Please join Executive Director, Alumni Affairs, Oonagh Proudfoot ('93, '06) for an event celebrating alumni who are working toward equitable community recreation through research and practice.  The event features Dr. Mary Sweatman ('03, '19), Associate Professor in Community Development at Acadia; Dr. Jackie Oncescu ('03, '06), Associate Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology at UNB; and Lydia Broderick (‘19), Active Living Community Coordinator for the Town of Kentville, Parks and Recreation Department.   See you there!

Register here: http://attend.com/EquitableCommunityRecreation

Presenter bios:

Dr. Mary Sweatman ('03, '19)

Dr. Mary Sweatman lives, works and plays in Mi’kmaq’ki, and is the mother of two. She is an Associate Professor in Community Development at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. As a community-engagement scholar-practitioner, her teaching and research interests include community-campus partnerships, experiential learning, and equitable community spaces.  She is currently involved in community action research on local food hubs, rural and small-town homelessness, and recreation provisions for rural low-income families. Mary is also the faculty coordinator of Axcess Acadia, an inclusive post-secondary education option for people who identify with intellectual disabilities.

Dr. Jackie Oncescu ('03, '06)

Dr. Jackie Oncescu is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology at UNB. She has a Bachelor of Recreation Management degree from Acadia University, an MA in Recreation Management from Acadia University, and a PhD in Human Kinetics (focused on Leisure Studies and Community Development) from the University of Ottawa. Jackie’s research interests focus on two areas of study: rural community development; and access and inclusion. Her research has explored rural community restructuring and the impacts to rural residents’ lives, recreation’s role in community resilience, and the role of community recreation delivery systems in supporting community social and economic change. Her most recent work is focused on poverty and community recreation and sport, with specific projects exploring how to create more accessible and inclusive sport and recreation delivery systems for citizens living with low incomes.

Lydia Broderick ('19)

Lydia Broderick ('19) is a recent Community Development graduate from Acadia University who is passionate about environmental and social justice, community wellness and outdoor recreation. Lydia is the Active Living Community Coordinator for the Town of Kentville Parks and Recreation Department. Her role in this position is to respond to the increasingly diverse needs and opportunities available to the community surrounding recreation. Additionally, Lydia works for Girls on Boards, a body positive Stand Up Paddleboarding non-profit organization. Through Lydia’s academic, professional, and personal experiences, she has ignited a passion for bringing awareness to the importance of providing equitable access to recreation. She believes that it plays an integral role in building communities that are healthier and more connected for all.