Master's theses round-up: African Heritage Month

Exploring themes of Black and African heritage, identity and justice

February is African Heritage Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of people of Black and African descent. To mark this month, the Patrick Power Library is highlighting the work of Saint Mary’s graduate students whose research explores themes related to Black and African heritage, history, identity and social justice.

A Master’s thesis represents years of dedication, inquiry and original scholarship, and we’re excited to showcase these contributions to academic knowledge. This collection of graduate student theses offers valuable insights into a diverse range of subjects studied by Saint Mary’s students. More student theses can be discovered in the University Archives’ online Institutional Repository.

Read on to discover the work of our student scholars!

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"Entering the workforce in Halifax: Strategies and coping mechanisms among the African migrant community"
by Priscilla Armah, Master of Arts in Geography, 2021

This study examines the job market experiences of Sub-Saharan African migrants in Halifax, using Bourdieu’s habitus and Labour Market Segmentation theory. It explores strategies, barriers like racism and systemic discrimination, and coping mechanisms, highlighting how interconnected individual, group and systemic factors shape labour market integration.

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"Forced/coerced sterilization of HIV-positive women in the Southern African region in the context of reproductive justice and intersectional gender-based violence"
by Ogechukwu Chinenye Chukwudozie, Master of Arts in Women and Gender Studies, 2024

This study examines the forced sterilization of HIV-positive women through the lenses of reproductive justice, the intersectionality framework and feminist content analysis, highlighting how poverty, age, education and racism increase vulnerability. The author amplifies victims' voices and expands intersectional scholarship in Africa, emphasizing overlooked factors in the oppression of HIV-positive women.

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"Whose revolution is televised?: Young African Nova Scotian women respond to sexual politics in hip hop culture & everyday life"
by Alecia Green, Master of Arts in the Joint Women’s Studies Programme, 2007

This qualitative study explores how young African Nova Scotian women interpret Black female body representations in hip-hop videos. Using a Black socio-feminist lens, interviews with university students reveal critical media literacy, counter-hegemonic views shaped by academics, divinity, and community, and a belief that Black female beauty comes from within.

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"Presence and perseverance: Blacks in Hants County, Nova Scotia, 1871-1914"
by David Wayne States, Masters of Arts in Atlantic Canada Studies, 2002

In the early 19th century, Black refugees from the U.S. settled in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, facing harsh conditions and discrimination. This thesis traces the efforts of Black families in Hants County to adapt to these circumstances and improve conditions for their offspring's future success. States argues the agency shown by these people would result in the generations following them achieving a level of competency not thought attainable by the immigrant generation.

"The experiences and challenges of Black entrepreneurs in Halifax, Nova Scotia"
by Gabriel Nimoh, Master of Arts in Geography, 2022

Using the mixed embeddedness model and intersectionality theoretical framework, this study explores the experiences, motivations, barriers and coping strategies of Black entrepreneurs in Halifax. Findings highlight market opportunities, financial constraints, racial discrimination, and the role of mindset and social support in overcoming challenges. This study seeks to assist policymakers and practitioners in developing informed decisions that promote inclusion in the Canadian business environment.

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"In vivo facial tissue depth measurements of African Nova Scotian children for 3-D forensic facial reconstruction"
by Meaghan Alexandria Huculak, Master of Science in Applied Science, 2021

Partnering with the African Nova Scotian community, this student researcher collaboratively created the first African Canadian facial tissue depth database for identifying missing children. Using ultrasound technology on 54 participants (ages 3–18) showed age, sex, and nutrition contributed to tissue depth. This student’s thesis discusses the application of the findings in multiple forensic contexts.

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"Performing diversity: Black bodies in Atlantic Canadian post-secondary institutions"
by Itai Ashley Kuwodza, Master of Arts in Atlantic Canadian Studies, 2024

Kuwodza argues that the Black student experience in Atlantic Canada is explicitly limited by racist practices. The thesis traces the historical roots of exploitation and analyzes how colonial legacies, racial biases and economic disparities have contributed to the marginalization of Black individuals in Atlantic Canadian education and sport.

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"Where are the black female faculty?: Employment equity policy failures and the overrepresentation of whiteness"
by Isalean Phillip, Master of Arts in Women & Gender Studies, 2018

Philip’s thesis critiques employment equity and diversity practices at two Atlantic Canadian universities, using intersectionality and critical race feminism as theoretical frameworks. Through critical race feminist discourse analysis and interviews with Black women scholars, Philips analyzes the persistence of systemic racism and sexism, highlighting how the institutionalization of liberal feminist equity policies, diversity discourses and white patriarchal hegemony all sustain institutional practices of racialized gendered omission, erasure and misrepresentation.

Saint Mary’s named top undergraduate research university in Nova Scotia

SMU also led the Canadian undergrad universities rankings for research income growth in the Canada’s Top 50 Research Universities 2024 report

Saint Mary’s University is a leader in the region in obtaining external research funding, according to a Research Infosource Inc. report ranking Canada’s Top 50 Research Universities. 

In the annual report released at the end of 2024, Saint Mary’s rose five spots in the Research Income category to 11th place on the undergraduate university rankings, maintaining its position as the highest-ranked undergraduate institution in Nova Scotia. The university also rose three spots to 42nd place on the overall top 50 list, the highest overall ranking Saint Mary’s has received.

Saint Mary’s also rose five spots to claim the top ranking of all Canadian universities in the undergraduate tier for the Research Income Growth category, showing an impressive 34.4 per cent increase to give a total of $16.29 million in external research funding in 2023. Faculty funding averages $63,200, and funding for graduate students is $21,500 per student.

“We are pleased to see Saint Mary’s once again move up in Canada’s top 50 research universities rankings, taking the university to its highest ever national ranking of external research funding,” says Dr. Adam J. Sarty, Associate Vice-President, Research and Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research. “It’s thanks to our strong calibre and commitment of Saint Mary’s professors, who are leaders in their fields and able to attract substantial external funding to support their vital work, a good portion of which has direct connections and impact for our community.”

As a research institution, this work continues to be a priority and is a driving force behind the university’s success. The national top rank for year-over-year improvement in the university’s funding underlines the continuing commitment of our professors to seek and secure funding to support their work, and notably, a great many undergraduate and graduate students who are keys to the research success of Saint Mary’s University, explains Dr. Sarty.

“Faculty members at Saint Mary’s have earned federal, provincial and international funding for their work, and we also ensure that this next generation of researchers has a chance to explore research in their fields,” said Dr. Sarty. “Our summer research programs are open to all students across campus after their first year of undergraduate studies, allowing them to work alongside professors and gain invaluable experience that they use in their studies at Saint Mary’s and beyond.”

Learn more:

• List of Canada’s Top 50 Research Universities

• The Saint Mary’s University Strategic Research Plan

• Student Research Opportunities

• Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research

SMU research supports right whale conservation

Credit: Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, taken under NOAA permit #26919

Dr. Timothy Frasier

Saint Mary’s biology professor, Dr. Timothy Frasier, is the principal investigator of a research team that is working to update a DNA database of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. CBC reports that the researchers have received funding through a contract with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, which will allow the team to reanalyse the current DNA samples and expand to hundreds of more regions. The DNA samples collected help to identify individual right whales.

The funding contract includes an annual payment of up to $33,960 and can be extended each year from March 2025 to 2028. "It's a big jump," said Frasier in an interview with CBC. "Not only is that going to give us a higher resolution [of the genome], but the technology is going to make that much more efficient and less error-prone."

Learn more about the research and conservation efforts at CBC.ca.
Reported by CBC News and written by Giuliana Grillo de Lambarri.

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Related reading:

• Researchers study effects of inbreeding on reproductive success in endangered North Atlantic right whales

• Helping the North Atlantic Right Whale rebound

Halifax Memory Maps research offers a new look at city’s heritage

A new study by researchers in the Department of Anthropology at Saint Mary’s University has found that 87 per cent of Halifax buildings that were standing in 1878 have since been demolished. The first phase of the Halifax Memory Maps project used archival maps and geographic information system (GIS) software to measure the loss of heritage buildings in the urban environment.

The study’s results were published online November 12 in the form of an ArcGIS StoryMap called Halifax Heritage: 1878, which can be accessed at mapsofmemory.com. 

“We hope these findings will encourage Haligonians to reconsider the extent and value of Halifax’s rich architectural inheritance before it vanishes forever,” Dr. Jonathan Fowler says on behalf of the research team.

Emily Davis BA’24 works with Dr. Fowler in the Archaeology Lab

Recent graduates Emily Davis BA’24 and Gillian Bonner BA’24 were key players in the project as student researchers while finishing their Bachelor of Arts degrees.

“I think the Memory Maps project is valuable to the public in general because it allows people to engage and connect more with the city that they live in,” says Davis, who grew up in Sydney Mines, Cape Breton. “The digital maps make the heritage and history of the city more accessible…that’s sort of the point of archaeology, to share it with the community and the public.”

Project background

Halifax is one of Canada's fastest-growing cities and will soon have over half a million residents. The bustle and new builds are evident to all, with construction cranes and traffic detours across the city.

“In times of rapid and transformational change, it is important to carefully consider what we choose to keep and what we choose to discard,” says Dr. Fowler. “Recognizing that change is necessary for growth and that heritage architecture is an important part of Halifax's distinctive vibe and character, we need to find a balance. How much of Halifax's rich and unique architectural heritage should be carried into the future, and what can be let go?”

Prior to the Halifax Memory Maps project, there has been no systematic survey of Halifax's architectural heritage. The research team felt that an inventory of built heritage assets is an essential part of any meaningful discussion of this subject: “We cannot properly manage and steward what we have not first measured and mapped,” says Dr. Fowler.

Starting with the first large-scale map of the city, the 1878 Hopkins’ City Atlas of Halifax, the team examined the Halifax peninsula, street by street and building by building, to see what survived and what has been lost. The results of this first phase of the project revealed that whole neighbourhoods have vanished from some areas of the city, while in others, large parts of old Halifax remain intact. Some well-seasoned buildings have acquired municipal or provincial heritage status and thus a measure of official protection. In most cases, however, they have not and could face the risk of being demolished.

This image from the Halifax Heritage 1878 map shows “a vanished neighbourhood, a Victorian gasworks, and the Tobin estate beneath what is now the Barrington St. Superstore and Peace and Friendship Park.”

The challenge moving forward

A recent HRM staff report reveals that from 2009 to 2019, 33 of 104 buildings with potential for municipal heritage designation were demolished, an attrition rate of 32 per cent in just 10 years.[1] This report relates to just a small area of downtown Halifax.

Until now, planners—and the public—have not had a comprehensive map of peninsular Halifax’s oldest buildings. Along with raising awareness of our built heritage, the researchers hope the Halifax Memory Maps project offers a helpful tool for managing current and future growth.

“As our newly elected mayor and Council are seated, and as the pace of change continues to drive the city to grow bigger and busier than ever before, Haligonians need to decide what kind of Halifax they want to bequeath to future generations,” says Dr. Fowler. “For that is the essential nature of heritage: it is what we inherit from our ancestors. And it is what we value enough to preserve and pass on to others.”

Henry House

Royal Engineers NS Archives

Intercolonial Railway 1901

McCord Stewart Museum

Queen Hotel 1887

NS Archives

Tobin Estate 1880

NS Archives

The research team was recently invited to present findings at a special meeting of the HRM Planning and Development Office and will continue to share results with municipal staff and the public in the months ahead. In development now are a map of Late Victorian Halifax and a map of grave markers in The Old Burying Ground, one of Canada's oldest marked cemeteries.

The team will release its next map – Halifax 1899 – in Spring 2025. Team members include:

• Gillian Bonner BA’24, an Anthropology graduate who now works in cultural resource management;

• Emily Davis BA’24, a graduate of the Anthropology honours program; she has an interest in industrial, landscape and historical archaeology;

• Dr. Jonathan Fowler, an archaeologist who ‘loves old maps’ and teaches in the Department of Anthropology;

• Sheheryar Khan, a Bachelor of Science and Diploma of Engineering student at Saint Mary's; he is interested in civil engineering and environmental issues; and

• Wesley Weatherbee, the Anthropology Laboratory Technician at Saint Mary’s, where his research focuses on coastal archaeology and climate change.

Davis hopes the research project will help to guide her toward a career in the archaeology field. “I would like to keep working in this area of study,” she says. “I find it to be very rewarding and I’m also quite passionate about it. I think it’s important work, so I would like to go further with my education and do a master’s, and then kind of see where life takes me from there.”

Emily Davis talks with Global TV about the Memory Maps project

[1] Heritage Advisory Committee and Community Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee, 31 January 2019. Case H00437: Strategy for the Protection of Potential Heritage Resources Downtown

Halifax, Item No 9.3.

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Related reading:

• SMU offers archaeology studies through Ancient Studies and Anthropology.

• How Halifax's history is slowly fading

• Halifax has lost 87 per cent of its heritage buildings, new study says

• Halifax's history being wiped away as city grows

• Team mapping historical buildings in Halifax says city losing its 'architectural inheritance'

• A "memory map" of Halifax compares the buildings on the peninsula in 1878, to see what's still standing

Health Data Analytics Symposium showcases student innovation

Health Data Analytics Symposium held at Saint Mary's University

Symposium participants

Scott McKenna, Chief Information Officer, Nova Scotia Health and IWK

Dr. Michael Zhang

MBAN Program Driector

MBAN student Iram Shaikh

MBAN student Jane (Zhenyu) Zhu

How can data transform healthcare? Can data help us make better decisions around patient care and even help manage the overall healthcare system in Nova Scotia?

Those were the central questions at the Health Data Analytics Symposium, which was recently held at Saint Mary’s University. The symposium brought together a diverse group of experts from government, healthcare, and business.

This annual event provides a platform for SMU graduate students in the Master in Business Analytics (MBAN) program to present their groundbreaking research. It is a place for them to share the results of their internships and co-ops with some of Nova Scotia’s largest healthcare providers, including Nova Scotia Health, the IWK and the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness. This symposium is aimed at fostering partnerships between academia and healthcare, driving innovations that directly benefit Nova Scotians.

MBAN student Farhat Roopkatha

“My work with the IM/IT Business Intelligence Team at Nova Scotia Health […] has been a transformative experience, setting new standards for capacity planning and organizational transparency in healthcare,” says MBAN student Farhat Roopkotha.

“From customizing workflows to fostering collaboration across diverse teams, this project has demonstrated how tailored tools can drive impactful change. By integrating Agile methodologies, we’ve empowered teams to optimize resources and align goals for better outcomes across Nova Scotia Health.”

Healthcare experts questioned the students about the practical applications of data insights into various aspects of healthcare, from daily medical routines to long-term planning. These discussions highlighted examples of how data is being used to enhance patient care and streamline healthcare operations in local emergency rooms, long-term care facilities, and prescription management.

“The feedback from the Nova Scotia Health community was truly inspiring, reaffirming the importance of this project in improving data collection and patient outcomes,” says MBAN student Fana Abaynew Mandefro, who presented her work with the Wound Care Registry Project with the Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub.

A notable session delved into the role of data in understanding the social determinants of health. Scott McKenna, Chief Information Officer, Nova Scotia Health and IWK, stressed the importance of analyzing social factors such as income and education. “Data and analytics have the power to bring tremendous insight to the health system.  Layering in important socio-economic information can give us a whole different perspective and influence how we design solutions for citizens and tailor them to respond to unique needs.”

Jordan Warford, Executive Director of Planning and Performance, Department of Health and Wellness

Jordan Warford, Executive Director of Planning and Performance, Department of Health and Wellness, posed the question, “How can we harness the power of data to plan for the longer term?”

Warford emphasized the importance of data analytics in uncovering hidden patterns and trends, which can lead to more informed decisions. “Data is the compass guiding us through healthcare’s complexities, revealing insights that turn information into better care and healthier communities. These students are proving that the smart decisions we make today can shape a stronger, more sustainable system for tomorrow.”

As the symposium progressed, attendees gained valuable insights into the critical role of data in shaping the future of healthcare. The event underscored SMU’s commitment to fostering innovation and preparing the next generation of healthcare leaders.

Matthew Murphy, Chief Data Officer, Nova Scotia Health Authority, expressed his deep appreciation for the partnership and commitment to further advancing internship programs with SMU. Saint Mary’s University continues to lead the way in equipping students with the tools to revolutionize healthcare through data. "Partnerships like the one between Nova Scotia Health and Saint Mary’s University are pivotal in shaping the future of healthcare. By leveraging the power of data, we are not only equipping students with practical skills but also creating real-world solutions that enhance care and improve outcomes for Nova Scotians.”

The work underway in SMU's health analytics space reflects the ecosystem's commitment to building a healthcare system that meets today’s demands and is prepared to adapt to future challenges with data at its core.

Jacob Hanley: 2024 winner of President’s Award for Excellence in Research

Dr. Jacob Hanley, recipient of the 2024 winner of President’s Award for Excellence in Research at Saint Mary’s.

As a global leader in the field of geochemistry and mineral resource geology, Dr. Jacob Hanley’s research conducted on campus at Saint Mary’s and nationally and internationally has been an influential force for faculty, students, industry partners and the scientific community.

Always happy to mentor the next generation of researchers, Dr. Hanley has supervised more than 50 BSc honours theses and graduate theses at SMU, with alumni moving on to successful careers in industry, government and academia. His lab’s active, varied research scope includes considerable student involvement, many industry and government funding sources, and spans a continent and centuries of data.

In a partnership with the Nova Scotia Museum, Dr. Hanley is currently engaged in an interdisciplinary collaboration with archaeologists, geochemists, and community members that may rewrite the understanding of pre-contact copper trade across North America. Using the chemical composition of copper from protohistoric sites in Nova Scotia, this research group is also tracking copper from its place of origin in 16th and 17th century Swedish mines to the Maritimes Basin of Canada, where it was repurposed by Indigenous peoples.

Another major research theme focuses on the geochemical origin of deposits of critical metals such as tin, tungsten, cobalt and lithium. Dr. Hanley’s team has developed ways of measuring concentrations of these metals at their source, deep in the Earth’s crust, by analyzing microscopic samples of trapped magma in crystals that are transported to surface during eruption. The supply of these metals is threatened, a concern that Canada has recognized as they are essential to national economic security and the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Recognized for his research excellence, Dr. Hanley has won national awards, contributed to dozens of peer-reviewed publications and has received significant research funding, including $2.6 million as Principal Investigator from industry and government sources.

His career has already been exceptionally productive, creative, and influential, and we anticipate even more interesting work from him as it progresses.

Dr. Hanley earned his PhD in Geology from the University of Toronto, where he also earned a Bachelor of Applied Science (Honours) in Mining Engineering and a Master of Science (Geology). Now a full-tenured professor, he has held increasingly senior faculty roles in the Department of Geology at Saint Mary’s since 2007.

The President's Award for Excellence in Research honours continued exceptional contributions to research and scholarship conducted by a full-time Saint Mary's University faculty member. More information can be found atsmu.ca/fgsr/presidents-award.

Anthropology team unveiling history at Halifax Burying Ground

Source: CBC.ca/Josh Hoffman

Dr. Jonathan Fowler, an Anthropology professor at Saint Mary’s, is using ground-penetrating radar at the Old Burying Ground in Halifax. He and his team will use the data to create an interactive map that unveils the history of the people buried there.

“For the first time, we’re coming through here with surveying gear and very high precision GPS equipment, and we’ve mapped…over 1,200 stones,” says Fowler in a video interview with CBC in September 2024. He explains that there is a 1:10 ratio for headstone markers to people buried at the Grounds.

Learn more about this work and its importance to Halifax’s history at CBC.ca.

Manage conflict with science: psychologist Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley offers free training

Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley

Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley, an organisational psychologist with 20 years of practice, has launched a free training program on conflict management. The program helps participants use science-based tools to understand their own conflict management style and effectively resolve conflicts with colleagues.

“People do their best work when they have psychological safety,” says Dr. Lee-Bagley, who has extensive applied experience and research knowledge on burnout, psychological safety in the workplace, behaviour and organisational change, and wellness leadership.

“When I work with executives, I see that friction between coworkers often gets more intense as you rise up the ranks and the stakes get higher. Now, workers at all levels have evidence-based training to help them manage any conflict and move forward with more trust.”

The program is available for free at impactme.app/courses. ImpACT Me is an app that helps people navigate life’s tough challenges. It offers science-based training on burnout and conflict management, and behaviour-based tools to help training stick.

“We are proud to offer this free science-based conflict resolution program. Organisations stand to save millions through better productivity, labour relations and talent retention,” said Will Pate, CEO of ImpACT Me.

Image: impactme.app/

The training program was developed as part of a Saint Mary’s University project to create psychologically safe workplaces.

“We are excited to be able to apply a vast research literature in civility and conflict in the workplace from our researchers to create a training program that offers practical, real-life strategies that can be used in everyday life,” said Dr. Adam Sarty, Associate Vice-President, Research at Saint Mary’s University. “By pairing our knowledge of workplace psychology with the psychology of behaviour change, we can have a lasting and meaningful impact on workplaces.”

The project is funded in part by the Government of Canada through the Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Fund, a grants and contributions program that invests in projects aimed at creating safer workplaces for federally regulated employees.

“A safe and respectful workplace is a fundamental right in Canada. Our government is proud to support initiatives like Saint Mary’s University’s that equip workers and employers with the tools they need to drive positive change and build healthier, more respectful workplaces,” said Minister of Labour and Seniors, Steven MacKinnon.

SMU Astronomy researchers release cosmic ‘question mark’ images—revealing clues about how our galaxies evolve

Photo: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, V. Estrada-Carpenter (Saint Mary's University).

Dr. Marcin Sawicki, along with a team of astronomers from Saint Mary’s and NASA, have released new research and images with NASA that reveal what our Milky Way galaxy might have looked like… 7 billion years ago.

The images captured are like a time machine, says Dr. Sawicki, explaining that using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), researchers were able to compare other galaxies with our own Milky Way galaxy see what it could have looked like billions of years ago.

“These galaxies, seen billions of years ago when star formation was at its peak, are similar to the mass that the Milky Way galaxy would have been at that time. Webb is allowing us to study what the teenage years of our own galaxy could have been like,” said Sawicki.

Using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope as well as JWST, Dr. Sawicki and postdoc researchers Dr. Vicente Estrada-Carpenter and Dr. Guillaume Desprez have released images that show a wavelength of light trapped in cosmic dust—with a uniquely intriguing shape. Read more.

Researchers study effects of inbreeding on reproductive success in endangered North Atlantic right whales

Credit: Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, taken under NOAA permit 20556

Researchers at Saint Mary's study endangered North American right whales

A collaborative research team led by Saint Mary’s University researchers Carla Crossman, PhD candidate and Dr. Tim Frasier, professor of Biology and Forensic Science, has just published a peer-reviewed paper in the Royal Society Open Science on the effects of inbreeding on reproduction in the endangered North Atlantic right whale.

The population of North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) is currently represented by only ~356 individuals. The species faces ongoing threats from human activity (e.g., vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear), but it is also not reproducing as often as would be expected. With extremely low levels of genetic diversity, limited options for mates, and variation in reproductive success between females within the population, researchers wanted to understand if inbreeding is contributing to its poor reproductive performance.

This study quantified reproductive success in female North Atlantic right whales using reproductive history information collected over decades of field observations. Researchers also used genome sequencing to investigate how inbred each female was and assessed if and/or to what degree inbreeding accounted for this variation in reproductive success among females.

Credit: Florida FWC/taken under NOAA 0556-01

The researchers found that inbreeding did not explain the variance in reproductive success currently observed in females. However, combining these results with prior studies suggests that inbreeding impacts which fetuses survive to term and, therefore, is likely limiting the reproductive success of the species as a whole.

This process is likely a double-edged sword. On the negative side, this process is likely lowering the overall reproductive performance of the species, and, therefore limiting recovery. However, on the positive side, it also means that those calves that are born have higher levels of genetic diversity (are less inbred) than expected, which could be key in allowing the species to recover in the long run, if we can reduce mortalities.

Overall research project

This study builds on ongoing long-term research on North Atlantic right whales taking place at Saint Mary’s University and elsewhere. This specific work was partially supported by Genome Canada, Genome Atlantic, and Research Nova Scotia through a Large-Scale Applied Research Project (LSARP) award. The $6-million, four-year international collaboration is managed by Genome Atlantic in partnership with Saint Mary’s University, the New England Aquarium, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the Canadian Whale Institute, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and Duke University.

Dr. Erin Cameron co-authors paper on airborne DNA in Nature journal

Dr. Erin Cameron, an associate professor in the Department of Environmental Science, is a co-author of a recently published paper in the journal Nature. 

Researchers based at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland are using airborne DNA to map biodiversity. Dr. Cameron was part of an international, multidisciplinary team of scientists who used DNA sequencing to identify fungi from air samples collected around the world. 

Dr. Cameron ran the collection site in Alberta along with another researcher, Dr. Tan Bao (MacEwan University). The team’s lead researchers were able to use DNA sequencing to identify fungi in the air samples collected by Dr. Cameron and others around the world.

This new method increases understanding of the climatic and evolutionary factors that influence spatial and seasonal variations of fungi. Mean annual air temperature was the strongest predictor of fungal species diversity, and polar and continental sites (including the site in Alberta) showed greater turnover in species composition across seasons than lower latitude sites. The importance of temperature suggests that warming climates will play a major role in restructuring fungal communities in the future.

For more about this method, read the full article in Nature: Airborne DNA reveals predictable spatial and seasonal dynamics of fungi. 

This project is far from the first international collaboration for Dr. Cameron, whose research examines the effects of global change on species distributions, community composition, and ecosystem functioning. She is a key member of research teams that are building a global biodiversity network focusing on soil and the organisms that live in it. The effects of human activities on soil biodiversity and the organisms that live within—a vital part of a functioning ecosystem—are not yet fully understood, and the research conducted by Dr. Cameron and colleagues plays an important role in environmental conservation globally.

Dr. Cameron was recently awarded a grant through the eDNA Innovation Funding program from Genome Atlantic to test the use of eDNA methods as a tool to monitor microbial communities in grazed ecosystems.

Her previous work in this field includes:

•  “Tracking, Targeting, and Conserving Soil Biodiversity (Science Magazine)

• SMU Researcher’s groundbreaking earthworm study on recent cover of Science Magazine (Science, 2019)

New travel bursary supports accessibility and inclusion in academic experiences

July is Disability Pride Month, an opportunity to celebrate the experiences and achievements of the disability community while acknowledging the diverse challenges they may face. The 2024 theme for Disability Pride Month is “We want a life like yours,” which reflects the desire of the disability community to be given equal opportunity to engage in experiences they are often denied.

At Saint Mary’s, we use this month as a chance to further our ongoing commitment to creating equal opportunities for students to further their academic careers. “We aspire to create a learning environment that is fully experienced by all students,” says Becca Chaytor, Acting Manager, Fred Smithers Centre for Student Accessibility (FSC). “The Accessibility Travel Bursary helps reduce some barriers in travel-related academia, creating opportunities for students who experience disabilities to engage in hands-on learning they may not otherwise have been able to participate in.”

Launched in 2023, the Accessibility Travel Bursary was initiated by a generous donor to support accessible student travel for academic, co-curricular activities or research purposes.

Masters student Baden Mercer participated in a field course in Rome, Italy with support from the Fred Smithers Centre Accessibility Travel Bursary

Awarded throughout the year, students can receive funding to assist with the costs associated with travelling during their degree program. This can include travel to attend field schools and conferences, participate in study abroad opportunities and more. The financial assistance not only helps to cover travel expenses but also accommodation or assistive supports that may otherwise have been a barrier to travel experiences.

In its inaugural year, twelve bursaries were awarded, allowing students to participate in domestic and international travel relevant to their studies. Master’s student Baden Mercer BA’22 was one such recipient—his study travels led him to a field course in Rome. Currently in his third year as a graduate student in the Master of Theology and Religious Studies program, Baden’s trip focused on sacred spaces in Christian and ancient Roman settings.

“As a student with a disability, the financial assistance for the field course provided me with the support I needed while travelling away from home,” says Baden. “Not only was it an incredible experience, but the exposure to these places and the learning within the field course have greatly contributed to my Master’s thesis work.”

Payton McPhee MSc’24, third-year student in the Master of Science, Applied Psychology (forensic stream) program, was another 2023 bursary recipient. Travelling to Kingston, Ontario, Payton had the opportunity to shadow her former professor, Dr. Simone Cunningham, Clinical and Forensic Psychologist, at Millhaven Institution, a federal men’s maximum-security prison.

“As a Master’s student, there is an expectation to seek experiential learning opportunities and attend academic conferences,” acknowledges Payton. She was excited to learn about the Accessibility Travel Bursary as it was the first grant she had come across that provided academic travel-related financial assistance for students with disabilities. “The bursary provided me with an additional avenue of funding that made travel more accessible for me,” she explains.

In reflecting on her experience, Payton acknowledges that she would not have been able to travel to Ontario for the hands-on learning opportunity without the financial support through the bursary. “It provides students with funding to make their goals and aspirations more attainable,” claims Payton. “For many, travelling seems unrealistic and almost impossible, but the financial assistance provided through the bursary makes these experiences more realistic.”

Both Bayden and Payton emphasized the benefits of having the Accessibility Travel Bursary available to FSC-registered students. “Traveling abroad not only helped me to advance my academic studies,” affirms Bayden. “It also gave me a deeper understanding of the world beyond our campus. A true world without limits.”

To learn more about the Accessibility Travel Bursary, visit the Fred Smithers Centre website. If you have questions about the Accessibility Travel Bursary or the Fred Smithers Centre, reach out to fredsmithers.centre@smu.ca.