New home for Saint Mary’s Engineering to open in September 2024

Engineering students work hands-on with robotics

Students walk through the new engineering building space

The building offers space for students to connect and work together

Saint Mary’s University is excited to announce a significant expansion to its engineering facilities that will have an immediate positive impact on enrolment and allow the university to grow the engineering program from 240 to 320 students over the next two academic years.

President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray notes, “Saint Mary’s University has seen an increased demand for our STEM programming in recent years, particularly in our engineering diploma. Our excellent faculty, facilities and ability to provide focused, hands-on learning are very attractive to incoming students looking to build the foundation for their careers. We are delighted to be offering this experience to more students and researchers.”

960 Tower Road

Following a re-design over the spring and summer, SMU Engineering will move into its new home in the existing building on campus at 960 Tower Road. The new facilities will take up all three floors of the 28,000-square-foot building. This significant expansion of engineering space on campus will enhance teaching and learning capacity by providing state-of-the-art labs, classrooms and project rooms.

The first floor will house workspaces where student teams will design engineering projects. The second floor will include three large classrooms and the mechanics of materials lab, an electric circuits lab and thermofluids lab. The third floor will be home to an engineering design classroom and faculty research labs.

““This contemporary building will provide a dynamic environment for the training of future engineers and allow more students to experience the distinct advantages of SMU Engineering: small class sizes, state-of-the-art facilities and more hands-on learning””

— Interim Dean of Science Sam Veres

Built to LEED Silver standards and opened in 2013, 960 Tower Road has housed various academic programs over the past decade. The university's administration took an innovative approach to re-purpose an existing building for a popular program that is experiencing growing demand. The new home of SMU Engineering will be ready to welcome students in September 2024.

Saint Mary’s Engineering offers a two-year Diploma of Engineering that provides students with an introduction to scientific principles and a strong foundation in engineering mathematics, design and technical communication before choosing an engineering path to complete their degree. Saint Mary’s has offered engineering for more than 100 years, with classes located in the McNally building since 1951.

Saint Mary’s University a top destination for International Baccalaureate students

Photo: Smith and Whitton

Saint Mary’s University Senate approved an enhanced International Baccalaureate (IB) admissions policy that will allow Saint Mary’s to have one of the leading IB admissions and recognition policies not only in Canada but in the world. 

The university worked closely with the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) North America University Relations Team on crafting a policy that offers admission to IBDP and IBCP graduates from the over 180 IB curriculum schools across Canada and more than 5,600 schools in 159 countries worldwide. The new policy further enhances Saint Mary’s strong recognition and support of IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) and individual diploma course-taking students.

IBO Senior Recognition Manager US and Canada, Marie Vivas, calls Saint Mary’s enhanced policy “pioneering” and is confident that this will enhance post-secondary options for IBDP and IBCP students while paving a path for other post-secondary institutions to emulate. 

“Our new IB policy allows the IBO and school counsellors to talk to their students and point them to us as a definite place where their programme is accepted, recognized and valued,” says Saint Mary’s Associate Vice-President Enrolment and University Registrar, Dan Seneker. 

 “Research shows that IB students tend to transition to university smoother and outperform their colleagues in their first year,” says Seneker. “Recognizing these students and the intellectual and personal growth that they experience both inside and outside the classroom is long overdue. We are proud to be a leader in this regard and partner with the IBO and Nova Scotia’s Department of Education and Early Childhood Development in developing this new policy.”

“Having one of our post-secondary partners lead the way in recognizing and celebrating Nova Scotia’s IB students is a great milestone, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Saint Mary’s in further developing IB recognition within our province,” says Mary MacDonald, IB/AP Program Lead, Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.  MacDonald continues, “This is a development that is good for our province and, more importantly, our students.”

The IBCP programme was officially introduced by the IBO in 2017 and was specifically developed for students who wish to engage in more targeted career-related and experiential learning. The IBCP maintains the core elements of the IBDP program (diploma program courses, international-mindedness, approaches to teaching, language development, reflective project, service learning, and personal and professional skills) and adds career-related studies elements that include technical and employability skills. 

For more information on Saint Mary’s various IB admissions policies, please visit www.smu.ca/IB

For more information on the International Baccalaureate Organization and the IBDP and IBCP programmes, please visit www.ibo.org

David Sobey Retailing Centre awards three research grants to Sobey School of Business researchers

The David Sobey Retailing Centre is very pleased to award funding of $10,000 each to Sobey School of Business researchers Hadi Eslami, Bahareh Mansouri and Ethan Pancer.

Founded in 2014, thanks to a visionary and generous gift by the late Dr. David F. Sobey, CM, DComm’91, Chair Emeritus of Sobeys Inc., the David Sobey Retailing Centre is a leading expert and partner in the retail sector, shaping the future of retail through research, innovation and education. 

“Funding research in areas that are vital to the future of retail is a key priority for the David Sobey Retailing Centre” says Dr. Ramesh Venkat, Director of the David Sobey Retailing Centre, “Canada’s retail sector accounts for 15.6 per cent of Canada’s GDP and employs the most people of all sectors in our economy. An innovative, thriving and competitive retail sector is a vital contributor to Canada’s economy”.

Highlights of this new research are:

Hadi Eslami

Title: Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) Adoption and Shareholder Value of Retailers

Description: While retailers have been at the forefront of adopting the Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) payment method/system, we have limited knowledge regarding the performance effects of this adoption. In this research, we will examine how the adoption of BNPL influences retailers’ shareholder value performance across multiple consumer segments.

More about Hadi Eslami

Bahareh Mansouri

Title: Towards sustainable urban freight planning: the integration of micro-distribution centers into the urban transportation network

Description: This research project addresses the pressing challenges faced by the retail and service sectors in the context of urban freight transportation. It focuses on strategically integrating the Urban Micro-distribution Centers (UMCs), fed by the Urban Distribution Centers (UDCs), into the urban logistics network planning. This study employs optimization models, drawing from the Hub Location Problem (HLP) and the Location-Routing Problem (LRP) to minimize operational costs, reduce carbon footprints, and enhance customer satisfaction. 

More about Bahareh Mansouri

Ethan Pancer

Title: Consumer Responses to Product Innovation from Generative AI

Description: This project investigates how people perceive products created by generative AI compared to those made by humans, exploring the impact of a product's origin on its perceived value, trustworthiness, and acceptability. The findings aim to guide retailers in industries at the crossroads of technology and creativity in developing strategies that align with consumer attitudes in an increasingly AI-integrated market.

More about Ethan Pancer

Ramadan at Saint Mary’s University

This month, many members of the Saint Mary’s community observe the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins with the sighting of the new moon on March 10 and continues until April 9.

Ramadan is marked by compulsory acts guided by the five pillars of Islam: faith, prayer, charity, fasting and making the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca. Those taking part in Ramadan participate in daily fasting during daylight hours, having one meal (Suhoor) before the sun rises and one meal (Iftar) after the sun sets. Prayer also takes place five times a day during the month-long observance. See below for a list of events and activities happening at Saint Mary’s during Ramadan.

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Ramadan In Unity

Tuesday, March 12
5 p.m.
Loyola Academic Conference

Join us for a Ramadan experience! Visit informational booths, hear from community speakers, enjoy an included dinner/iftar and more. This event is free for all Saint Mary’s students, staff and faculty.

See photos from the event on the SMU Muslim Society’s Instagram @smu_msa.

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Community Food Room Iftar Kits

The SMU Community Food Room, generously supported by the SMUSA and Saint Mary's University Health and Wellness Fund, is excited to introduce Iftar Kits!

A student hands out Iftar kits in the library

Embrace the spirit of Ramadan by signing up to receive specially curated kits designed to make breaking your fast a delightful experience. Kits are crafted with care to provide support and nourishment during this sacred time. Each Iftar Kit includes a selection of wholesome snack items, water, traditional dates, and other thoughtfully chosen treats to complement your Ramadan evenings.

A pop-up Iftar Kit distribution will take place in the Patrick Power Library on Thursday, March 14. Subsequent Iftar kit distributions will be available through the SMU Community Food Room on the 5th floor of the Student Center, with appointment bookings for the week opening each Monday.

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Other supports

SMU Dining Iftar Meals

SMU Dining Services has extended meal services to accommodate the daily fasting period throughout Ramadan. Service provisions include a nightly hot buffet dinner after sundown and a Suhoor bagged-to-go breakfast. The daily accommodation is available for students observing Ramadan who have pre-registered for the Iftar meals.

Interfaith Prayer Space

The interfaith prayer space is open to all faiths and is conveniently located in Loyola Academic LA210. Please ensure to read the guidelines for using the space, posted just inside the entrance and be respectful of others in using the space. The Interfaith Prayer Space Rules and Guidelines can also be found on the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility web page.

Saint Mary’s ranked top primarily undergraduate research university in Atlantic provinces

Saint Mary’s University is the top primarily undergraduate research university in the Atlantic provinces, according to the latest Canada’s Top 50 Research Universities rankings.

Released annually by Research Infosource Inc., the rankings assess the research income and intensity of Canadian universities in four categories: medical, comprehensive, undergraduate and specialized. This year, Saint Mary’s placed 16th nationally in the undergraduate university category.

Saint Mary’s was also ranked 5th in Canada for undergraduate universities that saw the most growth in not-for-profit research funding, thanks to a remarkable increase of 208% between 2018 and 2022.

Research Infosource measured how well universities fared at winning funding from national granting councils, specifically Canada's Tri-Agencies.

Saint Mary’s placed 5th among undergraduate universities in two categories: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) research income as a percentage of total research income (10.2 %); and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) research income as a percentage of total research income (17.6%).

Additionally, Saint Mary’s was ranked 4th for Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) research income as a percentage of total University Research Income (5.8%).

“We’re pleased that Saint Mary’s is increasingly recognized as an undergraduate university that maintains a strong commitment to supporting high-calibre research,” says Dr. Adam Sarty, Associate Vice-President, Research and Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research. “Our rankings this year reflect both the strength and consistent success of our faculty in securing external funding, and to the concerted effort from the university and our Deans to support the research of as many faculty possible.”

In 2022-2023, a total of 97 faculty members at Saint Mary’s received $12.58 million in funding, representing an intensity of $43,800 per professor and $16,300 per graduate student.

Sarty also noted that the university prioritizes building trusting relationships with community partners and has a “high record of success” connecting professors to partners in the private and public sectors that need specific research expertise.

A distinctive position

Student Kyle Morton BComm’23 (at right) worked with economics professor Dr.Yigit Aydede on a ground-breaking study on the spread of COVID.

Saint Mary’s enjoys a unique position in the post-secondary research environment; a mid-size, undergraduate university that secures high-profile research partnership contracts,  conducts world-leading fundamental research (e.g. astrophysicists with leading roles in international space and astronomy projects such as the James Webb Space Telescope and XRISM satellite) and is a leader in community-based research projects. The university also provides unparalleled research opportunities undergraduate students.

For more information on Canada’s Top 50 Research Universities list, visit Research Infosource.

Researching links between animal abuse and gender-based violence

Sue O’Neill

Graduate student Sue O'Neill is combining her passions for work and public education at Saint Mary’s, with research investigating the connections between gender-based violence and animal abuse. During her first year in the Women and Gender Studies program, O’Neill is working as a teaching assistant with the Sexual Violence Support Centre on campus while also focusing on her career as the Manager of Programs with HUMANE Canada's ACT (Awareness, Collaboration, Tools) Project.

Funded through Women and Gender Equality Canada, the project aims to address systemic barriers to health-seeking, safety planning and support services for survivors experiencing gender-based violence and their animals (companion, farm and service animals).

The project has launched the ACT To Keep Families Safe Online Learning Centre, a culmination of engagement with 42 partners and collaborators across the country, including the Transition House Association of Nova Scotia. The web hub provides free educational modules with certificates upon completion, which Saint Mary's students can add to their Experience Record through the university's Career360° platform. Topics cover such areas as service animals and disability rights; supporting GBV survivors in rural, remote and farming communities; and self-care and compassion fatigue. Other digital tools available are information sheets, awareness and advocacy resources, case studies, templates, survivor stories and a quarterly newsletter.

O’Neill is among the speakers participating in the Listen, Learn, Act panel event on Thursday, March 28—a conversation led by community activists, academics, government and students to discuss how we can prevent and respond to violence while working towards safer and more empowered communities for all.

Q&A with Sue O’Neill

How did the ACT Project come about?
Our vision at Humane Canada is to have a humane Canada—to make positive, progressive change to end animal cruelty. But as Humane Canada was doing this work, we realized to make things better for animals, we have to make things better for humans because our fates are really intertwined. Humane Canada has been focused on a one-welfare approach to reach our goals of improving animal welfare.

Can you discuss the link between violence against animals and violence against humans?
We know that in circumstances where a pet is in a home where domestic violence is happening, higher reports of animal abuse are also occurring. We also know that the aggressors often use those animals as a method of control, either threatening to harm or actually harming the animal in order to control the survivor’s actions. Survivors don’t want to leave their animals behind, or won’t leave them behind, or will return to a violent situation because of their animals.  

Who can benefit from the online learning centre?
Some of the resources are for survivors, some are for professionals and we also have a lot of stuff for the general public. For students too, it’s a great way of informing people at the beginning of their careers, so they go into their careers with this knowledge.

What are you working on currently?
As we launched the ACT project, we realized that as much as we want to support survivors and animals in getting the help they need, we want to prevent the violence from happening. So, we’ve got a new 30-month project coming up, the Promising Practices Project. It’s going to highlight humane education and gender-based violence education programs that are specifically geared towards boys and men as allies in the prevention of violence.  

How did you get involved in this area of work and research?
I’m a survivor of violence myself and it changed my career path. I always thought I would work in education but I ended up working as a children’s counsellor initially at a gender-based violence shelter. I ended up working in management at the shelter and that’s when I created an offsite animal safekeeping program for survivors of violence.  

What is your master’s research about?
I’m not straying far from my work! What I’m focusing on in my thesis is looking at the relationship between survivors of GBV and their animals, specifically farm animals, working animals or larger companion animals. Through the ACT project, we realized there isn’t a lot of research for survivors who have horses or cows or llamas or 17 sled dogs, so it seemed like a huge gap. What do you do with 300 cows when you’re fleeing violence?

Why did you choose Saint Mary’s?
I was living in Vancouver finishing up my first master’s degree, my MEd, and I had done a little bit of research on Saint Mary’s. The campus looked breathtakingly beautiful. I connected with Michele Byers to find out more about the Women and Gender Studies program, and it sounded flexible yet supportive. She connected me with some other students and they just loved Saint Mary’s so much, so then I had to go. I really love it here…it’s got a community feel, which a lot of the bigger universities don’t have.

What is the best part of your work and your research?  
I’m very grateful to get to do this work. Especially as a survivor, it just feels so meaningful to work on projects that can help other survivors.  

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Further reading

• Visit the ACT To Keep Families Safe Online Learning Centre

• Visit the Sexual Violence Support Centre at SMU

• Learn about our graduate program in Women and Gender Studies

• Explore the Minor in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies

50 Years of Women in Varsity Sport at Saint Mary’s University

Celebrating the trailblazers who paved the way

Kathy Mullane MBA’89. Photo: James MacLean

Today, the women’s Huskies at Saint Mary’s University are among the top-ranked teams and individual athletes, both provincially and nationally. But in the 1970s, the leadership of a few dedicated Santamarians helped blaze a trail to women’s varsity success.

Women at Saint Mary's have played field hockey, basketball and volleyball at the club level since the university opened its doors to women in the late 1960s. As the clubs grew in popularity, and the men’s varsity teams earned national titles, the women sought to form organized teams. In 1973, Dr. Owen Carrigan, then President of Saint Mary's University and father to several athletic daughters, recognized the need for a formal women's athletic program. Bob Hayes, then Athletic Director, agreed that a women's varsity program could attract more students and provide equal opportunities in sport.

Dr. Carrigan hired Kathy Mullane MBA'89 to establish a women's varsity program and coach the basketball team. Acknowledging that most women athletes were playing more than one sport, Mullane insisted on coaching the field hockey team at the varsity level as well.

Susan (Dunbrack) Beazley - 1973

"When Saint Mary's was looking to join the varsity league, other universities were hesitant and thought that we would recruit players in a way similar to the men's teams. To prove that we could be competitive on our own, we spent a year playing at the junior varsity level before moving up to varsity," says Mullane.

The 1973 Field Hockey and Basketball junior varsity teams were determined and dedicated, earning their spot in the varsity program the following year. Despite the newfound support for a women's varsity program, the teams faced challenges—including sharing the already stretched-thin men's athletics budget. With little funding for the women's program, the team got creative with their day-to-day operations. Mullane remembers mopping the gym floors and cleaning the showers and toilets herself. Undeterred, Mullane and the women on the teams made the most of it.

1974-1975: Varsity Basketball Team. Front: Susan Dunbrack, Patsy Pyke, Cindy Britten, Wanda Williams, Cathy Fifield, Jody Hayes. Back: Wendy Purkis, Jane May, Kim Robson, Neila McCabe, Kathy Ells, Leslie Simpson, and Kathy Mullane (Coach).

While they had earned their spot at the varsity level, recruiting new students to play was also a challenge. "As a new program, it was difficult to compete in recruiting athletes with the universities that offered physical education or kinesiology," says Mullane. She recalls searching the residence halls for students interested in playing. Creatively, she also tried to recruit students from the commerce program, selling the opportunity to develop business-related skills by participating in competitive sports.

Mullane would be the university’s first full-time female coach, remaining at the university until 2011. In her 37 years at Saint Mary’s, she held various roles within the Athletics department and enjoyed many successes including leading her teams to four Atlantic Universities Athletics Association (now Atlantic University Sport) titles and being inducted into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame in 1998.

The 1970s marked a significant turning point for women as they forged new paths and explored areas they had always dreamed of reaching. One of Saint Mary's most notable actions during this time was developing the women's varsity athletic program, made possible by the initiative of the women who came together and formed the initial club teams, the support of the university administration, and the significant leadership and guidance of Kathy Mullane.

In 2022, the Kathy Mullane Fund for Varsity Women’s Sport was created in recognition of Mullane’s leadership at the university. The fund contributes to scholarships, coaching development and support for women interested in sports administration.

Help celebrate this momentous time by supporting women's athletics at Saint Mary's—donate to the Kathy Mullane Fund for Varsity Women's Sport.

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Related Stories

• From the Huskies to the NHL: Grit and tenacity pay off

• Justine Colley-Leger: Inspiring young women with her legacy 

• New Fund Celebrates the Advancement of Women in Sport at Saint Mary’s

International Women's Day at Saint Mary’s

On Friday, March 8, the Saint Mary’s community joins the global celebration of International Women’s Day. The theme for 2024 is Inspire Inclusion - When we inspire others to understand and value women's inclusion, we forge a better world. Learn more.

To shine a light on women’s and girls’ social, economic, cultural and political achievements, and on the work still being done toward gender equality and empowerment, we’re highlighting some of the many stories that celebrate our students, faculty and alumni.

Saint Mary’s is also hosting two events in March related to International Women’s Day—see details below.

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Inspiring Inclusion Art Therapy Session

Monday, March 11
11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Secunda Boardroom, Sobey Building 401

Join the Sexual Violence Support Centre for a gently guided Art Therapy Workshop focused on 'Inspiring Inclusion!'. Art Therapist Chelsea Kitsch focuses on community-building and empowerment through creative expression and leads participants through a collaborative art piece in celebration of International Women's Day. All levels of experience are welcome and encouraged to join.

Register

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Listen, Learn, Act Panel

Thursday, March 28
3-4:30 p.m.
Scotiabank Theatre, Sobey Building 201

Join the Sexual Violence Support Centre for a conversation led by community activists, academics, government, and students. Together, we will learn about how we can prevent and respond to violence while working towards safer and more empowered communities for all.

The panel will feature:

• Stephanie McGinnis-Langley, former Executive Director for the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women and long-time feminist advocate

• Sue Bookchin, Executive Director of Be the Peace

• Carmel Farahbakhsh, Executive Director of the Youth Project

• Dr. Tatjana Takseva, Chair; English Language and Literature and Lead, CAPSAP project

• Nauman Sajid, Sexual Violence Prevention Initiative Peer Educator

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Stories

50th Anniversary of Women in Varsity Sport

This year, Saint Mary’s celebrates the 50th anniversary of women in varsity sport. Throughout the year, we will highlight women in sport at Saint Mary’s.

• 50 Years of Women in Varsity Sport at Saint Mary’s University

• Justine Colley-Leger BComm’14: Inspiring young women with her legacy 

• From the Huskies to the NHL: Grit and tenacity pay off (Courtney Schriver-Richard BA’11)

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Student entrepreneurs win Innovation Cup with sustainable business idea

Students Madeline Bristol, Susan MacInnis and Mya MacDonald won December’s Innovation Cup, a 10-week experiential learning program. Their business Plastarch Packaging, a bioplastic alternative made from set-to-be-wasted root vegetables, solves the need for environmentally friendly cutlery and food packaging.
Read more.

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Sobey School of Business welcomes Wendy Luther EMBA’08 as Alumni in Residence

Wendy Luther EMBA’08, President and CEO of Halifax Partnership, is the Sobey School of Business Alumni in Residence for 2024. In 2023, Wendy was named one of Atlantic Canada's 25 Most Powerful Women in Business. The Alumni in Residence program aims to bridge the gap between academic life and the professional world by creating meaningful connections between our alumni and current students. Read more.

Meet Wendy at our upcoming event Moving From Successful Student to a Stellar Professional and Entrepreneur on March 25!

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More inspiring women at Saint Mary’s:

• Women’s Huskies win AUS Basketball Championship for the second year in a row

• Celebrating 40 Years of Shirley

• History professor joins International Science Council Fellowship

• Student launches Black haircare and beauty supply vending machine on campus

• Students tackle health care, food security issues with Wicked Problem Lab awards

• Student researcher has found 100—and counting—invasive crayfish in Three Mile Lake

• Meet our 2SLGBTQIA+ and Accessibility Wellness Ambassadors

• Women in Business event highlights networking and sustainability

More events this month:

• Launch of EmployNXT with Shubhra Singh MTEI'23 and Purvasha Dewanjee MTEI'23

• Reading + Q&A with SMU's 2024 Writer in Residence, Casey Plett

• "Popular Politics and the Struggle for Democracy in the Early American Republic" - A Faculty Author Series talk with Dr. Shira Lurie

Sobey School of Business Alumni in Residence: Wendy Luther EMBA'08

The Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary’s University prides itself as a national leader in community-focused business education. Building foundations for an equitable, prosperous and progressive community through active learning is at the heart of what we do. Our success as a leading business school is inextricably linked with the success of our students, our stakeholders and our broader communities.

The Alumni in Residence program aims to bridge the gap between academic life and the professional world by creating meaningful connections between our alumni and current students. Through this program, students have the opportunity to build relationships, receive advice and gain insights from successful alumni. The Alumni in Residence Program hosts various speaking events where students can seek advice, learn about industry trends, and expand their professional networks.

Wendy Luther EMBA’08

We are delighted to share that Wendy Luther EMBA’08, President and CEO of Halifax Partnership, is our Alumni in Residence for 2024. Wendy is one of our distinguished Alumni—in March 2023, Wendy was named one of Atlantic Canada's 25 Most Powerful Women in Business.

Wendy is a leader in economic and export development, with vast experience promoting Nova Scotia and its assets globally. Wendy joined Halifax Partnership as President & CEO in 2019. In 2023, Halifax Partnership was honoured with four Excellence in Economic Development Awards from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) including Gold for Economic Development Organization of the Year.

Before joining Halifax Partnership, Wendy was President & CEO of EduNova, a co-operative association of public and private-sector education providers committed to promoting Nova Scotia’s knowledge economy internationally. Under her leadership, EduNova was honoured with the prestigious international PIEoneer Association of the Year Award in 2017.

Learn more about Wendy Luther and explore her remarkable professional journey.

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Join us for our upcoming event with Wendy Luther on March 25, 2024

Ask Wendy Luther: Moving From Successful Student to a Stellar Professional and Entrepreneur

• Monday, March 25, 2024

• 1:30-3:30 p.m.

• Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre

  Sign up!

From the Huskies to the NHL: Grit and tenacity pay off

This year, Saint Mary’s celebrates the 50th anniversary of women in varsity sport. Throughout the year, we will highlight women in sport at Saint Mary’s, like hockey pro Courtney Schriver-Richard BA’11, who followed her dream to the NHL.

Courtney Schriver-Richard BA’11

Courtney Schriver-Richard BA’11 chuckles when she talks about her early days playing hockey. “I am your quintessential Canadian,” she says. “I basically came out of the womb as a hockey player.”

Born in Newfoundland but raised in Halifax, Courtney was playing hockey by the time she was three. She was inspired by an older brother, and even though there weren’t many girls playing in the 1990s, that didn’t stop her. “I was a bit of an anomaly at that time, but I started playing as soon as they would allow me to register.”

She had early and profound success as a hockey player, leaving her family for Mississauga when she was only 15 to play in the Ontario Women’s Hockey League. “It was an incredible experience but I was also homesick and forced to grow up quickly,” she says. “I thought of that as the price I had to pay for playing the game I loved so much.”

When it came time to choose a university, Halifax called her back. Saint Mary’s, with their strong hockey program and well-respected head coach, seemed like the obvious choice. “Lisa (Jordan) Haley had been a bit of a mentor and a role model for me growing up,” says Courtney. "I knew she was tough and fair and that she would give me the tools I needed to be successful in university hockey.”

And to the surprise of no one, Courtney, or “Schriv” as she came to be known, did succeed. Her long list of accolades includes AUS Rookie of the Year, AUS MVP, three-time AUS First Team, CIS Rookie of the Year, and CIS First Team All-Canadian. Most impressive of all, is the Huskies record that Courtney still holds for the most goals scored in a single season.

Head Coach Lisa Haley first saw Courtney play hockey when she was in her mid-teens and trying out for the U18 Canada Games team. “Her natural hockey talents were obvious to everyone,” says Lisa. “It’s like she had the puck on a string every time it touched her stick. And her shot was lethal.”

While it was clear that her hockey talent was at an elite level, that’s not what made Courtney a "generational" player, as the best in the game are often described. She was loaded with what Lisa describes as ‘grit.'

Courtney (center) drops the puck at a SMU Huskies hockey game. She was an Honorary Co-Chair of the 2019 Huskies Hockey reunion.

““I could see that she had so much potential, and that hasn’t changed. Schriv’s potential is still sky-high. She’s earned everything she’s accomplished in her amazing career and is also an incredible role model to the student-athletes who are following in her footsteps.””

— Lisa Haley

Mentally tough. Incredibly focused. Driven. These are common terms used to describe Courtney both on and off the ice. It’s these qualities that enabled her to set her sights on the NHL early in her career and to make that dream come true.

Right from her graduation from Saint Mary’s, she made a point of trying to align herself with brands that were sports-related. Her first job was a Marketing position with Tim Hortons, where part of her job was managing the marketing portfolio for their TimBits Hockey. She then moved on to another Canadian sports brand, Boston Pizza, where she developed relationships with some of the NHL brands.

Her tenacity to work in the game of hockey paid off when she was offered the position of General Manager of Business for the Cape Breton Eagles, part of the Quebec Major Junior League. She worked her butt off, learning every intricacy of the game, not unlike a player or a coach, and this culminated in an offer from the Edmonton Oilers in 2022 as their Manager of Corporate Partnerships.

"Working at the highest level in hockey was always my goal and working in the NHL was the ultimate dream,” says Courtney, who adds it’s been a team effort. “I’m so grateful to my husband and son who have basically moved every two years in support of my dream of getting here. It hasn’t been easy but they’ve made those sacrifices for me.”

Her son, Nash, age 11, has followed in his mom’s footsteps, and plays hockey too, loving the perks of her job. “It makes me happy that my family, after all they’ve done for me, get to reap some of the benefits of my work,” says Courtney who takes her family to as many Oilers games as they can get to.

Courtney credits Saint Mary’s with helping her learn how to multi-task, perform under pressure, and be accountable to those she makes commitments to. “At SMU, I was a student first and an athlete second, and to play the game I loved, I had to do well in the classroom.”

She also deeply appreciates the deep and enduring friendships she made while playing for the Huskies. “There are so many amazing women who I shared experiences with and learned so much from,” she says, adding that they also had a lot of fun. She fondly remembers the bus trips, the hotels, and that first step onto the ice of the old SMU rink during early morning practices.

Courtney marvels at how things have changed for women athletes in the past couple of decades. “There are so many different paths for young women athletes to go down now, so many different options available. Many more than there were for me, it’s a different landscape.”

And when she gets the chance to talk to university-aged women athletes about their futures, she always makes a point of telling them that the NHL isn’t just for men. “There are so many jobs working in the game and there are jobs for you, as a woman, if the NHL is your dream too. If this is the place you want to be, there are opportunities here for you to live that dream.”

By Renée Hartleib

Students excel in Venture Capital Investment Competition

Students from the Sobey School of Business gained valuable real-world experience and excelled in the recent Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) New England Regional Final held in Boston.

The graduate team, composed of students from the MTEI (Master of Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation) and MBA programs, took home a top award. “Entrepreneurs and start-ups participate at these events and they determine the winners for Entrepreneurs Choice. Our team won due to their ability to communicate and connect,” says the team’s advisor, Brennan Daley of the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre.

Gurprit Singh, MBA student

“Being part of VCIC in Boston was a truly transformative experience for me, giving me a real-world view of venture capital, pushing my critical thinking ability and exposing me to the vibrant Boston entrepreneurial ecosystem,” says MBA student Gurprit Singh. “The experience is not just a competition, but a stepping stone into the dynamic world of venture capital, shaping my skills and expanding my network in venture capital.”

Saint Mary’s participates annually in the Global Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC), the world’s largest venture capital competition with over 120 university and graduate school teams competing. VCIC is the only place where students get to be VCs for the day, and startups get an immersion in the fundraising process. The SMU teams compete against U.S. universities in the Northeast region and are judged by their preparation and thoughtful execution as a VC firm.

Top (L-R): Sorav Sogy, Ankit Mittal. Bottom (L-R): Shakkharatul Haque Mehad, Jacky Chiu, Shri Subramanian, Gurprit Singh, Sruthi Ganesapandian, Jack Poirier, Sidney Nuwahereza, Oscar Lu, Brennan Daley.

Sorav Sogy, BComm student

Bachelor of Commerce student Sorav Sogy says, “It's not studying; you're actively managing a Venture Capital (VC) fund as an associate. This involves making investment decisions, raising funds, attending conferences and building crucial relationships with entrepreneurs and VCs. You're making a real impact by working alongside industry leaders, facilitating co-investment deals, and learning directly from senior partners and associates at local VC firms. It’s as real as it gets.”

The university’s excellence in venture capital is well established through consistent winning performances in global competitions, expert faculty dedicated to mentoring students, and successful graduates who often pursue careers in this exciting field.

Mark Raymond, Interim Dean of the Sobey School of Business, notes that the teams from Saint Mary’s are the only Canadian teams competing at this elevated level against teams from prominent U.S. universities including Babson, Dartmouth and Notre Dame. “We are known for giving our students amazing opportunities. This is an example of how SMU students gain an entrepreneurial mindset and are equipped with the knowledge, insights, real work experiences and network to lead and make a positive impact.”

Saint Mary’s students, staff and faculty are paying it forward by hosting a national competition in Halifax in March for other Canadian teams who would otherwise not gain these lessons in entrepreneurship and innovation. "Hosting the Canadian regionals provides an opportunity for students from other schools to compete and engage with our vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem," notes Daley.