STU - Key Persons
About: Adam is a fourth-year student pursuing double honours in English Literature and Great Books, and hopefully a career in academia post-STU. He is currently working on his Great Books honours thesis, which is about the work of Virginia Woolf and the development of the novel over the course of the twentieth century. He loves all sorts of books and music, as well as fantasy video games and horror movies. Adam also volunteers with the 203 Centre, and just finished a summer internship for the Queer Heritage Initiative of New Brunswick, a non-profit archival organization dedicated to the preservation of the history of New Brunswick's 2SLGBTQIA+ population.
Random Fact about Adam: They are British-Canadian, and mildly obsessed with the work of Kate Bush.
Brandi Estey-Burtt, PhD, is incoming Managing Editor of Narrative Works. Her research and teaching interests include postsecular literature, critical animal studies, and postcolonialism and religion. With degrees in English Literature and Theology and Religious Studies, Brandi continues to be interested in narratives of religious identity in a spiritually-fluid moment.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Investment Committee
- Chairman of the Standing Committee
- CA ( May 2025 )
Job Titles:
- Mental Health Coordinator
Brittany grew up in Woodstock, New Brunswick. She holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Psychology from STU (2016) and a Master of Social Work from Carleton University (2018).
As Mental Health Coordinator, Brittany works on all aspects of mental wellness and support, including awareness initiatives, training, group sessions, one-on-one counselling, and connecting students to mental health supports and services.
Chelsea is Mi'kmaq, Wolastoqiyik, Cree, and Celtic. She grew up in a military family and calls Trout River, Newfoundland home even without living there for a while. She holds a diploma as an aircraft maintenance technician from Algonquin College, a Bachelor of Integrated Studies, and is completing a Bachelor of Education from the University of New Brunswick.
In her role, Chelsea aids Indigenous students find meaningful experiential learning opportunities and work placements. She helps create cultural experiential learning activities for students, faculty, staff, and the STU community at large.
A Toronto native of South-East Asian descent, Claire came into the faith thanks to the work of campus ministers. She brings a breadth of experience to the chaplaincy having worked as a genetic disease researcher, high-school math and science teacher, and as a mother of 5. She speaks Spanish and French. She has coordinated the Catechism program at St. Dunstan's Church, where she also directed community art projects. She is passionate about wild edible food and loves sharing her awe for the natural world.
Job Titles:
- Manager, Experiential Learning and Career Development
Clara is from Quito, Ecuador. She holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Psychology from STU (2016).
In her role Clara supports the goals of the Experiential Learning Office to ensure it offers programs, services, and events that help students clarify their career goals, apply the theory learned in class into the off-campus community, and ensure they have a myriad of opportunities for personal and professional growth. Clara works with students, staff, faculty, and community partners to create experiential learning opportunities at STU.
Cory is from Forteau, Newfoundland & Labrador. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from STU, a Bachelor of Education, and a Master of Education.
In his role, Cory leads the Residence Life Office which oversees the day-to-day operations of the residence community, organizes residence programming, and acts as a resource for all residence students. His guiding initiative is based in leadership, community building, and positive Mental Health. His work helps foster a residence community that contributes to the personal growth and academic success of students.
Job Titles:
- Director of Student Recruitment
Works with parents, supporters, counsellors, and teachers in all regions, including the greater-Fredericton area and New England
I have had the pleasure of studying, teaching, and working at St. Thomas University, and through these experiences, I have come to learn that STU truly is a university unlike any other. Studying at St. Thomas University affords students the opportunity to develop well-rounded, nuanced understandings of complex issues, while honing skills, gaining experience, and forging a network that will allow them to make a meaningful difference. This is all done within the context of a safe, tight-knit community in which students are guided by faculty, who are experts in their fields; staff, who are committed to fostering students' growth; and peers, who share a commitment to social responsibility. Our team is committed to providing you with a high level of service, information, and insight that is in keeping with the level of support you will be offered throughout your STUdent career, so please do not hesitate to be in touch with us.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Standing Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Nominating Committee
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Governance Committee
- Chairman of the Standing Committee
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Nominating Committee
- Ex Officio
- Secretary, Board of Governors, Ex Officio
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Chairman of the Executive Committee
- Chairman of the Finance Committee
- Chairman of the Governance Committee
- Chairman of the Human Resources Committee
- Chairman of the Investment Committee
- Chairman of the Nominating Committee
- Member of the Standing Committee
- Chairman, Board of Governors, Ex Officio ( Chair )
- Finance Committee ( June 7, 1973 )
- Senior Administration Compensation Committee ( October 21, 1972 )
Denise Resmi, BAA, began as a research assistant for CIRN in 2017. Her interest in narrative, especially within psychology and gerontology, was sparked while studying at Saint Thomas University. At CIRN, she has taken an active role in CIRN's research projects on resilience in older adults.
Job Titles:
- Director of Advancement ( Annual & Planned Giving )
Dolores Furlong, PhD, is retired as Professor of Nursing at the University of New Brunswick. With Bill Randall, she inaugurated the Narrative Matters Conferences in 2002, was again co-organizer of Narrative Matters 2004, and co-authored (with Bill Randall and Rosemary Clews) The Tales that Bind: A Narrative Model for Living and Helping in Rural Communities. She has also played a major role in CIRN's research projects on resilience in older adults.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Standing Committee
Job Titles:
- ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
- Assistant Professor With the Communications
- Communications and Public Policy
Dr. Angela Wisniewski is an Assistant Professor with the Communications and Public Policy Program in the Department of Journalism and Communications. She began her academic studies at STU, where she completed a BA in the Science and Technology Studies program. She has since completed an Interdisciplinary M.A. and a PhD in Sociology from the University of New Brunswick, graduating in 2013. Dr. Wisniewski's academic research has explored media coverage of scientific controversies; framing of risk, expertise and accountability in news; and popular media, and health communication. In addition, she has contributed to community-based research informing policy makers in the areas of Intimate Partner Violence and Social Housing. Her research interests and teaching experiences are diverse and she considers herself an academic "all-arounder." In 10 years across programs at STU and UNB she has taught 19 different courses on everything from communication and media studies to food, science and sustainability, to controversies involving health and medicine. She has also brought her creativity and energy to developing Independent Studies and Honours projects with STU students to explore their interests in everything from gender and food to the impacts of Internet technologies on campus life.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senate Research Committee
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Senate Research Committee
Clive Baldwin, PhD, Director of CIRN, is Canada Research Chair in Narrative Studies and Professor in the School of Social Work at St. Thomas University. He has been active in developing narrative as methodology and practice in academia and social organizations. He is undertaking research projects to explore the dynamics of narrative in social/health care organizations, to develop narrative literacy in professional education, and to implement training programs in narrative ethics in research.
Job Titles:
- Coordinator
- Member of the Standing Committee
Job Titles:
- Education ( Acting ) Director
Job Titles:
- Coordinator
- Communications and Public Policy
- Coordinator of the Communications
Dr. Jamie Gillies is the Coordinator of the Communications and Public Policy Program in the Department of Journalism and Communications. He has a B.A. from the University of Victoria and completed both his M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of British Columbia, graduating in 2011. In 2007, he was a Canada-United States Fulbright Scholar in Washington, D.C. and a Guest Scholar in the Brookings Institution Governance Studies Program and at the Georgetown University Public Policy Institute. From 2009-2012, Dr. Gillies was Visiting Faculty at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. He has also taught at the University of Glasgow, the University of Victoria, and at the University of New Brunswick. A political scientist by training, his academic work is focused on political communications and public policy, in particular American presidents and Anglo-American executive leadership, U.S. White House advisers, and the personalization of political leadership. He is the editor of the recent book Political Marketing in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election (Palgrave Pivot, 2017).
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senate Research Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Standing Committee
- Associate Professor and Director of the School of Education
- Faculty Representative
Marcea Ingersoll, PhD, is Associate Professor and Director of the School of Education. Building on her experiences as an international teacher and teacher-educator, her scholarly work is situated at the crossroads of curriculum, narrative, teacher education, and international schools and their communities. She has taken an active role in CIRN's research projects on resilience in older adults.
Anthazia Kadir, MEd, has taught in her native Guyana and in Saskatchewan within an Indigenous context. She has authored two novels exploring the complexities and contradictions of being human, and currently facilitates life writing workshops for seniors and immigrants to Canada. Her research interests include contemplative pedagogy and the process of decolonization in education, the complexities of eurocentric ideologies in educational spaces, culturally responsive teaching in response to oppressive classroom practices, and life writing and curriculum inquiry.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Standing Committee
- Director, Great Books and Aquinas
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senate Research Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Governance Committee
- Member of the Standing Committee
- Faculty Representative
Job Titles:
- Associate Vice - President ( Research )
- Chairman Ex Officio
Job Titles:
- Member of the Standing Committee
- Faculty Representative
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senate Research Committee
- Psychology
Job Titles:
- Member of the Standing Committee
Elizabeth McKim, PhD, is retired as Professor of English at St. Thomas University, where she taught narrative-based courses on literature and medicine, literature and aging, and life writing. She served as co-organizer of Narrative Matters 2010; was founding Associate Director of CIRN; and is co-editor (with Bill Randall) of Narrative Works. She has collaborated with Bill on a variety of presentations, publications, and workshops on the poetics of aging, including the book Reading Our Lives: The Poetics of Growing Old.
William L. (Bill) Randall, EdD, is Professor of Gerontology at St. Thomas University. With Dolores Furlong, he inaugurated the Narrative Matters conferences in 2002, and was also co-organizer of the conferences in 2004 and 2010. He was founding Director of CIRN, and is co-editor (with Elizabeth McKim) of Narrative Works. His current areas of interest include narrative resilience in later life, narrative care with older adults, and lifestory work in late-life spiritual development. His books include The Stories We Are: An Essay on Self-Creation; Reading Our Lives: The Poetics of Growing Old (with Elizabeth McKim); and The Narrative Complexity of Ordinary Life: Tales from the Coffee Shop. https://www.williamlrandall.com/
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Executive Committee
- Chairman of the Human Resources Committee
- Chairman of the Nominating Committee
- Chairman of the Standing Committee
- Chairman, Human Resources Committee, Ex Officio
Job Titles:
- Advancement and Donor Relations Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Administrative Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Career Development Advisor
Erin grew up in Canterbury, New Brunswick and moved to Fredericton in 2006 to attend St. Thomas University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (2010) with Honours in English and a Minor in Psychology as well as a Bachelor of Education (2011).
As the Career Development Advisor, Erin provides students with the individualized support and guidance needed to explore different kinds of jobs and develop an action plan that will help them reach their career goals. Through one-on-one meetings and workshops, students receive support with things such as finding employment opportunities, job search strategies, resume writing, interview preparation and networking.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Standing Committee
- Student
Grant Williams was born and raised in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. He earned a B.Sc. in Physics from Mount Allison University (1988), a B.Ed. in Secondary Science Education (1990) and a M.Ed. in Educational Administration (1995) both from the University of New Brunswick, and a Ed.D. in Mathematics, Science, and Learning Technologies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst (2011). Grant spent 21 years working in the public school system in Fredericton, New Brunswick, teaching middle school science, high school physics, and later serving as the district Learning Specialist for K-12 Science and Mathematics. In 2011, Dr. Williams joined the faculty of the School of Education at Saint Thomas University where he teaches courses in secondary science and math methodology, assessment and evaluation, and climate change education. Grant's research focuses on model-based teaching and learning, discussion-centered teaching strategies, and pre-service science teacher education.
Job Titles:
- Chancellor
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Standing Committee
- Chancellor, Ex Officio
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at St. Thomas
Gül Çalışkan, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at St. Thomas University. She engages in postcolonial feminist and critical race literatures and narrative inquiry to examine the complex relations between global processes and everyday realities. She has extensive research and publication involving field work taking place in Ankara, Berlin, and Fredericton, and has taken an active role in CIRN's research projects on resilience in older adults.
Job Titles:
- Center Coordinator
- Writing Centre Coordinator
About: Before coming to the Writing Centre, Heather taught High School, Grade 1, Adult Basic Education, and the GED program. She was also the Learning Strategist at STU for 3 years. Her father graduated from STU in 1974, so she is a second-generation STUdent and feels like this is home. When she is not working with words, she is loving her two cats, refinishing furniture, or running after her adorable 6-year-old twin girls.
Random Fact about Heather: She plays several instruments like tin whistles, guitar, and bodhran, and plays in a Celtic folk band. She recently bought an accordion and is taking lessons.
Job Titles:
- Research Services Officer
Job Titles:
- Member of the Investment Committee
- Member of the Standing Committee
- Vice - President ( Finance and Administration ), Staff, Ex Officio
- Vice - President, Finance and Administration
Jennifer Estey, BSW, MA, is a Registered Social Worker employed by the Government of New Brunswick, working with adults. Her interest in narrative began during her undergraduate study. She completed her Master of Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of New Brunswick, focusing on ethics in long-term care. She is co-author of two articles on narrative and the self.
Job Titles:
- Residence Life Supervisor
Jeremy grew up in Hampton, New Brunswick. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from STU (2012) and an Advanced Diploma in Public Relations from NSCC (2017).
In his role, Jeremy supports the Residence Coordinators, Residence Advisors, and House Committees in building community within residence and around campus. He does this by building relationships with our residence's students through communal living, special events and educational programming.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Standing Committee
- Vice - President, Advancement and Alumni Relations )
- Vice - President, Advancement and Alumni Relations, Staff, Ex Officio
- Vice President, Advancement & Alumni Relations
Job Titles:
- Member of the Standing Committee
- Senate Appointee - Student / Student Representative
Kath comes from Cardale, Manitoba and holds a BA in History from Brandon University (2014). She's also pursuing a Master of Education in Post-Secondary Studies from Memorial University.
In her role, Kath helps students develop their academic skills such as note-taking, reading, studying, and test-taking. She spends most of her time helping students develop their time management and organizational skills. This is a foundational skill necessary for student success! Kath also works with and supports many first-year students in their transition to university.
Job Titles:
- Vice - President ( Academic and Research )
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Executive Committee
- Chairman of the Finance Committee
- Chairman of the Standing Committee
- CA, FEA ( Mar. 2025 )
- Chairman, Finance Committee, Ex Officio
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Administrative Coordinator / REB Coordinator
Lauren Eagle is Assistant to Clive Baldwin, Office of Research Services Assistant, Research Ethics Board Coordinator, and Industry Liaison Officer at St. Thomas University. She joined STU in January 2000, and before her current responsibilities, served as a Student Services Representative in the Registrar's Office and Office Coordinator and "mother to 700" in the Residence Life Office.
Lex grew up in Menahqesk (Saint John, New Brunswick). They hold a Bachelor of Knowledge Integration from the University of Waterloo (2015), a Master of Arts in Museum Studies from University College London (2017), and they are currently completing a Master of Education in Counselling at UNB.
Lindsay Ogg
Admissions Counsellor
Works with students and schools in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, the Territories, Australasia, and the Caribbean
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Finance Committee
- Member of the Governance Committee
- Member of the Human Resources Committee
- Member of the Investment Committee
- Member of the Nominating Committee
- Member of the Standing Committee
- President
- Vice - Chancellor
- Ex Officio ( Chair )
- President, Ex Officio
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor in the Department of English at St. Thomas
Matte Robinson, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of English at St. Thomas University. His research interests are in American modernism, focusing on the poet H.D. He has been involved in the publication of several of her archival works and has also produced criticism on her work. He has also taken an active role in CIRN's research projects on resilience in older adults.
Job Titles:
- Financial Services Officer
Job Titles:
- Member of the Standing Committee
- Alumni Member
- Board Representative
Michelle Greason, PhD, is a social worker and part-time faculty member in the School of Social Work at St. Thomas University. In collaboration with CIRN, she is researching the development of a training program in narrative care for those working in the helping professions. Her dissertation focused on ethics and ethical reasoning in long-term care, and she has published on aging, micro-citizenship, dementia, narrative and argumentation, the rhizomatic self, and qualitative Delphi methodology.
Job Titles:
- Business Systems Analyst, Office of Experiential and Community Based Learning
Miriam grew up in Fredericton, New Brunswick. She holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in English Literature from UNB (2015) and a Master of Information Studies from McGill University (2017).
As a Business Systems Analyst, Miriam works on digital transformation projects including but not limited to business process automations, platform optimization, and intranet design and development. Miriam also administers Learning in Action, STU's experiential learning portal.
Job Titles:
- Digital Admissions Counsellor
About: Patricia graduated from STU in May of 2023 and is now pursuing a Masters degree in English Literature with a specialization in Medieval and Renaissance studies at the University of Ottawa. At STU, Patricia honoured in English Literature and minored in sociology. Patricia's areas of scholarly interest include women's voices and themes of identity in medieval literature, as well as folklore and fairytales. Patricia's free time is often occupied with reading, writing, and playing with her kitten Phoebe.
Random Facts about Patricia: Although Patricia spent the later part of her childhood in New Brunswick, she has lived in both Toronto and London, England.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Standing Committee
- Member of the Executive Committee
About: Rebecca is a fourth-year student completing double honours in English and Great Books. Some of her favourite books that she's read for her undergrad include the Homeric epics, Plato's Symposium, and Watchmen. Rebecca also volunteers at the UNB Women's Centre. She grew up in Woodstock, New Brunswick, and enjoys TV, video games, and reading.
Random Fact about Rebecca: Rebecca is a huge fan of Florence + The Machine. She would love to see them in concert someday.
Job Titles:
- Comptroller
- Member of the Investment Committee
- Member of the Standing Committee
- Comptroller, Staff, Ex Officio
About: Sarah is a fourth-year student who is glad to have landed at St. Thomas in 2022 after transferring from two other universities in her home province of Nova Scotia. In the Foundation Year Program at the University of King's College, Sarah underwent a boot camp-like reading and paper writing intensive that fostered academic skills she is excited to carry forward as a Writing Tutor. Sarah is passionate about her studies (perhaps embarrassingly so) and adores diving headfirst into new concepts that shape the way she sees the world, which, if all goes well, should propel her to her dream career as a prof and therapist. She loves listening to podcasts, walking through residential neighborhoods, tagging along on her mum's adventures as a singer-songwriter, and seeking out new coffee shops as a third-wave barista on hiatus.
Random Fact about Sarah: Sarah once walked all the way into the showrooms of an IKEA with a ball of yarn in her bag, unaware that the "working end" of her knitting was caught hundreds of meters behind her, winding itself infinitely into the revolving doors.
About: Sid is a third-year student hoping to honour in Psychology, major in English, and minor in Gerontology. After STU, they plan on completing an MA in Speech Language Pathology. They have previously been involved with STU for Sustainability. Sid is from Pubnico, an Acadian fishing village in Yarmouth County Nova Scotia, and they love living by the ocean. In their free time, they enjoy reading, writing poetry, and visiting farmer's markets.
Random Fact about Sid: They love My Chemical Romance and have seen them in concert.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Standing Committee
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Nominating Committee
- Member of the Standing Committee
- External, Chosen by Executive Committee ( Chair )
Job Titles:
- President, Students' Union ) ( April 2024 ) Board Member Biographies
Job Titles:
- Member of the Standing Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Standing Committee
- Dec. 2027
- Vice - Chair of the Board, Ex Officio