FALL 2018
CAMPAIGN
for ACADIA BE PART OF THE MOST AMBITIOUS FUNDRAISING EFFORT IN ACADIA’S HISTORY. Learn more, Pages 18-27
CAMPAIGN
for ACADIA EvEry gift mat tErs i’m proud to be the chair of our Campaign for Acadia. this will be the most ambitious fundraising initiative in acadia University’s storied 180-year history and i’m delighted to be working closely with a campaign cabinet of distinguished acadia alumni. We’re all committed to achieving our $75-million campaign goal with your help. together, we can support the aspirations of our students and faculty by providing them with the resources they need to continue to grow.
Join Us. Campaign for Acadia.
Nancy mcCain (’82) Chair, Campaign for Acadia
campaign.acadiau.ca
CabiNEt mEmbErs Nancy mcCain (’82), Cabinet Chair, toronto | Clive anderson (’89), singapore | Paul bailey (’75), toronto Libby burnham (’60), toronto | Don Clow (’83), Halifax | Henry Demone (’76), Lunenburg shih fang (Dino) Ng (’01), Kuala Lumpur | ruth Hennigar (’81), san Jose, Ca | Karen Hutt (’89), Halifax allan macDonald (’92), toronto | Peter macKay (’87), toronto/New glasgow | ian macNeily (’81), toronto tracey mcgillivray (’87/’15), Ottawa/toronto | Kevin mullen (’86), Calgary | Larry mussenden (’86), bermuda Kerel Pinder (’06), freeport, bahamas | David roy (’08), toronto | Derek smith (’05), London, UK Cynthia trudell (’74), armonk, New york | stephen Wetmore (’75), toronto | Lana Wood (’82), Calgary/vancouver francis yip (’90), Hong Kong | Ex OffiCiO mEmbErs: bruce galloway (’68), Chancellor John rogers (’79), Chair, board of governors | Dr. Peter ricketts, President and vice-Chancellor ron smith (’71), Chair, advancement Committee | ryan Conrod (’06), President, acadia alumni association george Philp (’19), President, acadia students’ Union | Dr. rod morrison, vice-President, advancement Nancy Handrigan (’92), Executive Director, Philanthropy, and Campaign Director
IN EVERY ISSUE From the Acadia President . . . . . . . . 2 From the Alumni President . . . . . . . . 3 Alumni Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Alumni Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Alumni Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
FEATURES
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Solid foundation Supportive faculty and diverse opportunities at Acadia have given Alix Shield (’10) a solid foundation for an outstanding research career.
Class Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Acadia Remembers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Final Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
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In Bermuda, Acadia is the law At all levels of law enforcement, Acadia graduates are helping to ensure that justice is served in this beautiful island nation.
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What a Homecoming! An engaged and enthusiastic crowd of alumni returned to the Acadia campus October 11-14 to celebrate Homecoming 2018.
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Super Summer Reunion About 150 alumni and friends attended July 6-8 as the University welcomed back the Classes of 1943, 1948, 1953, 1958, 1963, 1968, 1973 and 1978 as well as other alumni to Summer Reunion.
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
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t’s hard to believe that a year has passed since my first column appeared in the Bulletin. That somehow seems strange to say since the warm welcome I’ve received from our alumni has made me feel like I’ve always been part of the Acadia family. But isn’t that what lies at the heart of the Acadia experience? That feeling from the moment you arrive that this is where you should have been all along, and knowing when you leave with degree in hand that you’ll be back to visit. From its very beginning, Acadia has had a profound impact on the people who become part of its community. Here, we learn how to build connections, develop our moral compass, and find our passion. This edition of the magazine features stories about alumni who have dedicated their lives to making our society more tolerant, inclusive, and resilient. They lead by example, out front and visible in their respective communities – exactly where Acadia alumni should be. You will also find a comprehensive special section in this edition detailing the public launch and focus of Campaign for Acadia, our most ambitious fundraising effort ever. The launch ceremony on October 11 featured the opening of our renovated science facilities and the new David Huestis Innovation Pavilion. The Pavilion, which hosts McCain Commons and new laboratory and
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PHOTO: PETER OLESKEVICH
HEART AND SOUL
teaching space, and the long-overdue renovations to Elliott and Huggins Halls, exemplify what is possible through partnership. With contributions from the federal and provincial governments and more than $7 million from alumni donors, our science faculty and students are working and learning in 21st Century surroundings. Also, our opportunities for engaging our research and innovation with local industry and business has taken a giant step forward with the new Innovation Pavilion. The objectives of the $75-million campaign reflect our commitment to a transformative student experience, outstanding teaching, innovation and discovery, and campus renewal and beautification. The rationale for the campaign is simple: our world needs more of what Acadia alumni have to offer. Together, the Acadia community can make this happen. Please join us in our Campaign for Acadia. I hope you enjoy this edition of the Bulletin and make sure you follow the developments on campus so you can lend your support in whatever way you can. In Acadia spirit, Dr. Peter Ricketts President and Vice-Chancellor
ACADIA ALUMNI PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Fall 2018 Volume 101 / Issue 2 Publisher Office of Advancement, Acadia University Editor Fred Sgambati (’83) Vice President, Advancement Rod Morrison Executive Director, Alumni Affairs and Advancement Strategy Ian Murray (’88) Advertising Manager Sandra Symonds Alumni Association Board of Directors Ryan Conrod (’06) Donalda MacBeath (’75) David Davidson (’81) Tammy Walker (’92) Geoff Irvine (’87) Stephanie Reid (’05) Hilary Arenburg Gobien (’12) Marian Reid (’85) Matt Rios (’14) Tony Stewart (’72) Rebecca Carr (’15) Malcolm Smith (’76) Lisa Peck (’85) Barry Taylor (’80) Fred Gilbert (’65) Ted Upshaw (’80) Heather Hickman (’77) Leah McNally (’07) Kyle Power (’13) Greg Young (’93) Regan Trask (’18, ex-officio) Olivia Bryant (’19, ex-officio) Graphic Designer Cathy Little Printing Advocate Printing Distributor Russell House Marketing The Bulletin is published twice a year, Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer, by the Office of Advancement, Acadia University. It is distributed on the Acadia campus and by mail to more than 28,000 alumni. All material is ©2018 Acadia University, and may be reprinted with written permission. Acadia Bulletin welcomes Letters to the Editor: Fred Sgambati Office of Advancement Acadia University Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6 fred.sgambati@acadiau.ca 902.585.1725 Advertising inquiries: Production and Events Manager Alumni Affairs Acadia University, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6 902.585.1708 sandra.symonds@acadiau.ca
AN EXCITING TIME FOR ACADIA
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utumn in Wolfville is a special time of year. Fall’s arrival means that the Town of Wolfville has been re-energized by the return of Acadia students and it is also when Acadia hosts its annual Homecoming celebrations. This year’s Homecoming was a great success, with many Acadia alumni and supporters flooding to campus to join in the festivities. At this time of year, I often think back to the first few months I spent at Acadia. You will no doubt remember that time, when you were striving to fend for yourself, make new friends, and succeed academically. It is humbling to know that there are many students experiencing their first few months at Acadia right now who would not have had such an opportunity had it not been for the support of Acadia alumni. There are countless scholarships and bursaries made available to students by alumni and it is largely alumni support that has enabled Acadia to continue to advance and restore its campus infrastructure. Acadia continues to count on the generosity of its alumni for its sustained success, and the Alumni Association is proud to lend its support to the launch of Campaign for Acadia. This ambitious, comprehensive campaign is an exciting venture for Acadia as it looks to strengthen and enhance many of the elements that distinguish an Acadia education. I join the University in asking alumni to contribute to Campaign for Acadia. I am confident that when you learn about the goals and priorities of the Campaign in this edition of the Bulletin, you will find an initiative worthy of your investment. I also call on all alumni to support our alma mater by promoting our reputation in your local communities and encouraging students to attend Acadia and benefit from the distinctive education and character-building experiences that you recall with fondness yourself. Please enjoy this edition of the Bulletin and the stories about the impressive activities of some of your fellow alumni. I am always struck by the remarkable diversity of our alumni and the many ways in which they contribute to their communities. The stories in this edition make it obvious that a personalized education at Acadia fosters a strong sense of citizenship, encouraging and enabling our alumni to contribute strongly to our society. Thank you for your continued support of your alma mater! Ryan Conrod (‘06) President, Acadia Alumni Association
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SUPPORTIVE FACULTY, DIVERSE OPPORTUNITIES FOUNDATION FOR OUTSTANDING RESEARCH CAREER By Charlotte Peak (’13)
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n spring 2012, Alix Shield was finishing up her Honours thesis at Acadia and getting ready to visit University of Saint Andrews, Scotland, to present at a conference on Harry Potter. Though at the time she “never imagined that (she’d) be welcomed into this world of scholarship,” the trip turned out to be the first step in a burgeoning research career. Now a PhD candidate in the Department of English at Simon Fraser University, Shield uses contemporary digital humanities methods to analyze Indigenous literatures. She is especially interested in “paratext” – the framing elements, such as the title, foreword, preface and afterword – and the way this mediates our reading of a text. “In my work, I’m reimagining the ways we can utilize the paratext to decolonize and repatriate works of 20th Century Indigenous literature,” Shield says.
GROWING OPPORTUNITIES Shield’s time as an undergraduate in Acadia’s English department set her in good stead for a career in research. “Because of the relatively small size of the University, I found that many work opportunities kept leading to bigger and better ones,” she says.
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Shield worked for a summer as a Research Assistant for Dr. Jon Saklofske, helping him create a user guide for a digital data visualization prototype called NewRadial. “This was my first experience working in the digital humanities,” Shield explains, “and was a formative moment in my academic career.” In her current research, Shield draws heavily on digital humanities methodologies and regularly attends the Digital Humanities Summer Institute, held annually at the University of Victoria. Last June, she co-taught her first class there, “Drupal for Digital Humanities Projects,” and over the past year she has helped develop a project website built in Drupal for a large-scale research project at SFU. Another key connection forged at Acadia came through the Distance Education Office. Shield landed a Research Assistantship working for Dr. Brenda Trofanenko, Canada Research Chair in Culture, Community, and Education. The experience sparked Shield’s interest in Indigenous literatures in Canada. “I am thankful and indebted to mentors such as Jon and Brenda,” Shield says. “They introduced me to their own fascinating fields of research and their enthusiasm and patience allowed me to gain confidence in my abilities and contributions as a researcher.”
ALUMNI PROFILES
PHOTO: COURTESY OF ALIX SHIELD
FORK IN THE ROAD
Alix Shield at the SFU Special Collections Library, comparing two different early editions of E. Pauline Johnson’s Legends of Vancouver.
Shield’s transition from the world of young adult literature to Indigenous works came shortly after beginning her Master’s at Dalhousie University. She took a graduate seminar on the topic of 20th Century Indigenous literatures in Canada and felt drawn back to the field she had begun to explore at Acadia. “While I still love young adult fiction (and continue to read it voraciously when I need a break from academia), I felt a deeper, more meaningful connection to West Coast Indigenous literature,” Shield says. There is one co-authored article in particular that Shield encourages her fellow alumni to read. “‘I write this for all of you’: Recovering the Unpublished RCMP ‘Incident’ in Maria Campbell’s Halfbreed (1973)” was published last spring in the journal Canadian Literature. It tells the story of celebrated Métis author and activist Maria Campbell, who was raped at the age of 14 by members of the RCMP. Shield discovered archival documents at McMaster University that revealed Campbell’s publishers had deliberately excluded this rape scene from her autobiographical work Halfbreed, despite assuring Campbell that it would be included. The two excised manuscript pages, crossed out with a red X, are reproduced fully in Shield’s article (with Campbell’s permission), and restore Halfbreed to the life story Campbell had originally intended.
THE PATH AHEAD
Acadia Reminiscence Alix Shield credits her Acadia experience – namely the network of friends and academic mentors she built there – with launching her career in literature and research. “My most memorable experience while at Acadia was the international Harry Potter conference held at St. Andrews University, Scotland. It was the UK’s very first academic Harry Potter conference and it drew about 40 scholars from all over the world – it was kind of a big deal. To my complete and utter surprise, my paper was accepted. I still remember calling my mom in Vancouver (in the wee hours of the morning, West Coast time) to share the news. I traveled to the conference several months later, and the experience was incredible – full of interesting Harry Potter theories and criticism, and without a doubt one of the best moments of my academic life!”
Drawing on her work on paratext, Shield is soon to publish a new edition of 1911 text Legends of Vancouver, written by E. Pauline Johnson and Chief Joe and Mary Capilano. The text will be retitled Legends of Capilano and published with the University of Manitoba Press’s “First Voices, First Texts” series. Shield is working in collaboration with the descendants of the Capilano family to include biographical sections for Chief Joe and Mary Capilano and interviews with Dr. Rick Monture (Mohawk) and Dr. Rudy Reimer (Squamish). Most importantly, this edition will mark the first time that Chief Joe Capilano and Mary Capilano are formally acknowledged as coauthors of the volume. At this exciting moment in her career, Shield feels grateful for the continued support of Acadia faculty with whom she’s still in touch years later. Through them, “I was able to realize the value of my ideas and feel confident moving forward in the world of academia,” Shield says. “Even though I’m now completing my third university degree, at my third academic institution, I look back on my time at Acadia as the catalyst for my successes and the place to which my heart will always belong.”
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PRESCOTT WOMEN PAVING WAY FOR FUTURE SCIENCE STUDENTS AT ACADIA By Laura Churchill Duke (’98)
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my Evangeline Prescott (’18) is a WISE woman, and it runs in the family. In her first year at Acadia, she joined WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) Acadia, which is a group of female faculty, staff and students who gather together to promote full participation by women in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) fields. Dr. Barb Anderson (’77) is Director of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics and WISE faculty facilitator at Acadia. “Amy,” she says, “has made so many contributions to WISE Acadia that it is difficult to capture them all.” The commitment was so substantial, in fact, that Anderson successfully nominated Prescott for a Golden A award, presented annually to graduating students who have been identified as being outstanding among their peers during their time at Acadia. It’s a huge honour, but Amy is not the first person in her family to pave the way for women studying science at Acadia. In fact, her great-great aunt, Amy Knight Prescott (’24), for whom Amy was named, was the first woman to graduate from Acadia with a degree in science. Amy says she didn’t find out about that until her first year at Acadia when she attended a WISE seminar and was shocked to hear her name in a presentation about the
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history of women in science at Acadia! Anderson says one of Amy’s significant contributions to WISE Acadia that will be sustained long after her graduation was the establishment of the WISE Acadia students’ club, an initiative she organized with support from other interested peers.
LINK BETWEEN SCIENCE AND THE ARTS Amy says she worked to connect the student body to WISE’s activities on campus and helped to identify the initiatives of the student group. Its numbers swelled to over 120 members in just one year, and not only with students in the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science, but including representatives of most departments and schools across campus. Amy became the inaugural President, managing a variety of WISE initiatives, enhancing WISE Acadia’s social media presence, helping to organize and volunteer at WISE summer camps, as well as taking on roles to assist in the execution of other WISE events held on campus throughout the year. “Without Amy’s involvement and leadership, I don’t believe our programs and outreach would be as meaningful and extensive as they are today,” says
ALUMNI PROFILES
Left: Amy K. Prescott 1924 Above: Tim Prescott, Amy Prescott, Tom Prescott, Chris Prescott 2018
psychology professor Dr. Randy Newman. “As a biology major with a women and gender studies minor, Amy helped form a link between science and arts that led WISE to adopt a STEAM-based curriculum as part of our mandate and programming.” “Amy’s love for STEM grew into a commitment to STEAM as her experiences within the context of the liberal education offered at Acadia helped her realize that arts are an essential addition to STEM-related fields if we are to solve the major societal, health, and environmental problems facing us today,” Anderson says. Amy’s grandfather, Tom Prescott (’58), was very close with his aunt, Amy Knight, and says she probably chose to go to Acadia because she lived in Wolfville. “My grandfather has told me that my great-great grandparents encouraged everyone in our family to obtain some sort of continued education,” Amy says, and that usually meant attending Acadia. Tom is a fourthgeneration alumnus. “My family jokes that my grandfather is an Acadia superfan,” Amy adds. Other Acadia graduates in the family include Prescott’s great-grandfather Ronald Reid Prescott (‘30), great-great grandmother Truth Prescott (’33), her father Chris Prescott (‘84), her uncle Tim Prescott (‘88), and uncle Peter Angus (‘98).
Tom Prescott has told his granddaughter many times how supportive Amy Knight would have been of her academic career choices in the field of science. He also thinks Amy Knight would have been very proud of how things have changed, and the advances in social and civil rights not just for women, but for all people. Representation is important, Newman concludes. Amy Knight Prescott altered what women and young girls of her time could imagine studying in university. Fast forward 100 years and it is now normal to have women studying science. “I believe it was women like Amy Knight and Clara Belle Marshall (1884), Acadia’s first female graduate and one of the first in the Commonwealth, who paved the way for all future Acadia undergraduates,” Newman says. Amy says she feels honoured to be connected to a legacy of women in science at Acadia. “It shows how the hard work that women of our past put into breaking down barriers has paved the way for the women of today to achieve their goals. I hope that through WISE’s work at Acadia, we continue to break down barriers so that all women who come after us can pursue a career in science free of any obstacles or barriers.”
Acadia Reminiscence Amy Prescott’s favourite memory at Acadia was the time she spent doing research in the biology program. “Being the caretaker of approximately 1,000 baby mosquitoes was never a role I thought I’d find myself in, but a position I truly loved. I also had the opportunity to take part in the Bon Portage class trip, which was an experience that changed the way I viewed biology, field work, my role in the environment, and how I viewed me and my life goals as well. Bon Portage is a truly special and unique experience that I’m so glad Acadia is able to offer.” ACADIA BULLETIN Fall 2018
PHOTO: LEN WAGG
PHOTO: COURTESY OF AMY PRESCOTT
REPRESENTATION IS IMPORTANT
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FROM EIGHT-YEAR-OLD ACTIVIST TO A LIFE OF PUBLIC SERVICE By Rachel Cooper (’89)
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t the age of eight, Joanne Bernard (’00), knew she would run for public office one day. “I wrote a letter to (then Prime Minister) Pierre Elliot Trudeau complaining about the seal hunt, and I got a letter back,” she says. “It inspired in me something that told me I could make a difference somehow.” Bernard did run for public office in 2013 – she turned 50 on the campaign trail – and served as Nova Scotia’s Minister of Community Services for nearly four years. After an unsuccessful re-election bid in 2017, she was approached by Easter Seals Nova Scotia and named President and CEO in July 2017. Pursuing studies in political science, first at Mount Saint Vincent University and then at Acadia, helped to prepare her for public service. However, her road was far from easy.
thesis for Acadia, my mum was killed in a car accident at the age of 56. I had no brothers or sisters, so I was left alone with a 10-year-old boy who was as devastated as I was.” Good support from her classmates and faculty at Acadia helped to get her through, she says. “They were wonderful. I was in the accelerated program for my Master’s, and I only had six classmates, all of whom stepped up to the plate and helped me with childcare and anything I needed during the rest of that year. And I had a very supportive thesis advisor, Agar Adamson. I think my experience of going through those two personal tragedies while at Acadia cemented my determination that I could do whatever I needed to do.”
SUPPORT THROUGH TRAGEDY
After graduation, Bernard became project manager for the Marguerite Centre, a place for women recovering from addictions; then director of client services for the Arthritis Society; and then Executive Director for Alice Housing, which supports women and children recovering from domestic violence. Having lived as a single mother on income assistance
“I was a university student with a child – a single mum on income assistance,” she says. “It was a difficult time. My first day at Acadia, my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer, and he died on my Christmas vacation, two days after his 59th birthday. Then, in the middle of writing my
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A CAREER OF SERVICE
PHOTO: COURTESY OF JOANNE BERNARD
ALUMNI PROFILES FEATURE
Joanne Bernard, President and CEO of Easter Seals Nova Scotia, with clients.
for nine years, she appreciated the opportunity to lead the government department that got her out of poverty. “My goal was to transform the system that wasn’t serving people well anymore,” she says, “and I’m proud of my record in office.” Like so many women in politics, Bernard experienced misogyny and personal comments, but these were compounded by homophobia and even death threats related to her ministerial portfolio. “I was the first openly gay MLA elected in the history of the province. I had three-and-a-half years of death threats and a lot of stress on my partner and my son. I didn’t run as a gay candidate; I just happened to be a candidate who was gay.” Today, she is often asked to speak publicly to groups on the experiences of women in politics. She credits her parents with setting her on the path to public service. “My mother was brought up in an orphanage in Halifax, and my dad was brought up extraordinarily poor with a large family,” she says. “I remember both of them telling me, ‘Always offer a hand up, not necessarily a handout.’ My dad was a tremendous volunteer, and that was instilled in me very young. I was given a lot of attention and encouragement, even though these two people had Grade 3 and Grade 5 educations.”
EASTER SEALS
Acadia Reminiscence As a single mother with a young son, moving to Wolfville felt far from home, even though it was only an hour away. “Further raising my anxiety and fears was my father’s lung cancer diagnosis. Very quickly, I learned of the camaraderie of my six Master’s degree colleagues, who wrapped their support around me and my son. The professors were kind and caring, especially my thesis advisor, Agar Adamson. He cut me no slack, but taught me I was strong enough and smart enough not to need it. Dad died during my Christmas vacation, and the support I received from my colleagues and professors will never be forgotten as I worked through the grief and returned full-time to my studies. Their support made that possible. Today, I look back in amazement that I ever made it through that painful time in my life.”
Bernard’s connection with Easter Seals began while she was in government. A visit and tour in July 2014 inspired her to rappel down the 22 storeys of Halifax’s tallest office building as part of the Drop Zone fundraiser for people with disabilities. “I did that as minister. I spoke at their AGM. I really liked the work that was done here,” she says. After Bernard’s first year at the helm, Easter Seals Nova Scotia is moving and expanding. In June of this year, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) committed $350,000 to help renovate a new and larger facility that will enable Easter Seals to deliver more training and create more opportunities for employment and skills development.
A BITTERSWEET TIME “Bittersweet” is the word Bernard uses to describe her time at Acadia. “On his deathbed, my dad said to me, ‘You’ve got to finish this degree.’ It was a very, very trying time in my life,” she says. “But I think I was probably at the right place at that bad time, and I’ll always appreciate Acadia for that.”
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THREE PATHS TO SUPPORTING COMMUNITY ALUMNI PROVIDE OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN ATLANTIC CANADA By Rachel Cooper (’89)
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he Acadia experience is life-changing. Whether in the classroom, as part of the Acadia community, or in the diverse volunteering opportunities provided to students here, many alumni say that their time at Acadia influenced their chosen path to include service to their community. For the three alumni profiled here, that path has led them to high-level positions in non-profit organizations that work to change lives for the better among children and youth across Atlantic Canada. Their stories, and their work, are inspiring.
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ALUMNI PROFILES
As a student in the Recreation program, he liked working with people and the community, and being part of a group. “I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Acadia, and I was able to meet some great people that I’ve stayed in touch with,” he says. “Many have been able to help out various organizations, including Boys and Girls Clubs.” He was also inspired by Acadia alumni who came back to speak to his Recreation classes about their lives and careers. Later, he was one of the people making those presentations about life after graduation. In one of his talks, he mentioned that he had graded the paper – a consultancy proposal – of one of his former professors. His audience laughed when he told them, “You just never know when things will come full circle.”
John Burton In 1996, when John Burton (’95) was hired as Executive Director of Boys and Girls Club of East Dartmouth, his operating budget was about $114,000. In 2017, after guiding the amalgamation of four clubs to create Boys and Girls Club of Greater Halifax, his budget was over $2 million. The recipient of numerous awards for his service to the community, Burton is now the Atlantic Regional Director for Boys and Girls Club of Canada, overseeing 26 clubs operating in more than 40 locations throughout Atlantic Canada. “It’s not your typical job,” he says. “The work is always a team effort, and in my early days we had a great team in East Dartmouth. My job was to mobilize likeminded people, groups and community, and show that by working together we can accomplish things for the benefit of children and youth.” When he asks past members of Boys and Girls Club what kept them coming, they usually tell him it was the opportunities they had and the presence of a positive adult role model in an environment that was not judgmental or authoritarian. Burton was the first in his family to attend and finish university, and his Acadia experience made a big impact. “Acadia helped me grow personally, and the experience taught me a lot,” he says. “One of the things I’m proud of is making sure that, when you start something, you finish it. At university, you may have to pull an all-nighter for a course, but you follow through. And that’s one of the lessons I learned over the years – patience, sticking with it and giving it your best.”
Timothy Crooks, Executive Director, Phoenix (on right) with Mark Donohue (left), Past Chair, Phoenix Board of Directors.
For Timothy Crooks (’88), contributing to the community is in his DNA. “My dad was a United Church minister, and my mum was a social worker,” says the Executive Director of Phoenix Youth Programs in Halifax. “In our family, issues of community, making contributions, and social justice were discussed at every meal.” His three siblings also work in professions that support their community. When Crooks joined Phoenix in 1988, it was only a year old. “There was the excitement of being involved with a fledgling organization that was cutting edge in the work
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As Executive Director of the MacPhee Centre for Creative Learning, Heather MacDonald (’09) is surrounded by music and art in the Centre’s renovated historic premises in downtown Dartmouth. The MacPhee Centre was founded in 2009 as a nonprofit training centre for youth aged 12 to 19 who aren’t thriving in the traditional classroom and who can’t easily access opportunities for creative learning. Over time, it has become a community-based youth engagement organization that nurtures creativity. “The Centre is unique in its purpose of using creativity
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Heather MacDonald (right) plays guitar with MacPhee Centre youth Natalie Snyder.
to support youth in other aspects of their lives – be it mental health or a crisis at home or just not enough food on the table,” she says. “We’re working through the arts and creativity to build a base of validation and aspiration and a love for lifelong learning that youth may not be getting anywhere else.” When MacDonald was hired as Executive Director in 2015, the organization was run entirely by volunteers. “A lot of my role has been community development, building relationships and forging collaborations,” she says. “Now we have three full-time staff, about 10 facilitators working at any given time, and two artists-in-residence, which is a partnership with NSCAD University.” All supplies at the Centre are offered free of charge. “The youth we’re primarily working with come from low socioeconomic backgrounds,” she says. “Some are doing fine financially, but most are not.” For youth who live too far away to walk, the Centre gives out bus tickets. “I use my Recreation Management degree every day,” she says. “I use it in how this organization builds capacity with the community, and knowing that each youth who walks through the doors is in a different position, a different space, with different elements.” MacDonald was already running non-profits while at Acadia. In her first year, she was President of the Nova Scotia Secondary School Students Association and continued in a support role through university. In her final year, she also sat on the Board of Directors of Recreation Nova Scotia. “What made the biggest difference for me was the support from faculty,” she says. “I’m forever grateful to Paula Rockwell (‘87), my voice professor in Music, for understanding that I probably wasn’t going to be a performer, but would use music and the arts in my life. And Brenda Robertson (’75) was instrumental for many Recreation graduates in igniting the spark of understanding what a community is, and how important it is to everyone.”
PHOTO: SYDNEY HANSEN
it was doing and wanting to make an impact,” he says. “It aligned incredibly well with my children and youth experience at Acadia.” Being President of Acadia’s Phys Ed Society in the final year of his Physical Education degree introduced Crooks to leadership and working with other people toward common goals to create change. But working at the Acadia Child Development Centre was pivotal. “Some kids needed intensive support, and it was eye-opening for me in terms of understanding the level of privilege that I had as a child and realizing that access to resources is not always equitable or easy. For me, that fueled the fire to make a contribution in a significant way,” he says. Phoenix is known nationally and internationally for its excellence and innovation. Both Phoenix and Crooks have won numerous awards for their work. Besides its many volunteers, the organization employs about 100 people and serves anywhere from 700 to 1,000 youth every year. “Over the years, we’ve shifted and changed as the needs have shifted and changed,” Crooks says. “Our commitment is to stay relevant by providing meaningful, transformative support.” In his work with Phoenix, his Acadia courses in education often come to mind. “This past year, 24 of our youth were engaged in post-secondary education,” he says. “Every time we discuss the kinds of supports we need to provide, about good pedagogical process or the creation of environments in which people can learn and apply that learning, it takes me back to the content and discussion of my degree at Acadia. I value that greatly.” Acadia’s close-knit campus environment also influenced his outlook. “I’m still connected to friends I made there,” Crooks says. “I knew then, and it’s been true over the last 30 years, that kind of connection and community is pretty rare in life.”
IN BERMUDA, ACADIA IS THE LAW By Jim Prime (’69)
If you’re stopped for speeding while vacationing in Bermuda, you might want to mention that you’re an Acadia graduate. There’s a pretty fair chance that the officer will know at least someone in the justice system who attended the Valley campus. It won’t make a whit of difference, of course; you’ll still be fined. But at least it’ll give you something to talk about as the ticket is written up. At all levels of law enforcement, from Deputy Solicitor-General to Detective Chief Inspector and Detective Sergeant, Acadia graduates are helping to ensure that justice is served in this beautiful island nation.
DERRICK GOLDING When it comes to career choices, there’s definitely no ‘accounting’ for Derrick Golding (’08). When Derrick came to Acadia in 2004, he intended to pursue a career in accountancy. A police cadet in his native Bermuda, he attended Acadia with the help of a bursary program sponsored by the Bermuda Police. Derrick transferred from Bermuda College to Acadia under the Articulation Agreement between the two schools. Students who complete their studies at the Caribbean college receive transfer credits to Acadia. As a condition of the bursary, Golding was obligated to work for the Bermuda police for five years following graduation. He graduated from officer training with the Baton of Honor in 2008. At the end of his five years, he was eligible for promotion and, realizing that he enjoyed the challenges of law enforcement, decided to stay. He has been there ever since, involved
in virtually every facet of police work: from vehicle crime, to burglary, to serious crimes such as rape and assault. He joined the Serious Crime Unit in 2010, investigating gang murders and shootings. He is currently in charge of Organized and Financial Crime as a supervisor in drug enforcement. His goal is to continue to rise through the ranks. In addition to his regular police duties, Golding is also tasked with running training courses for recruits and certification training for officers. At Acadia, he was an RA and RA supervisor in War Memorial House (Barrax) and credits this experience with teaching him to be a team player. He also was a DJ for a variety of functions at the Axe and soon became part of the tight-knit and spirited Bermudan community on campus. “Many Bermudans attend Acadia,” he says. “My stepfather went and I had friends who were going there. I became president
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”...I provide legal advice to the Government of Bermuda on complex civil matters and have represented the Government before all the Courts of Bermuda.”
of the Caricom Association on campus, a club for Caribbean students. Meal hall was our social time. We also enjoyed going to basketball and football games, especially during Homecoming. But I also made friends from Canada, the US, China and other places. We still keep in touch on Facebook and Instagram.”
OBVIOUS ADVANTAGES Lest you think a BBA is irrelevant in police work, rest assured that is not the case. “Acadia taught me to be organized,” Derrick says. “It taught me structure. The business program showed me how to look at the bigger picture when making decisions. It also required public speaking and that has served me well in my career. The BBA also taught me to use databases and that has been a real advantage in my police work. The ability to analyze data is an invaluable asset in understanding and confronting crime.” Golding points to Management and Accounting professor Pat Corkum (’73) as a major influence at Acadia. Courses in organizational behaviour also proved directly beneficial in his current job. “I thank Acadia for helping me with social presentation and giving me confidence,” he says. “Drug crime is also financial crime and so there are usually parallel investigations between the two branches. The BBA offers obvious advantages in that department.”
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SHAKIRA DILL-FRANCOIS Currently the Deputy Solicitor-General for the Bermudan Government, Shakira Dill-Francois (’98) graduated from Acadia with a BA in psychology and earned her Bachelor of Laws from the University of Kent in Canterbury, UK in 2000. She was subsequently called to the Bar as an Utter Barrister by the Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn in July 2001. Returning to her native Bermuda, Shakira completed her pupilage training in the Department of Public Prosecutions and was called to the Bermuda Bar in 2002. “I worked as a Prosecutor in the Department of Public Prosecutions until 2006 when I left for New York to do my Master’s at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law,” she says. “I obtained my Master of Laws in Intellectual Property in 2007 and worked in New York for a year, passing the New York Bar in 2008.” In 2008, she returned again to Bermuda and worked in the Intellectual Property Department of the Registry General for a year before moving to the Attorney General’s Chambers as a Crown Counsel in 2009. “I was promoted to Senior Crown Counsel in 2011 and Deputy Solicitor General in 2014, which is the post that I currently hold. In that role I provide legal advice to the Government of Bermuda on complex civil matters and have represented the Government before all the Courts of Bermuda.”
ALUMNI PROFILES
Shakira credits Acadia with guiding her toward courses that would prove most beneficial in her pursuit of a career in law. “When I first enrolled at Acadia, I had not yet decided on the subject path I wanted to follow. A psychology teacher advised me that psychology was the path for me, and the rest is history. I always knew that I wanted to be lawyer, but it was my psychology degree from Acadia that prepared me for the complexities that the legal world has to offer. In this regard I am able to understand and interpret the views of others while at the same time maintaining a persuasive position.” It wasn’t only the academics at Acadia that broadened her horizons and laid the foundation for her future career. “While at Acadia, I was involved with the Caribbean association (known as CARICOM) and assisted with the management and preparation of all of the club’s social functions. This required organization, management and leadership, qualities that I use every day in my current position. “My friend Nadia (Tuckett) Robinson (’00), and I were like the Elders of Tully. We cooked, gave advice, and one night we even held a hair and makeup session. There was never a dull moment. I’m still friendly with a number of persons who attended Acadia. In fact, a group of us from Bermuda attended the alumni ‘Takeover’ in October 2017. It reminded me of old times and I’ll definitely be back for the next one.”
NICHOLAS PEDRO Detective Chief Inspector Nicholas Pedro (’92) is one of Bermuda’s top police officers, having moved steadily through the ranks of the Bermuda Police Service since joining in 1993. He had worked previously in the Drug, Criminal Investigation, and Fraud Units and was named head of the Serious Crime Unit, which deals with homicide and gang-related crime. He currently heads up the Organised and Economic Crime Department of the Police Service with day-to-day responsibility for the Financial Crime and Drug Units. In this role, he oversees the investigation of serious financial crimes including corruption, fraud, money laundering, and serious drug trafficking-related offences. Pedro completed his BA in political science at Acadia with the intention of pursuing a career in law. “Instead, I ended up in law enforcement,” he says. “The poli-sci degree is helpful in my current position in organized and economic crime. It provided me with a solid foundation and gave me insights into the potential for corruption in government and other serious economic crime. At Acadia, I learned about good government policy and how it affects markets. “It also prepared me for the battle against economic and government corruption internationally. It gave me perspective, a macro understanding of issues and how things work inter-operationally. My job involves international relations with countries and governments overseas. We deal with money laundering and the dynamics of economics; how money moves between countries. Bermuda is an international economic centre. We may have a relatively small police force, but the fact is that our country has a disproportionate amount of investment wealth versus our counterparts when looked at from a global perspective.” In addition to his Acadia degree, Pedro also graduated from the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia (2013) and completed the International Commanders Programme at the United Kingdom Police Staff College at Bramshill, UK. Reflecting on his time in Wolfville, Pedro says he took an immediate liking to Acadia. “There were none of the big city distractions. It was small, which created a great community atmosphere. I had a late-night radio show, too. My wife Nisha (’93) went to the business school. I still keep in touch with students I met there, lifelong friends like Peter Nieforth (’91), Sharon Griffin (’93), Matt Cundill (’92) and Tonya O’Quinn (’92). “What was nice about Acadia was the personal touch. You weren’t just a number. Not only did the profs know your name, but you were always on a first-name basis with them. If you needed personal contact, they were there for you and you had the ability to interact.”
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SAVE THE DATE! Summer Reunion 2019 July 5-7 at Acadia! Classes invited back include: Class of 1944 - 75th Class of 1949 - 70th Class of 1954 - 65th Class of 1959 - 60th Class of 1964 - 55th Class of 1969 - 50th Class of 1974 - 45th Class of 1979 - 40th For more information, please contact Sandra Symonds at 902-585-1708 or e-mail sandra.symonds@acadiau.ca
MARK YOUR CALENDAR January, February and March 2019: stay tuned for alumni events in several Canadian cities, the Caribbean, and the United States. Specific locations and details to follow.
Upcoming Acadia Alumni Events MARCH 19, 2019 Florida Luncheon MAY 11, 2019 Acadia Alumni Annual General Meeting MAY 12-13, 2019 Convocation
ASSOCIATED ALUMNI OF ACADIA UNIVERSITY BALANCE SHEET AS AT MARCH 31 Restated Unaudited 2018 Unaudited 2017
Assets AAAU/Acadia Joint Account $ 102,326 $ 172,393 Affinity Fund 728,641 575,686 Allan Fulton Fund 13,428 13,266 Constance Hayward Fund 282,986 279,581 Carr Fund 43,941 43,413 General Fund (Alumni Hall) 60,593 59,864 Graham Fund 16,825 16,622 Toronto Fund 14,975 14,794 Vesta Magee Fund 30,246 29,882 Total Assets $ 1,293,961 $ 1,205,501
Committed Funds Athletics Proposal All Canadian Awards Banquets $ 2,000 $ 4,000 Axemen Celebrity Hockey Dinner 2,000 2,000 Female Athlete Awards 10,000 20,000 Hockey Honour Roll 2,000 4,000 Signage 2,500 5,000 Women in Sport/Sport Hall of Fame 3,500 7,000 Varsity Sport Special Initiatives 7,000 14,000 $ 29,000 $ 56,000
OCTOBER 18-20, 2019 Homecoming Weekend
Other Acadia Students’ Union $ Awards (Alumni/Student/Faculty) Branding Project President’s Fund $
– $ 10,000 – 10,000 20,000 $
9,450 10,000 6,079 10,000 35,529
http://alumni.acadiau.ca
Total Committed Funds
$
49,000
91,529
Uncommitted Funds
$ 1,244,961
JULY 26, 2019 Alumni Golf Tournament
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$
$ 1,113,972
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION DIRECTOR PROFILES
KYLE POWER (’13)
Kyle Power is from New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. He graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Politics. Kyle served three years as Acadia Students’ Union Vice-President, Academic, where he advocated for student issues both on campus in the Senate and to the provincial and federal governments. While at Acadia he also spent two years as Chair of the Board of Directors of StudentsNS, a provincial advocacy organization, and three years working with the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations. Kyle also volunteered with the S.M.I.L.E. program for four years. After Acadia, Kyle received a law degree from the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University. While at Dalhousie, Kyle was Executive Director of the Dalhousie Student Advocacy Service and served as Executive Director of StudentsNS in 2015. After graduation, Kyle returned to New Glasgow to article and practice before joining Seaboard Transportation as Legal Counsel. Kyle currently serves on the Board of Summer Street Industries in New Glasgow. He is a fourth-generation alum; his great-grandmother graduated with an Education degree in 1922.
MARIAN REID (’85)
Marian grew up in Kingsport, Nova Scotia, directly across the Minas Basin from what would become her alma mater. She graduated in 1985 with a Bachelor of Secretarial Administration and within a week started working at Acadia in what was then Personnel Services. After working a few years as Secretary, she was promoted to Human Resources Officer, and in 2010 became Manager of Human Resources. She also held the RPR (Registered Professional Recruiter) and CHRP (Certified Human Resources Professional) designations. Marian retired in 2017, but returns when needed for special projects. Marian married Ian Reid in 1994 and they have one son, John, who has also studied at Acadia.
ALUMNA RECEIVES ISAAC CHIPMAN AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN ALUMNI SERVICE Acadia alumna Bev Richardson (’60) was the recipient of the newly reconstituted Isaac Chipman Award for Excellence in Alumni Service presented by the Acadia Alumni Association. Bev was on hand in the Sheldon L. Fountain Learning Commons during this year’s Summer Reunion Alumni Banquet July 7, 2018 to receive the award for her significant positive impact on Acadia and its alumni. Bev’s consistent support in the form of time, effort and resources to Acadia has been outstanding, and her commitment spans many decades, including a term as a Director on the Alumni Association Board. Pictured with Bev at the awards ceremony are Alumni Association President Ryan Conrod (’06) and Senior Alumni Officer Oonagh Proudfoot (’93). Nominations for this award are ongoing so if you have a candidate in mind, please contact the Alumni Office at: acadia.alumni@ acadiau.ca.
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CAMPAIGN
for ACADIA
Acadia launches historic $75-million campaign Acadia University President Peter Ricketts and Campaign Chair Nancy McCain (’82) announced the launch of a $75-million comprehensive fundraising campaign that will strengthen support for students and faculty, investment in research, and improvement of campus infrastructure. Campaign for Acadia will fund vital programs and priorities across Acadia’s faculties and campaign themes: Transform, Inspire, Discover, and Build.
Already, Campaign for Acadia has raised $40 million in gifts and more than $10 million in future commitments. “We have a fundamental responsibility to support our students’ development as individuals and prepare them for a diverse range of situations,” said President Ricketts at a celebratory event held in the University’s renewed science facilities.
“Campaign for Acadia will ensure that an Acadia education has a more powerful and positive impact on our students and our local, national, and global communities.”
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Among Acadia’s primary strengths is its commitment to providing extraordinary student experiences. The Transform theme of Campaign for Acadia will strengthen the University’s financial awards and aid for students and create a stronger, more responsive support system to improve access, opportunity, and wellness. “Every aspect of this campaign will benefit students,” said George Philp, President, Acadia Students’ Union. “I want to express our gratitude to those who join Campaign for Acadia. You are making an important investment in our future.” The Inspire theme looks to enhance exceptional teaching and engagement through new endowed faculty positions and additional professional development opportunities, while Discover focuses on expanding research and innovation on campus.
“Acadia is a shining example of what people can accomplish when they come together,” said the Honourable Scott Brison, Treasury Board President and Kings-Hants MP. “The investments we are making at Acadia University will give researchers and students the foundation they need to explore the new avenues of discovery that will benefit all of us.” The final priority of the campaign, Build, will work to improve the financial and physical infrastructure of Acadia’s campus, which the Huffington Post has named among Canada’s most beautiful. “Campaign for Acadia will be critical to Acadia’s mission to provide a personalized and rigorous liberal education,” said Nancy McCain, Campaign Chair. “I am proud to be joined by a team of dedicated alumni who are part of our Campaign Cabinet. I know that by working together, we will reach our ambitious goal of $75 million.”
“Attracting and retaining top-performing faculty is an important aspect of Campaign for Acadia,” said Dr. Suzie Currie (’91), Dean, Pure and Applied Science. “Endowing new positions and investing in research will secure an innovative environment for our faculty that creates the best possible educational experience for Acadia students.” Currie noted the significance of the location for the afternoon event, the David Huestis Innovation Pavilion, made possible by an early gift to Campaign for Acadia by David and Faye Huestis of Saint John, New Brunswick. David Huestis (’63) saw the opportunity to give back to Acadia when the federal and provincial governments invested $15.98 million to the renewal project. Joining Huestis to generate $7 million in private support were The McCain Foundation, Penny and Stephen McCain (’81), Margaret McCain Roy (’77, ’79) and Paul Roy, Bobby (’50) and Gordon MacNeill (’48), David Davidson (’71), Cynthia Trudell (’74), Fred Chipman (’61) and Nancy Chipman, Floyd Murphy (’69), and many others.
Chancellor Bruce Galloway (’68) had the final word: “I’ve never been more excited to be a part of a campaign. It’s my role to encourage alumni and friends of Acadia to support this initiative. Every gift will matter. So please give what you can.”
There will be Campaign for Acadia events at home, across Canada, and around the world. Visit campaign.acadiau.ca for details!
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CAMPAIGN
for ACADIA traNsfOrm gOaL
$30
miLLiON
NOOr aHmED (’21) COmPUtEr sCiENCE WUsC sCHOLarsHiP rECiPiENt
born in somalia, Noor ahmed attended high school in a refugee camp in Kenya. through hard work, he won a WUsC scholarship to acadia – a university he considered “big” when he arrived. Noor studies computer science with the goal of bringing positive change to his war-torn country, and he’s grateful to his benefactors. “to help someone from a refugee camp, to give them the chance to come to one of the best universities in Canada, i cannot thank them enough.” 20
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traNsfOrm: extraordinary student experiences
stepping onto acadia’s campus means entering a world of possibility. from residence life to extracurricular activities, classroom discussions to co-op placements, our students experience a personalized education in a diverse and caring community. Each year, acadia attracts nearly 3,600 students from across Canada and from more than 70 countries. they come to learn from one another and from their professors; to be both encouraged and challenged; and to prepare themselves to be tomorrow’s leaders.
Campaign for Acadia seeks to increase support for student success and to eliminate barriers to postsecondary education. to ensure the brightest minds can join our acadia family, we are striving to:
Even before they arrive, students are welcomed to the acadia family, which has a reputation for inclusiveness and lifelong connection. acadia provides an experience that helps students discover who they can become – an interdisciplinary approach to learning that fosters scholarly discussion, discovery, and community engagement.
• Expand co-op programs and other experiential opportunities.
Our students know that by choosing acadia, they will learn in a way that is increasingly rare among post-secondary institutions. they graduate with an education grounded in both tradition and innovation, with an ability to work well with others, think critically, and serve their communities.
• Create a competitive edge with support for athletic Excellence awards.
• Strengthen access through an enhanced portfolio of scholarships and bursaries.
• Promote student mental health and well-being. • Provide enhanced support and services geared to student success. • Cultivate and expand volunteer opportunities. • Lead the process of indigeneity on campus.
“My hope for the future is to join the artificial intelligence sector and introduce new ideas to the world.” – Noor ahmed (’21) ACADIA BULLETIN Fall 2018
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CAMPAIGN
for ACADIA iNsPirE gOaL
$12.5 miLLiON
raNDy LyNN NEWmaN PsyCHOLOgy PrOfEssOr COgNitivE NEUrOsCiENtist
there’s a reason Dr. randy Lynn Newman has received numerous teaching awards, including the acadia alumni faculty award for Excellence in teaching. “i love being in the classroom and passing along my enthusiasm and knowledge for psychology and neuroscience,” she says. “What fills my cup is seeing my students succeed in their own lives and knowing i got to play a part in that. that’s why i’ll stay up until 2:00 in the morning marking 130 exams.”
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iNsPirE: faculty who are passionate about teaching are the foundation of an acadia education. from business to biology, from the performing arts to environmental sustainability, our professors are leaders who prepare our students for life. With more than 200 degree combinations across four faculties, acadia immerses students in an education that is purposely collaborative and transdisciplinary. Here, academic standards are rigorous, and our approach is personalized and geared to success. small classes, an idyllic setting, and a tight-knit scholarly community foster inspiration in the classroom and beyond.
Campaign for Acadia seeks to secure major new investments in endowed faculty positions and in the resources needed for faculty to succeed as teachers, guides, and mentors. to attract and retain exceptional professors, we are focused on the following goals:
We know that exceptional teaching fundamentally changes the learner, altering the way students come to understand themselves and others and forever enhancing their ability to serve society. to sustain this unique approach to post-secondary education, acadia must retain and attract outstanding faculty committed to delivering the best undergraduate experience in Canada.
• Establish new professional development opportunities for faculty.
• Create new endowed professorships and chairs. • Invest in pedagogical technology, training, and supports.
• Expand opportunities across disciplines for scholars-, executives-, and artists-in-residence. • Create supports to attract post-doctoral scholars. • Enhance opportunities for visiting scholars. • Promote and facilitate lifelong learning.
“I’m humbled by the knowledge our students bring, the questions that they ask, how hard they work, and what they achieve and accomplish.” – randy Lynn Newman
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CAMPAIGN
for ACADIA DisCOvEr gOaL
$12.5 miLLiON
JONatHON fOWLEs KiNEsiOLOgy PrOfEssOr DirECtOr, CENtrE Of LifEstyLE stUDiEs
Dr. Jonathon fowles works with students and partners to deliver health improvements across Canada, especially with the Canadian Diabetes association. Locally, his 15 senior Exercise training Practicum students have each done over 200 hours of work across 15 community programs. “acadia’s kinesiology program is second to none in Canada, in regard to the range of experiences our students have access to,” he says. “they learn that it’s about more than just a textbook. it’s about a person.” 24
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DisCOvEr: innovative research and inquiry
through close collaboration, acadia student and faculty researchers drive discoveries that impact lives and improve communities. by seeking to understand and solve real-world problems, they will create a brighter future. at acadia, the line between teaching and research is blurred both by necessity and by design. Our students learn by doing and by seeking answers to questions that matter to society, working across disciplines with their peers and their professors. research is core to our mission of preparing our students for a complex world. acadia has attracted toptier researchers in diverse fields, and many are leaders of international stature. they work with colleagues across campus and at institutions and organizations around the globe, sharing their expertise in our classrooms, laboratories, and communities. Our students are considered research colleagues, and they graduate well-equipped to make a difference in their respective fields and society.
Campaign for Acadia will build our research capacity by forging stronger collaboration across disciplines and encouraging new approaches to address society’s problems. Our goals are to: • Expand financial support for graduate research programs. • Enhance summer research awards. • Create a digital scholarship centre. • Establish an agriculture and beverage research institute. • Invest in flexible research funding and awards. • Bolster the K.C. Irving Environmental Trust in support of scholarly and research excellence.
JULia KOPPErNaEs (’19) KiNEsiOLOgy
With the long-term goal of serving with the Canadian military as a medical officer, Julia Koppernaes has her eye on medical school. this Dean’s List scholar is involved in community outreach to help older adults become more physically active.
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CAMPAIGN
for ACADIA bUiLD gOaL
$20
miLLiON
amitabH JHa CHEmistry PrOfEssOr, CaNCEr rEsEarCHEr
When Dr. amitabh Jha teaches his students how to design drugs to battle breast cancer, their newly renovated chemistry labs help them contribute to research and commercialization. “i’m excited to work in our new labs,” he says. “this improved environment will add productivity.” Undergraduate students are his workforce. “We train them and make them ready for graduate school,” he says. “this not only prepares them for their future, it makes our efforts worthwhile when we are able to publish good-quality research.”
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bUiLD:
proud heritage and promising horizons
acadia is considered one of Canada’s most beautiful university campuses. Our physical and financial infrastructure represents our heritage and our future. acadia’s campus sits on 250 acres in the quintessential university town of Wolfville. steps away are vineyards, orchards, and the world’s highest tides, all of which serve as living laboratories for our student and faculty researchers. Established in 1838, acadia is one of the oldest and most respected liberal arts universities in the country. Campus architecture reflects 180 years of progress and ranges from seminary House, the oldest structure in Canada used for women’s post-secondary education, to the celebrated K.C. irving Environmental science Centre and Harriet irving botanical gardens. acadia’s first College Hall was constructed with more volunteer time than money thanks to the industriousness of our founders. today, campus renewal and beautification are made possible through generous private and public support.
Campaign for Acadia has prioritized projects that will develop the physical and financial infrastructure needed to ensure a transformative student experience. Our goals include: • Adapt our buildings to improve accessibility. • Protect library archives and modernize study spaces. • Renew and enhance key campus buildings and facilities. • Refurbish and expand Athletics Complex facilities and offerings. • Reimagine and upgrade the Student Union Building. • Boost the value of Acadia’s endowment.
“I came with a mindset that bigger is actually better, which got completely shattered when I came to Acadia and started teaching here. We are adding to the knowledge that can be used by others to potentially save lives.” – amitabh Jha ACADIA BULLETIN Fall 2018
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EVENTS
VANCOUVER
VICTORIA
EDMONTON
CALGARY
An engaged group of Acadia alumni gathered for a reception and met University President Dr. Peter Ricketts at Mahony and Sons, overlooking Vancouver’s beautiful harbour, on April 23, 2018. This was Dr. Ricketts’s first visit to Vancouver since assuming the Presidency at Acadia and guests were delighted to chat with him and hear news and updates about the University. Photo: Nancy Handrigan
Guests certainly had some fun during a reception at Fionn MacCool’s in Edmonton on April 25, 2018. Executive Director of Alumni Affairs Ian Murray (’88) greeted alumni and provided news and information about the University as part of this western Canadian swing. Pictured (left to right) are: Marlon Leggitt (‘78); Ted Higa (‘17); Ian Murray; Kim Chapelsky (‘06); Ben Whynot (‘08); Susan Roberts (‘70); and Mike Trites (‘13).
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Acadia alumni and friends had a grand time at an informal reception on April 24, 2018 at the Bard and Banker Public House in Victoria, B.C. Hosted by Ian Murray (’88), Executive Director of Alumni Affairs, Nancy Handrigan (’92), Executive Director of Philanthropy, and Len Hawley, Marketing and Development Officer, guests enjoyed plenty of conversation and shared fond reminiscences of their time at Acadia. Pictured are: Charlie Twaddle (’76) and Hilary Cullen (’13). Photo: Nancy Handrigan
A lively group of alumni turned out for a reception at Teatro Ristorante in Calgary on April 26, 2018. University President Dr. Peter Ricketts was the centre of attention, and special guests included Alumni Association Vice-President Donalda MacBeath (’75). Pictured with Dr. Ricketts (right) are, left to right: Emma Cochrane (’15); Jordan Lamey (’13); Kelsey Dunn (’13); Ellen Boyd (’14); Jesse Peterson (’15); and Alison Sutherland (’12). Photo: Nancy Handrigan
ALUMNI EVENTS
FREDERICTON
LONDON, UK
SAINT JOHN
MONCTON
Alumni came together on May 22, 2018 at BrewBakers in Fredericton, NB for a reception and to raise a glass in celebration of all things Acadia. Acadia professor Dr. Matt McSweeney was on hand, giving a short presentation on his research that involves what characteristics drive our liking of foods and furthering knowledge of food products. Former Axemen head hockey coach Tom Coolen (left), pictured here with Ian Murray, was one of approximately 20 attendees at the event. Photo: Nancy Handrigan
Acadia alumni enjoyed a scintillating wine-tasting experience May 23, 2018 during a reception at the Happinez Wine Bar in Saint John, NB. A good crowd was on hand to hear special guest Acadia professor Dr. Matt McSweeney share details of his research. Ian Murray (’88), Nancy Handrigan (’92) and Len Hawley brought greetings and chatted with alumni during a delightful evening of fun and Acadia fellowship. Pictured are (left to right): Adriana Teran, Jeff Allen (’06) and Catherine McLatchie (’07). Photo: Nancy Handrigan
A dozen Acadia alumni and friends took time out on May 22, 2018 for an informal gathering in London, England. Guests gathered at The Refinery on Ropemaker Street for a casual drink after work, some nibbles and plenty of great conversation. Vice-President, Advancement Dr. Rod Morrison attended to bring greetings from the University. Pictured are (left to right): Derek Smith (’05), Gordon Kerr (‘99) and Steve Habbi (’98).
Alumni enjoyed a delightful wine-tasting event at Magnetic Hill Winery in Moncton, NB on May 24, 2018 during the final stop of a week-long, whirlwind tour of New Brunswick. Photo: Nancy Handrigan
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EVENTS
LOBSTER PICNIC, OTTAWA
SYDNEY, NS
Alumni and friends gathered for a good-old Maritime lobster picnic in the nation’s capital at the Ottawa Tennis and Lawn Bowling Club on June 16, 2018. Approximately 50 guests enjoyed PEI-cooked lobster and listened as Ernie Fraser, a local East Coast-style fiddler from Cape Breton, provided the entertainment. Folks were encouraged to support a silent auction with all proceeds to the Ottawa Alumni Scholar Bursary to help a first-year Ottawa student attend Acadia. Photo: Nancy Handrigan
Seventeen Acadia alumni gathered at The Old Triangle Irish Alehouse on Charlotte Street in Sydney, N.S. on June 20, 2018 for a get-together and reception. A gorgeous, sunny evening on the Island provided a fitting backdrop for the occasion, hosted by Senior Alumni Officer Oonagh Proudfoot (’93), who had a great time chatting and reminiscing with those in attendance about their days at Acadia University. Pictured are, left to right: Sandra Haley (’72); Karen Sharpe (’72); and Valerie Sharpe (’72). Photo: Oonagh Proudfoot
NASSAU, BAHAMAS
NEW GLASGOW
Acadia’s Alumni Office was proud to sponsor a welcome reception on June 21 in Nassau for a few of the University’s newest recruits from the Bahamas to the Acadia family. Superstar alumnus Marlon Johnson (‘91), the country’s Financial Secretary, offered words of wisdom. Photo: Ian Murray
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An intimate group of seven Acadia alumni came together on June 21, 2018 for the first alumni event in New Glasgow, N.S. in a long time, hosted by Senior Alumni Officer Oonagh Proudfoot (’93) at Hebel’s Restaurant on Stellarton Road. Pictured, left to right, are: Kevin Fraser (’78); Anne Armstrong (’91); Clary Townsend (’59); Anne Townsend; Anne Tokaruk (’64); Oonagh Proudfoot; and Alumni Association Director, Kyle Power (’13).
ALUMNI EVENTS
SPRINGHILL
NEW YORK CITY
A small but mighty contingent of Acadia alumni came together at the Canadian Association of New York (CANY) Canada Day celebration on June 27, 2018 in Manhattan. Alison Backman-Shapiro (‘07), volunteer Director on the Acadia Alumni Association Board Leah McNally (’07), and Stew Paterson (’08) attended and represented the University in fine style.
It was a mini-reunion June 28, 2018 when Acadia’s Executive Director of Alumni Affairs and Springhill native Ian Murray (’88) returned to his old stomping grounds and joined Acadia alumni at Sociables Pub and Eatery on Main Street in Springhill, N.S. Guests, including Ian’s wife Robyn Murray (‘90), had a great time catching up and sharing stories about their time at Acadia while enjoying a delightful lunch in central Cumberland County. Attendees included: Ian Murray, Doris Gilroy (’59), Susan Colquhoun (’66), Ed Colquhoun (’66), Marlene Hopkins (’76), Mike Smith (’93), Michelle Byers (’12), Amanda MacLeod (’06) and Crystal Wallis (’64).
“PROUD TO REPRESENT ACADIA UNIVERSITY”
T MC
Taylor Maclellan Cochr ane L A W Y E R S
Making Service A Matter of Practice Since 1835
Tel: (902) 678-6156 | www.tmclaw.com
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GREAT DAY AT
GOLF TOURNAMENT
A total of 31 teams and 155 golfers gathered on Friday, July 27, 2018 at Ken-Wo Golf Club in New Minas for the 37th Annual Acadia Alumni Golf Tournament. On a very hot and humid afternoon, participants enjoyed 18 holes of golf, a banquet, and various draws and prizes to end the day. Proceeds from the tournament help to support awards for incoming students from local high schools. The team of Sundeep Oad (’06), Derek MacKinnon (’03), Marc Roach (’06), Tamuno Cookey (’04), and Nathan Theriault (’04) were the overall tournament winners. Best Dressed went to Guy Lanctot (’81), Danny Joseph (’74), Matt Collins (’85), Eric Melanson (’79), and Doug Lowthers (’83), while the Spirit Award was captured by Team Nashville, consisting of Tom Prescott (’58), Chris Prescott (’84), Bill Parker (’56), Ward Carlson (’90), and Norm Batherson (’94). Many thanks to our alumni, staff, sponsors and friends for making this year’s tournament a success! Photos: Fred Sgambati, Rachel Brown, Samantha Teichman
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HAPPY HOMECOMING! It was a slightly wet and absolutely wonderful Homecoming Weekend at Acadia University Oct. 11-14, 2018! Capitalizing on the momentum of our Campaign for Acadia launch, there was no shortage of things for alumni to see and do, including the Acadia Business Banquet; the 106th Annual Bulmer Relay; Hockey Honour Roll inductions; Women in Sport celebration; and a mini-reunion of several members of the 1998 Axemen hockey team, who took on a Montreal Canadiens alumni squad. About 500 alumni and friends enjoyed live music compliments of Class of 1978 alumni Jack Graham and Al Bennett at the annual Backyard Barbecue, hosted by the Acadia Alumni Association on the Clark Terrace at Alumni Hall; Acadia beat Bishop’s 31-9 in football; and alumni had a ton of fun all weekend long! Make plans now to join us next year, Oct. 18-20, for Homecoming 2019. See you then!
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1. Colette O’Hara (’02), Chief Strategy Officer at SaltWire Network, was the keynote speaker at this year’s Acadia Business Banquet on Oct. 11 in the Sheldon L. Fountain Learning Commons. Colette is seen here with Alumni Association President Ryan Conrod (’06) after her presentation. (Photo: Nancy Handrigan) 2. ASU President George Philp (left) and University President Dr. Peter Ricketts (right) were on hand for the 106th running of the Bulmer, won by the Think Before You Click relay team representing Tech Services at Acadia. Best Dressed went to Bromides Before Hydroxides from the Chemistry Department. (Photo: Fred Sgambati) 3. Congratulations to this year’s Axemen Hockey Honour Roll inductees: (left to right) Chris Peyton, Kevin Dickie, Blueline Club Chair Tom Prescott (’58), Josh St. Louis (’01) and Doug Reynolds (’98).
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(Photo: Peter Oleskevich)
4. Keynote speaker and Olympic hurdler Sarah Wells made quite an entrance at this year’s Women in Sport celebration. Alumna Tracey (Laurence) McGillivray (’87, ‘15) emceed the event, and Wells offered an inspirational message to all in attendance. (Photo: Peter Oleskevich) 5. Acadia spirit was very much in evidence at the Annual Backyard Barbecue. (Photo: Fred Sgambati) 6. Emma Cochrane (’13) and Kelsey Dunn (’13) shared the spirit of Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 13 in Calgary by hosting an event for approximately 30 alumni that included a live-stream of the football game and appetizers courtesy of the Alumni Affairs Office. Stand Up and Cheer! 7. Executive Director of Alumni Affairs Ian Murray (’88, left) with Alumni Association President Ryan Conrod (’06) and Campaign Cabinet member Kerel Pinder (’06) from the Bahamas at the Backyard Barbecue sponsored by the Acadia Alumni Association. (Photo: Fred Sgambati)
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8. Former Axemen basketball star and Sport Hall of Famer Steve Pound (’72) had a great time at the Backyard Barbecue. (Photo: Fred Sgambati) 9. The football Axemen were fired up for the Homecoming game against Bishop’s, winning handily 31-9. (Photo: Peter Oleskevich) 10. A packed house at Raymond Field cheered the football Axemen on to victory, highlighting an incredible Homecoming Weekend 2018! (Photo: Fred Sgambati)
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SUMMER FUN! CLASS OF 1943 – Edythe (Fraser) Hirtle
CLASS OF 1948
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PHOTOS: PETER OLESKEVICH
About 150 alumni and friends returned July 6-8 as the University welcomed back the Classes of 1943, 1948, 1953, 1958, 1963, 1968, 1973 and 1978 as well as other alumni for Summer Reunion 2018. Special guests included Acadia President Dr. Peter Ricketts and newly appointed Chancellor Dr. Bruce Galloway (’68). Attendees enjoyed a full slate of activities that included a tour of the newly renovated Science Complex, a meetand-greet reception and a banquet at the Sheldon L. Fountain Learning Commons, class meetings, a special Class of 1968 50th Anniversary Pinning Ceremony, and Sunday Service in the Manning Memorial Chapel. On Saturday, the Class of 1978 hosted a Jam at the Axe Lounge with musicians Jack Graham (’78) and Al Bennett (’78). On Sunday, David Parker (’84), Jennifer King (’91), and Paula Rockwell (’87) performed in the Garden Room at the K. C. Irving Environmental Science Centre. The Reunion Cup winner was the Class of 1948 while Carol (Melanson) Holowachuk (’78) was the first person to register. The come-fromfurthest-away award went to Joyce Archibald (’68) who traveled 18,550 km from Bassendean, Australia and close behind was Don Ross (’78), who travelled 16,750 km from North Sydney, Australia. Our thanks to all the alumni and friends who made Summer Reunion 2018 so memorable!
CLASS OF 1953
CLASS OF 1958
CLASS OF 1963
CLASS OF 1973
CLASS OF 1968
CLASS OF 1978
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CLASS NOTES
1930s
On July 2, 2018, MARY (NICKERSON) McCOWAN (‘39, ‘40) celebrated her 100th birthday in Toronto with family and dear friends. Best wishes also arrived from the Queen, the LieutenantGovernor, the Prime Minister of Canada and alumni of Acadia University. Mary was born at Cape Sable Island, the eldest of six children of Hubert and Freda Nickerson of Liverpool, Nova Scotia, where she grew up. First in her family to further her education at Acadia University, Mary excelled academically in physics, chemistry and mathematics, graduating with an honours BSc in 1939 and BEd in 1940. She was awarded the North American Mathematics Prize and was listed as one of America’s outstanding students in the “Who’s Who of American Universities” 1938-39. Before marrying Walter and settling into family life in Toronto, Mary was an inspirational math, chemistry and physics high school teacher in Quebec. She has devoted herself to caring for and uplifting
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everyone she meets. She has given her best as wife, mother, grandmother, homemaker, student, teacher, gardener, community worker, gracious lady, and friend. She has inspired all of us to work toward 100 per cent. Graduating from Acadia in her footsteps were siblings GRANVILLE NICKERSON (‘42), DOROTHY (NICKERSON) O’BRIEN (‘44), RONALD NICKERSON (‘49); her daughter LYNDA McCOWAN (‘74); and grandchildren, JONATHON DIONISI (‘08) and ERIN McCOWAN (‘10).
1940s
Len Hawley, Marketing and Development Officer, Acadia Athletics, and ROBIN HENNIGAR (’65, in photo) dropped in recently to see REV. DR. NEIL PRICE (’40), who is still going strong at 102 years of age! A member of Acadia’s Hockey Honour Roll and Sports Hall of Fame, Dr. Price backstopped Acadia to its first-ever men’s hockey championship in 1940 and has a combined 27 years of service to the University as a former member of Acadia’s Board of Governors.
EDWARD HART (’42, ’47) in Toronto, presenting him with a special certificate recognizing his lifetime achievements. A prolific author, George published his latest book, Wordscapes VII, earlier this year.
THELMA PEPPER (’41) was invested with the Saskatchewan Order of Merit in May 2018 in Regina. It’s the province’s highest public honour and recognizes her outstanding photography that celebrates the uniqueness and spirit of Saskatchewan people, particularly senior women. Thelma is doing very well, and at age 97 continues an active life of reading, bridge and participating in public lectures. Stand Up and Cheer!
It was a grand celebration when friends and family gathered in Wolfville to celebrate Class of 1948 member CLARA JEFFERSON’S 90th birthday. Pictured with her are her brothers Mike (left) and PAT NOWLAN (’52). All the best, Clara, and many happy returns!
1950s JOHN VACHAL (’51) is enjoying retirement in Seattle. He can be reached at jvachal@hotmail.com.
Former Chancellor LIBBY BURNHAM (’60) and VicePresident, Advancement, Dr. Rod Morrison, recently visited with GEORGE
DR. FRANCIS RUSSELL COOK (Horton Academy, ‘55; Acadia, ’59) let us know that in June 2018 he was admitted to the Order of Canada. In sharing the news with us, Dr. Cook also said that prominent among the multitude of people who
mentored and encouraged him along the way was Acadia professor SHERMAN BLEAKNEY (’49). A large group of alumni and friends attended FRANK DAVIS’S (‘59) 80th birthday celebration in Halifax on June 25, 2018 at Le Bistro by Liz. Congrats, Frank! Hope you had a good one!
1960s
Retired journalist and amateur military historian JOHN CUNNINGHAM’S (62)
war history, Where Duty Lies, was launched at the Charlotte County Court House, Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, on Aug. 8, 2018, the 100th anniversary of the day The First World War turned in favour of the Allies. The Pottersfield Press publication, subtitled A New Brunswick Soldier in the Trenches of World War I, documents the experiences of Cunningham’s uncle, Captain Frank A. Grimmer, of Saint Andrews, who trained as an infantryman, but instead found himself labouring under heavy artillery fire helping build supply lines during the Third Battle of Ypres, often described as the most horrific in a war of horrific battles. In the hours leading up to the launch of the Canadian assault on Passchendaele Ridge, Grimmer, thrown several yards by an artillery blast, went on to do all in his power to render aid to the wounded and those that died. His bravery earned him The Military Medal – and a thousand nights of torment remembering the violence of The Western Front. Cunningham, in a wide-ranging 37-year media career, was a journalist with The Canadian Press, Toronto, Saint John Telegraph-Journal and The Evening Times-Globe in the 1960s and 1970s. His stories have appeared in many regional and international magazines. He and his wife Mary live in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. SUSAN HALEY CAKMAK (’66) says she has been out of touch with Acadia for several years, but would like to provide an update
in the Bulletin. “The most urgent part of my recent activities has been my work with refugees, just having returned from Lesbos, Greece, where I worked with an amazing young man, Omar. He is a Syrian refugee who swam from Turkey to the island of Lesbos around 2015 and over the last two years started his own NGO, returning to Greece to help other refugees, where I joined him as we did beach patrols and had a warehouse distributing clothes next to Camp Moria, known as one of the worst refugee camps in Europe. We worked as a team with other refugees who also volunteered as interpreters and did the hands-on work with us. They so wanted to help their fellow refugees waiting to be processed, which has become a nightmare there now because of the European/ Turkey deal resulting in thousands of refugees held in prison like camps, unable to move on with the closure of most European borders. There continue to be weekly drownings from unsafe boats and Canada forgets after the famous picture of the dead boy on the beach. This continues regularly, so I want this story out there. I have been volunteering around the world, in Colombia, Peru, Morocco, India and most recently on Lesbos. Here at home, I tutor refugees in Halifax through ISANS. I would love to hear from fellow Acadia graduates interested in refugee work and how they might help.”
DR. MARGARET CONRAD (’67, ’07 HON) received an Honorary Degree at Dalhousie University’s fall convocation in October. Dr. Conrad, who has a BA from Acadia and an MA and PhD from the University of Toronto, spent much of her career in Acadia’s Department of History. She served as the Nancy’s Chair in Women’s Studies at Mount Saint Vincent University and in 2002 became the Canada Research Chair in Atlantic Canada Studies at the University of New Brunswick, where she is presently Professor Emerita. Dr. Conrad is past president of the Canadian Historical Association, is a Fellow in the Royal Society of Canada, an Officer of the Order of Canada, and recipient of both the Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals. She holds honorary degrees from Acadia, Mount Saint Vincent and the University of Manitoba.
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CLASS NOTES
For more than 40 years, KATHY (MacDONALD) and TONY CICERONE of Plymouth, Massachusetts, both members of the Class of 1968, have spent the last week of June at White Point Beach Resort near Liverpool, Nova Scotia. During their stay the Cicerones, along with their children and grandchildren, gather with Nova Scotia friends and relatives for a vacation featuring long swims and fresh lobster. This year, though Tony and Kathy were marking the 50th anniversary of their graduation from Acadia, they were unable to stay in Nova Scotia to take in the Summer Reunion 2018 festivities with the rest of their class on campus July 6-8. That being the case, Executive Director of Alumni Affairs, IAN MURRAY (`88), paid them a visit at White Point. Tony and Kathy have volunteered for Acadia in various ways through the years, most recently organizing an Italianstyle Alumni Family Dinner in Boston’s north end.
Following graduation, they pursued careers in education, social work and office management. Although their professions and families have taken them to the three Maritime provinces, they have maintained contact over the years through phone, letters, e-mail and, especially, yearly reunions. “We recognize the role Acadia has in each of our lives, preparing us for our life’s work and even more, bringing together a group of friends who have supported each other for 50 years.” Stand Up and Cheer!
1970s
Six members of the Class of 1971 celebrated 50 years since their arrival at Acadia in 1968: (left to right), ANNE (FERGUSON) CROSBY, DAWN (MacDONALD) MacQUARRIE, WILMA (MacLEOD) BROCK, GLENDA (WHIDDEN) LAMEY, KAY (McEACHERN) FITZGERALD and CHERYL (TRASK) ANDERSON.
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Just a short note to keep in touch with other alumni. DEBRA (HAYMAN) MARTYN (’72) and PETER MARTYN (’73) have been volunteering with Cuso International in Yangon, Myanmar. Peter is teaching ESL and Debra is a product design and marketing advisor to a social enterprise called Chu Chu, which recycles trash from Yangon’s streets and lanes into crafts. Chu Chu supports about 30 families in the Dala area of Yangon, one of the poorest in the city.
This summer, five Acadia alumni – ANN VIBERT (‘74), LYN McDONELL (‘74), SHERRY KANE (‘74), KIMBERLEE PARKER (‘75) and JOANNE CHAMBERLIN (‘71) – reconnected after almost 40 years. Spending time together in Mahone Bay, N.S., they celebrated a big upcoming birthday. Within an hour, it was as if no time had passed. That’s the magic of Acadia! (Photo: Pam Loughead, ’69) JOHN DECOSTE (’77) was inducted into the Berwick Sports Hall of Fame as a builder in July 2018. His efforts over a 22-year career as a sports journalist in Kings County helped to provide tremendous profile to local athletes and athletics, and he was honoured as both a reporter and community champion. John is also a member of the Acadia Sports Hall of Fame, having been inducted as a builder in 2017.
1980s
An impromptu and unofficial Acadia Swim Reunion happened in June 2018 in Halifax when some alumni who hadn’t seen each other in more than 30 years joined forces for a gettogether. Pictured are, left to right: PAULETTE (WILLIAMS) SARSFIELD (’88), JOHN MacPHERSON (’77), JILL (TAYLOR) LEON (’79), BRIAN MacLEAN (’80), CATHY MAXWELL (’77), WENDY (STEVENS) HIMMELMAN (’79), JANICE HOWELL (’77), and MARGIE (McLEOD) KEAN (’79).
A group of Special Education Teachers from the Class of 1978 returned to the Acadia campus for Summer Reunion 2018. From left to right, they are: KAREN HENDERSON; CAROL (MELANSON) HOLOWACHUK; ANNE (SLATER) BROWN; DIANNE (HENNEBERRY) GILLIS; and MARGARET (PHINNEY) YATSEVITCH. They are pictured posing by one of the bike racks given to the Acadia community as a gift from their grad class.
PAUL RUSSELL BROWN (’80) has recently authored and published a five-book series that tells the fictionalized story of one boyhood in the 1950s to 1970s in rural Nova Scotia. The books are titled Fundy Bay, Elementary Truths, Well Wasted, The Riverteens, and Graduations, and are available exclusively through Amazon.com (USA) in electronic and paperback formats.
LINDA JOHNSTON (’80) writes to tell us that she had dinner in July with ERIC OASS (’78), “with whom I once did lots of theatre. He had lived in Australia for almost 30 years and will be moving back to Halifax in 2020. Eric went on to act in Toronto, Vancouver, New
York and Los Angeles before settling on Sydney, Australia to work with Qantas Airlines. We chatted for five hours about our Acadia days and all our theatre time together. It was great fun.”
STEVE BOWES (’81) has just completed a threeyear tour as Commander of the Canadian Armed Forces Joint Operations Command (the principal lead for all operations) and has been Seconded to Veterans Affairs Canada in Charlottetown, PEI.
ADRIAN BROWN (’82) shared a picture of a new license plate that his kids got him for Father’s Day earlier this year. He has lived in greater Ottawa since graduating from Acadia. He has been married to Lorraine (Deeks) Brown for 31 years and his children are Sean (living in California) and Rachel (at home).
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Scotia Capital Inc. is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada. For more information visit www.scotiawealthmanagement.com
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CLASS NOTES son, Caledon Cyrus MacKay, shortly before midnight on Saturday, July 28, 2018, weighing eight pounds. Big brother Kian and big sister Valencia are thrilled to have this new little addition to the family. Congratulations to all!
A great mini-reunion update from Chris and Scott MacDonald: “It’s never to late to reconnect with Acadia friends. We had our second annual Acadia reunion at LISA and STEVE DAVIDSON’S (‘85) cottage in Chelton, PEI and will continue to do so for many years to come. We had gone our separate ways to Calgary, Fredericton and Port Williams, but ended up together again. Even four of our kids now have the Acadia experience! Pictured left to right: KELLY (COLPITTS) DOWNE (‘84), CHRIS (SMITH) McDONALD (‘86), SHELDON DOWNE (‘83), SCOTT McDONALD (‘86), STEVE MORAN (‘85) and STEVE DAVIDSON (‘85).
We are happy to announce that PETER MacKAY (`87) and his wife, Nazanin, welcomed the arrival of their
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GREG BOWER (’87) was inducted as a member of the Middleton Sports Wall of Fame in September as a builder. Greg has taught math at Middleton Regional High School for 20 years and has been Vice-Principal for the past 11 years. He has coached 11 Provincial Championship teams, four Provincial Silver Medal teams and seven Provincial Bronze Medal teams, including boys and girls, junior and senior, school and summer. He is great testament to how Acadia was able to produce such a successful teacher and coach. On May 1, 2018, MARION ARETHA BORDENDAVIS (’89), Detroit, Michigan, completed her two- year Wayne County Teacher Leader Program. Worldrenowned author, speaker and educational consultant, Dr. Michael Fullan from Toronto, Ontario, was the keynote speaker at the celebration. In May 2016, 70 teachers from Wayne County, Michigan were selected to take part in this Teacher Leadership Training Pilot Program.
1990s
Some members of the 1993 CIS championship Acadia hockey Axemen were on the Acadia campus July 27-29, 2018 to celebrate their 25th reunion. Guests participated in the annual alumni golf tournament, toured the Andrew H. McCain Arena and Stevens Centre, and were very impressed with the new Fiske Hockey Locker Room. Pictured with head coach DARREN BURNS (’95) are: MILAN DRAGICEVIC (’94), MALCOLM CAMERON (’94), CRAIG FRASER, COLIN GREGOR (’98), MORGAN MANN (’94), KEVIN KNOPP (’95), SEAN O’REILLY (’97), DENIS SPROXTON (’98) and PAUL SUTCLIFFE (’93).
It was a big night in Amherst, N.S. on July 18, 2018, when alumnus and former hockey Axeman MARK McFARLANE (’95) was inducted into the Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame. Mark was a member of Acadia’s University Cup hockey championshipwinning team in 1993. Prior to joining the Axemen, he played for the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League from 1988 to 1991, with whom he won a Memorial Cup. After Acadia, Mark turned pro, suiting
up for several teams in the Southern Hockey League, Central Hockey League and East Coast Hockey League. He won three Colonial Cup championships with the Quad-City Mallards and retired from professional hockey in 2004. His number was retired by the Mallards and his name was added to Acadia’s Hockey Honour Roll in 2010. Mark hails from Amherst and was inducted into the MESHOF along with Bill Riley and Craig Martin. NGAIO RICHARD (’99) says that a book she has edited is now in print, “and I wanted to mention it in case it would be of interest.” For more, please visit: https:// www.palgrave.com/us/
2000s
TREVOR MOFFITT (’00) and wife Lena welcomed a baby girl, Stefania, on June 22, 2018. Trevor tells us that “Lena and Stef are both happy and healthy, and we are very excited.”
OLIVIA GOODFELLOW (’00) is now Corporate Manager of Community Relations at Saputo Inc. in Montreal, where she has developed the global Community Relations strategy and leads its execution. Olivia served her community as a City Councillor for the town of Léry from 2009 to 2013, and further participated in Le cercle des jeunes élues. Over the years, she has led United Way (ON) and Centraide (QC) workplace fundraising campaigns, as well as local La Guignolée food drives.
education in the North. Chris began in Inuvik in 2002 as a Grade 5/6 teacher and later became a viceprincipal, then supervisor of schools, and eventually superintendent. He was the driving force behind what is now known as Northern Distance Learning – the videoconferencing and e-learning approach to studies that gives students from small communities the chance to access highquality programs. Chris is the son of Acadia alumnus HARVEY GILMOUR (’66).
Congrats to former Acadia football Axeman DANNY FRAME (‘00) on setting a new Guinness World Record in the caber toss. Frame tossed the caber 16 times in three minutes at the Heart of the Valley Festival in Middleton, N.S. on July 20, 2018.
CHRIS GILMOUR (’02) received the Northwest Territories’ Education Hall of Fame 2018 Minister’s Choice Award in May, given to an individual who makes a significant contribution to changing the face of
A small-scale Seminary House 1998 Frosh Reunion took place on Aug. 11, 2018 when (left to right) JACQUI BENOIT, CANDACE MacDONALD (’04) and JENNY SIMMONDS (’04) got together for a quick campus tour and a photo outside Sem. They gathered at the Wu Welcome in Alumni Hall to kick things off and had a great time checking out the many changes to campus since their Acadia days!
Honourable KELVIN OGILVIE (‘63). Larissa is celebrating her one-year anniversary as a Communications Advisor with Infrastructure Canada while Chase is a Financial Planner and Investment Advisor with the Bank of Montreal. They currently reside in downtown Ottawa. CST. MICHELLE MOSHER (‘06) was the recipient of the “Award of Outstanding Service” by the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police in May 2018 in Banff, Alberta. She was nominated by RCMP Assistant Commissioner John Ferguson for the outstanding work and contributions to the Caribou Child and Youth Centre, which is a centre for physically and sexually assaulted children located in Grande Prairie, Alberta. Cst. Mosher accepted this award with her son.
2010s
This is fun! The husband and wife team of JENNA (SETLAKWE) GRANVILLE (’10) and DAL GRANVILLE (’09) sent us this photo of them cycling in Ottawa. Jenna is a policy analyst/ issues manager with Health Canada and Dal is a medical physicist at the Ottawa General Hospital.
LARISSA LAW (‘10) and CHASE PIETRANTONIO (‘11) were married on Aug. 11, 2018. The wedding was held at the home of the bride’s sister and brother-in-law on the beautiful Northwest Arm in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Officiating the ceremony was family friend and former Acadia President, the
NICOLE DELORY (’17) has written Night at the Gardens, an educational, whimsical adventure picture book illuminating how the Halifax Public Gardens’ statues enjoy their night. Who are these statues? Why do they live in the Gardens? Will Billy Pickering, the Great Boer War hero, be able to stop the Jubilee Fountain’s nymphs from escaping to the ocean on the back of the Juan swans? Published by New World Publishing and illustrated by Nicole’s sister, illustrator, Janet Soley.
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ACADIA REMEMBERS We are saddened to report the following deaths in the Acadia community
Max Dewolfe (’39) Kitchener, ON
Abner B. Dewar (’52) Montague, PEI
Carolyn L. Townsend (’64) Kingston, NS
Phillip Joudrey (’76) Bridgewater, NS
John M. Graham (’90) Toronto, ON
Dorothy Trunck (’43) Saint John, NB
Helen Pitts (’53) Westville, NS
Juliana B. Willdey (’64) Halifax, NS
Alan C. MacMillan (’76) Kansas City, KS
Tim Taylor (’90) Halifax, NS
Loring Pulsifer (’43) Ancaster, ON
Arthur Melvin (’54) Halifax, NS
Linda Piers (’64) Peterborough, ON
Michael E. Ettinger (’76) Kentville, NS
Lillian B. Marshall (’91) St. Peter’s, NS
Beryl E. Berringer (’44) South Brookfield, NS
Douglas Johnston (’56) Dartmouth, NS
Archibald Killawee (’65) Truro, NS
Gail A. Edmunds (’77) London, ON
Kristopher M. Keddy (’96) Lethbridge, AB
Winston M. Langille (’44) Truro, NS
Lloyd H. Robinson (’56) Wolfville, NS
Joan I. Luedemann (’66) Dartmouth, NS
Donna L. Goodman (’77) Vernon, BC
Geneen R. Riviere (’97) Nassau
Charles E. Robbins (’46) Yarmouth, NS
Donald M. Campbell (’57) Port Hope, ON
Brenda A. Shynal (’66) Wolfville, NS
Garth M. Atkinson (’77) Barrington Passage, NS
Wesley L. Daniels (’99) Waterville, NS
Arthur J. Crouse (’47) Halifax, NS
William F. Mason (’57) Halifax, NS
Ralph D. Fisher (’67) New Glasgow, NS
Robert C. Comeau (’78) Stewiacke, NS
Nicole Allen (’03) Grand-Barachois, NB
John E. Bethune (’47) Lummi Island, WA
Fred Dickson (’58) Truro, NS
Richard J. Thompson (’68) Middleton, NS
Kevin J. Fraser (’78) Tatamagouche, NS
Shay Graves (’04) Aylesford, NS
Marion R. Knowles (’48) Moncton, NB
Donna Lavers (’58) Windsor, NS
Fred A. Williamson (’68) Coquitlam, BC
Brad MacDonald (’78) Kentville, NS
Trevor A. Boyd (’08) Lawrencetown, NS
Ivan V. Hall (’48) Kentville, NS
Elizabeth A. Spychka (’58) Edmonton, AB
Ronald N. Brooks (’68) Fredericton, NB
Philippe W. Graham (’82) Halifax, NS
Vanessa A. Giovannetti (’12) Halifax, NS
Peter Donat (’49) Point Reyes Station, CA
Clare H. Durland (’59) Middleton, NS
Wayne Smith (’69) Sudbury, ON
Gordon MacPherson Sr. (’82) Sydney, NS
Doug Knockwood, (’15) Shubenacadie, NS
Erik Hansen (’49) Wolfville, NS
Arlene F. Metcalfe (’60) Bedford, NS
Reidar D. Olsen (’71) Mahone Bay, NS
Connie I. Kaiser (’83) Sydney Mines, NS
Keith M. Pineo (HOR) Fredericton, NB
Beverley C. Trask (’50) Sydney, NS
David L. Misener (’61) Wolfville, NS
Charles Holmes (’73) Sydney Mines, NS
Tiong Tan (’83) Singapore
Clifford R. Hopkins (HOR) Port Morien, NS
Marion J. Christianson (’50) Dartmouth, NS
Edmund S. Telfer (’62) Edmonton, AB
Mattheus Holleman (’74) Windsor, NS
Ulrike H. Walker (’86) Wolfville, NS
Joseph C. Archibald Ste. Croix, NS
Gertrude Swim (’51) Lockeport, NS
Sandra B. Sheppard (’63) Centreville, NS
Stanley H. Simon (’74) Pickering, ON
James R. King (’89) Berwick, NS
We produce this list to the best of our ability with the information provided. If there is a discrepancy or error, please contact the Office of Alumni Affairs at 902.585.1459.
44
ACADIA BULLETIN Fall 2018
In each edition of the Bulletin, we reserve space on our final pages for a fond look back at the way we were. Do you know the two people in this photo? If so, send me an e-mail at fred.sgambati@acadiau.ca. First person to identify them will win an Acadia sweatshirt (valued at $70). Please include your name, address and phone number in your response. We will reveal the answer, the winner and have another image for you in the spring edition. Look forward to hearing from you. Have fun!
FINAL FRAME WINNER In our last edition, Mike Alcoe (’79) was the first to identify the photo of Barry Wisener (’82).
Congratulations, Mike!
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PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40065328 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO OFFICE OF ADVANCEMENT ACADIA UNIVERSITY WOLFVILLE, NS B4P 2R6 CANADA