The impact of a pandemic Acadia researchers shift focus, explore effects of the COVID-19 crisis on society
By Fred Sgambati (’83)
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cadia University has faced many difficult situations during its 182-year history, but the novel coronavirus pandemic has challenged its resilience and tested members of its community like never before. On the advice of the Nova Scotia Medical Officer of Health and the Government of Canada, the University cancelled all in-person classes and labs and closed its doors to the general public in March. Students and employees were sent home, Convocation was postponed, campus tours and all oncampus events were subsequently suspended. As the world struggled to cope with the realities of COVID-19, researchers in the Acadia community took a deep breath, rolled up their sleeves in a new work-from-home normal, and shifted gears. They began to examine the myriad impacts of the global pandemic on everyday people and explore issues as diverse as food security; inter-personal relationships; how working conditions have changed, particularly for food-service workers, long-term care workers, and teachers. Other research is looking at alternative teaching approaches in a pandemic; the community-building aspects of virtual choirs; and theological questions for a faith community. With the help and cooperation of Acadia’s Office of Research and Graduate Studies and the Office of Industry and Community Engagement (ICE), here’s a snapshot of what
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some members of Acadia’s research community have been doing during the pandemic.
Assessing the strength and challenges of the localized food system Dr. Edith Callaghan of the Manning School of Business and Dr. Liesel Carlsson from the School of Nutrition and Dietetics are collaborating on a project that explores the challenges of the localized food system; specifically investigating how the local small/medium food producers and distribution networks throughout the Annapolis Valley have pivoted to meet local food needs. They want to identify systems that work well and those that show fragility and need to be redesigned so we are prepared to meet a similar situation in the future. Nutrition and Dietetics Honours student Emily McCarthy is studying the adaptations small to mediumsized local food producers have had to make in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her research seeks to understand: 1) how local food producers had to shift during this crisis in order to meet various needs of their stakeholders; 2) what types of policy or infrastructure supports helped these organizations transition; and 3) the extent to which this experience and lessons learned could improve the resilience of our local food system. McCarthy
is in the beginning phases of her interviews and work with Carlsson and Callaghan.
The enemy within? Understanding predictors of intimate partner violence Meanwhile, Dr. Kathryn Bell and Dr. Diane Holmberg are working to understand the effect of social distancing practices on intimate partner violence (IPV) rates in Canada and the United States. How do pandemics affect psychological functioning and how do deviations to this functioning impact the risk of IPV? This research will help understand how psychological and relational factors contribute to IPV risk during periods of isolation and help public health and allied professionals mitigate the effects of social isolation on couples. Bell and Holmberg, in collaboration with recent Acadia alumna Erin Norris (’18, ’20) and with support from a SSHRC Institutional Grant, are completing a project on emotional and relational responses during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Preliminary results indicate that difficulties tolerating uncertainty predict mental health symptoms across time. Additional findings suggest that people in romantic relationships reported that the initial pandemic lockdown had more positive than
