Library Event Archives

Date: March 7, 2017
Location: Library Student Lounge

Cape Breton University Library hosted it’s 5th annual Faculty Academic Contributions Exhibit recognizing the important academic contributions our CBU faculty make to the academic knowledge base.

Dr. William J. Davey (on the left) and Dr. Richard MacKinnon (on the right) at the event

We had the following guest speakers and they discussed various aspects of their research and publication at CBU.

School of Arts & Social Sciences

Topic: Dictionary of Cape Breton English

Dr. Richard MacKinnon talked about his recent publication, the Dictionary of Cape Breton English, with Dr. William J. Davey. Scottish Gaelic, Mi’kmaq and Acadian cultures have influenced Cape Breton language and culture. Dictionary entries include supporting quotations culled from the editors’ extensive interviews with Cape Bretoners and considerable study of regional variation, as well as definitions, selected pronunciations, parts of speech, variant forms, related words, sources, and notes, giving the reader in-depth information on every aspect of Cape Breton culture.

Dr. Richard MacKinnon (on the left) is the founding director of the Centre for Cape Breton Studies, a research centre that houses a state-of-the-art digitization lab and the Rotary Music Performance Analysis Room. His research interests include all aspects of Atlantic Canada’s culture including oral traditions, music, language, material culture and vernacular architecture.

School of Professional Studies

Topic: Social Justice or Status Quo?  Distance Education and E-learning Support for Indigenous Students

Often the type of technology used, and the way it is used replicates colonial approaches to education, that in themselves make it difficult for students to succeed. Dr. Kathy Snow shared with us four strategies for more culturally relevant online course design that she has used in the context of a Blended Bachelor of Education Course.

Dr. Kathy Snow (on the left) is an Assistant Professor in Education at Cape Breton University. Prior to this she worked as an Instructional Designer as well as a K-12 classroom teacher. Having grown up in northern Canada, she observed first hand the challenges associated with High School graduation for Indigenous students in remote locations, and this experience has driven her into her current work that may from the outside look very diverse, E-learning design, Indigenous pedagogy, inquiry based science, but is all united under the goal of facilitating student success.

School of Science and Technology

Topic: Fish Tell Tales - Ichthyological Tools for Measuring Stress

"As I approach my 15th year at CBU, I thought it would be fun to present a compendium of findings from past research projects on ecosystem health and fish stress. I will take you on a journey from Caribbean coral reefs to the former Sydney Tar Ponds, and through salt marshes and estuaries in New Jersey and Nova Scotia. I will present stories that fish revealed through fishy forensics – including their behavioural responses, sizes at age, body symmetries and deformities, body condition indices, and degrees of parasitism."

Dr. Katherine Jones (on the left) is an Associate Professor of Biology at Cape Breton University. Her general field of research is Aquatic Acology, while she specializes in Ichthyology, invasive species, and science communication and outreach. She won the NSERC Award for Science Promotion (2009) and the Discovery Centre Science Champion Award (2010). As you can tell by the title of her talk, she loves fish puns – and does not miss any oppor-tuna-ties to use them!

Shannon School of Business

Topic: A Student Engagement Work Design Model

Many elements go into selecting a university, ranging from the area of study to the institute’s reputation; just as many factors can also be part of the decision to leave. With governments using student retention rates as an indicator of how institutions are fulfilling student expectations vis-à-vis their satisfaction and success, it is important to know how universities are approaching the problem of student attrition.

Dr. Leslie J. Wardley (on the left) is an Assistant Professor in the Shannon School of Business at Cape Breton University. She began her career in small business management in Ontario before moving to academia having taught previously at Nipissing University for a number of years.  Her Ph.D. thesis focusing on institutional commitment, customer service and job design, garnered an award for the best Ph.D. dissertation in Canada bestowed by the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education (CSSHE).

Visit our F.A.C.E. database and the past event in 2016.

Date: March 13 - 17, 2017
Location: Library Student Lounge

The CBU Library was fortunate enough to enjoy The Thundermaker Exhibit and a visit from Mi'kmaq artist Alan Syliboy.

Alan Syliboy's immersive installation The Thundermaker is built around the recently discovered and translated Mi’kmaq legend, “The Stone Canoe,” in which the Thundermaker story is embedded. The installation begins with a circle of text panels illustrated with Syliboy’s drawings, and culminates with a tipi containing a projected animation film of the story. The animation was executed under the artist’s supervision by Nova Scotia Community College Digital Animation students.

Stephen Augustine (on the left) and Alan Syliboy (on the right) at the event

Also on display with the art installation was a series of paintings of the Thundermaker story which has been purchased by the CBU Library. The photo below depicts Alan Syliboy's artwork from The Thundermaker series that is now permanently displayed in the CBU Library.

The Thundermaker series is on display in the CBU Library