STU Connections Fall 2014

FALL 2014

al u m n i

&

fr i e n d s

Bringing

SCIENCE to

Life Christopher Abbandonato, BEd ‘11

Realistic

Environmentalism

ALUMNI WEEKEND

in Review

Ilkay Silk’s Impact on STU

THE STU FUND

Supports STU

Students!

The STU Fund is the university’s unrestricted donation fund, and here is what the STU Fund has done in the last year: • Sent 10 students to the East Coast Leadership Conference in Halifax • Brought internationally renowned artist Carlos Capelán to campus to discuss the relationship of art with social justice and human rights • Supported a STU-hosted Science Atlantic - Psychology Conference • Provided funds to further the university’s global and international learning opportunities • Supported the renovation of student study and lounge space, and • Provided support for over 30 additional scholarships for STU students This year we hope the STU Fund can support all of the above again, plus help support new experiential learning opportunities such as a new undergraduate moot court program and an artist-in-residence series.

Did you know?

The average upper year class size at STU is 24 and all classes are capped at 60 students.

In 2013, senior students from Atlantic universities were asked, “If they could do it all over, would they choose their university again?” At St. Thomas University, the answer was a resounding ‘yes.’ In fact, St. Thomas ranked higher in senior-student satisfaction than any other Maritime university.

Last year over $1.7 million in scholarships and bursaries were disbursed to deserving students, but that does not even meet 50% of the financial need requests received.

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ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY CONNECTIONS

Supporting students has never been more important.

Consider the words of Cristi Flood, pictured at left:

“Receiving scholarships that acknowledged my achievements in academics and leadership not only eased the financial burden associated with attending university, but also made me feel like a valued member of the St. Thomas community. More broadly, I think every student attending St. Thomas University is made to feel like an integral member of our vibrant St. Thomas community, and is encouraged to grow both academically and as a conscientious, compassionate citizen. I am certain I would not have been able to experience St. Thomas University and all it has to offer its students without the generosity of alumni and donors.”

To make a gift that will support students, visit www.stu.ca/giving or call 506-452-0645.

WORN WITH PRIDE

WORLD-WIDE

Interested in establishing a new student award or including St. Thomas University in your estate plans?

Contact Jeff Wright, VP Advancement at wrightj@stu.ca or 506-452-0645.

Welcome Stay in touch

Like children anticipating Christmas, the build up to Alumni Weekend was filled with suspense. Of course, we spoke to fellow alumni who remained an active part of our lives. But we were also given the chance to reunite with others who - for no other reason than time and space - had not been part of our lives, some for many years.

Over the course of the weekend, we returned to the place where we first met and became part of this wonderful community. We were given the chance to explore the campus again with our old friends and the many new friends we met over the course of the weekend’s events. We visited the original buildings in which we lived, ate and had our classes (and yes partied), and we got to see the new buildings and the gardens. We realized that who we are today is because we had been there.

We were able to introduce our old friends to our families. We shared our successes and our sorrows and the gulf created by the years quickly narrowed.

Bruce Hanson President, STU Alumni Association

and return to our current homes, our lives, our work, and our communities. Almost at once, the gulf started to widen again. The promise to stay in touch, at some level, causes anxiety. How can we keep our word, you ask?

It’s time to become part of the St. Thomas University Alumni Association so we never become strangers again, so we can become part of the growth and renewal on campus and so that we can help, encourage and support students to have the opportunities that our alma mater has given to us.

Where do we go from here? All too soon the weekend came to an end. We had to leave

Many alumni with whom I spoke were grateful for the guidance they received from past presidents, professors and former Deans of Men and Deans of Women. “I don’t know where I’d be today without Harry Rigby,” one alumnus told me. “Monsignor Martin cut me a break and I worked my rear end off to prove I was worth it,” another said.

stu builders 4 HILLTOP 5 profiles 6 OPINION 13 Alumni weekend 2014 14 Campus Watch 19 Postcards to STU 23 New & noteworthy 24

We welcome your comments.

Phone: 506-452-0521 E-mail: alumni@stu.ca Website: www.stu.ca Facebook: St Thomas University Alumni Twitter: @STUAlumni

Connections is a publication of The Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations, St. Thomas University, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada E3B 5G3. It is distributed free-of-charge to more than 9,000 St. Thomas University alumni and friends worldwide. Make a gift online supporting STU at www.stu.ca/giving.

Publisher Office of Advancement and Alumni, St. Thomas University Editorial Advisory Team Jeff Wright Wanda Bearresto, BA ’87 Jeffrey Carleton Jacqueline Cormier, BA ’08 Nick Murray, BA ’14 Photos Keith Minchin, Kyle Albright, BA ’13

“When did you graduate?”

That was the most common question on campus last month during Alumni Weekend. Grads from 1954 chatted with grads of 2004 and found common ground: their deep rooted love and appreciation for St. Thomas.

Yes, the campus has moved. And yes, this campus has grown and student enrolment is ten times what it was in 1954, but one thing has remained constant: the professors and administrators care about the success of STU students.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Jeff Wright Vice President, Advancement and Alumni

Alumni from the 60s and 70s have told me they worry that St. Thomas is different now.

But the same gratefulness and admiration exists between students, faculty and staff and our community is still tight-knit. A class of 2014 alumnus told me that, “professors at STU not only know our names, they take the time to know the student behind the name.”

I’m glad so many of you were able to join in the Alumni Weekend activities.

Design, Layout, Printing Kiers Marketing Group Taylor Printing Group Inc.

Alumni Association Board of Directors 2014-15 Executive Committee Bruce Hanson, BA ’97 (Saint John) Cynthia Jenkins, BA ’05 (Fredericton) Frank McBrearty, BA ’06 (Saint John) Phil Ouellette, BA ’04 (Saint John) Andrew Spreight, BA ’04 (Fredericton) At-Large Members Travis Aten, BA ’15 (North Wiltshire) Don Bossé, BA ’82, BEd ’83 (Fredericton) Natalie Essiembre, BA ’99 (Shediac) Ellen Desmond, BA ’88 (Rothesay) Dennis Livingston, BA ’73 (Riverview) Brendan Marshall, BA ’06, (Gatineau) Joanne Moores, BA ’86 (Halifax) Vanessa Paesani, BEd ’10 (Fredericton) Denyse Smart, BA ’80 (Fredericton) Jeanne Smith, BA ’76 (Saint John) Marg Tracy, BA ’75 (Fredericton)

ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY CONNECTIONS

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STU BUILDERS

Building a community with theatre

By Dr. Elizabeth McKim, Department of English When Ilkay Silk first arrived on campus in 1978, Msgr.

George Martin told her he didn’t care what she did as long as she did something. That was a good starting point, she thought. And so she got to work.

She was hired to direct Theatre St. Thomas and teach a drama production course in the department of English.

In the course of the next 36 years, she would direct more than 70 productions at St. Thomas and teach hundreds of students, many of whom continued on to professional success as actors, directors and playwrights all over the world.

Ilkay came to STU with enormous talent, enormous enthusiasm, and an enormous heart that has led to a truly remarkable career, one that is perhaps best described as a vocation: a dedicated calling.

Ilkay often says that her primary role at St. Thomas has not been to educate theatre professionals, but to educate audiences: to provide students with opportunities to experience drama by being actively engaged in the enactment of plays, whether in productions or as audience members.

Most of the students Ilkay has taught in courses or mentored in Theatre St. Thomas have not gone on to professional dramatic careers. I would wager, however, that they have all left STU with a love of the theatre, and an understanding and appreciation of dramatic productions from the inside out.

In other words, Ilkay has played a major role in assisting our students to achieve one of the three main goals of a liberal education at St. Thomas: in addition to understanding the rational and spiritual dimensions of human life, we also seek to assist them in understanding the aesthetic dimensions.

It was this mission that led her to become the chief proponent of the Black Box theatre when James Dunn Hall was being planned in the early 1990s.

The existence of the Black Box has enabled STU, through Ilkay’s connections in the educational and professional community, to offer students the chance to participate in all sorts of productions, and to support a number of theatrical initiatives, most notably the hosting of the Provincial Drama Festival and the Notable Acts Festival.

This kind of community outreach, not to mention her close ties over the years with Theatre New Brunswick, has been invaluable to the reputation of STU, and has ensured that when students coming out of high school wish to attend a 4 FALL 2014

ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY CONNECTIONS

Perhaps the most important thing that Ilkay has contributed to St. Thomas is love: love of her craft, of her students, and of the university. university that provides opportunities in theatre, STU is at the top of their list.

Perhaps the most important thing that Ilkay has contributed to St. Thomas is love: love of her craft, of her students, and of the university.

I’ve heard over and over again of the way she has taken a personal interest in the young people she has taught and mentored, finding ways to make them feel comfortable and secure in auditions and performances – surely two of the scariest things I can think of!

I’ve heard of the way she has helped each of her students find their place in doing theatre, guiding them into the areas in which they’re most capable.

And I’ve experienced on countless occasions what all who know her have: her kindness, her compassion, and her graciousness.

We all work hard, and we’ll all leave our mark on St. Thomas, but Ilkay is one of the handful of individuals in the history of the university who have built St. Thomas, who have contributed immeasurably in so many ways, tangible and intangible, to its identity and its success As such, she has provided us with a strong foundation to build upon.

Ilkay retired from St. Thomas this year but promises to stay in touch!

hilltop

Working on the side of the angels Neil Bouwer is senior vice-president with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency

by Mark Giberson, BA ’76 His spacious, well-lit office in a former Nortel building overlooks the cornfields of Ottawa’s Central Experimental Farm. The bucolic setting is appropriate.

Neil Bouwer, BA ’91, is senior vicepresident with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. He’s been with the agency four years - first, as vice-president, policy and programs. About a year ago, he took up his current post as head of the agency’s transformation office.

Says Bouwer, “I’m helping to define and move the agency from an old style of regulation - based on command and control, old technology and old approaches - to a more modern one which takes into account the way the food sector has evolved, the way risks are evolving and the way the global industry has changed.”

At 44, Bouwer is something of a high flyer.

That’s pretty much been the case since his university days.

Bouwer entered St. Thomas with a McLaughlin Scholarship - at the time the university’s highest award. He was on the dean’s list every year - honouring in economics, and taking some master’slevel courses at UNB. He was a founding member of the university’s debating team, making it to the World’s in Princeton.

He was involved with The Aquinian, the economics society, the student council and the STU/UNB fencing team. And, as goalkeeper for the STU soccer team, he was named Rookie of the Year for 1989-1990.

Neil Bouwer, BA ’91 Bouwer credits economics professor Dev Gupta and St. Thomas for providing the kind of value-centred liberal education that’s served as a foundation for his career in public policy.

“To me, public service is definitely a vocation,” says Bouwer. “You’re on the side of the angels. You’re giving back to fellow citizens, by giving good advice and helping manage the country.

“Dev taught the need to think about social welfare and social outcomes,” explains Bouwer. “He wasn’t all about profit maximization and how firms operate. There was a really important overlay of social consciousness and social responsibility.”

“Every day we have questions about where to put resources; where to put effort; where to put emphasis. We have to set priorities.

You need to have an analytical frame for that. But, you cannot be guided by that alone. You have to be guided by a sense of social justice, a sense of equity. These are the things a liberal arts education gives you.”

In 1992, after completing a master’s degree at McGill, Bouwer joined the federal public service through an elite program designed to groom future public policy makers.

His first post was with Intergovernmental Affairs Minister of the time Joe Clark working on the Charlottetown Accord. He later did stints at Finance, the Treasury Board Secretariat and Western Economic Diversification.

Bouwer has spent about half of his career with the Privy Council Office. His last position there - about four years ago - was as assistant secretary to the Cabinet for social issues.

He’s also worked with Human Resources and Social Development Canada, the Business Development Bank and FINTRAC - the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada - the government agency that combats money-laundering and terrorist-financing.

Bouwer says he appreciated St. Thomas for its small classes, individual attention, Catholic tradition and social purpose - all of which, he says, have contributed to his success.

Later this month, Bouwer will be giving up his view of the cornfield. He’s moving to Natural Resources Canada as assistant deputy minister of science and policy integration.

Another senior position, in yet another government department, but still, “on the side of the angels”.

Hilltop features alumni involved in politics and public service. To suggest a profile, please email alumni@stu.ca.

ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY CONNECTIONS

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cover story

More than vinegar and baking soda Education alumnus brings science club to life

By Jacqueline Cormier, BA ’08

Chris Abbandonato, BEd ’11

Some teachers may punish students for flinging elastic bands in class, but Chris Abbandonato encourages it.

He’s a science teacher at Nashwaaksis Middle School and he recently led a research project on the elasticity of rubber bands with a group of his students that’s in the process of being submitted to an academic journal.

Abbandonato collaborated with Dr. Grant Williams of the school of education at St. Thomas to write the research paper on whether elasticity affects the speed of an elastic band. Their paper, “The Secret Behind Flinging Elastic Bands” has been submitted to be published in NSTA Science Scope Journal.

“Every kid loves to shoot an elastic band,” he said. “But have they ever wondered why do certain elastic bands travel a certain distance or travel at a certain speed? We decided that instead of shooting it, we’d fling it. And there has to be an ideal way to fling it where you could obtain a maximum distance and you could obtain a maximum speed in the air.

“The fact that they are thinking critically and getting motivated is key. These are our future doctors, researchers and scientists. It’s important to give them authentic problems and authentic things to think about.”

That’s why Abbandonato started the “S for Science Club” at the school. He wants to show students that there is more to science than baking soda and vinegar and that science can be fun. And he’s succeeding. The club began in 2011 with 25 members. It has since grown to 160 students.

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ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY CONNECTIONS

“It’s amazing to see so many students involved in an academic based club,” he said. “I look for experiments that will give students unforgettable learning experiences. That’s my goal. It makes science more real for them, but also more exciting and alive.”

“S for Science Club” offers a wide variety of inquiry-based science experiments and research projects that the students can sign up for depending on their specific interest, whether that’s physical chemistry, biology, sports research, robotics, or mission to mars.

The club also involves students at Park Street Elementary School, which is a feeder school for Nashwaaksis Middle School. Grade 5 students at Park Street can be a part of the club, and they will then visit younger students to teach them what they discovered by doing their experiments.

“By collaborating with Park Street, we get to showcase the neat things we’re doing in the club. By the time these students get to middle school, they already have a taste for science. So, our science leaders in grade 5 put on little experiments for the kindergarten to grade 4 kids. We get them engaged in science and teach them to think critically early on.”

Abbandonato says fostering curiosity and an interest in science at a young age is important to help develop our future scientists and leaders.

“These could be the kids who discover a cure for cancer, or solve an environmental issue, or discover why a certain animal or insect is going extinct. So, that’s my goal. Let’s get the kids prepared. Let’s get them in research groups. Let’s get them excited now and give

cover story

“I loved my education degree at St. Thomas University, because the faculty prepared me for the real world. That made a huge difference and helped in all aspects of my teaching practices because when you’re teaching through authentic projects and getting kids engaged, your classroom management flows very nicely. You don’t have to worry about kids misbehaving or disrupting the class because they’re engaged and excited.” them authentic problems to think about whether it’s mathematical physics, mathematical biology, physical chemistry, or organic chemistry. If they can start looking at authentic issues and tie it in with science and mathematics and start thinking critically now at such a young age, when they get to high school, and even come into university, just in that period, they might be thinking and discovering certain things.”

Abbandonato looks beyond his school’s walls for learning opportunities. His students attended seminars and workshops at STU’s school of education and conducted experiments in the organic chemistry labs at the University of New Brunswick. They have also taken field trips to visit the Atlantic Left to right, back row: Dr. Grant Williams, Chris Abbandonato. Front row: Left to right: Malcolm Christie, Cancer Research Institute, the DisCole MacTavish, Connar LeBlanc. covery Centre, and the Dalhousie University Medical Building. They that we could do in science class that would incorporate baseball. took workshops that focused on the brain, neuroscience, oncology, and blood cells. One group of students even got to visit Space You need to be able to connect with the kids at their level.”

Camp in Montreal and learn about planetary science.

He said part of his teaching philosophy stems from the great education he received at St. Thomas.

“The field trips allow them to do and see a lot of cool things,” Abbandonato said. “One student told me he wants to be either a “I loved my education degree at St. Thomas University, because the neuroscientist or a cardiologist. Another student told me he would faculty prepared me for the real world. That made a huge differlove to be a science teacher after being part of the club and seeing all the fun you can have. To see the kids grow and develop, to me, ence and helped in all aspects of my teaching practices because that’s so rewarding. That’s my purpose in teaching. To really engage when you’re teaching through authentic projects and getting kids the students.” engaged, your classroom management flows very nicely. You don’t have to worry about kids misbehaving or disrupting the class beHe believes the secret to being a good teacher is passion and enthucause they’re engaged and excited. siasm. If a teacher loves the subject they’re teaching, students will be engaged. But he says teachers also need to take an interest in their students.

“You have to be enthusiastic and be interesting but also show that you are interested in them and learn what their interests are. For instance, if a student likes baseball, we can try to find something

“The education program at STU was one of the best degrees I’ve taken. Not only does it teach you how to be the best possible teacher, but it also teaches you life skills. It also pushes you to get out of your comfort zone, take risks. It helps you take something small and turn it into something huge.”

ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY CONNECTIONS

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profiles

Health care from the patient’s perspective Alumna pioneers dementia care mapping in Halifax

By Jacqueline Cormier, BA ’08 Alyssa Firlotte doesn’t believe in a one-sizefits-all approach to health care.

Instead, she advocates person-centered care, which tailors care and treatment options to each individual. She is currently piloting dementia care mapping at Northwood, a long-term care facility in Halifax.

“Person-centered care stresses the importance of relationships, individual care plans, and maintenance of quality of life,” she explains. “When we do dementia care mapping, it means recording the quality of life and quality of care from the perspective of the person with dementia.”

With the baby boomer population aging, the number of cases of dementia in Canada will increase at an alarming rate. In 2012, according to the Alzheimer Society of Canada, the number of Canadians living with cognitive impairment, including dementia, stood at 747,000 and will double to 1.4 million by 2031.

Although there’s currently no cure for dementia, Firlotte says measures like dementia care mapping can have a positive impact on the quality of life of residents with dementia.

Dementia care mapping is still new in Canada, but it has been widely used in the United Kingdom since 1992. The mapping process includes observing the patients and recording anything that could be contributing to their moods. The data collection itself is quite meticulous and involves recording the residents’ moods and reactions for every two minutes in a six hour time frame – up to five residents can be recorded at one time. After several days, it’s possible to analyze the data and determine what could be triggering aggressive or more appropriately put, responsive behaviours.

“We examine their social-psychological environment and try to understand what is triggering their behaviour. We understand that often their behaviour is reactive; they are responding to something in their environment.”

The goal is to then remove the trigger from their environment to deter undesirable behaviours.

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ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY CONNECTIONS

The same goes for identifying what triggers happiness in a patient. If the mapping identifies that listening to music or having an interaction with another person makes them happy, these points will be reiterated to the care staff during the debriefing period so that they may incorporate these things into the resident’s care plan.

Another portion of dementia care mapping involves digging into the person’s history to understand why they act the way they do today. Often, residents with dementia will do what they enjoyed doing in the past.

“Some care staff might deter certain behaviour without understanding the cause,” she says. “In my training, they gave the example of a man who had a watch and was constantly playing with it. He didn’t speak but he was trying to get other people engaged to play with the watch. Staff may have thought he was going to break his watch and would deter his behaviour, but what they didn’t know is that he used to repair watches in the past. So the fact that he was fidgeting with his watch wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. It wasn’t hurting anyone. It was just part of his past experiences.”

When they presented the concept to Northwood staff, Firlotte anticipated a bit of hesitation because she says it can appear like she’s criticizing their daily practices.

“The reality is we’re there to complement them, so we need to explain what we’re doing to the family and staff to make them understand that their loved one’s behaviour is reactive. They’re responding to something.

Their behaviours are not unwarranted. They are responding to something they’re not happy with or that they don’t agree with.

We’re all there with the same goal: we want to improve their quality of life.”

Firlotte’s interest in dementia care sparked when her grandfather was diagnosed with dementia and was placed in a long-term care facility.

“You go in and out of these facilities and you feel like there are some gaps. You feel like there are things that could be done

Alyssa Firlotte, BA ’12

better to accommodate these individuals.

That’s when I became interested in dementia, how the disease progresses and how we can support these individuals during the progression of their illness.”

That’s why she chose to study gerontology at St. Thomas University.

“The reality is that we’re experiencing population aging, and unfortunately an alarming percentage of health care professionals don’t possess a background in gerontology or have a holistic understanding of what the aging process entails. Most of the emphasis is on the medical component of aging and that’s just one part of the process. I think the gerontology program at STU awakens the understanding that there is more to aging than death and decline and the physical limitations of our body. Instead, it’s an emphasis on the social component of aging and care that goes unnoticed most of the time.”

Firlotte is completing her master’s in family studies and gerontology at Mount St. Vincent University, is a part of a research team with Patients Canada, and will soon be implementing a narrative program at Northwood.

She is also a research assistant at the Nova Scotia Centre on Aging, where she is working in collaboration with Dr. Janice Keefe and her working group for caregivers and persons with dementia to develop a dementia strategy in Nova Scotia.

profiles

Giving the gift of gab Speech language pathologists help people communicate

By Nick Murray, BA ’14

Catherine Donovan-Lirette is giving her clients a voice.

Working as a speech language pathologist for almost 20 years, the STU alumna and Miramichi native has worked with everybody from adults with autism and other communication disorders, to children who have trouble articulating. She is currently working in schools as a speech language pathologist for Anglophone School District - North.

“It’s quite amazing to see some of the ways these children with autism, who are sometimes given up on just because they’re nonverbal, are able to learn to communicate and make a connection,” Donovan-Lirette says.

“You can use some of their interests, like Thomas the Tank Engine or Angry Birds, in order to teach them how to communicate and make them want to engage with others.”

The St. Thomas roots run deep in the Donovan family. Her father Tom Donovan, BA ’61, BEd ’62, attended St. Thomas in Chatham and was the valedictorian when he graduated. There is a scholarship at STU in his name. He was a well-known and much loved guidance counsellor in the Miramichi area.

Donovan-Lirette was inspired by her father’s career because he supported students in ways teachers couldn’t. That, combined with her knack for public speaking and an interest in medicine – but without the blood and gore – led her to what she describes as “a very rewarding career.”

“It’s like being a doctor of some sort, but you’re diagnosing speech and language conditions. It’s like a puzzle and you have to figure out their particular area of concern, and then you figure out how to treat it.”

One of the more memorable experiences in her near-two decades of work was when she recently gave an avid Toronto Maple Leafs fan the ability to cheer on his beloved team once more.

For years the man would play host to friends who came over, watched and cheered on the Maple Leafs. But Lou Gehrig’s disease, or ALS, eventually claimed his ability to communicate.

“His big happiness in life was cheering for the Maple Leafs,” Donovan-Lirette says.

Harnessing new technology, she was able to program a series of the man’s known one-liners onto his personal tablet.

“Speaking becomes difficult and often impossible as you become

Catherine Donovan-Lirette, BA ’92

weaker because of the disease process,” she explains. “So we recorded all sorts of phrases that he used to say about hockey games into his tablet, so when his friends came over to watch the game, he was able to continue participating in these activities that he loved so much until he passed away.”

Donovan-Lirette says it’s those kinds of stories that make her work truly rewarding.

“It’s being able to help them out in those last months and give them some quality of life. Most people don’t realize how much you rely on communication for everything,” she says. “If your foot is itchy and your body is paralyzed, how do you communicate that to someone? It’s torturous, really.”

Donovan-Lirette says the diversity of courses offered at St. Thomas allowed her to seamlessly progress from a Bachelor of Arts into a Master’s of Science.

Her STU experience was memorable because of the university’s unique learning environment. She says the small class sizes allow professors to connect with their students and get to know them better.

“Even though I spent three years at another school getting my master’s, I’ll always be a STU alumna first.”

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Profiles The school offers a range of classes, from personal finance to photography, creative writing, graphic arts, and computer programming, among others.

Their online presence helped attract students from all age groups. Most of the classes at the City Centre School are taught by younger instructors, something Bulman says the older students enjoy.

“What I got from a lot of the older students is that it was really refreshing to learn from a younger person. There aren’t that many opportunities for youth to teach older generations. It’s usually the other way around.”

Adding a young voice to an old tradition Alumna brings financial literacy and graphic arts into the community school program

By Jacqueline Cormier, BA ’08 Like most students, Sarah Bulman remembers starting university without having a good grasp on budgeting, credit card interest rates and student loan repayment.

up of young adults and approached the Community Schools’ board of governors with a proposal on how to engage youth and get them involved in the schools.

Now, as the chair of the City Centre School in Charlottetown, she hopes to attract teenagers and young adults to take courses like personal finance at her community school.

“They told us to lead by example and encouraged us to open our own community school that allowed our ‘young’ ideas to exist in an actual physical platform.”

“It’s not something they learn in high school and it would be a huge benefit for them,” she said. “It’s just one of the many types of courses we offer at our community school.”

Wanting to attract a younger audience, Bulman and her team used social media and the internet to reach potential students – something most of the schools still hadn’t done.

In its second year, the City Centre School hopes to bring fresh ideas to the island’s longstanding Community School program.

“We wanted to get more people our age involved as volunteers or get more youth to participate as students, which would eventually lead to them wanting to be more involved in a different role within the program.”

Community schools began in rural PEI in the mid-1960s when communities suffered a decline in farming and fishing. In the early days, the schools offered courses like knitting, sewing and typing. Since then, the program has grown and there are nearly 30 locations and 100 courses offered province wide, including computer use, genealogy, Spanish, the violin, among many others.

But Bulman felt like there weren’t enough youth participating in the program. That’s when she decided to form a task force made 10 FALL 2014

ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY CONNECTIONS

The City Centre School opened last winter and had almost 170 students in its first semester – a mark of success, according to Bulman.

Classes are taught by volunteers and are offered on Tuesday evenings for ten weeks through the winter months. Bulman says it’s a great way to encourage people to get out of their homes in the cold.

Bulman says the City Centre School is an amazing tool for community building. Local businesses sponsor each course by offering a snack or meal during break time. It’s also a great place to meet and bond with other people from the community.

“We reach out to newcomers as Sarah Bulman, BA ’12 well,” she said.

“This is something they can do to meet people. A lot of people who live in the area go to the community school, so they are meeting their neighbours. They are developing relationships with people they may not normally develop relationships with, especially with newcomers. A lot of them say islanders are very welcoming and friendly but they don’t know how to make friends here. The community school is a friendly and welcoming environment to do that.”

When she’s not coordinating the City Centre School, Bulman is sharing her time between Innovation PEI, where she works on a youth work placement program, and the Chief of Protocol’s office at the Executive Council, where she helped coordinate the Royal Tour of Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and the 55th Annual Premiers’ Conference.

“I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished since graduating, and my success is a result of the excellent education I received at St. Thomas University.”

profiles

Realistic environmentalism The Gaia Project teaches students about energy, climate change, and sustainability issues

By Jacqueline Cormier, BA ’08

Vanessa Paesani, BEd ’10

Vanessa Paesani is getting kids excited about garbage.

projects where students are auditing various levels of sustainability plans, whether it’s energy, waste, water, transportation, or food.

She is the executive director of The Gaia Project, a registered charity that empowers students to make informed decisions on energy and its impact on the environment.

“We work with them to use scientific methods where they go out and collect their own data, analyze it, and then present the results. I think teachers appreciate our projects because we link them to curriculum, so they are still meeting their curriculum outcomes, but are able to do it through an interactive project where the students are really driving their own learning.”

“One of our most straightforward projects is a whole-school waste audit. The kids are really excited to look at the school’s waste.

They are always surprised by what they find in it.”

After students study the results of the audits, they will often work with teachers and the school officials to implement new waste policies.

The Gaia Project has completed 39 waste audits in schools since 2011. From those, about 30 to 45% of waste is generally compost. After the audits, many schools decide to focus on a composting plan, while others will focus on recycling milk cartons, juice boxes and water bottles, and making sure there is a system in place to avoid recyclables ending up in the garbage – an example of students engaging in informed decisions from data that they have collected about their school.

But Paesani says the organization teaches students about more than just garbage. It collaborates with teachers to do real world

Paesani says it’s important to talk to children about efficiency in ways that they will understand. She believes today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders and understanding the link between energy and climate change is going to help society solve climate change issues.

One group of students Paesani worked with at Bathurst High School won a Premier’s Award for Energy Efficiency last year. The students turned the school’s temperature down by a degree and are currently testing the impact of thermally-insulated curtains on minimizing heat loss in the classrooms, as well as leading composting initiatives in the school.

Paesani remembers being fascinated with the natural world when she was a student.

“As a kid, I was always really interested in understanding evolution and how things were related to each other. That’s why I

chose to study biology in my first degree.”

During and after her undergraduate degree, Paesani had the opportunity to teach and tutor students and realized she loved teaching. That’s when she chose to pursue her bachelor of education degree at St. Thomas.

She discovered The Gaia Project while she was still studying at STU and said the organization caught her attention.

“The whole organization is based on project-based and experiential learning.

That’s what drew me here after my teaching degree. The Gaia Project was about living my values.”

Although she is now the executive director at The Gaia Project, she still spends about half her time in the classroom with students.

“I am a certified teacher, but I don’t generally refer to myself as a teacher – more so an educator. I found the BEd helped me understand teacher preparation, how to read curriculum, how to design lesson plans, and how to engage kids – along with the many demands that teachers face in their profession.”

Vanessa was elected to the St. Thomas University Alumni Association board last month.

We are proud to have this new connection with Vanessa and with the Gaia Project.

ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY CONNECTIONS

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profiles

Skills for sale Liberal arts great foundation for career in sales

By Nick Murray, BA ’14

Chris Cummins’s story is one of perseverance and ambition.

He said earning his liberal arts degree gave him “a good foundation of aptitude.”

He has spent more than 20 years in sales and is now with Skillsoft, a global leader in technology-enabled learning. Cummins rose up the corporate ladder with different organizations to where he is now. He is the vice-president of sales with Skillsoft where he oversees client accounts and manages 120 salespeople all over North America.

“It’s the openness for learning,” Cummins said. “It’s one of those things where you never know everything. I’ve been at this for 20 years now and you just don’t know everything. To be good at this job you have to be constantly looking for opportunities to learn and to grow, and I think the foundation of a liberal arts degree is great to help facilitate that.

“I took economics at STU, and that’s totally in the wheelhouse of what I do,” Cummins said. “One of the biggest things I do is manage revenue, manage forecast and do yearly, three-year and five-year business and sales planning. All that has to do with numbers and variables from a forecasting perspective.”

came on as a sales representative and nine years later she’s managing sixteen people and $16-million plus in revenue.”

Skillsoft provides cloud-based learning solutions for customers worldwide, who range from global enterprises, government and education customers to mid-sized and small businesses.

Skillsoft has grown from its early days as a provider of IT and business skills e-learning, and now offers learning solutions that include digitized books, videos, simulations, a learning management system, content development tools, and a range of services to ensure that its customers can effectively leverage solutions to achieve their business goals.

It serves more than 6,000 customers and 19,000,000 learners worldwide and provides hands-on support to assist them in maximizing their ongoing success.

The company’s headquarters is in New

Chris Cummins, BA ’94

Indeed, one of Cummins’ most memorable moments was jumping from managing a 12-person team with a couple-million dollar quota, to being responsible for a $400-million quota and overseeing 500 people with another leader in their space, Hewlett Packard, before he took his most recent job with Skillsoft.

After receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree, he wanted to get into banking or sales. He ultimately chose the latter.

“I played basketball while at STU, and sales is a particularly competitive environment just like sports, which makes those life skills you learn on the basketball court transferable,” Cummins said. “There are always monthly goals, quarterly goals, yearly goals.

You’re always pushing to get better, learning new skills, and you’re always selling against and ultimately trying to win against the competition.”

Cummins said he knew immediately upon entering his profession that it was a career he’d stick with. He also has a consulting company on the side where he does sales training and sales outsourcing. He also teaches a certification course that has trained more than 100 people in the Fredericton area.

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ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY CONNECTIONS

“ A liberal arts degree helps a person’s mindset from a creativity stanDpoint. A sales job is about being creative, putting creative solutions together for clients and doing different things than your competitors.”

“A liberal arts degree helps a person’s mindset from a creativity standpoint. A sales job is about being creative, putting creative solutions together for clients and doing different things than your competitors.”

Aside from managing a small army of workers, Cummins also recruits and searches for the next best salesperson. He says students with liberal arts degrees – a strong number being STU alumni – stand out in the application pool.

“For me, having a liberal arts degree is number one,” he said. “A liberal arts degree with some focus on business is always good, and we’ve done really well with journalism students. One of the managers here is a journalism graduate from St. Thomas. She

Hampshire, but its largest North American office is in Fredericton. With more than 300 people employed at the Fredericton office, Skillsoft is one of the top-five private employers in the city, and Cummins said it’s always pleasing to hire fellow New Brunswickers or those who would like to build a career in New Brunswick.

“We also have three different online sales learning paths within a program that offers 6,000 of Skillsoft’s online assets. The program is called Skills-NB and is co-sponsored

by PETL, Economic Development and Invest NB. It is free to all New Brunswickers,” Cummins explained. “If you have an arts degree and then take a sales path through Skills-NB, you’d have that much more opportunity to get a career in sales.”

opinion

Why language matters – Communicating in an electronic era “WTH? Like really, language matters? ROTFLMAO. How quaint. How dated! Like, how did that job interview go?”

“Like, I dunno. Dude seemed uptight, wuz like he dint even speak the same language.”

Graduates of STU have a unique opportunity. More than any generation since the Middle Ages, you have the opportunity to distinguish yourselves from the masses, to really set yourself apart from the crowd, and to launch your careers on a trajectory you probably never deigned possible – simply by being able to read, write, and communicate properly. Being proficient with these three tasks makes you rare and employable again today.

The rantings of a picky employer with a STU liberal arts degree.

I started writing proper papers when I went to STU. I thought I was good. I wasn’t. Thankfully, I had strong tutelage and guidance from the likes of Professors Gleason, Goltz, and Rhinelander.

They tuned me up, and taught me how to research, think, analyze, and communicate. When I graduated from STU, I was good.

Proper usage of language across the globe, and in particular written communication, is under attack. Texting and technical innovation (such as spell and grammar checking, auto-completion software, and even vocal recognition/ transcription software) has dulled our collective vigilance on spelling and grammar. The fact is that language is facing a torrent of challenge and change, and that the modern communication reality is here to stay.

From there a law degree taught me attention to detail, and an MBA taught me finance. Now I run an international financial recruiting firm with offices in Toronto, Calgary and Houston. And every day I see paper (electronic or physical) with words on it. And words still matter – they really do. As it relates to hiring people to work with me, prospective employees have a very high communications bar to jump over. Be careful with what you write – an innocuous-looking typo, or worse, a spelling mistake or grammatical fail – may convince your reader that you are wrong for the job. Prospective employees also pass or fail a written communication test – most individuals focus on the content, whereas I focus more on their communication. Many fail. Those that pass have my confidence – they will represent my firm professionally and in a way that sets us apart from our competitors.

Humans do not (yet) read binary code, and are highly unlikely to ever evolve some sort of optical/digital data reading capability. Yet no matter how obsolete proper written communication might seem, the written word is here to stay.

Ray Bradbury himself could not have imagined that the assault on writing would be electronic rather than stateimposed and incendiary.

Some suggest, and not without some merit, that grammar, spelling, and composition are archaic. They posit that today’s candid communication style is more effective and will lead to the extinction of “The Rules,” much as the comet led to the extinction of the dinosaurs. Beyond creating earthen upheavals over the final resting spots of Strunk and White, this assertion, if true, would

mean that “content” wins over “form”.

The same “some” would suggest that the importance of communication lies in delivering a message from person(s) to person(s), and that the means of so doing is less or even totally unimportant.

Again, a valid and impactful assertion, but only a part truth.

In fact, proper communication can be your edge. There are many prospective employers out there who are disgusted by today’s language of communication.

Being a strong communicator can help you get in the door, and can also help you climb that ephemeral corporate ladder.

In pursuing a liberal arts education you have made a substantial investment of both time and money. Now I ask you to further invest your time – the incremental time it takes to focus on communication. With practice, this latter investment becomes easier. Your investment will reap significant dividends.

And I and many others will thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Brent Ludwig, BA ’87, is an entrepreneurial small business owner and aspiring author living in Calgary.

He isn’t actually as cantankerous as this article might suggest, and rest assured that the views expressed above are solely his, and his alone.

ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY CONNECTIONS

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LUMNI WEEKEND 201

alumni weekend

Alumni Weekend Recap: October 3-5

Alumni and friends gathered on campus for Alumni Weekend to celebrate the university’s 50 years in Fredericton.

1

The weekend included a book launch, a courtyard party, alumni fan sections at various Tommies games, class reunions, the Gala Dinner, a brunch in the cafeteria, an alumni mass and a concert by The Thomists.

It was great to have everyone back on campus, if only for a short time. We hope to see you again next time!

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ALUMNI WEEKEND 2014

alumni weekend

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1 Members of the high school class of 1954. Gerald Glynn, HS ’54, BA ’58, BEd ’62; President Dawn Russell, BA ’77; Claude Cyr, HS ’54 2 Members of the class of 1974.

Back Row L-R: Bernie Sisk, BA ’73, BEd ’74; Pat (Englehart) Murray, BA ’74, BEd ’75; Don “Happy” Holt, BA ’73, BEd ’75; Paul Parker, BEd ’74.

Front Row L-R: Dr. Norma Sugden, BA ’74, BEd ’75; Elaine Batt, BA ’74, BEd ’75; Terry Pond, BA ’74, BEd ’76; Peggy Holt, BA ’73, BED ’74; Blake Kennedy, BA ’74, BEd ’75 3 Members of the class of 1969.

Back Row L-R: Doug Breen, BSA ’69; Bill Richardson, BA ’69, BEd ’71; Barry Lydon, BA ’69, BEd ’70; Harold DeCourcey, BA ’69, CSW ’79; Maurice Dion, BA ’69; Bob Steele, BA ’69; Peter Donovan, BA ’69, BEd ’72. Front Row L-R: Fr. Frank Morin, BA ’69; Anne Doyle, BA ’69; Irene Lydon, BA ’69, CSW ’77; Anne Marie Breen, BA ’69;

Betty Cummings, BT ’69, BA ’70; Patricia Ellsworth, BA ’69; Larry Batt, BA ’69; Nicole Steele, BA ’69; Tom Shediac, BA ’69, BEd ’71; Doug Richards, BA ’69, BEd ’70 4 Members of the class of 1964.

Back row L-R: Tim Shaw, BA ’64; Darryl Nicholas, BA ’64, BEd ’83; Farrell McCarthy, BA ’64, BEd ’70; Bill Eagan, BA ’64; Fred Regan, BA ’64, BEd ’65; Larry McPhee BA ’64. Front Row L-R: Ray Soucie, BA ’65, BEd ’75; Brian McCarthy, BA ’64, BEd ’66; Ann Quigg, BA ’68; Patricia Furlotte, BA ’64, BEd ’65; Dorothy Gorman, BA ’69, BEd ’90, President Dawn Russell 5 Members of the class of 1989.

Faisal Qadir, BA ’89; Chris Hagerman, BA ’89; Mary Kelly, BA ’89; Cheryl Norrad, BA ’89, BA ’09; Charles Ayles, BA ’89 6 Harry Rigby and his son Kevin watch The Thomists perform.

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LUMNI WEEKEND 201

alumni weekend

1

2

1 Neil Clements, BA ’00, Tim Comeau, BA ’91, Duke

Allaby, BA ’04 at the Courtyard Party.

2 Karla O’Regan, BA ’98 and Jeff Richardson, BA ’01

at the Courtyard Party.

Gala Dinner Supports Students and Honours Distinguished Alumni Alumni and friends of St. Thomas University gathered for an elegant evening of dining and entertainment in support of our students. The dinner celebrated the university’s 50 years in Fredericton and recognized two distinguished alumni.

By inaugurating the Carolyn Layden-Stevenson Distinguished Alumni Award this year, we celebrated a remarkable alumna, a much admired and accomplished educator, lawyer and judge. The first recipient of the award was Bernard Riordon, BA ’70, a native New Brunswicker who has been a curator, author and tireless advocate for Atlantic Canadian artists. Both individuals are remarkable role models for our students.

The dinner raised more than $93,000, and all proceeds will support students in financial need.

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ALUMNI WEEKEND 2014

alumni weekend

3 Dianne Wilkins, BA ’86; President Dawn Russell, BA ’77; Haley Rheault, BA ’16 4 Bernie Riordon, BA ’70, received the inaugural Carolyn Layden-Stevenson Award.

5 Back Row L-R: Brendan Marshall, BA ’06; Caroll Hitchcock; Kate Crawford, BA ’02; Larry Gullison; Derek Gullison. Front Row L-R: David Hitchcock, BA ’66; John McAloon, HS ’45, BA ’50; Margot McAloonParker, BA ’90

6 John Moore, BA ’65; Eleanor Moore, Patricia Donihee, CSW ’77; Kenneth Gould, BA ’65, BEd ’68 7 Margie Layden-Oreto, BA ’72; Richard Sullivan, BA ’70, BEd ’72; Evelyn Layden; Crystal Layden

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LUMNI WEEKEND 201

alumni weekend

1 2

1 Left to Right: Marg Tracy, BA ’75, and Denyse Smart, BA ’80 welcome special reunion alumni to the President’s Brunch. They were recently elected to the St. Thomas Univeristy Alumni Association Board of Directors.

2 Roy Stevens, BA ’98 conductor and trumpet player with The Thomists. Stay tuned for The Thomists’ 50th anniversary celebration in 2015.

Book Launch: Church, Politics, and STU: The Relocation of St. Thomas University from Chatham to Fredericton Based on research carried out in hitherto restricted archives, Church, Politics, and STU: The Relocation of St. Thomas University from Chatham to Fredericton is an abridgement of a longer work entitled A History of St. Thomas University: The Formative Years, 1860– 1990, available at stu.ca/STUhistorybook.

Dr. Bill Spray and Dr. Tony Rhinelander paint a nuanced historical picture of St. Thomas’s evolution from a small Roman Catholic college founded in 1860 on the Miramichi to the nationally recognized liberal arts university it had become by 1990 and remains today. This book deals primarily with the 1950s and 1960s and the political and religious circumstances in which the relocation of the university from Chatham to Fredericton was first discussed and eventually carried out.

To order your copy of Church, Politics, and STU, please contact the office of advancement and alumni relations at 506-452-0521 or email alumni@stu.ca. Copies are also available at St. Michael’s Museum in Miramichi. Copies are available for $19.95. (Plus shipping and handling if applicable.)

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Dr. Tony Tremblay, Dr. Tony Rhinelander, Dr. Judy Kennedy, Larry Batt, and Father John Jennings discussed life on campus in the mid-60s and 70s and the university’s growth over the subsequent decades at the book launch.

Summer Convocation celebrates class of 2014

Campus WATCH Excellence Recognized (Again) at STU

“Live your lives passionately” St. Thomas celebrated the conferral of degrees on 120 graduates in arts, applied arts, social work, and education on Friday, July 11.

able education you have acquired to do all the good you can, keeping in mind it is your kindness and your courage that defines you.

President and Vice-Chancellor Dawn Russell told the graduates she is confident they will lead successful and rewarding lives because of the combination of personal qualities and professional skills they have developed.

Professor Emeritus

“People skills, streets smarts, creativity, a capacity for hard work, an inner drive, compassion, passion for justice, honesty, integrity, a certain zest for life, hutzpah… those qualities and skills combined with the knowledge you acquired at St. Thomas will assist you in your future success.”

Teacher, author, and community leader Hetty van Gurp delivered the convocation address. van Gurp is the founder of Peaceful Schools International, an organization that promotes peer mediation and encourages schools to develop peace plans.

She encouraged the graduates to recognize when they are called to make a difference in the lives of others.

“From trying to understand someone whose point of view is different than yours to working with an international outreach organization, I urge you to live your lives passionately, using the valu-

During convocation, Andrea Bear Nicholas was awarded the designation of Professor Emeritus. Nicholas has devoted her life to the study of the history, culture, and language of the Wabanaki.

She was the Endowed Chair in Native Studies at St. Thomas University from 1993 to 2013 and developed courses on the Native history of the region, colonialism, Native education, Native women, and the Maliseet language.

She organized conferences on human rights, education, law and immersion education. She also developed the University College Entrance Program and the Native Language Immersion Teaching Certificate Program, the first of its kind in North America. Over the past several years, she has established and coordinated a full-time adult immersion program at the St. Mary’s First Nation.

University Medal Sonia Landry of Grande-Anse, NB, was awarded the University

Our students benefit from being taught by exceptional teachers every day. For the second consecutive year, a faculty member has been recognized with the highest teaching award in Atlantic Canada.

Dawn Russell President and Vice-Chancellor

Dr. Martin Kutnowski has been awarded the Association of Atlantic Universities Distinguished Teaching Award. His colleague Dr. Brad Cross, History, was recognized in 2013.

The award confirms what we have long known about Martin he is an outstanding teacher and an accomplished composer and performer. His warm demeanour and passion for music make him a contributor to our unique student experience.

It also confirms what we know about our professors. A national survey of university students found that STU’s first-year students rate their faculty significantly higher than do their counterparts at Maritime and Canadian schools.

Martin believes that teaching is a shared creative enterprise, teacher and students learning from one another. Many of his practices are unorthodox. To build finger strength, he’ll challenge students to master the work wearing gloves. He also inspires appreciation for classical music by exploring it sideby-side with contemporary work from The Simpsons or Lady Gaga.

Since coming to STU in 2005, Martin has developed the Fine Arts Program which now consists of courses with concentrations in Fine Arts, Visual Arts, and Music. He strives for excellence every day and is the embodiment of why our name is synonymous with Excellence in Liberal Arts.

Medal for Academic Excellence in Education. This award, which recognizes the student with the highest standing in the education program, was endowed by President Emeritus Daniel O’Brien and his family.

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campus watch

Providing students with

research

opportunities

Alumna

returns

to campus

Dr. Sandra Thomson is newest member of Psychology department

Dr. Amanda DiPaolo leads Human Rights program

Dr. Sandra Thomson knows first-hand that spending time in the research lab can enrich a student’s university experience.

Dr. Amanda DiPaolo believes learning about human rights is fundamental to liberal arts because it’s the foundation of many other programs and potential career paths.

Research opportunities she had during her undergraduate degree inspired her to pursue graduate studies. Now, as St. Thomas University’s newest member of the psychology department, she hopes to give these types of opportunities to her students.

The STU alumna is back on campus as the new director of the human rights program.

“I want my students to get involved in some forms of research by running experiments in the classroom,” she said. “I also look forward to working with students outside of the classroom in our psychology lab.”

“If a student wants to be a police officer, they need to know human rights. If they want to be a lawyer, they need to know human rights.

Even if they want to be a teacher, they should have a foundation in human rights. It’s a very important program for students to get involved in.”

Thomson will be teaching Principles of Learning and Cognitive Psychology this year.

This year, she will be teaching classes on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and International Human Rights.

Her primary research interest is in divided attention and multitasking: exploring why people have such a hard time doing two things at once, and why that does not stop them from trying.

DiPaolo taught part time at STU for two years while she wrote her doctoral dissertation before accepting a position teaching US constitutional law at Middle Tennessee State University. During her time there, she hoped she could find her way back to St. Thomas.

Thomson completed both her undergraduate and her doctorate degrees at McMaster University and then worked there as a lecturer and as a research associate.

“St. Thomas is a community and I am excited to be a part of that,” she said. “McMaster is a bigger school, so that’s one of the reasons I’m excited to be at St. Thomas. I’ll actually get to know my students and get to spend time with them, which I didn’t often have as a student. And when I did have those opportunities, they were always the best classes. You really feel like you learn more when you are able to talk to the professor one-on-one.”

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“One of the great things about St. Thomas is that there is a rapport with students and faculty. It’s not so big that you don’t know your students.”

DiPaolo’s research interest deals with war powers and human rights violations during times of war.

She has focused much of her research on American examples but is planning to shift her research towards international human rights and look at the same types of questions focused on international tribunals.

campus watch

Dr. Michael Dawson part of “emerging generation of intellectual leadership” History professor Dr. Michael Dawson has been elected to the Royal Society of Canada’s inaugural College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.

The college is Canada’s first national system of multidisciplinary recognition for the emerging generation of intellectual leadership. It aims to generate new advances in understanding from the interaction of diverse intellectual, social and cultural perspectives.

Dawson, the first professor from St. Thomas to join the Royal Society, teaches courses on Canadian history, the global history of sport and tourism, and comparative history of national identity and popular culture.

“I study the historical roots of contemporary society. In particular, I investigate the national symbols and popular culture that shape our everyday lives but that we tend to take for granted,” he said.

Dawson examines a wide range of topics including the mythic Canadian Mountie, tourism promotion, sporting events, the history of shopping, and the cultural and educational significance of television programs such as The Muppet Show and Sesame Street. He said the best part of his job is the freedom he has to ask questions that are new and important.

“I enjoy discovering answers that are counter-intuitive and thus have the potential to change the way we understand the world around us.”

St. Thomas University became a member of the Royal Society of Canada last year. The society works to recognize leading intellectuals, scholars, researchers and artists to advance knowledge, encourage interdisciplinary understanding, and address critical issues that affect Canadians.

Psychology graduate Anna Scheidler, BA ’14, earned the Undergraduate Research Award at this year’s Science Atlantic Conference. Scheidler’s topic of unrealistic optimism explored how people often believe they are less likely than the average person to experience negative events. The conference, which was hosted at St. Thomas, brought 90 psychology students from Atlantic Canadian universities to campus to present their research.

Student

research

rewarded

Press Gallery Dinner St. Thomas University and the Legislature Press Gallery honoured former Radio-Canada anchor Abbé Lanteigne with the Eldred Savoie Award for Excellence and Dedication in New Brunswick Journalism. Lanteigne is one of the most respected and well-known francophone journalists in New Brunswick. Left to right: Eldred Savoie; Abbé Lanteigne; Dawn Russell, STU president; Adam Huras, president of the Legislature Press Gallery.

ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY CONNECTIONS

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campus watch

Faculty book launch WorldHist ry

Institute for

PublicLecture Eminent world and environmental historian John R. McNeill delivered a public lecture on October 9 to mark the official launch of St. Thomas University’s new Institute for World History.

In his presentation, McNeill reflected on the attractions and perils of writing global-scale history, the strengths and weaknesses of unifying ideas that world historians use, and the compatibility of certain broad themes, such as environment, gender, class, and culture, with world-historical analysis.

Author David Adams Richards named Irving Chair in Journalism at St. Thomas University

Dr. Sue McKenzie-Mohr and Dr. Michelle Lafrance recently launched their new book, Women Voicing Resistance: Discursive and narrative explorations The book, which includes chapters by internationally recognized researchers from a variety of disciplines, explores women’s resistance across a wide range of experiences, including: intimate partner violence, casual sex, depression, premenstrual change, disordered eating, lesbian identity, women’s work in male-dominated spaces, rape, and child birth. Each chapter combines theoretical analyses with illuminating first-hand accounts, and elaborates practical implications that provide directions for individual and social change.

Creating a sense of home Dan Robichaud has joined STU’s Aboriginal Student Services.

Dan’s role on campus will involve recruiting and retaining Aboriginal students and he will help them achieve success at STU. The position represents an essential component of the university’s ongoing commitment to working with Aboriginal communities. Dan comes to STU with years of experience working in alternative education.

He was a behaviour mentor in high schools and worked in First Nations Adult Education programs that dealt with career readiness and continued education.

Student receives inaugural Track & Field academic scholarship

David Adams Richards, accomplished fiction and non-fiction writer and St. Thomas University alumnus, is the Irving Chair in Journalism for 2014. The award-winning writer will be on campus during the fall term to work with students, conduct a master class in non-fiction writing, and give a public lecture.

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First-year student Makayla Oatway from Kensington, PEI, received the St. Thomas University Track & Field Entrance Scholarship. The academic scholarship is valued at $5,000 per year (renewable for a second year).

The scholarship is made possible by a generous donation from The Arthur L. Irving Family Foundation.

TO STU

POStCARD

Student a DiffereMaking in Austrance lia Val J

ohn Interna stone’s tional E x

change

By Ale x Vaut our, BA ’15 Last Feb ruary, Va Thomas l Johnsto c n to the m ommunity in Fre e left her small etropolita St. dericton a city of n Although 2.2 milli city of Brisban and took off so on peop e, Austr w ere diffic me days at the alia – le.

“The co rewardin ult, it proved to homelessness ntrast w ce g as incre change gratitud experience for be an extremely ntre dib that I wa e of the her. Afte s looking le, but it was th p r she wou e for,” she Val was ld like to eople she helpe seeing the says. in Austr d in , sh p u th rsue a m e future ali tional Ex aster of e realized . change a as part of STU social w pro Australia ’s ork Her flexib n Catholi gram. She atte Internale a social n c c d la U e s d n ss ivers to many the ju Australia chedule allowe the Bris stice internship ity and chose to d her to S n cities y bane Ho d in n d e o y p , lace tr M in m experien spring b elbourne and B cluding Cairns avel ce was h elessness Servic of a class at , reak, sh y ro social w ands-on e n C B e ay. e ntre. through ork a the tiny went on an eigh During her to help th ers and worke s she got to sha Her country td with h d em find o w of Tasma day hike omeless homes.

She was nia. p e o p a le b “I learne the Gold le to visit the d fam C you can what it was lik ri er Reef, oast, scuba dive ous beaches o e m f p in the G grateful ake on a perso to see the influ e t k an visit Ste n’s ence they can ve Irwin garoos and koala reat Barbe for th life and how ’s She also s, and e zoo in B at.” v Glass Ho learned how to fr eerwah, Queens en land. use Mou eehand ro ntains N ational P ck climb at ark.

Have a story from abroad to share?

Postcards feature alumni and student travels and adventures. To suggest a profile, e-mail alumni@stu.ca.

ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY CONNECTIONS

FALL 2014 23

New&Noteworthy News from classmates & friends around the world

1960s

1

On February 25, 2014, Kenneth Gould, BA ’65, BEd ’68, became the first individual in New Brunswick to donate blood 800 times.

ble beginnings in Fredericton, to the pinnacle of success, a World Series Championship with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008. The book was launched November 1, 2014. All proceeds from the book will support Fredericton Minor League Baseball. Several alumni and coaches from STU have been interviewed for this book. For further information please email ABoyNamedMatt@hotmail.com or go to Facebook: ABoyNamedMatt.

0 7 9 1 1 0 0 5 6 9 1 19 1970s

1 Peggy Holt,

BA ’73, BEd ’74, sent us this photo of her painting icebergs in Newfoundland. We like your t-shirt, Peggy!

Have an update to share?

Let us know!

2

alumni @stu.ca

Karen (Donovan) Lannan, BA ’78, recently retired. She has three children and a two-year-old granddaughter. She and her husband celebrated their 37th wedding anniversary in September and planned a trip to Italy for two weeks.

1980s

Dr. John L. McLaughlin, BA ’82, was elected the Vice-President of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies, the national professional society of Biblical Scholars and Professors, for the 2014-2015 academic year. He continues as Associate Professor of Old Testament/Hebrew Bible in the Faculty of Theology at the University of St. Michael’s College in Toronto. His most recent publication was “Is Amos (Still) Among the Wise?” Journal of Biblical Literature 133 (2014): 281–303.

Carol (McAloon) Bateman, BA ’88, was presented with a Chief of Defence Staff Commendation during the CDS’s visit to Petawawa. As the award notes, “As the Battle Group Chaplain in Afghanistan from May to November 2010, Lieutenant (N) Bateman provided unwavering support and ministry to all members of the unit. Spending the majority of her time at forward locations, her performance under demanding and hazardous conditions was exemplary. A true spiritual leader, Lieutenant (N) Bateman’s selfless efforts improved morale, contributed to the operational effectiveness of the Battle Group and enhanced the image of the Canadian Forces.”

Carlena Munn, BA ’89, has completed her second book, A Boy Named Matt, a biography of famed Major League Baseball Slugger Matt Stairs. The book tells the story of Matt’s rise from hum24 FALL 2014

ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY CONNECTIONS

1990s

T.K Stewart, BA ’90 published a book earlier this year entitled The Fight Racket: Inside the World of Professional Boxing. The book is available for purchase on Amazon.

3

Helen O’Donnell Paré, BA ’94, received the Women’s Leadership Award from the Women’s Addiction Services Council in Maine. Ms. Paré achieved recovery from substance abuse in 1985, after completing Kelly 6, an inpatient treatment center at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. She worked in the mental health field for many years. Six years ago, she went to work for the Women’s Project, and now assists women who have young children that are working on recovery.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY

2000s

2 A group of alumni who lived in Vanier Hall “1st Floor JD” returned to campus in August to visit STU and their old wing in Vanier Hall. They are already planning another gathering next summer and hope more of their Vanier friends will join them!

From left to right are Nadine Amizial, BA ’01, BEd ’02; Catherine Baillie, STU ’96-98; Kimberley Dwyer, BA ’03; Natalie (Jargaille) Steeves, BA ’01, BEd ’11; Angela (Atkinson) Downey BA ’02; Seema Poirier, BA ’00, BSW ’07; Stacie Quigley, BA ’00; Sally-Jo Janes, BA ’00, BSW ’01; Ann Marie Babineau, BA ’00. Missing from photo, Marlene Floyd, BA ’00.

Ryan was the recipient of the Tommy Hughes Award for leadership in his graduating year, as well as an Academic All Canadian throughout his time at St. Thomas (being both a Varsity athlete for the STU men’s hockey team and on the Dean’s list). Nadia came to STU on a one year exchange from Ireland in ’07 and never looked back, becoming a full-time international student in her final year, as well as playing for the STU women’s soccer team. She is currently back at STU upgrading her degree by pursuing her Certificate of Honours Standing, all whilst working full-time. The couple now reside in Fredericton and maintain strong ties to their STU family.

0 9 0 9 0 1 0 0 80 2 Jessica D. Fenton, BA ’05, BEd ’06, completed a Master’s in Education in Curriculum Development and Administration at UNB in 2013. She received her teaching certification 6 and Principal’s certificate in 2013. She just got back from taking a sabbatical from teaching to travel the world. She traveled to 22 countries in 14 months and documented each step of her journey on her travel blog: turquoisecompass.com 3 Tara Brinston, BA ’06, was recently named the New Brunswick Young Humanitarian of the Year by the Red Cross.

She is a passionate advocate for human rights and has spent the past eight years focused on the rights of persons with intellectual disabilities.

9 1

4

Christine Babineau, BA ’13, was awarded a CIHR scholarship award for her graduate work at the University of Saskatchewan. The award is for $17,500 over 12 months. Her study looks at how the public - women in particular interact with the messages related to depression and its treatment in direct-to-consumer antidepressant advertisements.

She is currently in the data analysis stage.

Tracey House, BA ’12, finished her Bachelors of Information System at the University of New Brunswick in May 2014.

6 Deborah Park, BA ’14, passed the Royal Con6 servatory of Music ARCT Piano Practical Exam with First Class Honours.

5 4 Dr. Kathleen Hughes, BA ’06, and her husband Jonathan Kalman are very proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Rebecca Hazel Kalman. Rebecca was born at 5:25 am on August 1st in Fredericton, NB, weighing 7lb 3oz. She is a very happy baby, with a full head of black hair. During her year of maternity leave, Kathleen can be reached at kathmhughes@gmail.com

2010s 5 Ryan Lehr, BA ’10, and Nadia Barry, BA ’09, recently married in Nadia’s hometown of Bantry Bay, Ireland on August 2, 2014. The wedding was attended by a number of their STU classmates as well as a large contingency from the Maritimes. The two first met on campus while on the way to class, in Sir James Dunn Hall back in 2007 and have been inseparable ever since.

In �emoriam

The St. Thomas University Alumni Relations office, STU Alumni Association, and the university community extend condolences to the family and friends of the following alumni who passed away recently:

Robert “Bob” Joseph Gautreau, BA ’80, BSW ’81 October 23, 2014 Ronald Eugene McLellan, BA ’77 October 10, 2014 Vincent Edward “Vince” Desmond, HS ’50 September 5, 2014 Rev. William J. Nugent, BA ’52 August 23, 2014 Mary Margaret “Margo” Perry, BSW ’85 June 28, 2014 Terry Keleher, BT ’69, BA ’70 March 7, 2014

ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY CONNECTIONS

FALL 2014 25

TOTAL RECALL Can you identify people in this photo?

Email your answers to alumni@stu.ca by December 15th to win a STU hoodie or golf shirt.

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Living He althy

They became known to the fish people,” Jesuit missionaries so named as “the shellfor their and oysters found in profusion gathering of mussels, clams easy to collect, on the tidal flats—they and could be eaten raw. were by those ancient The middens discarded shells made Edward Island, can still be as well as objects found on Prince of bobbing of more recent buoys, bags vintage: and crates and parcel and other containers, acres of modern part Atlantic Canada’s aquaculture. commercial the early 19th oyster trade century, and dates back mussel farming during the to late 1970s began in earnest after a couple Newfoundla of aborted nd and Labrador. attempts in things have But it’s in the really taken past decade off. that According to Fisheries and Oceans mussel production Canada (DFO), in the region farmed tonnes in 2002 increased from to 27,631 metric 20,195 metric cial value increased tonnes in 2012.

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dreams in PEI • Fields of (tulip) (veggies) • Grow your own of • Awesome images wild pollinators to • How and when feed song birds

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St. Thomas University Seeks Nominations for 2015 Sports Wall of Fame

The Sports Wall of Fame, launched in 2010 to recognize the significant contribution of individuals and teams who have enhanced the image of the institution, includes athletes, builders – coaches, managers, athletics staff or administration – and teams.

The deadline for nomination is December 12, 2014.

For more information, please visit the athletics section of stu.ca or contact Lily Fraser, Vice-President, Finance and Administration, by email vpfa@stu.ca or phone (506) 452-0533.

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WIN iPadAN !

Where are you?

The Alumni Office has, sadly, lost touch with some of our alumni, and we still don’t have email addresses for many others. We use email to share the new e-Connections newsletter, and to invite alumni to local and regional events, so make sure we know how to reach you.

Please take a few minutes to update your records with us. All alumni who provide a new mailing address, phone number, or email address will be entered to win an iPad.

Are you getting two or more of the same STU mailings? Please let us know! Help us reduce our mailings by emailing us at alumni@stu.ca.

When you email your updated information to alumni@stu.ca make sure your subject line says “I want to win an iPad.” The draw will take place on Dec. 15th so act now!

independent member broker Dick Russell, BA ‘06 Sales Representative Bus: 506.455.3948 Cell: 506.261.0846 rrussell@exitadvantage.ca

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