am proud to be a part of this exciting project,” says Saint Mary’s University Ph.D. student Mathieu Cavenaile who is working at TRIUMF on studying charge breeding of rare isotopes with the EBIS. “It is a tremendous opportunity to be working at TRIUMF with the highly skilled team.”

"We were particularly happy to record the successful function of the EBIS in terms of charge-breeding a high-purity radioactive isotope beam," said Friedhelm Ames, CANREB project coordinator, TRIUMF Scientist and Adjunct Faculty of Saint Mary’s University. "This was the first real test of the full system using a radioactive beam similar to those that we expect to be soon delivering to ISAC science experiments: a charge-bred, intense beam with very low levels of impurities. CANREB's beam delivery system functioned as expected, which is a tremendous achievement for the many hard-working teams that have contributed to its deployment."

“The CANREB project recognizes that the universities are integral partners to TRIUMF,” says Malcolm Butler, Vice President Academic and Research, Saint Mary’s University. “It has showcased TRIUMF’s role as a national laboratory in supporting opportunities for researchers from universities with good ideas to lead and bring exciting discoveries out from the lab.”

The High Resolution Separator (HRS) and part of the CANREB team.
Photo Credit : Stuart Shepherd, TRIUMF

“This success is a testament to the people in the team and the broader TRIUMF community,” says Jonathan Bagger, Director of TRIUMF. “Completion of the CANREB facility represents an essential step towards building the TRIUMF of the future.”

“It is a fantastic to see the CANREB infrastructure come together, a great achievement of the whole team,” says Reiner Kruecken, Deputy Director of Research at TRIUMF. “We can now really start exploiting this innovative infrastructure for exciting science and I am happy to be a part of that myself.”

The inaugural beam of copper-59, originated in TRIUMF's ISAC target station and was the first radioactive beam to undergo charge breeding with CANREB and be post accelerated through to ISAC-II. At the IRIS experiment a snapshot of the beam was seen through the lens of energy deposited in a gas-filled detector.  In nature, copper-59 is among the many radioactive isotopes whose reactions power astrophysical phenomena like X-ray bursts and could potentially contribute to the creation of some heavy elements. Using such beams at TRIUMF, researchers directly or indirectly such processes in the laboratory to gain insight on nature’s working.

This has been a remarkable achievement, especially during this globally challenging year with the pandemic, further showcasing the well-coordinated capacity of the CANREB team. As a tough year ended with a happy note of success, the team is looking forward to gearing up on further advancement of the project.

The CANREB project is thankful for research funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Nova Scotia Research and Innovation Trust, the Manitoba Research and Innovation Fund. It was also supported by TRIUMF's commercialization arm, TRIUMF Innovations and TRIUMF.  

A screenshot of the CANREB virtual celebration on December 11. Credit: Stu Shepherd/Rituparna Kanungo

SMU researchers look at impact of COVID-19 on communities in Nova Scotia

A glimpse at the report’s title page.

A new study from a Saint Mary’s University-based research team into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Nova Scotia’s communities was released today, Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020. 

“What this research shows is communities coming together to help each other during a time of need,” says Dr. Tony Charles, a professor at Saint Mary’s University and the director of the Community Conservation Research Network. “The study reinforces what we already know about our communities, that they are resilient and can find community-based solutions to many problems. And for larger problems, they know the solutions needed but may need outside assistance to enact them.” 

When the pandemic came to Nova Scotia, Dr. Charles and his team were already looking at Nova Scotian communities, the issues they are facing, and their plans for the future. For each of 50 communities, they spoke to individuals in the community as well as elected municipal officials. When the pandemic appeared in 2020, the team decided to try to learn more about COVID-19 impacts and responses in communities.  

“We heard from people how very fortunate they felt to live in places that nourished them in so many ways – communities that rallied by reaching out and checking on one another, and supporting those who were more vulnerable,” adds Libby Dean, one of the researchers on the team.  

The study showed that all communities felt at least some impacts of the pandemic on their economic activities and social well-being. Sixty-seven percent of communities said they faced at least some moderate economic implications. Seventy-seven percent said there were social impacts, with 42 percent of communities feeling extremely affected by social and economic impacts. Environmental impacts of the pandemic ranged widely, with about a third of communities seeing little or no impact, a third noticing a low or modest impact, and one-third feeling environmental impacts were moderate to extreme.  

Of social impacts, the top ones identified were employment (listed by 58 percent of respondents), social and recreational activities (54 percent) and schools/schooling (50 percent). Of the top three impacts of the pandemic on economic sectors, most affected was the tourism industry (61 percent of respondents), followed by education/research (48 percent) and retail activities (39 percent). 

“The work of Dr. Charles and his team exemplifies one of the key pillars of research at Saint Mary’s University—working with our local communities to provide expert advice to address regional and global challenges,” says Dr. Adam J. Sarty, associate vice-president, Research and dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research. 

“One thing that was clear from the survey was the importance of community-based groups to facilitate community solutions and responses,” says Dr. Charles. “Some of the themes noted in responses include access to services, financial aid, social connections, food security and volunteerism. In many cases, these responses were recognized as already an inherent part of the way of life in their community.”  

The community-based responses included supporting various services no longer as easily accessible, such as groceries and water, and dealing with concerns around food security and access, specifically for children and seniors. Communities also took action to address the need for social connections, such as through virtual religious services, take-out community dinners, and support for regional food banks and local community halls.  

Among the highlighted needs that communities require support to address was access to technology and, specifically, the internet. Much of what is being done now regarding education, recreation, arts, and even food services require robust and consistent internet access, which is a challenge in many -communities across the province.  

“Despite the uncertainty and the challenges, that sense of community is a strength for Nova Scotia,” says Dr. Charles. “While the forecast is not clear, strong communities help to weather all storms.”  

The research survey summary, Nova Scotian Communities & COVID-19: Challenges and resilience, was prepared by Dr. Tony Charles, Larissa Sweeney, Libby Dean, and Rebecca Zimmerman. For more information about the survey or to read the summary report, click here.

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.

Saint Mary University signs agreement with Xiamen University

On Monday, December 21st, 2020, Saint Mary’s University renewed its agreement with Xiamen University, Fujian Province, China. The five-year agreement is the third such agreement for the Confucius Institute at Saint Mary’s University.

“Saint Mary’s University has long-standing partnerships with Chinese universities dating back to the 1980s. Our partnership with Xiamen University, one of China’s most prestigious universities, includes numerous linkage projects, research initiatives and educational and business tours,” says Saint Mary’s University President Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. “Our university is known for its commitment to intercultural learning and international relations, and this agreement demonstrates that priority.”

The Confucius Institute at Saint Mary’s University is a distinct stand-alone entity, part of the relationship between the two partner universities. The Confucius Institute provides Chinese language learning for the wider community, hosts Chinese cultural events, and teaches cultural skills such as calligraphy. The Saint Mary’s Confucius Institute does not teach academic courses and is not involved in academic matters at the university.

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

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

Julie Naugler BA’20

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

International book award for Dr. Stella Gaon

Dr. Stella Gaon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SMU named among top 50 Research Universities in Canada: Research Impact and Funding Rises

The impact of Saint Mary’s University’s research continues to rise, according to a new report released this week detailing Canada’s top 50 research universities.  

“Saint Mary’s continues to maintain a strong position among Canada’s top 50 research universities,” says Dr. Adam J. Sarty, associate vice-president, Research and Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research. “The university shows continued excellent performance and growth in obtaining external research funding with an 18 percent growth in external research income compared to the year prior. It brings the university up to $10 million in external research funding, to rank 8th among other Canadian undergraduate universities.” 

The report comes from Research Infosource Inc., which releases a yearly list titled Canada’s Top 50 Research Universities. This year, Saint Mary’s ranked 48th overall and saw its ranking under ‘publication impact’ rise from 41st to 20th overall. 

“This strong growth in external research funding, coupled with the powerful impact of our research publications, continues to tell the story of Saint Mary’s University professors who are conducting top-level research,” says Dr. Sarty. “They are achieving research success while balancing a mission that is also dedicated to excellence in undergraduate education and support of select graduate programming.” 

Eight universities in Atlantic Canada were featured on the list, posting a combined research income of $408.9 million in Fiscal 2019. It marks a growth of 19.7 percent for Atlantic Canada in 2019, far surpassing the national increase of 5.7 percent. Saint Mary’s had the third-highest gain of all Atlantic universities. In Fiscal 2019, Atlantic universities accounted for 5% of the national research income total, up from 4% in Fiscal 2018. 

For more information on Canada’s Top 50 Research Universities list, visit https://researchinfosource.com/top-50-research-universities/2020. 

Supporting resilience and recovery focus of two new initiatives from the SMU Entrepreneurship Centre

960 Tower Road: Home of the Saint Mary’s University Entrepreneurship Centre (SMUEC) and the SMU Language Centre.

The Saint Mary’s University Entrepreneurship Centre (SMUEC) is expanding its investment in the economic recovery and resilience of Nova Scotia with two new initiatives to support businesses and entrepreneurs amidst the pandemic.

“Saint Mary’s is known for our positive impact on the Atlantic economy through education, research, successful alumni, and our entrepreneurship centre helping people grow their businesses,” says Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray, President of Saint Mary’s University.  “As businesses closed due to COVID-19 to protect the health of our community, people’s livelihoods were in jeopardy. As a result, our entrepreneurship centre expanded its services. Now they are doing so again to help those directly impacted by the pandemic and to gather the information needed to build new programs and data-driven policy.”

The two new initiatives from SMUEC are an entrepreneurship certificate and research survey, which focus on the impacts of COVID-19 on business and entrepreneurship.

The Entrepreneurial Mindset Success Certification - COVID-19 Career Resilience Edition is a certificate made up of eight online workshops. It supports individuals who have found themselves unemployed or unable to find employment due to COVID-19. The certificate takes a customized approach to provide relevant skills training and exposure to entrepreneurship to help individuals feel prepared to re-enter a new and changed job market, return to work, or start their own business. Seven career experts from Job Junction, ISANS and the Career Service Centre of Sobey Business School act as mentors for the participants and deliver the workshops.  Registration is now open, and the workshops will run from Jan. 15 to Feb. 5, 2021.

The centre is also is studying the impacts of COVID-19 on Atlantic Canadian business through the COVID-19 Business Impact Survey. This longitudinal survey will collect quantitative and qualitative data using phone interviews and online surveys until the end of 2021. The main areas of interest are the use of government support, main challenge areas, and the tactics that businesses employ to respond to the specific challenges faced by their industries.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the centre has focused on two questions: how can they support businesses and entrepreneurs to be resilient enough to weather this storm? And how can they help them recover?

The centre’s first step was to expand their free business coaching sessions with the help of their new entrepreneur-in-residence, prominent alumna and successful serial entrepreneur Shannon Byrne Susko BComm’89 BSc’92. A series of presentations and workshops on various topics supplemented those sessions. Then came the launch of the Sobey School of Business’s Sobey Community Revitalization & Prosperity Network, of which SMUEC was an active participant. Now the centre's focus is on collecting the data needed to inform future pandemic business policy and a new initiative working with those who have found themselves unemployed due to COVID-19.

“We know the importance of evidence-based decision making. That is why we are gathering the information needed for policymakers and program developers like ourselves to best support the business sector during the pandemic,” says Michael Sanderson, Director of the Saint Mary’s University Entrepreneurship Centre. "On the opposite end of that sector-wide view is the immediate impact the pandemic has had on employment. By adapting our existing Entrepreneurial Mindset Success Certification, we can help directly with the immediate recovery while keeping an eye on data-informed methods to increase resiliency for the long-term." 

For more information about the Saint Mary’s University Entrepreneurship Centre and its initiatives, visit https://smuec.ca/.

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

Dr. Skye Stephens

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

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

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

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

---

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

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

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

---

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

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

At a Canada-wide annual general meeting held November 29 on Zoom, Dr. S. Karly Kehoe became President of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. The role carries a two-year term and means Dr. Kehoe is also a member of the RSC Board of Directors.  

Dr. S. Karly Kehoe

“It’s important for Atlantic Canada,” says Kehoe. “It puts our early- to mid-career scholars on the national map, and that’s empowering.”

The College of New Scholars represents Canada's emerging generation of scholarly, scientific and artistic leaders. Elected members have demonstrated artistic or research excellence within 15 years of their post-doctoral program or its equivalent.

For faculty members in small-to-medium-sized universities, membership in the College can help boost the national profile of their contributions to Canada’s research ecosystem, Kehoe says. First elected to the College in 2017, she is an associate professor of History at Saint Mary’s, graduate coordinator of Atlantic Canada Studies, and the Canada Research Chair in Atlantic Canada Communities.

Her new presidency comes with a lot of responsibility, but it’s a great opportunity, she says. She looks forward to working with colleagues on key priorities, including Reconciliation, increasing interdisciplinary collaboration within the College, and fostering a close relationship between the College and the RSC. One primary focus of collaboration right now is a joint Covid-19 Task Force.

“Internationalization is important for me as well,” adds Kehoe. “Making those connections with similar organizations elsewhere. It’s very good to have Canadian scholars at the table and participating in moving forward the important research development discussions happening around the world.”

Her primary research areas are religion, migration, and minority identities in the British Atlantic. Still, she’s also interested in sustainable development and rural change in Nova Scotia and the Scottish Highlands. She runs the SMU Emerging Researcher Program, a 12-week program for grades 11 and 12 students in rural Cape Breton. She also leads the Gorsebrook Research Institute for Atlantic Canada Studies and is an alumna of the Global Young Academy and the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Young Academy of Scotland.

Kehoe is a strong advocate for displaced, refugees and at-risk academics. She recently co-edited the book, Responsibility for Refugee and Migrant Integration, released in 2019. This year saw the publication of British Colonization in Atlantic Canada, 1700-1900: A Reappraisal, co-edited with SMU colleague Dr. Michael E. Vance.

Her research continues on 'A Catholic Atlantic? Minority Agency in the British World, 1763-1860', supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. This fall, a related conference was scheduled to take place at Saint Mary's but postponed due to the pandemic. With support from CLARI, Kehoe is also embarking on an exciting project on Nova Scotia's South Shore, titled "Kingsburg: A Social and Economic History in 10 Objects" with Dr. Seán Kennedy of the Irish Studies program and students in her Community Leadership course.

The Faculty of Arts at Saint Mary’s has four more scholars associated with the Royal Society of Canada. Dr. Peter Twohig, Associate Dean of Arts, and Dr. Gavin Fridell, Canada Research Chair in International Development Studies, and Dr. R. Blake Brown, Professor of History, are members of the College of New Scholars. Dr. John Reid, Professor Emeritus of History and Atlantic Canada Studies, is a Fellow of the RSC’s Academy of the Arts and Humanities.

Kehoe first got involved as an active member of the RSC’s Atlantic chapter and highly recommends it. “What a great bunch of people to work with. It’s important for us to work together to see how we can harness the cutting-edge research that is happening here for the benefit of the region, and also make it more accessible to communities beyond the universities.” 

The Royal Society of Canada has existed since 1882. Established in 2014, the College of New Scholars now has more than 370 members. Learn more at rsc-src.ca/en/college-members.