Acadia University - Pre-2024 News Archive

2021-07-19 12:00 by Lohnes, Grant

A Natural Balance, a book celebrating the K.C. Irving Centre and Harriet Irving Gardens

In their new book, "A Natural Balance", Landscape architect Alex Novell and architectural historian John Leroux tell the story of the design, construction, and features of the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre and Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia; a gift to the University from Arthur, James and Jack Irving and their families. Now, twenty years after completion, the Centre and Gardens have matured, and are beautifully nurtured by a dedicated team for the enjoyment of generations to come.

2021-07-16 10:00 by Lohnes, Grant

Julia Baak (MSc, '21) awarded Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship

Julia Baak, an Acadia MSc Biology graduate (’21), is the recipient of the highly prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship in support of her PhD research at McGill University. Julia also won both the Acadia Outstanding Master’s Research Award (Science) for research excellence and the Governor General’s Gold Medal.

2021-06-30 10:51 by Turner, Sherri

June newsletter: Explore the impact of Acadia's strategic plan in action

2021-06-22 15:49 by Lohnes, Grant

Join Acadia's first Virtual 5K Pride Run this Sunday, June 27

The first Virtual 5K Pride Run for the Acadia 2SLGBTQ+ community takes place this Sunday, June 27, 2021. The initiative of education student Adrien Lewis (he/him) (’20), and organized with the help of Residence Life Coordinator Brent LeGrow (he/him) (’19), this Pride Month event is intended to celebrate and support both past and present students, faculty, staff and alumni who are part of the community and have shared their personal journey with Acadia.

2021-06-21 16:23 by Lohnes, Grant

The Mi'kmaq Grand Council flag flies over University Hall on a sunny summer day.

Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day

Today, June 21, is National Indigenous Peoples Day and the official start of summer. So as we welcome the summer season, we also celebrate Indigenous peoples in Canada – their history, culture, language, wisdom, and knowledge.

For those of us who are not Indigenous, it is a time for us to express our gratitude and our joy to live in a country with such a deep Indigenous heritage. It is a time to appreciate the richness that Indigenous People bring to Canada. As Treaty People, we share this great country with those who can trace their ancestry back thousands of years on this land.

2021-06-15 11:40 by Lohnes, Grant

Acadia University Singers research virtual choirs in the age of COVID-19

When the world went into lockdown mid-March last year, members of the Acadia University Singers couldn’t do what they normally would do to process difficult emotions: sing together.

Like many musical groups, they turned to rehearsing and performing online, says Michelle Boyd, an instructor of musicology at Acadia, at the start of the documentary Isolated Bodies, United Voices: Virtual Choir in the Ages of COVID-19. For choir singers, this is a challenge – you never hear your voice blending with your peers while singing and can only hear the full choir retroactively. It can be time consuming, labour intensive and lonely, she adds.

Read more from the article in University Affairs and watch the documentary.

2021-06-14 10:15 by Lohnes, Grant

More Black history education in Canada 'key' to eradicating systemic racism, educators say

Dr. Claudine Bonner of Acadia's Department of Sociology is one of several local educators to share their thoughts about how teaching Black history is crucial to ending systemic racism.

“The reality is, historically, we haven’t taught the history in our schools. Most people don’t know enough about Black communities, the history of the Black presence in Canada, what the experience of Black Canadians have been and continue to be.”

2021-06-08 10:45 by Lohnes, Grant

Halifax Chamber profiles Acadia as community builder

The Halifax Chamber of Commerce has profiled Acadia in a new piece, "Acadia: not just a university". Visit the Chamber's profile to learn more about Acadia's connections with the town and its community-building programming.

2021-06-08 08:50 by Lohnes, Grant

A retail worker wearing a face shield and mask during the COVID-19 pandemic. Image courtesy of Dapiki Moto on Unsplash.

Acadia researchers: "To create a better work environment after COVID-19, we must truly hear employees"

Writing for The Conversation, Acadia professors Elisabeth Rondinelli, Rachel K. Brickner, and Rebecca Casey describe "a disconnect between the way media covered work issues during the pandemic and the stories workers felt were important for the public to understand". Their team's research surveyed retail workers, long-term care employees, and teachers during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021-05-31 15:44 by Lohnes, Grant

May newsletter: Explore Acadia's strategic plan in action

Explore Acadia University's strategic plan in action with this May 31 recap of news and events.