Queen's University

2016

New Dean of Arts and Science Announced

Queen’s University announced today the appointment of Barbara Crow as dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science for a five-year term effective July 1, 2017.

Up to the challenge for exam time

Exam time is often a time where increased levels of stress, long hours of studying and little personal time can add up to an overwhelming situation for some students.

To help students along the way, Student Wellness Services will be running the 15 Days of Exams Health Challenge across social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr.

Kate Humphrys, Health Promotion Coordinator at Student Wellness Services, suggests students take a comprehensive approach – looking at the bigger health picture – when it comes to staying healthy and managing stress at exam time.

Dean's Statement regarding recent events at Queen's

*This statement was read by the Dean at Faculty Board on Friday, November 25, 2016.

As the principal said in his statement earlier this week, we, in the Faculty of Arts and Science, are upset and disappointed by the recent events at Queen’s. Any racist event or activity that serves to degrade, mock or marginalize is completely unacceptable and disturbing.

Be leaders and changemakers, urges Aboriginal champion

Queen’s is reserving its honorary degrees in 2016 for alumni in celebration of the university’s 175th anniversary. Throughout fall convocation, the Gazette will profile the four honorary degree recipients and explore how Queen’s has impacted their life and career. 

Celebrating contributions to their fields

Queen’s faculty members awarded university’s Prize for Excellence in Research.

Five Queen’s professors have been named the 2016 recipients of the university’s Prize for Excellence in Research.

Queen's maintains fourth place Maclean's ranking

University earns top spot in undergraduate graduation rates, third place for overall student satisfaction.

Queen’s continues to be ranked as one of Canada’s leading medical-doctoral universities according to Maclean’s 2017 university rankings, placing fourth overall in the category.

Queen’s also ranked third amongst the 15 medical-doctoral schools in terms of student satisfaction.

A round of applause

Queen’s and St. Lawrence collaborate on Bachelor of Music Theatre program

Queen’s University and St. Lawrence College celebrated an exciting new collaboration on a one-of-a-kind Bachelor of Music Theatre program at the Isabel Bader Centre.

A highlight of the official signing were performances from St. Lawrence and Queen’s music theatre students from popular musicals including Pippen and The Sound of Music.

A brush with success

Fine art student Kelly Baskin's work to be featured on Magnotta wine label

Queen’s University fine art student Kelly Baskin is making her mark in the art world thanks to Magnotta Winery. The Vaughan-based winery selected her artwork to grace the label of an upcoming bottle of Cabernet.

Astronaut Jeremy Hansen, and his path to the stars

Lt.-Col. Jeremy Hansen, an astronaut with the Canadian Space Agency and a decorated fighter pilot, will visit campus on Sept. 23 as part of the Principal’s Forum Distinguished Visitor series. Lt.-Col Hansen will deliver a presentation on his career, the goals and mission of the CSA, and the importance of following big dreams.

Professor discusses how "municipalities have the opportunity to improve health"

Kimberley Bergeron, SKHS Adjunct and alumna, was interviewed by a reporter from the Toronto Star newspaper on Sunday September 4, 2016. The Star noted Dr. Bergeron's expertise on "how cities can use bylaws and other local powers to improve the health of residents". 

Five Queen's University professors elected as fellows to the Royal Society of Canada

Five Queen's University professors have been elected as fellows to the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), one of the highest honours for Canadian academics in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. The five newest fellows from Queen's have a wide variety of research interests, including drama, philosophy, art history, and mathematics.

Recognizing excellence in teaching: Jacqueline Davies

It probably shouldn’t surprise anyone to learn that Jacqueline Davies considers Socrates one ­of her heroes. She is, after all, a professor of philosophy. But Dr. Davies has another hero, who has influenced her in ways Socrates never could.

Ms. Frizzle, the eccentric, adventuresome ­third-grade teacher from the “Magic School Bus” cartoon series, keeps Dr. Davies inspired as she encourages her students to “take chances, make mistakes, get messy!”

Award Winners at the Canadian Association of Physicists Conference

Congratulations to undergraduate Physics Student, Simon Axelrod, who placed first in the country in the 2016 Canadian Association of Physicists University Prize Exam! Simon is awarded the Lloyd G. Elliott Prize, which entails a cash award of $500 and a trip to the CAP Congress this summer.

Check out the Physics website for more information

Igniting a passion for computer science

A new camp offered by Queen’s School of Computing is introducing teens to career opportunities in the field of computer science. 

Thanks to a grant from Google, Wendy Powley, a lecturer in the School of Computing and the Faculty of Education, has worked with a team of Queen’s students to create a summer coding camp for students aged 13 to 17. 

Read the full story in the Queen's Gazette.

Canadian Politics, Up Close

Australian and Chinese university students who want to learn more about Canadian politics have come straight to the source this summer.

Eleven students – eight from Australian National University (ANU) and three from different institutions in China – are attending the first-ever Queen’s Political Studies Summer Institute (QPSSI) from July 9-24.

Queen's researcher examines the evolution of flight

Research by post-doctoral fellow Alexander Dececchi challenges long-held hypotheses about how flight first developed in birds. Furthermore, his findings raise the question of why certain species developed wings long before they could fly.

Trade deal could negatively impact Canadian automotive industry, according to Queen’s researchers.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will negatively impact the Canadian automotive industry, according to a new study co-authored by Queen’s researchers John Holmes and Jeffrey Carey who are affiliated with the Automotive Policy Research Centre (APRC) at McMaster University.

The researchers argue that the TPP will undermine the competitiveness of Canadian assembly operations as well as small and medium-sized auto parts plants.

Economics department sweeps best paper awards

Faculty and students from Queen's Economics Department have swept the top prizes given out by the Canadian Journal of Economics.

Queen's Prof Called to Order

A Kingston native and a Kingston adoptee are among 113 new appointees to the Order of Canada announced by the governor general on Thursday.

Barbara Sherwood Lollar was born and raised in Kingston, while John McGarry arrived in Canada as a student in 1981, leaving behind the conflict in Northern Ireland at the time. Planning to remain for only a year, McGarry decided to stay and 35 years later is a Canadian citizen, a distinguished professor at Queen's University and now an officer of the Order of Canada.

Queen's researcher finds truth to age-old maxim 'work hard, play hard'

Queen’s University biology professor Lonnie Aarssen has published a study that, for the first time, provides strong empirical support for a correlation between a motivation to seek accomplishment and an attraction to leisure.

“I’ve been interested for quite a while in two motivations that people seem to display – one I call legacy drive and one I call leisure drive,” says Dr. Aarssen. 

Queen's researcher forms international partnership with Australian firm

Researcher Richard Oleschuk and Trajan Scientific and Medical (Trajan) in Australia are collaborating on the development of the next generation of biochemical instrumentation that will improve the detection of diseases such as cancer.

Dr. Oleschuk (Chemistry) has developed a microscopic straw-shaped glass instrument that can efficiently generate and spray nanometer-sized droplets into spectrometers capable of analyzing biomarkers.

Queen’s stands together with LGBTQ+ community

Queen’s stands together with LGBTQ+ community.

There is little anyone can say that can take away that nauseating feeling of hearing that yet another mass murder has occurred. It seems to happen so often these days that the feeling can linger long enough to carry you through to the next tragic event, and we slowly and unwittingly become numb to these senseless acts.

The power of cinema

Piers Handling (Arts’71) is rather blunt about his Queen’s experience: “It changed my life.”

On Monday, the director and CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) returned to the university to receive an honorary degree.

Handling first arrived at Queen’s in 1967 to study history but by the time he graduated in 1971, he knew that he had found his calling in film.

Read the full story in the Queen's Gazette.

From PhD dissertation to award-winning book

My book, Queenship and Revolution in Early Modern Europe: Henrietta Maria and Marie Antoinette examines the debate surrounding these two controversial queens consort as wives, mothers and mistresses of royal households during the years preceding the English Civil Wars of the 1640s and the French Revolution in the late-18th century, respectively. The book manuscript developed from research undertaken over the course of my MA and PhD in the Department of History at Queen’s University.

New Queen's research study measures the positive benefits of spiritual health

Queen’s University post doctoral fellow Valerie Michaelson is exploring research around adolescents and spiritual health.  While spiritual health has long been recognized as important to health and well-being, there has been renewed interest in understanding what it is, and how it relates to the health of young people.

In a cross-national analysis, her team found that the importance of spiritual health decreases as children age, but for those who maintain its importance, the strong and positive health benefits are very provocative.

Interim Arts and Science Dean Announced

Gordon Smith has been appointed interim dean for the Faculty of Arts and Science, effective July 1, 2016. He takes over from Susan Mumm, who has accepted the position of principal of Brescia University College in London, Ontario. The initial term of Dr. Smith’s appointment is 12 months.

Gordon Smith has held various administrative appointments within the Faculty of Arts and Science since 2003.

Course Redesign a Winner

Jill Atkinson (Psychology) knows that she is joining some very select company.

Dr. Atkinson is the 2016 recipient of the Chancellor A. Charles Baillie Teaching Award, which recognizes undergraduate, graduate or professional teaching that has had an outstanding influence on the quality of student learning at Queen’s University.

McDonald, Wilson receive Order of Canada

Two members of the Queen’s community were among those recognized by Governor General David Johnston during the Order of Canada investiture ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Friday, May 13.

Arthur McDonald (Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy), winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics, was promoted to Companion of the Order of Canada while Ruth Wilson (Family Medicine) was named Member of the Order of Canada.

Earth and Energy Resources Leadership Professional Master’s program - a first in Canada!

A new interdisciplinary, cross-faculty graduate degree program, approved recently by Queen’s Senate and Ontario Universities Council of Quality Assurance, will launch this fall. 

The Professional Master's of Earth and Energy Resources Leadership (MEERL) program is intended for working professionals in the resource sector. 

A new Queen's study shows warmer temperatures are affecting lakes in the oilsands region

A recent collaborative research project between scientists from academia and government agencies has identified climate warming as the dominant driver of an increase in algal growth in the Athabasca oilsands region of northern Alberta.

Researchers used dated lake sediment cores to reconstruct past algal production and industrial impact at 23 remote, helicopter-accessed lakes in the oilsands region. Snowpack samples were also used to determine the nutrient deposition across the landscape.

Introducing the new Dan School of Drama and Music

Queen’s University announced today the naming of the Dan School of Drama and Music, in honour of Aubrey and Marla Dan and their donation of $5 million to the school.

W.J. Barnes Teaching Award

The W.J Barnes teaching excellence award of the Arts & Science Undergraduate Society is considered the highest tribute the Society can pay to an individual for teaching excellence. The award is presented to deserving members of the Faculty of Arts and Science who have made a significant contribution to teaching.

This year's recipient of the award is Laura Carlson from the Department of History.  Laura has gone above and beyond in educating and engaging with her students throughout this year.

Congratulations Laura!

Peer-Assisted Learning Workshop

Peer-Assisted Learning Workshop with Dr. James Fraser, Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy, Queen’s University

Date: Wednesday, April 6, 1:30-3:00 pm

Location: Ellis Hall, Room 319

The Biggest, Deepest Questions

The questions don’t get any bigger than the ones probed by faculty and students in Stirling Hall:

  • Where do we come from?
  • How did the universe evolve?
  • What is it made of?
  • And why, according to the laws of physics, does the world work the way it does?

Read more on Mauel and Chen in The ongoing neutrino puzzle

A Classics take on the 175th

On this day (March 7) 174 years ago, classes began under Peter Colin Campbell, the first professor hired by Queen’s who taught classical literature, and Thomas Liddell, Queen’s founding principal and professor of divinity.

This moment is one of several university “firsts” associated with the Department of Classics. During the university’s 175th anniversary in 2016-17, professors and students plan to highlight the foundational role the classics department has played in the university’s history.

Psychology Alumna Is One Of Technology’s Most Influential Women

Erin Robinson Swink, Artsci’08, was a first-year psychology student in 2004 living in Adelaide Hall when she started designing video games as a way to avoid studying for exams.

Surprisingly that procrastination has evolved into a successful career as in independent video game designer.

A Boost for Online Learning

Queen’s University continues to gain momentum in online learning, thanks to a $1.5-million funding boost through the Government of Ontario’s shared online course funding program, formerly known as the Ontario Online Initiative. The funding will allow the university to develop or redesign 28 online courses.

For the third straight year, Queen’s leads the province’s universities for the amount of funding awarded through the program, receiving 32 per cent of the total allocated.

Weigh-in on future of Arts and Science, next dean

The Office of the Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) announced today that a committee will be struck to advise Principal Daniel Woolf on the present state and future prospects of the Faculty of Arts and Science and on the selection of the next dean.

“We encourage all members of the Queen’s community to offer their input on the faculty and suggest individuals who might serve on the advisory committee,” says Alan Harrison, Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic).

Aldo López-Gavilán Returns to the Isabel March 23, 2016

Havana-based pianist Aldo López-Gavilán almost defies categorization.  His piano solos mesmerized audiences at a sold-out Isabel show in October 2014 when he accompanied Carlos Varela.  Now he’s back for a solo show that will illustrate why piano great Chucho Valdés calls him "simply a genius, a star.” A portion of the proceeds from this concert will go to the Sonia Enjamio Fund at Queen’s to support Cuban and Canadian student exchange programs. 

Advance tickets: Students $12, Regular $15, at the door $20.

Professor Marc Epprecht to speak at Trent University

Professor Marc Epprecht will speak at Historical Visions and Revisions, the 2016 History Graudate Program Speaker Series at Trent University. His talk, The Native Village Devae in Pietersmaritzburg, South Africa, 1848-1926: Revisiting the 'sanitation syndrome,' will take place Tuesday, March 8 at 7:00 pm in Scott House, Senior Common Room, Trail College.

 

Giller prize recipient visits Queen's

Andre Alexis, winner of the 2015 Scotiabank Giller Prize, visited Queen’s University on Tuesday to deliver a guest lecture and take part in a book signing. Mr. Alexis kept a packed audience at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre riveted as he discussed the inspiration for writing Fifteen Dogs, which included a local tie.

Work remains in battle against mental illness stigma

Queen’s researcher Heather Stuart continues to make a difference for people with mental illness.

Entering her fifth year as the Bell Canada Mental Health and Anti-Stigma Research Chair, Heather Stuart is encouraged by the progress she and her team have made in the emerging field of research. However, she knows her work is far from over.

Bell Canada Mental Health and Anti-Stigma Research Chair Heather Stuart continues her fight against stigma.

Winkler Spearker series in Industrial Relations - Tim Hadwen

"The School Board's Collective Bargaining Act, 2014 and the first round of Provincial Bargaining".

Tim Hadwen is the Assistant Deputy Minister, Education
Labour Relations Division, Ministry of Education. The
Division is responsible for representing the Crown in central
bargaining under the School Boards Collective Bargaining
Act.

Full story here

WINKLER SPEAKER SERIES IN INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

"Why should I buy what you're selling?"

Effective Advocacy in Industrial Relations

Delivered by: Ms. Susan L. Stewart

Susan is a graduate of Queen’s University Law School and was called to the bar of Ontario in 1981. After articling at the Ontario Labour Relations Board and practicing law in Toronto, she commenced her adjudication practice as a Vice Chair of the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Tribunal. She commenced her arbitration practice in 1988 and in 1989 was appointed as a Vice Chair of the Ontario Crown Employees Grievance Settlement Board.

Theory and Practice Meet

Queen’s University, St. Lawrence College unveil joint biotechnology program

Queen’s University and St. Lawrence College are collaborating on a new joint Bachelor of Science (Honours) advanced degree/diploma in biotechnology that will produce career-ready students to work in the emerging field of biotechnology.

Making A Significant Contribution

Queen’s researcher Wendy Craig invested in the Order of Ontario.

In recognition of her continuing work in the field of bullying prevention and the promotion of healthy relationships, Wendy Craig (Psychology) has been invested to the Order of Ontario.