Acadia University - Newsroom

For Andrew Steeves, anything worth doing is worth doing well. 

This is the ethos that he and his co-founder, Gary Dunfield (’88) brought to their 28 years of work building Gaspereau Press into an internationally recognized leader in Canadian literature. With their individualized and careful treatment of every book that came through the house, the pair set a new standard for what publishing can look like when you approach it with community building, empathy, and care at its centre.  

The Health Promotion office is increasing student and staff awareness and preparedness around opioid overdose response and harm reduction. During Acadia’s Naloxone Education Week in October, they held training sessions in each residence building and discussed the nature of opioids, how to recognize the signs of an overdose, and the proper administration of naloxone.

In summer of 2025, 15 members of an interdisciplinary crew, including Acadia students Bella MacQuarrie and Cameron Barnard, embarked on a trip  to southern Greece to work on the Southern Mani Archaeological Project (SMAP) led by Dr. Chelsea Gardner (History & Classics) Dr. Bill Parkinson (Field Museum, Chicago).

It should come as no surprise that students in Acadia University’s computer science department are doing work that seems right out of science fiction. With Dr. Esteve Hassan’s new project, if Fantastic Voyage pops into your head, it’s understandable.

When Genna Beed’s (‘25; English, Master’s) path led her to applying for the Government of Canada’s Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF) youth innovation component during the fourth year of her undergrad at Acadia, it was no surprise.

If you haven’t already met Kinesiology Masters student, Michaela Dankwa, you can expect to soon. As Acadia’s inaugural Wellness Champion, you’ll find Michaela all over campus this year building community, hosting events, and sharing information about mental health.

These days, walking into the Acadia Art Gallery is like stepping into a magical storybook world. That’s all thanks to the current exhibit by Holly Carr, Light in the Forest: Coming Home.

Light in the Forest is a multifaceted art installation that was first presented at the Acadia University Art Gallery in 2013 that explored the role of nostalgia and childhood memories. At that time, the installation comprised of large-scale paintings on silk that created an illustrated environment of immersive storybooks.  

A federal funding announcement today marks a significant new chapter for tidal energy research at Acadia University. 

From transforming waste into climate solutions to reshaping youth mental health across the country, Enactus Acadia is proving that big change doesn’t require a big school—just bold ideas and a team that believes in them. 

Four years can fly by in a flash—just ask Acadia University’s graduating class of 2025! Upon graduation, some of our students took a moment to share a note of thanks with the Acadia faculty and staff that made a lasting impact on them and let them know how they changed their lives forever.

SSHRC-funded research from Dr. Emily Lockhart and Professor Allison Smith of Acadia's Law and Society program is working to create survivor-led solutions for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth who have experienced technology facilitated violence.

As much as we all enjoyed that blast of early spring weather this March, it also heralded in one of Nova Scotia’s less welcomed experiences: ticks. It turns out that the eight-legged crawler is just as much of a fan of temperatures above 4°C as we are.

Winner of the 2025 Frank H. Sobey Award and third-year student in entrepreneurship and innovation, Dawson McCulloch, is a prime example of what it looks like when your community gives to you, and you give back to them. 

At first glance, the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) – a tiny, aphid-like insect barely bigger than a millimetre – hardly seems threatening. But Nova Scotia’s old-growth hemlock forests, the meal of choice for this insect, are now under significant threat if nothing is done – and the effects of these forests being wiped out would be catastrophic.  

We rounded up some campus resources we’ve been looking at with heart eyes lately! Think of this as your campus dating profile, but instead of swiping right, you’ll be discovering resources that will always have your back.

Students in Dr. Laura Robinson's "Adapting Anne of Green Gables" class got outside their comfort zones by taking their work public! Read all about the one-of-a-kind experience students are getting at Acadia that's setting them up for future success.

Dr. Allison Walker (Biology) says "the world needs more mycologists." Read all about the fascinating work that Acadia's fungal dream team is doing, and find out why you should immerse yourself in the world of fantastic fungi!

Acadia students are keeping the memories of Nova Scotian World War I soldiers alive in a unique way. In the spring of 2024, members of the Acadia University Singers embarked on an incredible choir tour across France and Belgium. Participating in WWI-oriented research projects, the choir offered concerts, visited the gravesites of Acadia’s WWI soldiers, and—literally—sang in Flanders Fields.

Our small but mighty university continues to pack a punch, and others are noticing! Acadia has moved up a spot from fifth to fourth place for Canada’s best primarily undergraduate universities.

Students note the value of engaging in this event from the Network of Jarislowsky Chairs in Trust and Political Leadership.

In an inspiring display of student leadership and commitment to the future of Acadia University, the Acadia Students' Union (ASU) has made a $2 million gift to the Build: The Student Centre campaign.

On May 16th and 17th, graduates of Acadia University’s four faculties – Arts, Pure and Applied Science, Professional Studies, and Theology – will be welcomed into Convocation and receive their hard-earned undergraduate and graduate degrees. Acadia will also confer four honorary degrees on individuals who have distinguished themselves in the arts, sciences, and public service.

If you were to combine talent, humility, intelligence, and grace in one person and say that individual was the epitome of what makes Acadia great, you would have Spencer Richard. A 4.0 GPA student, student-athlete and captain of the Acadia football Axemen, Academic All-Canadian, Sensory Motor Instructional Leadership Experience (S.M.I.L.E.) program leader, mentor and role model, Spencer has made the most of his time at Acadia. The Acadia Alumni Association takes tremendous pride in his many accomplishments, and is delighted to acknowledge him as the 2024 recipient of The Athenaeum and Acadia Alumni Student of the Year Award.

Acadia University has received a transformative $1 million gift from the Acadia Alumni Association that will propel the Build: The Student Centre campaign closer to its $24 million fundraising goal.

The 53rd Annual Juno Awards are taking place in Halifax on March 24th, and among the impressive musical talents set to perform is an artist who made a lasting impression with Acadia’s community in November.

With no topic off-limits, Acadia’s Health Promotion team set up interactive info booths in the Beveridge Arts Centre (BAC) and Student Union Building (SUB) throughout the week to address different themes relating to drug and alcohol use. The organizers, which included co-op students from Acadia’s psychology and kinesiology department, made smart use of treats and trivia to engage the community.

We were faced with the very happy problem of having many inspiring athletes to spotlight this year. There are several Axewomen in every sport at Acadia who are worthy of recognition, and these profiles are just a sliver of the amazing talent that has the campus buzzing.

Dr. Késa Munroe-Anderson (’98, ’00) believes in being the change she wants to see. An associate professor in Acadia’s School of Education, she first came to Acadia as an international student from the Bahamas in 1995, earning a BA and an MA in English. Today, Munroe-Anderson is well known as a community-oriented, social justice educator and change agent. She practises an Africentric, anti-racist, and Black feminist/Womanist approach to research, teaching, and leadership.

The new Acadia University Inclusive Movement and Health Lab within the Acadia Athletics Complex will support continued work with the S.M.I.L.E. program and other programs and research for children.

The Delmore "Buddy" Daye Learning Institute (DBDLI) and Acadia University have announced a collaborative partnership to establish an Africentric Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) program. This will be the first focused Africentric B.Ed. cohort with an alternative offering in Atlantic Canada.

In a heartwarming display of the spirit of giving, a significant announcement was made at the Acadia Alumni Holiday Reception in Halifax, N.S. Distinguished alum Janice MacNeill ('76) has generously donated an extraordinary $1 million gift.

Acadia University signs the #CantBuyMySilence pledge, a campaign that urges all universities to end the use of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA) to prevent students and staff from speaking out in cases of sexual harassment, bullying, and other forms of misconduct.

Acadia University will host the Canadian Curling Olympic Pre-Trials: Men & Women from October 21 to 26, 2025. This event, featuring 80 athletes competing over six days, will mark the first major curling event hosted in Acadia’s Andrew H. McCain Arena.

Red Spruce Mental Health Centre, an integral component of Acadia University's Master of Education (MEd) Counselling Program, is proud to announce the opening of its doors. The Centre will provide graduate counselling students invaluable experiential learning opportunities and help address mental health care disparities for rural Nova Scotians without counselling access.

Acadia University and the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre continue their commitment to nurturing the next generation of environmental leaders by hosting the annual Nova Scotia Envirothon.

Acadia University and Université Sainte-Anne have joined forces to bolster the educational experiences of their students through a new collaboration agreement focusing on modern languages and literature.

Research Nova Scotia has announced that seven outstanding graduate students at Acadia University have won the 2023-2024 Scotia Scholars Awards for their innovative health research projects.  

Acadia University’s Board of Governors today is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Jeffrey J. Hennessy as the University’s 17th President and Vice-Chancellor.

The Board of Governors at Acadia University has chosen Ray Ivany, a former president of the institution, to serve as the Interim President and Vice-Chancellor, effective July 1, 2023. This decision comes after Dr. Peter Ricketts, the current president, announced his departure last summer and concludes his six-year term on June 30, 2023.

The Town of Wolfville, Acadia University, and the Acadia Students' Union (ASU) have extended their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which aims to support the development of a model unparalleled in Canada.

Acadia hosted the Envirothon competition and welcomed 55 students from around the province at the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre and Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens on May 25 and 26.

Acadia University has opened its doors to evacuees from the wildfire in Shelburne County. As a precautionary measure, residents and caregivers from Roseway Manor will move into temporary accommodation in Chase Court beginning May 30.

Dr. Lesley Frank, Acadia’s Tier II Canada Research Chair in Food, Health, and Social Justice, is working to address the global problem of family and childhood food insecurity while advancing food justice and health equity in Canada.

Acadia University's K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre is gearing up to host the Nova Scotia Envirothon competition, which will bring together 55 high school students from across the province on May 25 and 26 to think critically about climate change.

Acadia University, in partnership with Cape Breton University, will offer nursing courses in September 2023 as part of a government initiative to increase the number of nursing seats available throughout the province.

Acadia University School of Music (AUSOM) is hosting its first-ever Piano Intensive Weekend from May 5-7, where young Nova Scotian pianists will gather to learn, create music, and engage with Acadia's exceptional piano faculty.  

This spring, Acadia University became the only university that will review and identify uploaded tick photos on the eTick app from across Atlantic Canada.

Canada Research Chair, Dr. Lesley Frank, a professor in Acadia’s Department of Sociology, is working to address the global problem of family and childhood food insecurity while advancing food justice and health equity in Canada.

Women in Nova Scotia with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will soon be able to breathe a little easier thanks to new research by Dr. Carley O'Neill of Acadia’s School of Kinesiology. Research Nova Scotia has awarded Dr. O’Neill a New Health Investigator Grant of $100,000 over two years.

Acadia University, the Acadia Students’ Union (ASU), and the Town of Wolfville are working with local RCMP to ensure students enjoy warmer weather without adverse repercussions.

Acadia University Canada Research Chair Dr. Lesley Frank has been honoured by the Province of Nova Scotia for exceptional qualities and outstanding service to the province in the field of academics and research.

Acadia University is taking an important next step in enhancing the education of current and future leaders in government, politics and the public service with the appointment of Dr. Alex Marland to the prestigious role of Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership.