Summer is a time for rest, relaxation and – at MacEwan – stories! Check out some you may have missed that feature faculty research, incredible events, alumni who are doing meaningful work and what our leaders are up to.
1. Can petting dogs strengthen your mental health?
Dr. Anna Rissanen, assistant professor in the Department of Allied Health and Human Performance, has been examining services offered to support student well-being, aside from standard counselling, which led her to MacEwan’s Pets Assisting with Student Success (PAWSS) program.
2. Breeding bears: Are polar-grizzly hybrids on the rise?
What do you get when you cross a polar bear and a grizzly? It sounds like the setup for a joke, but Dr. Joshua Miller’s conservation research and its implications in the Canadian Arctic are no laughing matter.
3. Revisit the hour before Treaty 6 was signed with Josh Languedoc
As an artist, teacher and sociologist, Languedoc uses theatre to challenge social structures. For the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, sociology and theatre naturally speak to one another.
4. Photography students partner with Kiwanis Place Lodge residents to see life through a new lens
A group of students in a continuing education photography class collaborated with a seniors lodge to create the Capturing Intergenerational Joy photography project.
5. Learning from the land in the heart of the city
Over 150 participants joined Elders and Knowledge Keepers at the kihcihkaw askî-Sacred Land cultural site for four days of learning and connecting. The event was the first land-based gathering hosted by the university's kihêw waciston Indigenous Centre. It was four days of learning and connecting, held right in the city.
Read the full story and see the gallery of photos.
6. New StoryWalk at MacEwan welcomes families to campus
It’s never too early to ensure Edmonton’s youngest citizens feel welcome and at home on a university campus. StoryWalk visitors make their way across campus, visiting stations that present pages of a storybook throughout MacEwan’s halls.
7. MacEwan alum uncovers effects of government intervention on Kehewin First Nation reserve
Alum and journalist Brett McKay published work done during his final term at MacEwan that looked into systemic issues that led to boil water advisories and infrastructure delays on First Nation Reserves.
8. Mapping out Alberta’s past
Students in Dr. Robin Woywitka’s quaternary environments class are uncovering what Alberta landscapes looked like hundreds to thousands of years ago. Using samples from the Royal Alberta Museum, they’re able to track what types of plants were in an area at various points in history.
9. Dr. Annette Trimbee reappointed as president and vice-chancellor
“President Trimbee will continue to elevate and grow the university in a way that’s making a real impact on our institution and our community,” says Carolyn Graham, chair of MacEwan University’s Board of Governors.
10. Dr. Anthony (Tony) Fields receives Canadian Medical Association’s highest honour
MacEwan’s first chancellor received the F.N.G. Starr Award by the Canadian Medical Association in recognition of his visionary leadership in cancer care.
Shout-outs to profs
If you’re feeling nostalgic for convocation, reread these props to profs and staff from the Class of 2024.