Folia Montana 2021

Strength Through Community The path forward

Connect with Us Our world is changing, but our connection to our alma mater remains constant.

TOGETHER IS BETTER

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www.msvu.ca/alumni alumni@msvu.ca @msvualumni @msvu_alumni @msvu_alumni Mount Saint Vincent University

Interim President’s Message Dear Mount Saint Vincent Alumni and Friends It is a joy for me to be writing this message to you all. I’m privileged once again to be of service to MSVU and this wonderful community.

I want to thank outgoing President Dr. Mary Bluechardt for her leadership over the past four years and for her work advancing the university’s mission. She has played a central role in establishing MSVU’s new strategic plan, Strength Through Community, which will guide and direct our work for the next several years.

As we look forward, we also look back on a year that will go down in the history of MSVU for its exceptionality: the first predominantly online academic year. The pandemic has taught us more about the role of technology, the need for structure and routine, and the vital importance of human connection. Now as we begin to return to campus (safely!), we’ll be guided by what we have learned and a strategic plan that puts this learning into perspective.

While the search for a new president gets underway, I’ll be actively engaged in implementing the new strategic plan and reporting back to all of you. I’m also eager to connect with our MSVU community: students, faculty, and staff close to home, and alumni, donors, government, and community leaders across the province, throughout the country, and around the world. The shift back to on-campus operations will be significant, and we will all

be engaged in making the transition a safe and welcoming one. It is also my hope that we will have fun in the process.

A critical element of my role as interim president will be helping to ensure that equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility are woven into the fabric of our university.

I will look to you and to a diversity of leaders across our communities for inspiration and insight.

Change is inescapable, and I’ve always admired the way in which the MSVU community takes it in stride – and does so with a sense of purpose and commitment. Despite the inevitable challenges to come, I’m excited at the prospect of all that we’ll accomplish together.

I will work every day to ensure my sense of purpose and commitment is worthy of yours. Together we are Mount Saint Vincent University, and I feel a great sense of pride in being included in that “we.”

Sincerely, Ramona Ramona Lumpkin, CM, PhD Interim President and Vice-Chancellor

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CONTENTS

FACULTY PROFILES 14 14 15 16 17 17 18 18 18

A Message from the MSVU Community

Canine companionship in long-term care Effects of war aging Voyage of Indigenous youth published in new book Social justice for butterflies End of life care and physician impact Reducing barriers for vulnerable populations Effects of cannabis and caffeine on the brain Nutrition needs for people with HIV/AIDS The science behind better wine

THE PATH FORWARD 20 23 25 3 5

Interim President’s Message Message from MSVU Community

UNIVERSITY NEWS 6 7 7 7 8 8 8 9

MSVU welcome New academic programming MSVU program receives national accreditation Dr. Ramona Lumpkin inks new book MSVU’s new equity advisor Teaching award recipients MSVU joins Women’s College Coalition Tuition waiver program first in Atlantic Canada

ALUMNI PROFILES 11 12 13

Jill Provoe – The empowerment of education Danielle Cyr – Leading the way Aris Hernandez, Christine Qin Yang, & Randy Headley named Most Inspiring Immigrants

MSVU Strategic Plan 2021-2028 New alumni brand Tailoring on-line learning for effectiveness

HIGHLIGHTS 26 27 28 29 30

Food culture in long-term care New app helps students learn differently MSVU Art Gallery marks 50 years Celebrating MSVU’s newest graduates Athletics & Best of the Blue awards

ALUMNI NEWS

31 MSVAA President’s message 31 2020-2021 MSVAA Board of Directors 31 2020 Alumni Award winners 32 Dr. Sheila A. Brown Centre for Applied Research 32 Gift from Joyce Family Foundation 33 Reunion Weekend 34 College class of ’56 celebrates 65th anniversary 35 Class notes 37 Retirements 38 In memoriam

Editor donalee Moulton Quantum Communications Managing Editor Lori Lancaster, Alumni Relations University Advancement Articles written by donalee Moulton, University Advancement, MSVU Communications and other contributors as noted.

University Advancement Meghan Bolhuis Denise Green Marguerite Holland Lori Lancaster Erin Patrick Kari Shannon Anne Thibodeau Design & Production: Rand Gaynor Digital Imaging, Prepress Film and Printing Advocate Printing & Publishing, Pictou, NS Fulfilment Services: Russell House

With deep respect Mount Saint Vincent University acknowledges our location in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People. This territory is covered by the Treaties of Peace and Friendship, which Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) People first signed with the British Crown in 1725.

The treaties did not deal with surrender of lands and resources but, in fact, recognized Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik

(Maliseet) title and established the rules for what was to be an ongoing relationship between nations.

Mount Saint Vincent University acknowledges, with deep respect, the long history and cultural traditions of the Mi’kmaq. We are committed to maintaining and building relationships based on the principles of mutual trust, respect, reciprocity, and collaboration in the spirit of reconciliation.

Cover Photo: Dean Casavechia Contact Us | Address Change | Class Notes Alumni Relations, University Advancement Advancement House Mount Saint Vincent University Halifax, NS B3M 2J6 Canada T: 902-457-6470 / 1-888-MSV.ALUM (678-2586) (Toll free in Canada / USA / Bermuda only) F: 902-445-3962 E: alumni@msvu.ca W: msvu.ca/alumni-donors

Our hearts are broken.

Our resolve is firm.

We will do better.

We will be better.

Publication Agreement Number: 40063269

In fall of 2020, under lessened COVID restrictions, graduating students had the chance to access gowns and have photos taken.

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UNIVERSITY NEWS

UNIVERSITY NEWS

New academic programming

MSVU is pleased to welcome new Chancellor Dr. Margaret Mary Fitzpatrick, S.C., was elected Congregational Leader of the Sisters of Charity Halifax, and in that role, also serves as Chancellor of MSVU and as a member of the Board of Governors.

Dr. Fitzpatrick served as President of St. Thomas Aquinas College in New York for 25 years during which time she became a recognized leader in higher education across the U.S. for her ability to find strategic ways to adapt to rapidly changing times.

“I am honoured to join the MSVU community,” said Dr. Fitzpatrick. “I have been engaged in higher education for my ministry and look forward to working with the MSVU community to foster its mission.

It is a privilege to serve.”

Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Massachusetts, Dr. Fitzpatrick holds a bachelor of science in mathematics, a master of arts in religious studies, a master of education, and a doctorate in higher education from Columbia University.

As a member of the Sisters of Charity, she has devoted her life to serving the world through education.

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Margaret Mary Fitzpatrick, S.C. to the MSVU family,” says Anne McGuire, Chair of the MSVU Board of Governors. “The Board of Governors specifically, and MSVU community broadly, will benefit greatly from her deep passion for and extensive leadership experience in higher education.” FM 6

New Chair of MSVU Board of Governors Mount Saint Vincent University is pleased to welcome Amanda Dean (BPC ’03, CMG ’03) as the new chair of its Board of Governors effective July 1, 2021. Dean joined the board in 2015 as a communityat-large member and has served as vicechair since 2019. She is currently chairing the Human Resources and Governance Committee, and is an active member of the Nominating Committee, Senior Administrators’ Compensation Committee, and the Joint Board Senate Liaison Committee.

As vice-president for the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s Atlantic region, Dean advocates and is responsible for eliciting positive change and sound public policy on key priorities for the private home, auto, and business insurance sector.

She is known for her consensus-building leadership and strategic stakeholder engagement.

Dean holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from MSVU and a master’s degree in business administration from Saint Mary’s University. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Marine Environmental Observation Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR). An avid community leader, Dean has volunteered with Symphony Nova Scotia, has served on the YWCA Halifax Board of Directors, and has lectured on government relations at MSVU. Earlier this year, she obtained her Chartered Insurance Professional designation. FM

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New Dean of Professional and Graduate Studies On August 1, 2021, Dr. Susan Trenholm will join MSVU as the Dean of Professional Studies and Graduate Studies.

A proud graduate of MSVU (BPR ’88), Dr. Trenholm is deeply committed to student success across a diverse student body and demonstrates a strong dedication to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in her teaching, research, and leadership.

Dr. Trenholm has also earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Dalhousie University, a Master of Business Administration from York University, and a PhD in Management from King’s College London (UK).

She brings a valuable diversity of experience to her new role, most recently serving as director of the Public Policy and Management program at King’s College London. As well, Dr. Trenholm was chair of the Postgraduate Education Committee and an elected member of the Academic Board (Senate) and College Council (Board of Governors).

She has taught at both the King’s College Business School and the University of Melbourne’s Department of Management and Marketing. She is currently a coinvestigator with the SSHRC-funded Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub based at Ryerson University. FM

Dr. Brenda Hattie-Longmire

Online queer studies course first in Canada MSVU has launched what is believed to be the first online intro to queer or LGBTQIA++ studies course in Canada. While most Canadian universities offer a program or courses in gender studies program, those focused specifically on queer studies are uncommon. Dr. Brenda Hattie-Longmire, a faculty member in Women’s Studies at MSVU and the lead developer of the course, believes that such a course is vital, particularly at a university committed to social responsibility.

“Around the world, including here in Canada, sexual and gender minorities are oppressed, attacked, and violated for being who we are. This is a human rights issue, and it’s important to analyze and understand the ways in which sexuality and gender are socially constructed, and the way they function in relation to human history and cross-culturally,” says Dr. Hattie-Longmire. “It’s also important to explore the work of those who have resisted, rejected, and worked to reform institutionalized heterosexuality.” FM

MSVU launches Canada’s first Health Communication and Aging program The departments of Communication Studies and Family Studies & Gerontology at MSVU have established a graduate certificate in health communication and aging – a first in Canada.

The program will provide an opportunity for advanced and specialized study of the interplay between human communication, aging, and health. Recent events with COVID-19 have highlighted the critical link between health communication and aging and emphasized the importance of expertise in this interdisciplinary field. FM

Business administration program receives national accreditation MSVU’s business administration program’s major in Strategic Human Resource Management has achieved accreditation by the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources of Nova Scotia (CPHRNS).

“This accreditation confirms the exceptional quality of the MSVU program in human resource management,” says Dr. Peter Mombourquette, Business & Tourism Department chair. “It means our students are getting an education that will set them up for success, starting with a leg up in achieving their professional HR designation.”

Through this accreditation, students graduating from MSVU with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resource Management and a GPA of at least 2.70 are eligible to apply for a waiver for the CPHR National Knowledge Exam, putting them one step closer to achieving their CPHR designation. With the exam waived, applicants become CPHR Candidates who must then attain three-years of applied HR experience.

This accreditation is also retroactive; students who graduated from MSVU with a Bachelor of Business Administration (major in Human Resource Management) in 2015 or later are eligible to apply to have their CPHR National Knowledge Exam waived. FM

Dr. Ramona Lumpkin authors biography of Canadian feminist leader Though she knew of the crusading work of Nancy Ruth for years before their first meeting, MSVU Interim President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Ramona Lumpkin, first connected with the well-known activist, philanthropist, and former Canadian senator through Mount Saint Vincent University. Now she has written a book about her.

Ruth is the namesake of Nancy’s Chair, established at MSVU in 1986 to raise awareness of women’s issues by bringing to campus distinguished scholars in women’s studies and activists who have contributed to the advancement of women. Both Ruth and Dr. Lumpkin were drawn to MSVU because of its leading commitment to the advancement of women. Through that shared strong feminist ideology, a friendship emerged.

Ruth asked Dr. Lumpkin to write her biography, and the timing was impeccable. Dr. Lumpkin, who holds a PhD in English Literature from the University of Kentucky, was retiring from MSVU at the time, and this became her primary endeavour. The Unconventional Nancy Ruth was released this spring, just in time for Dr. Lumpkin to return as interim president of MSVU. FM Folia 2021

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UNIVERSITY NEWS

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Alla Kushniryk

Krista Ritchie

Laurie Reid

Delvina Bernard aspires 2020 Teaching Excellence Award recipients to close gaps and Congratulations to the recipients of the 2020 Teaching Excellence Awards.

The President and Vice-Presidents’ Advanced Career Teaching Award, the Alumni achieve social change Early Career Teaching Award, and the Alumni Part-Time Teaching Award were presented Ensuring that equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility are woven into the fabric of Mount Saint Vincent University is Delvina Bernard’s focus in her new role as the university’s Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA) Advisor.

That role is a continuation of the vocation that has shaped her life’s work.

“I am looking forward to working with MSVU faculty, staff, students, and the campus community at large to create flagship initiatives and programs that will set MSVU apart as a true advocate of opportunity and belonging,” Bernard says.

Bernard is a sixth generation African Nova Scotian and has been instrumental in the growth and development of the Canadian Afrocentric education movement. She brings more than two decades as an institutional change strategist focusing on EDIA and is a recognized advocate for Indigenous rights, gender equality, and social equity for marginalized populations.

MSVU recently released a new strategic plan, Strength Through Community, that reflects the university’s longstanding focus on equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. EDIA is a core element of the institution’s purpose statement, a dedicated strategic plan theme, and an element of several of the plan’s other themes. FM 8

to Dr. Alla Kushniryk of the Department of Communication Studies, Dr. Krista Ritchie of the Faculty of Education, and Professor Laurie Reed of the Department of Chemistry and Physics, respectively.

The awards were established to recognize teaching excellence at every level, including senior and junior full-time faculty and part-time faculty. They reflect the University’s strong commitment to leadership in teaching and learning. FM

MSVU joins prestigious Women’s College Coalition MSVU has joined the prestigious Women’s College Coalition (WCC) – a network of colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada committed to fostering educational opportunities for women. We are only the second Canadian institution to join the Coalition.

Membership in the WCC will provide MSVU with partnership opportunities on key events, enable sharing of online feminist and other resources, and facilitate presidential/leadership connection and knowledge sharing.

Dr. Emerald Archer, Executive Director of the Women’s College Coalition says, “We are thrilled to welcome Mount Saint Vincent University into the Coalition.

A core part of our shared mission is

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to facilitate the development of strong and effective leaders. When women understand their potential and the responsibility that comes along with being a leader they take it very seriously, and they don’t stop after leaving our campuses.”

MSVU was founded almost 150 years ago as a place of higher learning for young women and has emphasized the advancement of women and girls since its establishment. Today, the university is home to a diverse student body and has as its purpose to foster the education of women and other engaged thinkers while committing to social justice and to an equitable, diverse, inclusive, and accessible community. FM

Tuition waiver program for former youth in care Mount Saint Vincent University is the first university in Atlantic Canada to launch a tuition waiver program specifically for former youth in care. The announcement was made in November 2020.

“We could not be more thrilled to be launching this program at Mount Saint Vincent University. At MSVU, we embrace the diversity of our community and are committed to efforts that advance equity, inclusion, and accessibility across all facets of our university and beyond,” says Dr. Mary Bluechardt, former MSVU President and Vice-Chancellor.

“MSVU was founded more than a century ago based on a commitment to removing barriers to education and this commitment still runs deep,” she notes. “We are home to a higher percentage of non-traditional students, and we pride ourselves on providing the personalized, supportive environment they need to thrive.”

The MSVU Post-Care Tuition Waiver Program will cover 100% of participating students’ tuition and compulsory fees. A pilot phase of the program started in January 2021, with a full program launch planned for September 2021.

“Education holds the power to transform lives. Through this program, we will provide a tuition-free opportunity for immeasurable personal, scholarly, and professional growth for eligible students. Whether they are coming to us from high school or have been out of school for many years, we look forward to welcoming these new students to the MSVU community and supporting them on their educational journey,” says Dr. Julie

McMullin, former MSVU Vice-President Academic and Provost who played an instrumental role in the development of the program.

An MSVU navigator will be available to participating students to help them navigate their MSVU experience – from completing the tuition waiver program application to completing their degree.

The navigator will ensure students are supported and connected with the resources they need.

“As a former youth-in-care, I am grateful to MSVU for making post-secondary more accessible for people like me. Their leadership in helping to bring these opportunities coast to coast is an inspiration,” says Jane Kovarikova, founder of the Child Welfare Political Action Committee and a doctoral candidate at Western University. “One day it won’t matter where in Canada you are born or where you wish to study, thanks to institutions like MSVU who care about your future.”

To be eligible, a student must have been in the foster care system for at least one year as a child/youth and meet the admission criteria for their chosen program. Students straight from high school and mature students are eligible, appreciating that not everyone’s journey to university is a linear one.

Additionally, students must be in or entering their first degree and not currently part of the Nova Scotia Department of Community Services’ Educational Bursary Program for Children in Care.

Special gratitude to Drs. Fernando Nunes and Shane Theunissen of MSVU’s Child and Youth Study department for their incredible leadership in bringing the program to reality.

MSVU will fund the program and it will also benefit from the generous support of donors to the university. Those interested in supporting former youth-in-care on their MSVU journey can contribute through msvu.ca/donate. FM Folia 2021

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ALUMNI PROFILES

We are so inspired by the positive feedback and engagement we have received after establishing the Black Student Awards Fund at MSVU.

Temilola Olowookere MSVU Student

While this is an encouraging start, there is so much more we can accomplish - together.

As a Black woman and former Black Student Support Centre Assistant at MSVU, Temilola Olowookere has seen first-hand the obstacles that Black students face on their paths to success.

“The reality is that many Black students encounter significant barriers to post-secondary education, including financial barriers. As a result, some Black students never make it to university while others are forced to drop out due to lack of funds.”

Together, we can help build strong futures for so many.

Donate Today!

ONLINE: MSVU.CA/DONATE

BY PHONE: 902-457-6470

BY MAIL: MSVU, 166 Bedford Hwy, Bedford NS B3M 2J6

“It’s an honour for me to help get the message out about the Black Student Awards Fund,” says Temilola. “Together, I hope we can reduce some of the financial challenges so that more Black students have an opportunity to experience all MSVU has to offer.”

Thank you to all who have donated and offered support so far. We are so very grateful.

The empowerment of education Jill Provoe (BPR ’98, MEd ’01, MHE ’01) is a firm believer in the power – and the empowerment – of education. As a young single mother of three, Provoe earned three degrees from MSVU and has spent the last 15 years working at the Nova Scotia Community College. Recently, she assumed the role as the inaugural director of the College’s Centre for the Advancement of Educational Equity and Belonging.

The newly launched centre is the only one of its kind in Canada housed within an academic department. “My focus and the focus of the centre is on ensuring students from equity groups have opportunities to excel,” says Provoe.

For Provoe, originally from Cape Breton, that focus is both laser sharp and ingrained. Indeed, she says, “it was the Mount’s emphasis on inclusivity for women that drew me to the university.”

“My understanding of culturally empowered and anti-racist spaces began at the Mount,” she adds.

While at MSVU, Provoe earned her Master of Education, Master of Human Ecology, and Bachelor of Public Relations.

She also had her three children. “I remember being pregnant and walking up the hill, that big hill,” says Provoe with a laugh. “I also remember breastfeeding in class.” (There may also have been a paper dropped off late one evening while she was en route to the hospital to deliver.)

Raising a growing young family and tackling demanding studies wasn’t easy, Provoe stresses, but it was critical.

“Education was the only way out.”

Helping to ensure students from equity groups have opportunities to excel is a starting point for advancement and inclusion, she notes, but much more needs to be done. “It’s about student access, experience, and outcomes. We want to create a genuine sense of belonging.”

“We’re gaining a better understanding of this need,” Provoe adds. “As educational professionals, we’re leaning into this more deeply.”

Prior to stepping into the ground-breaking role as director of NSCC’s Centre for the Advancement of Educational Equity and Belonging, Provoe, a bi-racial woman, served as senior advisor to the vice-president on educational equity, dean for the School of Access, and she helped to develop the college’s educational equity policy – the first for a post-secondary institution in Atlantic Canada. “Now the centre brings that policy to life,” says Provoe.

New memories of MSVU are now being made by Provoe’s son Shey, who is working towards his degree in business administration. “As a young Black Nova Scotian, now he’s walking the hills of the Mount,” says Provoe. “I couldn’t be prouder.” FM

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ALUMNI PROFILES

MSVU alumni named Most Inspiring Immigrants Earlier this year, My East Coast Experience presented their annual awards virtually, celebrating the most inspiring immigrants in the Maritimes. Among the honourees were three MSVU alumni honoured as trailblazers and leaders who are making a positive impact in the community.

Danielle Cyr (front row, far left) and MSVU Mystics women’s soccer team

Leading the way Danielle Cyr knows that leadership is learned – and she knows this firsthand.

The MSVU alum (BPR ’15 and CM ‘15) graduated from Royal Roads in Victoria, B.C., in 2020 with Master of Arts in Professional Communication. She is now completing her Doctor of Social Science at Royal Roads. And she has accepted a position as knowledge mobilization manager with Canadian Women & Sport. She will spend half of each year on Vancouver Island. The other half of the year she serves as head coach of the MSVU varsity soccer team, as she has done for the last six years.

Cyr’s new job builds on the research she has conducted for her two most recent degrees, research that is focused on developing leadership skills in athletes, particularly female athletes. “Female athletes need to see themselves as leaders,” says Cyr. “And leadership is a very personal process.”

As part of her research for her MA, which was done in conjunction with MSVU’s Athletics Department, Cyr looked at how a university sport program can lead female student athletes to develop transformational leadership skills. Her current research will look at the important role athletic leaders hold in harnessing performance sport for social and leadership development.

Late last year, Cyr also completed a Mitacs research grant with the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association to investigate the effectiveness of a feminist-framed leadership development program to help increase female apprentice coach confidence and competence to lead at the collegiate level. Mentor coaches and athletic directors were part of this research as well to help 12

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Coach’s Corner Danielle Cyr, head coach for the MSVU soccer team, offers this advice for students looking to enhance their leadership skills.

• Be curious. Read. Learn. Take in as much as you can.

• See yourself as a leader from the kickoff.

• Be true to yourself. support the leadership development of the apprentice coaches.

The program also gave resources and education sessions for mentor coaches and athletics directors to encourage them to start the leadership-development process earlier with female student-athletes.

“Athletic leaders play a key role. As a coach, you are a conduit for learning leadership,” says Cyr, who also serves as assistant coach with the Saint Mary’s Huskies women’s soccer program.

For many female athletes, role models can be difficult to find.

Cyr points out that men are often the default when the issue is leadership. “Only four per cent of media coverage is focused on women in sport.”

In her work with the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association, Cyr developed the Leadership Development Program that looks at ways to increase confidence and enhance understanding of the barriers female athletes face. In addition, it encourages mentorship among coaches and athletic directors. “We need to recognize that leadership is learned,” says Cyr. “People are not born leaders, but we all have leadership potential.”

Cyr, who took over as head coach of the Mystics at 23, credits the Mount with helping her develop her leadership skills and her leadership style. “MSVU has played a huge role in my path as a coach, as a person, as a leader.” FM

Christine Qin Yang (BBA ’16) was born in Fujian, China, and came to MSVU in 2012 to pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration. She launched her career after graduation as a coordinator with Halifax Partnership’s Connector Program and, in 2017, joined the Nova Scotia Department of Intergovernmental Affairs as an international relations officer. In that role, Yang has played an instrumental part in strengthening the intergovernmental, economic, cultural, education, and health partnerships between Nova Scotia and several provinces in China. Yang currently serves as the vice-chair of the inaugural Women’s Advisory Committee for Halifax and as a board member with the Canadian International Council, Halifax branch. FM

Aris Hernandez (BBA ’16) originally from Veracruz, Mexico, came to Halifax to complete high school and subsequently completed a Bachelor of Business Administration at MSVU. A passionate champion of international students, Hernandez was recognized as a student leader across campus, in particular for his work with the International Education Centre and the Students’ Union. Today, Hernandez continues to support international students in Nova Scotia as the retention coordinator with EduNova. He also serves as a mentor through two community not-for-profit organizations and as a member of the Mount Saint Vincent Alumni Association Board of Directors. FM

Randy Headley (BBA ’08; MA ’18) immigrated to Nova Scotia in 2003 from Guyana to continue his academic career. In 2008, he completed a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and, in 2018, graduated with a Master of Arts in Education from MSVU. In 2013, Headley founded the MSVU Africentric Support Group through which he provided mentorship and individualized supports to Black students of African descent. Today, as the Black Student Support Advisor at MSVU, Headley provides support to students of African ancestry, including through building connection with the broader community. He also serves on the boards of the Delmore Buddy Daye Learning Institute and the Youth Empowerment Organization. FM

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FACULTY PROFILES

FACULTY PROFILES

Proving the benefits of canine companionship in long-term care Dr. Ardra Cole, professor in MSVU’s Faculty of Education, in collaboration with Northwood, Atlantic Canada’s largest not-forprofit continuing care organization, is leading a research project about the benefits of dogs living in nursing homes in Nova Scotia.

Her aim is to show that dogs don’t have to be left behind when seniors move into a nursing home.

“We’re trying to address those issues, to ease a transition, to make a care home feel more like home, and also to provide comfort, attachment, and continuity of relationships. That’s really important,” says Dr. Cole.

Dr. Cole’s research on caregiving and Alzheimer’s disease was foundational to her creating ElderDog Canada – a unique national charity to support the well-being of seniors and their canine companions.

Last fall, Dr. Cole was named the recipient of the 2020 Women of Excellence Trailblazer Award presented by the Canadian Progress Club Halifax Citadel. FM

MSVU researcher receives $1.2 million grant to study biological effects of war on aging A gerontologist at MSVU is linking state-of-the-art advances in biological and DNA testing with social survey research to examine how traumatic events experienced during war can get “under the skin” and influence the long-term health of survivors.

Dr. Zachary Zimmer, a Tier I Canada Research Chair, director of the Global Aging Community Initiative, and a professor in the Department of Family Studies and Gerontology, was recently awarded $1,250,776 over four years from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project Grants to conduct this research in Vietnam among older Vietnamese people who survived conflict during the devastating Vietnam wars from 1955 to 1975.

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The project that Dr. Zimmer is heading up, called “The LongTerm Effects of War on Biological Aging: The Case of Vietnam,” uses an initial data collection funded by the National Institutes of Health in the U.S.” It involves an international multidisciplinary team of researchers from Canada, the U.S., Singapore, and Vietnam. The team will analyze data collected from about 2,500 men and women who are now aged 60 and older.

“This CIHR-funded study will allow us to investigate a wide number of outcomes and determine the ways in which war trauma changes our biological make-up and subsequently our health. Among other things, this will include DNA methylation, changes in cortisol, inflammatory proteins, and a large number of other biomarkers that will tell us whether and how war exposure, including direct, indirect, and secondary war experiences, has led to long-term scarring or has bolstered people’s resilience, and ultimately has impacted how we age,” said Dr. Zimmer.

“This is the perfect timing for a study of this nature in Vietnam,” he added. “The Vietnamese population impacted by the war that ended in the ‘70s is now reaching the age where chronic diseases may manifest and where markers of biological aging may be affected. The participants involved in this study were in their early teens to middle age at the height of the Vietnam war from 1965 to ‘75.

The Vietnamese people were exposed to one of history’s most brutal wars that affected men and women in the military, the militia, and civilians. War in Vietnam ensued on the battlefield and often right in neighborhoods and communities where people resided. The survivors live today in a country experiencing rapid demographic aging of its population. This presents a timesensitive and unique opportunity to learn about the impacts of war on the long-term health of aging populations. Given the history of conflict and war around the world, this knowledge is essential for advancing global population health. FM

New book gives uninterrupted space for Indigenous youth to share perspectives of unique voyage “The Collected Stories of the Warriors of the Red Road at Sea shares the journey of Indigenous youth who had the experience of a lifetime sailing on a tall ship across the Atlantic Ocean.

The book shows that Indigenous youth given the opportunity can take on enormous challenges. I see this book as an important read for Indigenous communities across Canada, and for all Warriors of the Red Road youth and parents, to appreciate the at Sea impact of individual journeys and learnings, and how this special trip together shaped their personal identities.” - Patrick Small Legs-Nagge, Special Advisor to MSVU on Indigenous Affairs In August 2017, 45 Indigenous youth from across Canada participated in a trans-Atlantic voyage aboard the tall ship Gulden Leeuw from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Le Havre, France.

The group, known as the Warriors of the Red Road at Sea, and their incredible journey have been documented in a new book – The Collected Stories of the Warriors of the Red Road at Sea. Co-edited by Dr. Sarah Reddington and Dr. Shane Theunissen, assistant professors in MSVU’s Child and Youth Study Department, and co-peer reviewed by Small Legs-Nagge, the book is written entirely from the youths’ vantage point.

“The essence of this collection is to share, acknowledge, and celebrate the wisdom of Indigenous youth living in Canada and their respective worldviews,” say Dr. Reddington and Dr. Theunissen. “We are indebted to our Indigenous gatekeepers, the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nation Chiefs Secretariat,

Pytor Hodgson of Three Things Consulting, the ship facilitators, and first and foremost, the youth who taught us that knowledge is relational and emerges from the interconnectedness we have to all creation.”

While 45 youth Warriors participated in the voyage, the book is dedicated to the 46th Warrior; the metaphorical Indigenous youth who could not participate.

“The 46th Warrior is that young person we all knew – the metaphorical Indigenous youth, the one young person who never would have been able to sail along,” says Hodgson. “Either we lost them already, or they never would have had the opportunity based on where they were in the world at that time: filled with hurts, challenges, and barriers to experiences such as this.”

In honour of the 46th Warrior, Dr. Reddington and Dr. Theunissen recently established the 46th Warrior Fund to help advance opportunities for Indigenous Canadians. The fund will provide financial support for Indigenous people to attend MSVU and to participate in other Indigenous youth initiatives across Canada. MSVU’s Child and Youth Study Department has generously contributed $5,000 to the fund.

The Collected Stories of the Warriors of the Red Road at Sea will be released in August 2021 by Eastern Woodland Publishers, an Indigenous publishing company in Nova Scotia that played an important role ensuring the youth’s stories were laid out and reflected through Indigenous ways of knowing and doing.

To request a copy of the book, please email Dr. Theunissen at shane.theunissen@msvu.ca. Donations in honour of the book can be made and will go directly to the 46th Warrior Fund. To make a gift in honour of the book and/or to support the 46th Warrior Fund, please visit www.msvu.ca/donate. FM

Warriors of the Red Road at Sea

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FACULTY PROFILES

Tracking butterflies in the quest for eco-justice Exploring the relationship between monarch butterflies and the people and communities they interact with has transported Dr. Columba Gonzalez-Duarte from Mexico to Halifax, where she is now an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

The monarch butterfly migrates across a large landscape in North America, notes Dr. Gonzalez-Duarte.

“I picked communities that were key to the migration of this butterfly because they protect or unprotect the butterfly – like the Corn Belt region, national parks in Canada, or those that host the butterfly in Mexico – and do research with this butterfly.”

Dr. Gonzalez-Duarte has investigated connections between NAFTA’s agri-food industry, labour migration, and the monarch decline. She has also worked with Indigenous communities that co-habit with the butterfly across Canada, the United States, and Mexico, documenting their knowledge and ways of relating with the migratory insect.

“It’s a bit of pushing the boundaries of anthropology. I work with human and not-human communities – in this case the butterfly – and I also work with different communities across North America, so that gives my work as an anthropologist a unique lens,” says Dr. Gonzalez-Duarte.

She notes that there is a large online community built around the idea of protecting the monarch butterfly. “I am in constant connection with what they are doing and what worries them, so I don’t feel like I have this large detachment from my field work sites.”

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Dr. Gonzalez-Duarte has also visited communities where she could observe the human-butterfly relationship while completing her PhD in socio-cultural anthropology from the University of Toronto, with a joint degree from the School of Environment. It’s that in-person experience of spending time and collecting data in communities that first drew Dr. Gonzalez-Duarte to anthropology,

There’s an aspect of social justice that I want to bring to MSVU and to my students and future research – something I call eco-social justice. and it remains her passion – one she has put her own stamp on.

“I think the most special thing about anthropology is that we get to do field work. We get to go to communities and learn from the communities themselves – that’s where we collect our data. To me, being in the communities was what really called my attention when I started my undergrad,” she says.

Moving forward, Dr. Gonzalez-Duarte intends to share her interest in social justice with her students, and – as seems to be her custom in how she approaches all of her work – she’ll do so with her own special twist.

“There’s an aspect of social justice that I want to bring to MSVU and to my students and future research – something I call eco-social justice,” she says. “How can we achieve justice for humans and non-humans? The butterfly project allows me to explore that in a context of thinking beyond borders – national borders, and those borders that we construe between human and non-humans. That’s my goal and that’s what I mean to pass to my students in my lectures and in my research.” FM

Exploring what physicians have to say about end-of-life care

Supporting social and emotional learning in young children

Dr. Tracy Moniz, an associate professor with MSVU’s Department of Communication Studies, is exploring end-of-life care in Canada, particularly how narratives offer insight into health professionals’ perceptions of their experiences and challenges.

Through physicians’ stories, obstacles and opportunities are brought to light allowing new views and discussion around quality patient care and physician burnout. Dr. Moniz, a recipient of the Insight Development Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council in 2019, believes that taking care of health professionals — and by extension, patients — requires cultivating a culture of reflective practice.

“Reflection is essential to self-regulated and lifelong learning and to the development of professional identity and expertise,” says Dr. Moniz. “Writing is a process that enables us to reflect on our experiences in ways that achieve deeper meaning to help guide future practice and professional growth.”

The nature of physician work is challenging, and burnout is a pervasive problem among doctors. A Canadian Medical Association 2018 report on the state of physician health in the country found that while 82% of physicians and residents reported high resilience, more than one in four also reported high levels of burnout and one in three screened positive for depression.

The stories that physicians write embody meaningful experiences of practice that they chose to grapple with and share through narrative reflection. This speaks to the power and potential of writing and sharing stories — and its place in combating stress, developing insight, fostering wellness, and promoting resilience. FM

Dr. Jessie-Lee McIsaac and the Early Childhood Collaborative Research Centre (ECCRC) at MSVU were awarded a $271,903 grant last year through the Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC) Mental Health Promotion Innovation Fund that supports mental health promotion projects with a focus on reducing systematic barriers for vulnerable populations.

The grant will support the ECCRC’s program titled Engaging families in positive solutions for social-emotional learning during early childhood, led by Dr. McIsaac, Tier II Canada Research Chair in Early Childhood: Diversity and Transitions and assistant professor in the Faculty of Education and Department of Child and Youth Study at MSVU. The parent training and engagement program is designed to complement an existing social and emotional learning program called the Pyramid Model. The ECCRC has partnered with Nova Scotia Early Childhood Development Intervention Services to deliver online training sessions in early childhood centres in Nova Scotia. The program provides an opportunity for families of young children to strengthen parenting skills in social and emotional learning, healthy relationships, and pro-social behaviour.

Dr. McIsaac’s program of research is focused on enhancing well-being during early childhood by ensuring policy and practice support families as they transition across early learning environments. FM

FACULTY PROFILES

Dr. Derek Fisher (centre)

Dr. Phillip Joy

Dr. Shannan Grant

Studying the effects of cannabis and caffeine on the brain

Nutrition needs of people living with HIV/AIDS

Dr. Derek Fisher, interim associate vice-president of research, and chair of MSVU’s Department of Psychology, is currently researching the effects of cannabis on brain function, specifically, how cannabis alters the ability to suppress unwanted/ unnecessary responses. He is also looking at a measure called “auditory change detection,” a marker of overall auditory cortex function, and a known deficit in schizophrenia, which has been linked to cannabis use in adolescence.

In collaboration with Dr. Tara Perrot of the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Dalhousie University, Dr. Fisher is working to understand the effects of caffeine on brain function during various stages of the menstrual cycle. So far, he has found that when estradiol and progesterone levels are high, the effect of caffeine is heightened. He hopes this research will help bring more equity to the psychopharmacology field as a specific focus on women has not often been part of the research.

In 2018, Dr. Fisher was named the recipient of the Presidential Service Award of the EEG and Clinical Neuroscience Society (ECNS). His work has been funded by various agencies, including the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and Research Nova Scotia. FM

Dr. Phillip Joy and Dr. Shannan Grant, faculty members and researchers in the Department of Applied Human Nutrition at MSVU, have been awarded a $99,785 grant from Research Nova Scotia to gain an understanding of the nutrition and food needs of people living with HIV/AIDS in Nova Scotia.

People living with HIV/AIDS in Nova Scotia face barriers to meeting healthcare needs such as nutritional requirements.

Optimal nutrition is critical to their health and well-being, including maintaining their immune system and preventing disease progression.

Despite this, there is a lack of knowledge and resources in Nova Scotia on the impact of stigma, homophobia, and food security on nutritional programming. Additionally, there is a lack of knowledge about community wants and needs for nutritional programming. Moreover, people living with HIV/AIDS now face novel challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This research will take a community-based approach engaging healthcare workers, several HIV/AIDS service providers, and people living with HIV/AIDS in Nova Scotia. FM

Want to help someone reach new heights?

Photo: Andrew Tolson

The science behind making better wine

Dr. Kernaghan (standing) 18

MSVU professor Dr. Gavin Kernaghan has teamed up with researchers Dr. Marcia English, St. Francis Xavier University, and Dr. Lihua Fan, Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, to investigate how locally occurring yeasts can be used by Nova Scotia

Folia Montana The Magazine for Mount Alumni and Friends

vineyards to improve wine quality. Through this research collaboration, Dr. Kernaghan is looking at different yeasts present at select Nova Scotian vineyards and investigating how the commercially available yeasts and indigenous yeasts compete. Final results from

this study will demonstrate how wine and grape producers can improve their wine quality using indigenous yeasts. Drs. Fan, English, and Kernaghan formed this research partnership through the Grape Growers’ Association of Nova Scotia.

If you know someone considering university, or looking for a change in their studies, refer them to our Student Recruitment team. questions@msvu.ca

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STRATEGIC PLAN 2021-2028

Strength Through Community: MSVU Strategic Plan 2021-2028 The advancement of all students and social responsibility are at the heart of MSVU’s Strategic Plan and are supported by the seven interwoven themes that emerged during the consultation process.

Our Context Our values — academic freedom, accountability, creativity, engagement, professionalism and respect — are woven throughout the fabric of this Strategic Plan and, in aggregate, they represent the foundational characteristics that have attracted, and continue to attract, students, faculty and staff regionally, nationally and internationally to MSVU. Building on our history, and our 2017 Strategic Plan, MSVU continues our commitment to the advancement of women and girls, to other underrepresented groups, and to developing students who are well-informed critical thinkers pursuing social justice and global citizenship.

Our Vision Mount Saint Vincent University is a model of creative teaching and research that nurtures socially responsible global citizens.

Our Mission The advancement of women and girls, inspired by our strong tradition of social responsibility.

The delivery of academic excellence through a rich and rewarding university experience.

The pursuit of knowledge: scholarship, teaching and intellectual endeavours of the highest quality.

The promotion of accessibility through flexible learning opportunities and services.

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With our long-standing history as one of the country’s most inclusive universities, we value, and are committed to being leaders in, equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility (EDIA).

Indeed, MSVU is part of the Dimensions pilot program, which aims to foster increased research excellence, innovation and creativity across all disciplines through increased equity, diversity and inclusion. As the only Nova Scotian university publicly recognized as a leader in EDIA through this program, and one of only 17 in Canada, MSVU will work with the other Dimensions universities to share and develop accessible resources and tools that will enhance EDIA at universities across Canada.

Our Values Academic Freedom Accountability Creativity Engagement Professionalism Respect

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STRATEGIC PLAN 2021-2028

THE PATH FORWARD

Strength Through Community: MSVU Strategic Plan 2021-2028

Proud new brand for Mount Saint Vincent alumni

By Morgan Morrison, 4th-year BPR student

Inside the new alumni brand

Nova Scotia’s university sector is recognized as playing an informed, critical role in the social, economic and cultural development of the province, and the landscape in which the sector operates is one of continuing change and corresponding challenge in an evolving global context. This Strategic Plan is designed not only to ensure MSVU responds to those challenges, but that its tenets will permeate all that we do as we respond to the growing competition for students, faculty and staff who are increasingly committed to social justice and social responsibility.

The ideas in this Strategic Plan emerged after significant consultations with constituents as diverse as MSVU itself.

Consultations, undertaken over a span of more than seven months, included students, faculty representing all academic departments, staff, Board of Governors, Senate, alumni, government (civic, provincial and federal), business and community leaders, postsecondary leaders (regionally and nationally), co-op employer partners, the Sisters of Charity and many others.

Building upon the successes achieved with our prior plan, Mount 2017, this plan will inform who we are as an institution as we continue to nurture socially responsible global citizens and prepare them to confidently take their place in an uncertain world where activism on climate change, economic, social and political issues will be expected of them. The plan speaks to our

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research and scholarly work, our respect for cultural diversity, our commitment to community in every sense of the word, and will reflect and respond to an increased need for even wider diversity within our academic programming.

While changes in the delivery of postsecondary education are a certainty, we are well positioned to respond. For decades, MSVU has provided exceptional and personalized classroombased teaching with small class sizes that distinguish us from other institutions. For more than 35 years, MSVU has also been delivering high quality undergraduate and graduate distance/online courses and programs to students locally, regionally, nationally and globally. Based on this expertise, and our commitment to accessible postsecondary education, we continue to be leaders in the advancement of digital learning in Nova Scotia. Similarly, history demonstrates that we are best positioned to respond to students requiring flexibility/ accommodation in the delivery of education as they balance family, single parenthood, careers and socio-economic impacts that are the reality in the lives of many of our students.

We look forward to developing strategic and operational plans at the unit level, which will be designed to ensure both accountability and our continued growth as a progressive institution over the course of the coming seven years. FM

Last summer, Mount Saint Vincent Academy, College, and University alumni worldwide participated in an engagement survey to share thoughts and opinions on their connection to the Mount. A diverse array of nostalgic sentiments was shared along with some common values and themes. The occasion for feedback, developed as a first and integral step in a renewal of the alumni brand, provided the wonderful opportunity for many to take a walk down memory lane.

The Mount was established by the Sisters of Charity in 1873, where it was known for offering higher education to women. So not surprisingly the advancement and education of women was the most important quality for over half of survey respondents.

The beauty of campus, small class size with access to professors who care about student success, leadership in teaching and research, and specialized programs were also noted attributes that stood out for graduates.

The beauty of campus was another important connection.

Participants recalled the beautiful tree-lined paths that change with each season, and the flora and fauna surrounding each building that sit on top of the rolling hills. Our small but mighty campus brought a sense of belonging and feelings of inclusiveness and friendship to those who became part of it.

“If the Mount was a person, how would you describe them?”

Nearly a third of respondents to this question said: authentic, accessible, and sincere.

It is with all these thoughts and opinions in mind that the renewed brand was created, striving to resonate with all alumni, new and experienced, while best representing Mount Saint Vincent and all that we know it to be. FM Note: Morgan Morrison’s wonderful write up had to be adapted for space. Please read her full account on the alumni website at msvu. ca/alumni.

We have a new alumni brand. It encompasses two creative logos: a main logo that showcases maple leaves and the university crest, and a secondary logo that captures these elements and incudes Evaristus Hall. Representing our unique collective family of Mount Saint Vincent Academy, College, and University graduates and ensuring representation of all Mount alumni were critical pieces of this rebrand and are reflected in the name.

The fonts are strong and bold, like our values and history.

The blue is the traditional Mount blue. The new shade of gold represents the university’s distinction and high academic standards. The shield represents our traditional coat of arms and clear vision in the pursuit of knowledge and social justice.

The flora and fauna of campus was mentioned frequently by survey respondents, so the maple leaves were moved from the shield and brought into the main logo to represent Canada and the natural beauty of the campus.

Evaristus Hall is included in one logo version to represent an iconic piece of university history that for many is etched in collective memory. Named after the first president of Mount Saint Vincent College, Sister Mary Evaristus, it stands overlooking our campus – strong, tested, and beautiful – at the top of the Mount grounded by an unwavering foundation of excellence. FM

“I loved how it was just a university for women, but opened doors to males yet keeping with the foundation of progressing women in education. I felt completely safe and intellectually nurtured in this environment.”

- Alumni, BA Child Study

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THE PATH FORWARD

Alumni recall special memories

Alumni Brand Survey Results:

Over 700 responses helped build direction for new brand

“Since my education started in the original building, my love for the Mount covers the entire campus. I have watched the changes over the years, and fortunately, much of it remains the same. For that which has changed or disappeared, my memories and visions are as clear as if it was many years ago. The history is most important as it is the backbone of Mount Saint Vincent.”

- Class member of 1961, Academy Commercial Graduate “To me, it [the university] expresses the ‘Mount’ I had to climb when I first started as a mature student with a young family, responsibilities, and then the sense of accomplishment I had when I graduated with the help and flexibility the Mount offered.”

- Class member of 1995, BSc in Nutrition “A little bubble of nature, and a family protected from the chaos of life all around.”

- Class member of 1985, Bachelor of Secretarial Arts “I entered the Mount as a mature student.

I received nothing but encouragement and support in my pursuit of an honours degree and determination to go on to higher degrees. The flexibility of class times and ability to take my studies parttime enabled me to achieve my aims at the same time as raising my two daughters.”

- Class member of 1987, BSc Honours, Psychology “My life while at Mount Saint Vincent was what made me part of the woman I have become today. I still have great friends from my days in residence. Some of my friends were from Africa, Bermuda, China... not to mention those friends who at the time were ahead of the curve for being out and transgender. That is one of the things I loved the most: that MSVU was all inclusive and accepting of everyone.”

- Class member of 1988, BA

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THE PATH FORWARD

Can online learning be as effective as face-to-face learning?

MSVU, known for being a leader in online learning, transitioned well when COVID-19 forced faculty and students into virtual classrooms.

Dr. Katherine Darvesh, acting director of the Teaching and Learning Centre and Online Learning at MSVU, shares her answer to this question.

Although the debate about online learning has been raging for many months, I have actually offered my chemistry students the option to participate remotely for nearly a decade. Indeed, they asked for this option to avoid long commutes and conflicting transit schedules.

The remote option, enabled by virtual classroom software, was first offered Fridays, then extended to stormy days.

Meanwhile, requests increased to the point where it was easier to offer it for

every class. Learning remotely was student driven.

I started recording classes so students could view them at their convenience.

But I still needed to find a way to engage students with the material, with each other, and with me. Fortunately, the team at MSVU has almost 40 years’ experience delivering what used to be called “distance” classes. The university has been trailblazing in its pursuit of innovative ways to deliver courses and remove barriers to post-secondary education.

In the virtual classroom, I can see students working on their labs and chatting with each other. They can talk to me through the microphone or by sending a message. They send me “selfies” with their kitchen chemistry experiments along with their completed lab reports.

Frankly, some students do better online than in the traditional classroom. A student who might have been shy about asking a question can take the time to formulate their thought, put it in writing, and send it in via chat. Students who might be distracted in a live class can tune in from an environment they create, that works for them. Students with accessibility issues may find they’re better accommodated through the online class. Students also save on commuting time.

I can also connect with my students.

Our virtual classroom and options such as email and online office hours have allowed me to have one-on-one time with any student, made me feel close to them, and helped me relate to them as individuals while supporting their learning.

Right now, instructors are thinking carefully about their teaching style in the online environment, and my fervent hope is that these efforts will leave our instructors with new tools and strategies for the real and virtual classrooms of the future.

With careful attention to course design, a well-supported platform, a committed instructor, and a keen student, online learning can be as effective as gathering in a bricks and mortar classroom. I’ve seen it happen with my own eyes. And it’s wonderful. FM Folia 2021

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HIGHLIGHTS

New app helps students learn differently

Food for thought — how meals help maintain cultural connections Safura Syed was working as a dietary aid in a long-term care facility one Christmas serving a traditional festive meal: turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie. One resident of Eastern European descent looked at the plate and said, “This is not what I am used to eating for Christmas.”

Safura Syed and Gurneet Dhami “He didn’t touch his at the Dietitians of Canada meal,” Syed remembers. conference in Ottawa.

That memory stuck with her when she returned to university. She received her Master of Applied Human Nutrition (MAHN) from MSVU in 2018, and this year earned her Master of Science Applied Human Nutrition (MSc AHN) degree. Syed is now working towards a PhD in the department of Kinesiology (Aging, Health and Well-being) at the University of Waterloo.

Syed’s recent master’s thesis, Impact of Culture on Resident Centered Care and Meal Satisfaction in Long Term Care, was built on the memory of that holiday dinner. It’s difficult, she notes, for people from diverse cultural backgrounds to even find the ingredients for their traditional dishes, and the push to acclimate is intense. “In a long-term care facility, the process of cultural assimilation can become complete.”

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The issue is about so much more than tickling the tastebuds.

“This is about connections,” says Syed. “Community and social connections, often over food, help maintain cultural connections.”

“In Western culture,” she adds, “resident-centered care should be patient centered. Culture is part of a person’s identity.”

Celebrating identity was also at the forefront this March when Syed and fellow ethnoculturally diverse classmates from the Applied Human Nutrition Department celebrated Nutrition Month with a taste of art. In an effort to hear voices that often go unheard, Safura and her classmate Gurneet Dhami made a creative submission in response to an open call issued by the MSVU Art Gallery for community-based art workshops.

“We wanted to create a space for our BIPOC students to talk as they like about food, culture and much more,” said Syed.

During the event, Cultural Dishes + Bytes: A Virtual Food Story & Dinner, participants shared in a virtual dinner party that showcased dishes of cultural significance to them. Each participant was given a grocery store gift card to offset the cost of preparing a meal for the gathering. Artistic aspects of food were explored – from texture and taste to culture and comfort.

“We chatted about food, nutrition, and explored new ways of expressing ourselves,” says Syed. “A valuable moment of organic discussion started when someone brought up the question that we have all been asked, ‘Where are you really from?’ This was a moment of deep reflection as we unpacked bias, assumptions, and the curiosity behind this question in a way we could not if this wasn’t a closed space.” FM

Each year, eight full-time undergraduate students in Atlantic Canada are chosen as recipients of the Frank H. Sobey Award for Excellence in Business Studies – with each receiving $30,000 to support their development as future business leaders.

Megan Cook, a fourth year MSVU Bachelor of Business Administration student majoring in Management, is among the latest honorees.

“This award has definitely given me confidence and grounded me, and it’s made it all worth it,” Megan says. “It’s great recognition, and it has confirmed that I was supposed to do this. It has made me confident in my field which is amazing.”

This is Megan’s second time in university, after having attended Mount Allison for three years when she was younger and engaging in studies in both science and business. The loss of her father during that period changed the course of her education – and her life.

“During my second year, my dad passed away. I went back for my third year, but I did terrible – Cs and Ds. So, I moved out west to work for about five years. But my university education was always something I wanted to finish, so I eventually quit my job and drove back, and I’ve been at MSVU ever since,” she says.

Now as she nears the completion of her degree, and with some time in the workforce already under her belt, Megan has a clear career path in mind. “First and foremost, I want to gain management experience. I want to be ready to dive into an executive position when the opportunity comes. My end goal would be a CFO position – probably with a small private firm.

Eventually I want to take what I learn and apply it to my own business.”

As Megan moves toward that goal, she’s supplementing all she’s learned by becoming a business owner, working with guidance from the Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development’s Futurpreneur program to create an app that will support future students.

“My business is in the very early stages and it’s called Studentgizor,” Megan explains. “It’s an organizational system for first-year students, specifically people with learning disabilities, a digital support service that converts their class outlines into a downloadable template within a communication system that prompts them to study and keeps them on track so they don’t lose dates and they’re not missing tests.” FM

There is no better time than the present to celebrate women who foster strength, leadership and community spirit. Let’s work together and recognize exceptional women who encourage, guide and inspire the best in others and themselves.

The only one of its kind in Canada, the Riva Spatz Women’s Wall of Honour is a celebration of women from all walks of life. Each named leaf represents a lasting tribute to women who have inspired others with their commitment to community, family and profession.

Honour an inspiring woman in your life or add your name to the wall.

Celebrate an extraordinary woman in your life with a leaf on THE RIVA SPATZ WOMEN’S WALL OF HONOUR

Celebrating Exceptional Women, One Leaf at a Time.

To learn more or to purchase a leaf, please visit womenswallofhonour.ca or call 902-457-6764

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HIGHLIGHTS

Art gallery retrospective traces 50 years of innovation This year marks a momentous milestone for MSVU Art Gallery – its 50th anniversary. To celebrate and reflect, the gallery will spend this year exploring the last five decades.

One major endeavor is a new exhibition and online project curated by Lisa Bouraly and featuring media work by David Clark. 50 Bits and Pieces: an MSVU Art Gallery Retrospective presents 50 unique yet illustrative moments from the gallery’s history, highlighting exhibitions, programs, publications, acquisitions, and projects culled from the archives.

While the original exhibition was set to open in 2020, new dates (November 13-December 17, 2021) mark the Gallery’s return from its COVID-closure.

The extended timeline presented an opportunity to engage with the archival material in new ways. The result is an online interface, created by Clark, that offers a preview of “bits and pieces” selected by Bouraly from the archive. Each month until October, five moments from the Gallery’s history will be added to the interface in the form of digital collages, including passages and excerpts from documents, speeches, research notes, exhibition installation photographs, videos, and media coverage. In November, the culmination of these 50 moments and their corresponding archival material will be adapted into an immersive installation in the Gallery.

“This interactive navigation is meant to enable visitors to create their own connections, impressions, and interpretations of the Gallery’s archives,” Bouraly and Clark note in the Collaborators’ Statement. That statement opens with this question: To what extent does an art gallery’s exhibition and collection history live up to its stated objectives of representing and supporting artists, especially women artists?

For Art Gallery Director, Laura Ritchie, the project and anniversary offer an opportunity to both reflect and look 28

Agnes Nanogak: Goose drawing series

Africville: A Spirit That Lives On

Denyse Thomasos: Tracking: Bombings, Wars & Genocides, A Six-Month Journey From New York To China, Vietnam, Cambodia & Indonesia

Convocation Box contents mailed to 2020 graduates

Honouring recent MSVU graduates The past year has been a difficult one for our newest graduates as the traditional steps of celebration—donning a gown, crossing the stage, and capturing photos—were certainly altered.

“We are so proud of our graduates, who have taken the many challenges of the past 14 months in remarkable stride,” says Dr. Ramona Lumpkin, interim president and vice-chancellor. “My hope is that, years from now, they will look back on this time and remember what got them through it: their tenacity, their resilience,

and the support and kindness of others.”

And like the pandemic has shown, adjusting and being able to change direction quickly is paramount. In November of last year, MSVU held its first-ever virtual convocation ceremony, celebrating both spring and fall graduates.

The recorded event recognized the academic achievements of almost a thousand students from more than 30 countries. MSVU was pleased to bestow honorary degrees on Anne Innis Dagg, Anna Maria Tremonti, and Dr. Lynn Jones.

This spring, grad celebration videos, divided by faculty, recognize the academic achievements of close to 700 students.

Despite the unfortunate but necessary cancellation of in-person spring 2021 ceremonies, MSVU made sure to celebrate the significant accomplishments of its graduates. Each graduate received a special grad box and will have the opportunity to return to campus to borrow academic gowns and hoods and take photos when deemed safe to do so.

While public health restrictions prevented the in-person installation of MSVU’s new Chancellor, Dr. Margaret Mary Fitzpatrick, S.C. was able to attend campus earlier this year and officially be installed as chancellor.

Congratulations to all 2020 and 2021 MSVU graduates and welcome to the alumni family! FM

Steve Higgins: Beyond the Terminating Vista (Rebuild) forward to the future: “Scanning the traces of the Gallery’s history in images and video and data, we get to learn a lot about ourselves, what has been important to us, and where we need to go in the years ahead—it’s a great opportunity to be excited and hopeful.”

With the future in mind, the Gallery has set an anniversary goal to establish a

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$100,000 endowment so that it has the resources it needs each year to showcase special programs, events, and offerings in support of the community. To contribute and learn more about this endeavour, please visit www.msvu.ca/donate.

Complete details on the exhibition and to view and explore the online interface, set your sights on www.msvuart.ca. FM Folia 2021

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ATHLETICS

ALUMNI NEWS

Mount Saint Vincent Alumni Association President’s Message

MSVAA Board of Directors 2020-2021 Executive Committee

Message from the Athletics Department A year like no other This past year is one we will not soon forget. Yet as so often with sport, challenges provide opportunities. We quickly turned our attention to our athletes, coaches, and community focusing on safety, education, access, wellness, and finding ways to help navigate these difficult times. We had to adjust, reinvent, and learn different ways to deliver and receive

our programs and services during the ebb and flow of the pandemic, and our entire community rose to the challenge. Immense thanks you to all!

We were very fortunate to be able to safely give our student athletes an opportunity to practice in a controlled environment. This was both important and special as part of keeping our teams and athletes supported and connected.

Their resiliency and perseverance were unwavering. We felt privileged in that we were one of the few provinces in Canada able to allow our student athletes to compete against sister institutions in a

modified way. The opportunity to compete was joyous, and when we eventually return to some normalcy, competition will be valued more than ever.

We were also pleased to be able to continue to celebrate the accolades of our athletes through our Best of the Blue Awards.

A fond farewell…and a warm welcome!

Best of the Blue Award winners Sheila & Stephenie Allt Memorial Award:

Alisha McNeil, Women’s Basketball Kathrine McEwen, Women’s Soccer

Tracy Barton Endowed Memorial Award:

Nicole Rector, Women’s Volleyball

Raymond & Helen Plato Memorial Award:

Redford Ingram, Men’s Basketball Campbell Colpitts, Men’s Basketball

Rick & Andrea Plato Award:

Tariq Thomas, Men’s Basketball

Dyrick McDermott Memorial Leadership Award: Alisha McNeil, Women’s Basketball

Tahlia Jones, Women’s Basketball Windsor Flash Award:

Hannah Baillie, Cross Country Donald DeWolfe, Cross Country Julia Short, Women’s Soccer

Alumni Varsity Award:

Donald DeWolfe, Cross Country Julia Short, Women’s Soccer

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Folia Montana The Magazine for Mount Alumni and Friends

Danny De Palma A sincere thank you to Ian MacRae who stepped down after seven years at the helm of our men’s basketball program.

He is an inspiring coach, colleague, role model, dad, and friend, and his athletes learned so much from him, both on and off the court. A special thank you also to Derek Norris, assistant coach of the men’s team who provided tremendous support through the transition.

A sincere welcome to our new men’s head coach, Danny De Palma. De Palma, a 2011 BA graduate of MSVU and an extremely experienced basketball coach, joined the Mystics family in early February. FM

What a year it has been! As I conclude my two-year term as president of the Mount Saint Vincent Alumni Association (MSVAA), I reflect that while things did not progress as planned this past year, I am incredibly proud of how we responded and what we accomplished.

Our mission is to engage and celebrate our alumni, which stands at an amazing 35,000 worldwide. Despite the limitations the pandemic created, we found new and innovative ways to achieve that mission.

The Mount Mentorship program officially launched in February 2021, providing support and guidance to final-year students and new graduates with the transition from university. Immense thanks to all alumni who are giving back and signing on as mentors providing a means to support students during these uncertain times. We value greatly your involvement.

We acknowledged Tina Murphy and The Limestone Group as winners of our 2020 Alumni Awards virtually in January of this year, allowing people from various corners of the globe to join in celebrating the wonderful accomplishments of these incredible alumni.

The MSVAA Board of Directors often discuss the impact the pandemic has had on graduating students. The classes of 2020 and 2021 have sadly missed out on traditional celebrations to mark their graduation from university. Each of these accomplished students, now alumni, have reached their goals despite the many obstacles of this past year. For that, they should be truly commended. We want to welcome these new alumni by helping them celebrate their year of hard work. We will share more on our celebration plans in the coming months.

Thank you for the privilege of serving as president of the Alumni Association. I am extremely proud to be part of this special community.

All the best to you and your loved ones.

Alison MacDonald, BPR ‘88 President, MSVAA

President: Vice President: Past President: Secretary: Treasurer:

Alison MacDonald, BPR ‘88 Joanne Bernard, BA ’96 Tanya Lorimer-Charles, BBA ‘89 Carolyn O’Malley, BBA ‘14 Linda MacKay, BA (AIT) ’99

Members at Large Brianne Bezanson, BAH ‘11 Nancy Dorey, BPR ‘97 Penny Henneberry, BSC ‘87 Aris Hernandez, BBA ‘16 Roberta Hibbert, BBA ‘15 Tanya Lush, MEd ‘06 Lynne MacQuarrie, BPR ’96 Jeremy Neilson, BA ’10 Trevor Poole, BA (AIT) ’10 Ashley Stewart, BSC ’06 Heather Strickey, BAH ‘95 Vanessa Yurchesyn, BHN ‘12

Tina Murphy

The Limestone Group

2020 Alumni Award winners The Mount Saint Vincent Alumni Association was thrilled to recognize the 2020 Alumni Award winners this past January through a wonderfully engaging virtual ceremony. Special congratulations to Tina Murphy, the winner of the Alumni Award for Community Service, and The Limestone Group, (O’Neil Miller (BMP ’16), Damian McCartney (BBA ’16), and Giovanni Johnson (BSc ’17)), winner of the Young Alumni of the Year.

The 2021 Alumni Awards celebration will take place virtually on Saturday, October 16 as part of Reunion Weekend 2021.

Alumni Award submissions will open in July so be sure to consider nominating a MSVU alumni for this worthy recognition. #msvuproud. FM Folia 2021

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Looking forward to celebrating together, once again

New research centre named in honour of President Emerita Dr. Sheila A. Brown Mount Saint Vincent University has named its new Centre for Applied Research in recognition of Dr. Sheila A. Brown, who served as MSVU President from 1996 to 2006.

“I am very honoured to have my service to the Mount recognized in this special way,” says Dr. Brown, who was named President Emerita in 2012 for her exceptional service to MSVU. The new centre is home to researchers breaking ground in areas ranging from healthy food product development to infant nutrition, Alzheimer’s disease detection, and early childhood development.

“I have always been impressed by the breadth and depth of

research conducted at the Mount, and with how the research community here has connected to the community at large,” says Dr. Brown.

“Sharing knowledge and inviting the community to be part of that process is exemplified in this building,” she adds.

The Centre was developed through a complete retrofitting of an existing building on the MSVU campus. The initiative was funded through a generous donation and bequest from Dr. Brown and her husband, Dr. Donald Wyllie, support from the federal and provincial governments, and donations from more than 140 alumni and friends. FM

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Folia Montana The Magazine for Mount Alumni and Friends

Reunion 2021 Celebrations: Mark your calendars!

We look forward to welcoming our alumni and friends back to campus as safely as we can this October.

Joyce Family Foundation Gift

In December 2020, The Joyce Family Foundation made an additional gift of $500,000 to the Grace Jollymore Joyce Bursary to a total endowed fund of $1 million.

Like many things in 2020, the cancellation of Reunion Weekend 2020 due to the pandemic was an immense disappointment. Being able to gather with graduates and celebrate our shared connection to the Mount is something we look forward to each year.

Despite not being able to physically gather, we certainly recognized our special milestone anniversaries of those graduating in years ending in “0” and “5.” Special congratulations to those milestone graduates, in particular the 50th anniversary classes of the Academy and the University. We missed greatly the opportunity to hear your wonderful stories at the reunion luncheon.

Now on to 2021! This year we look forward to safely hosting a combination of virtual and in-person events for our 2021 celebrations beginning the week of October 11, and wrapping up with our awards celebration on Saturday, October 16th. A full event schedule is available on our website at msvu.ca/ alumni. We have also created a Facebook page for the event, so check that out as well. Any questions can be directed to alumni@msvu.ca or by calling 902-719-4204.

We hope you can join us for this wonderful occasion as we celebrate one another and our special connections to the Mount. FM

This bursary is named in honour and in memory of Ronald V. Joyce’s mother, Grace Jollymore Joyce, in recognition of her significant impact on her family as well as the dedication and influence of mothers and other female role models.

This bursary will provide a transformational opportunity to students from Nova Scotia entering a full-time undergraduate program at MSVU who faces significant financial barriers to pursue post-secondary education. FM

We have both in person and virtual programming in the works so stay tuned for additional details. msvu.ca/events/reunion2021 Join our FB page – Mount Saint Vincent Alumni Reunion 2021

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ALUMNI NEWS

ALUMNI NEWS

College class of ‘56 celebrates milestone anniversary Special friendships and memories are what a group of Mount Saint Vincent College graduates celebrated recently as they marked a memorable milestone. Without the opportunity to gather, 10 classmates recognized the occasion by lighting a candle on May 22, the day of their graduation 65 years easlier. Lighting candles (from bottom L-R) are: Marguerite (Ruiz) Flinn (BSc, BEd), Barbara (Essery) Downie (BA, BEd), Dorothy (Green) Wills (BSc, D.HumL (’07)), Sheila (Smith) Andrecyk (BSc), Clothilde (Belliveau) Currie (BA, BEd), Carol (MacNeill) Probert (BA), Janet (Pottie) Murray (BA), Nancy (O’Hearn) Sheehan (BA, BEd), and Shirley (Campbell) Trask (BSc).

Congratulations to all class of ’56 graduates!! FM (Left) Patricia Hunt (BSc) helped spearhead the lighting of candles with nine of her class of ’56 classmates.

Alumni events: The shift to virtual

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2020s

2000s

In September 2020, Emma Shoveller (BPR, ’20) accepted an Account Coordinator – PR role with Trampoline, a progressive fullservice branding agency in Halifax.

This past February, Iain Rankin (BBA ’06) was elected the 29th Premier of Nova Scotia. Rankin was first elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly in 2013 as MLA for the riding of Timberlea-Prospect. He was re-elected in 2017. He has served as the Minister of Environment and Minister of Lands and Forestry.

2010s Andrea Perreault (BSH, ‘17) is a fish stock assessment scientist and completed her Master of Science degree in fisheries science at the Marine Institute’s School of Fisheries. She is now completing her PhD in fisheries science at the institute.

Karly Piercy (BPR, ‘14) recently opened “Florence’s Collection,” a vintage home décor store named after her grandmother and located in the North End of Halifax. “I knew I wanted to run my own business since I was a little girl,” says Karly. Visit florencescollection.com for more on Karly’s great story.

Celebrating a milestone anniversary

If there was ever a year to think outside the box, this was it. Shifting to virtual event programming was daunting (we won’t lie), but it also allowed the unique privilege to do some things differently – particularly, engage more alumni from outside the region. It also presented the opportunity to explore new offerings.

In mid-2020, virtual meditation

Class notes

workshops with MSVU alumni Grant Hatcher (BSc, ’12), of Balanced Trance Meditation & Hypnosis were offered. As of May 2021, four of these sessions were successfully presented.

The first-ever virtual Alumni Town Hall took place in January, supporting the launch of the university’s new strategic plan. And the inaugural virtual Alumni Awards Ceremony drew a wonderful and

Folia Montana The Magazine for Mount Alumni and Friends

supportive crowd to celebrate our 2020 Alumni of the Year winners.

The pandemic has forever altered the way we host events, with both in-person and virtual programming having unique merits. We look forward to continuing down this hybrid event path as we progress, welcoming insight and feedback from alumni along the way. FM

DeRico Symonds (BACY, ‘12) is the inaugural Director, Opportunity and Belonging at NSCAD University in Halifax.

Prior to joining NSCAD, he was the Manager of the Youth Advocate Program with the Halifax Regional Municipality, and previously served as the Black Student Support Coordinator at MSVU.

Congratulations to Christa LeBlanc, CPA, CA (BBC, ‘02) who was recently promoted to Partner at FWH Chartered Professional Accountants. Christa specializes in working with new doctors and health care practitioners who have recently started their practices as well as those who have been practicing for several years.

Gary Logan (BA, ‘02) and Tanya Lush (MEd, ‘06) were elected Vice-Presidents of the Halifax Branch of the Canadian International Council (CIC) in early 2021. The (CIC) is a platform for citizens to engage in discussions on international issues.

1990s A two-term Nova Scotia national councillor and former Hill staffer, Robert Batherson (BPR, ‘97) was elected president of the Conservative Party of Canada in March 2021. Rob is currently Principal at Harbourview Public Affairs in Halifax, NS.

Dawn Dalley (BPR, ‘92) was appointed President and CEO of CAA Atlantic in April 2021. She spent almost 20 years in the utility sector in customer service, safety, environmental services, human resources, and corporate communications. She received her MBA from Royal Roads University in BC and most recently was vice-president of corporate and customer service at Newfoundland & Labrador Hydro.

Karen Dean (BBA, ‘95) is a resilience expert, speaker, and author who has written a new book titled “We Are Unbreakable: Raw, Real Stories of Resilience from Women in Nova Scotia in 2020.” The book is a collection of authentic and inspiring stories about the unprecedented year of 2020 written by 22 women who call Nova Scotia home. It is available for purchase online.

Karen Kelloway (BPR, ‘93) has launched a new business - Career Story Project Inc. – which supports individuals and teams in their professional and leadership development.

She also has a new program called “NAIL IT!® - an online program for aspiring professionals.”

In January 2021, Linda MacKay, CPA, CA, CISA, CFE (BIE, ‘99) became Director, Post-Secondary Operations Support at Nova Scotia’s Department of Labour and Advanced Education. Linda also serves on the Mount Saint Vincent Alumni Association Board of Directors.

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ALUMNI NEWS Sheldon Miller (BBA, ‘99) joined IBM Global Business Services as Partner and Atlantic Public Sector Consulting Leader in fall 2020. Prior to joining IBM, Sheldon spent over 18 years with Deloitte, most recently as the company’s Atlantic Digital Government Leader. Sheldon was a former President of the Mount Saint Vincent Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Jamie Niessen (BPR, ‘96) co-owns Island Stoneware on PEI, the creator of a new ‘Angel Mug’ featuring angel wings that honours and celebrates anyone working to support health care. Jamie told CBC News that the mugs are the “company’s way to give back to the community, amidst the unrelenting uncertainty and unease caused by COVID-19.”

Elizabeth Rogo (BSc, ‘90) has been appointed to the Kenya Power Board. Elizabeth founded TSAVO Oilfield Services in 2017, a firm that deals with oil exploration, becoming the first woman to do so in the region. In April 2020, she was named the African Energy Chamber’s first female President for East Africa.

Gillian Schultze (BPR, ‘95) has opened new and vintage clothing stores in Sudbury and North Bay. An interest in fabrics and quilting from recycled jeans led to her becoming a textile artist and painting northern landscapes with fabric. She has exhibited at several locations and in 2019 her pieces were exhibited at Steam Whistle Gallery in Toronto.

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RETIREMENTS Heather Sullivan (BPR, ‘98) was recently promoted to Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Boston Architectural College in Massachusetts. Heather has been in the role since September 2020.

1980s Gina Brown (BPR, ‘87) is proud to announce the launch of her new business this past December. NovaHeart Media, an indie publishing boutique, helps writers fulfill their dreams by providing custom marketing services, training, and mentoring. Prior to launching her business, Gina worked in marketing for over 30 years, the last four as a consultant.

Reverend Sandra Fyfe (BPR, ‘88) was elected Bishop by The Anglican Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island in September 2020. She has been the rector of the Parish of Horton, St. John’s Church, Wolfville, since 2009 and is the 17th person to hold the position of Bishop in the Diocese.

Terry Kelsey (BA, ‘88) is employed with the Province of Nova Scotia in the Service Nova Scotia & Internal Services department as a Corporate Payroll Technician. After graduating from MSVU, Terry earned his Payroll Compliance Practitioner Certification with the Canadian Payroll Association.

Folia Montana The Magazine for Mount Alumni and Friends

In August of last year, Sandra MacLeod (BPR, ‘81), CEO of Echo Research Group, was awarded the Don Bartholomew Award

2020 by Trade Association AMEC Chair Richard Bagnall for her outstanding service to the industry.

Brian Murray (BA, ‘89) directed a documentary about Viola Desmond titled Long Road to Justice – The Viola Desmond Story. The documentary is available for viewing on YouTube and focuses on Desmond’s courageous stand against a segregated movie theatre in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, in 1946.

1970s Dr. Michelle Forrest (BA, ’70), an MSVU Faculty of Education Professor, co-authored a book with Linda Wheeldon of Acadia University titled “Scripting Feminist Ethics in Teacher Education” that was published by the University of Ottawa Press in 2019.

The book was named a finalist in the categories of Education and Women’s Studies for the 2019 Forward Indies Awards.

Farewell & Thank You

We are proud to recognize those MSVU staff and faculty who celebrated their retirement in 2020. We thank you for your dedication and wish you a world of happiness in the time you’ve earned for yourselves.

2001-2020 1988-2020

2004-2020 1976-2020 1982-2020

2001-2020

Ron MacKay - Department of Biology – 19 Years Hazel MacRae - Department of Sociology and Anthropology - 32 years James Sharpe - Faculty of Education - 16 years Sandra Shepard - Financial Services - 44 years Garth Lantz - Custodial Services - Facilities Management – 38 years Pat Marsh - Central Heating - Facilities Management – 19 years

Welcome to the alumni family.

A reminder that retired MSVU faculty automatically become honourary members of the alumni family. Please reach out to us at alumni@msvu.ca with updated contact information so we can stay in touch and ensure you are included in special invites and events.

Christine Sibley (BSc, ‘77) has been the Assistant Vice-President, Reimbursement at Atrium Health in Charlotte, North Carolina since 2010, working remotely from beautiful Hilton Head Island!

Peter Fielding (MEd, ‘05) was named Associate Dean of Kennesaw State’s College of the Arts, located in Georgia, USA, in July 2020. Peter has five collegiate degrees in Music Theory (M. Mus, PhD) Trombone Performance (B.Mus, M.Mus), and Education-Curriculum Studies. He has held three associate dean positions at two prior collegiate institutions.

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In Memoriam With thoughtful reflection, we remember and recognize our fellow alumni and members of the Mount community whom we have lost over the year.

1940s Sr. Mary MacIntyre (Mary Elmer), BA (’46), May 17, 2021 • Rose McGinn, ACAD (’41), BA (’78), December 31, 2020 • Sr. Maureen Regan (Rose Edward), ACAD (’42), BA (’58), MAP (’67), December 27, 2020 1950s Sr. Mary Lavers (Mary Jeanette), BEC (’57), BED (’65), September 6, 2020 • Nancy MacDonald (Fry), BA (’56), BED (’57), May 22, 2020 1960s Gladys Ascah (Yue), BA (’69), BED (’81), MEd (’89), April 13, 2021 • Sr. Mary Hannon (Cecilia Michael), BSc (’61), August 11, 2020 • Sr. Joan Maye, BSc (’66), January 14, 2021 • Sr. Cynthia Noble, BAD (’66), November 10, 2020 • Judith Schurman (Moseychuck), BA (’66), BED (’67), February 1, 2021 • Sr. Maryann Sherlock (Jane Edward), BSC (’63), May 16, 2020 • Linda Swinwood (Carnell), ACAD (’63), MEd (’92), November 5, 2020 • Sr. Catherine Zimmer (Robert Louise), BA (’64), May 10, 2020 1970s Beverly Deville, BA (’73), BED (’75), September 12, 2020 • Susan Doane, DOA (’77) November 5, 2020 • Shirley Fishman, BBA (’73) May 8, 2021 • Glen Flemming (Perry), BED (’73), June 7, 2020 • Margaret “Terry” MacDonnell, BSCN (’74), August 25, 2020 • Margaret MacKenzie (Ferguson), MAE (’74), August 5, 2020 • Monica MacPhee (Stark), DOA (’79), BSA (’85), November 19, 2020 • Brenda Robertson, DHumL (’73), September 23, 2020 • Margaret Trainor, BA (’77), February 12, 2021 1980s Kathleen Driscoll Dexter, BBA (’85), December 30, 2020 • Gail Langille, BA (’86), BED (’86), MEd (’93), February 28, 2021 • Diane MacKinnon, DGN (’88), February 15, 2021 • Lorraine (Snow) Robertson, MEd (’85), June 14, 2020 1990s Preman Edwards, BED (’98), August 21, 2020 2000s Harold Corbett, BSC (’09) August 6, 2020 • Heidi King, MEd (’08), May 18, 2021 • Marjorie Lindsay, DHumL (’16), May 1, 2020 • Budge Wilson, DHumL (‘12), March 19, 2021 MSVU Community Betty Anderson May 7, 2021 • Rosalie Courage, February 28, 2021 • Mary Hudson, February 3, 2021 • Ross Lively, January 17, 2021 • Danette Robinson, November 25, 2020 • Penny Squires, March 17, 2021

Please note that only those individuals for whom the alumni office was notified are mentioned.

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Folia Montana The Magazine for Mount Alumni and Friends

I was excited and thoroughly grateful when I learned I was the recipient of the Adah Ruth Spencer Memorial Scholarship. This award alleviated so much stress as I was working two jobs while pursuing a masters of education degree in lifelong learning.

It meant that I did not have to take on extra work shifts over breaks – allowing me to focus on my studies and motivating me to do my best and finish strong.

Sherrian Garcia, MEd ’20, 2019-20 recipient of the Adah Ruth Spencer Memorial Scholarship in Graduate Education

Adah Spencer, BA/BEd ’67, was first and foremost an educator, teaching for many years in schools in Wellington, Waverley and Fall River.

Mrs. Spencer designated a percentage of her estate as a gift in her Will to Mount Saint Vincent University, establishing this endowed (in-perpetuity) scholarship fund and creating a legacy supporting MEd students today and in the future.

Your MSVU Legacy A gift in your Will is an opportunity to make a lasting difference beyond your lifetime. Whether you create a scholarship or bursary, or leave your gift to be used where it will be needed most, your generosity will not only be recognized today, but will support future generations of MSVU students.

Legacy Giving / University Relations – Advancement Mount Saint Vincent University 166 Bedford Highway Hallifax, NS B3M 2J6

To learn more about how you can leave a legacy, or for a complimentary copy of A Guide to Preparing Your Will, contact Anne Thibodeau at 902-719-7010, anne.thibodeau@msvu.ca or visit msvu.ca/giving

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Get a quote and see how much you could save!

Go to tdinsurance.com/msvu Or call 1-888-589-5656

The TD Insurance Meloche Monnex program is underwritten by SECURITY NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY. It is distributed in Quebec by Meloche Monnex Insurance and Financial Services Inc., Damage insurance Agency, and in the rest of Canada by TD Insurance Direct agency Inc. Our address: 50 Place Crémazie, 12th Floor, Montréal, Québec H2P 1B6. Due to provincial legislation, this car and recreational insurance program is not offered in British Columbia, Manitoba or Saskatchewan. All trade-marks are the property of their respective owners. � The TD logo and other TD trade-marks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank.

8016-0120