Statement from Dr. Sean Riley, President of St. Francis Xavier University

I express my shock and regret that the name of St. Francis Xavier University has been associated with the recent "conference" in Tehran due to the presence of a member of University faculty.

The gathering, in its origins and focus, contained elements that are deeply abhorrent to the St. Francis Xavier University community and the traditions of our 153 years of history. Given previous statements and actions from key personalities in Iranian authority, and given the focus on the subject of the Holocaust and the well-known positions of many participants, it is no surprise that the conference revealed unmistakable and deplorable anti-Semitism.

The Holocaust stands as one of the darkest moments in the world history of human rights. The horror is not a matter of importance to select groups but rather to all humankind.

Members of university faculty, in Canada at least, have the freedom of inquiry and speech which is part of our democracy. They do not, however, speak for the university.

The faculty member concerned has commented to the media on his presence at the conference. He may choose to elaborate further.

This conference has rightly been condemned in no uncertain terms by our Prime Minister on behalf of all Canadians. The StFX community and I join in this condemnation.

December 7, 2006

StFX welcomes two new Canada Research Chairs

Research awards worth $1 million over five years

ANTIGONISH - St. Francis Xavier University today welcomed two new Canada Research Chairs in the departments of Anthropology and Psychology.

Dr. Jane McMillan, previously of York University, will spend the next five years researching indigenous peoples and sustainable communities. In particular, as a legal anthropologist, Dr. McMillan will study treaty implementation in Mi'kmaq communities focusing on developments in self determination, natural resource regulation and indigenous justice practices. Dr. McMillan is also establishing an ethnographic field school at StFX which will provide opportunities for aboriginal and non-aboriginal students to experience field-based research and develop collaborative relationships with First Nation communities and the university.

Dr. McMillan holds a PhD from UBC, a MA from Dalhousie and a BA from StFX. She has been a researcher of the Mi'kmaq community for the past 15 years. While at StFX, she will also teach First Nations Studies, Mi'kmaq Studies and Anthropological Theories and Methods.

Dr. Petra Hauf, a researcher in infant cognitive development, comes to StFX from Germany. She has a PhD in psychology from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt. Dr. Hauf was previously a senior research scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Munich, Germany and an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Frankfurt.

Dr. Hauf's research focuses on the development of action understanding in infants, particularly in relation to the development of their perceptual and motor systems. While at StFX, she will also teach Developmental Psychology.

"The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of investing in university research," said the Honourable Maxime Bernier, minister of Industry and minister responsible for the Canada Research Chairs Program in announcing Canada's newest Canada Research Chairs. "This investment will enable our universities to develop the expertise and innovative ideas that fuel economic competitiveness and create new jobs for Canadians."

Both Canada Research Chair appointments at StFX are worth $500,000 over five years, with the possibility of renewal for another five years.

The Canada Research Chairs Program stands at the centre of a national strategy to make Canada one of the world's top five countries for research and development. In 2000, the Government of Canada created a new permanent program to establish 2000 research professorships-Canada Research Chairs-in universities across the country by 2008. The Canada Research Chairs Program invests $300 million a year to attract and retain some of the world's most accomplished and promising minds.

Chairholders advance the frontiers of knowledge in their fields, not only through their own work, but also by teaching and supervising students and coordinating the work of other researchers.

December 6 , 2006

StFX Association of University Teachers Approves New Contract

ANTIGONISH, NS - The St. Francis Xavier University Association of University Teachers (StFXAUT) approved a new three-year contract offered by StFX in a vote by the membership which concluded Tuesday. This is the first agreement reached since the StFXAUT was certified under provincial labour legislation.

The StFXAUT represents full and part-time faculty, clinical associates, laboratory instructors, librarians and academic staff of the Extension Department and the Coady International Institute.

"This has been a constructive process with a positive outcome for both parties," said Peggy Gallant, Professor of Human Kinetics and the StFXAUT's lead negotiator. "It creates a stable labour situation that will contribute to the outstanding teaching, research and learning environment at StFX."

Dr. Mary McGillivray, StFX's Academic Vice President and Provost, says the university's administration is pleased with the agreement. "We are fortunate at StFX to have exceptional faculty and staff. These negotiations were conducted in a positive, collegial and collaborative manner with the common goal of ensuring that StFX continues to be one of Canada's best universities."

December 1 , 2006

Dr. David Risk Wins Prestigious Discovery Centre Award

ANTIGONISH, NS - StFX Earth Sciences professor David Risk took home the prize for Emerging Professional of Distinction last night at the 4th Annual Discovery Centre Awards for Science and Technology in Halifax.

About 500 people attended the gala awards ceremony, where Dr. Risk was nominated alongside other outstanding scientists from Nova Scotia, including an Earth Sciences professor from Dalhousie University, and a researcher from the National Research Council's Institute for Marine Biosciences in Halifax.

Candidates were selected by a panel of seven acdamics who represent diverse aspects of science and technology; each judged nominees on their ability to demonstrate ingenious and innovative thinking leading to the development of unique ideas, concepts, perspectives, or processes in science. In the Emerging Professional category, each candiate must also be under the age of 35 and maintain diverse interests outside of science and technology.

"It was great just to be there in the first place," Dr. Risk said Friday. "The other candidates are really good scientists, so I felt that it was an honour just to be acknowledged."

Hosted by CBC's Heidi Petracek, awards were presented in four different categories, including Emerging Professional of Distinction, Professional Distinction, Science Champion and Innovation.

Isabel MacNutt, Director of Fund Development at the Discovery Centre, said the awards spotlight the individuals behind nationally and internationally recognized work being done right here in Nova Scotia, rather than any single scientific contribution.

In terms of the recognizing an emerging professional, the probability of their future success in scientific innovation is a major factor in the judging process.

"We were pleased with the overall quality of nominations," she said, adding that the names of about 25 potential candidates were submitted for consideration following a province-wide call for nominations from the general public. "A lot of thought went into each nomination, and I think that's refelcted by the diversity of nominees in each of the four categories."

Dr. Risk's win came after establishing himself as a true visionary in the field of science and technology with inventions that have garnered international attention. Last year, his frustration with sluggish soil-gas measurement equipment prompted him to create a more effective system. Over the summer, his one-of-a-kind testing devices, including the Electro Flux Delux, earned StFX its first-ever patents and may soon be on the market.

Dr. Risk is a StFX alumnus who also teaches courses in aqueous geochemistry and hydrology at StFX.