ST MARY'S UNIVERSITY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor, Psychology
Job Titles:
- Communications StMU 2020 - 10 - 08T14
- PSYC Program Coordinator, Associate Professor, Psychology
- Psychology
Alisa is the former Chair of the Brain and Cognitive Sciences section of the Canadian Psychological Association and is currently the Vice Chair of the Alberta Council on Admissions and Transfer (ACAT) Psychology articulation committee.
Job Titles:
- Chairman - Social Sciences, Associate Professor, History
- Communications StMU 2021 - 03 - 03T14
- History / Area Chair, Social Sciences
Job Titles:
- Director of Research, Associate Professor, Psychology
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor and Chair in the Department of Education at St. Mary's
- Chairman, Education
- Communications StMU 2023 - 04 - 06T09
Cory Wright-Maley is an Associate Professor and Chair in the Department of Education at St. Mary's University. Cory's a Calgary native, completed his master's degree at Stanford University, and taught in Woodside, California for six years before backpacking around the world for a year, returning to begin his Ph.D. at the University of Connecticut. It was here that he met his wife, Jenn. He is the father of three. His 5 year old wants to become a chess master, his 3 year old loves dancing, dinosaurs, and Chuggington, and his baby loves to fall asleep on his chest while he walks around the house. His love of Star Wars, Doctor Who, Zombies, and his penchant for T-Shirts reveal his quirks and interests. He teaches introductory and social studies methods courses for elementary teachers, and is viewed as a "taskmaster" by his students, albeit a "kind" and "caring" one. Ultimately, his mission is to help each of his graduates become the kind of teacher he would want his own children to have as they enter the school system. His research is anchored broadly in social studies education, focusing on simulations and on how to empower teachers to support marginalized populations in social studies contexts. His past and current works have explored democracy in the face of economic inequality, teaching about family diversity in Catholic elementary contexts, and understanding the needs and challenges of English language learners (ELLs) in the content classroom. Still learning and growing, he is seeking to better understand the indigenous practices, history, and culture of the region.
Wright-Maley, C. & Joshi, P. (2016). Why OPEC is still relevant-especially to the social studies. Social Education, 80(3), 168-173.
Wright-Maley, C. (2018). Yes, children should know where meat comes from: Preparing teachers to navigate the delicate nature of interrogating the sacrosanct. In S. Shear, Tschida, Bellows, L.B. Buchanan, E.E. Saylor (Eds.). (Re)Imagining Elementary Social Studies: A Controversial Issues Reader, pp. 177-198. Charlotte, NC: Information Age. Press. http://www.infoagepub.com/products/(Re)Imagining-Elementary-Social-Studies
Job Titles:
- Chairman, Humanities & Program Coordinator, Liberal Studies, Assistant Professor, Philosophy
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor at St
- Education
Elizabeth Vergis is an Assistant Professor at St. Mary's University, Calgary. Elizabeth came to Canada with an MSc in Biochemistry from the University of London, England. In Canada, she completed her PhD in Science Education at the University of Alberta in the Department of Educational Policy Studies at the Faculty of Education. She is very concerned about equity issues including, gender, ethnicity and socio-economic status as they affect education. Dr. Vergis is a member of the Science Education Research Group (SERG) and has presented regularly at the CSSE and CSSHE annual conferences. Her interests outside of the academia include singing, stamp-collecting, cooking and travelling especially to interesting parts of the world. Before coming to Canada, she taught science at the school and post-secondary levels in Zambia, the United Kingdom, the Kingdom of Lesotho and South Africa, having travelled widely in all these places.
Vergis, E. (2009, May). How evidence is represented in chemistry textbooks used in high schools across Canada. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Canadian Society for the Study of Education. Ottawa, Ontario: Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences.
Vergis, E. (2011). The representation of evidence in high school chemistry textbooks. Alberta Science Education Journal, 41(1), January 2011, 38 - 50.
Job Titles:
- Chairman, Natural & Mathmatical Sciences, Assistant Professor, Biology
Job Titles:
- Communications StMU 2021 - 03 - 03T13
- History
- History & Interdisciplinary
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor, English
- Communications StMU 2021 - 07 - 06T11
- Interim Dean, Arts & Sciences, Associate Professor, English
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at St. Mary's
- Communications StMU 2021 - 09 - 13T14
- Education
Laurie Hill is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at St. Mary's University. Her research interests include teacher education, teacher professional identity and teacher becoming, especially the way in which field experiences shape how student teachers understand their emerging practice and sense of what it means to be (and to become) a teacher. She is also interested in teacher well-being, student transitions, as well as gender and equity issues as they relate to education. Dr. Hill is a member of the editorial team for Papers on Postsecondary Learning and Teaching and her current service includes the national boards for the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education (CSSHE) and the Canadian Association for the Study of Women in Education (CASWE).
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor, Sociology
- Communications StMU 2021 - 05 - 31T12
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor, English
- Communications StMU 2023 - 03 - 07T10
Job Titles:
- Biology
- Chairman of Natural
- Communications StMU 2020 - 10 - 08T14
Dr. McLean is currently Chair of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, and Faculty Representative on the St. Mary's University Board of Governors.
"Co-teaching with a conservation specialist enhances the impact of the course," says Dr. McLean. "Another important feature is that students develop their own real-world conservation project in collaboration with a local environmental NGO."
She worked recently with colleagues in the history and English departments to design and teach IDST 333: Reading the Landscapes: Local Explorations in Literature, Ecology and History, a new interdisciplinary course that explores Southern Alberta's wilderness spaces from various perspectives.
"One of the reasons I like the liberal arts environment is that you can do some really interesting interdisciplinary work," Dr. McLean said. "There are so many creative ideas here at St. Mary's and a real opportunity to work collaboratively."
St. Mary's team of science professors launched Discovering Science, a unique science outreach program for junior high school students, in 2009.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor, English
Job Titles:
- Chemistry
- Communications StMU 2022 - 09 - 21T15
- St. Mary 's University Chemistry Professor
Dr. Matthew Clay, born and raised in Nova Scotia, received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Ottawa in 2006 before moving west to conduct post-doctoral research in biochemistry at the University of Alberta. In 2008 he accepted a position at St. Mary's University, excited to bring his passion for teaching to the friendly and interactive environment of a St. Mary's classroom. Teaching lectures and tutorials in introductory and organic chemistry at St. Mary's since 2008, Dr. Clay has developed a number of strategies and teaching styles to ensure students are given the best possible chance of success and he takes great pride in helping everyone realize their potential. His interest in teaching is not confined to the undergraduate classroom either, as he has also been spotted teaching students the finer points of making ice cream with liquid nitrogen or explaining the science behind news stories to anyone who will listen. When he's not at St. Mary's you'll probably find Dr. Clay exploring the Rocky Mountains, hiking, scrambling, snowshoeing, camping, and backpacking his way through increasingly remote mountainous regions. Fresh air, sunshine and exercise have been shown to increase happiness, health and longevity after all!
Job Titles:
- Communications StMU 2020 - 10 - 08T14
- Program Coordinator, Social Justice and Catholic Studies, Associate Professor, Political Science
Michael MacLeod has BA & MA degrees from Queen's University (Kingston, Ontario) and a PhD from George Washington University (Washington, DC). He is currently the Chair of Social Sciences, an Associate Professor of Political Science and the Liberal Studies Coordinator at St Mary's. Previously, he taught at George Fox University in Oregon, USA, where he was also Director of International Studies. Dr. MacLeod has researched and written on a variety of topics, including emerging global capitalism and the power of multinational corporations, corporate social responsibility, socially responsible investment, religion and politics, and the Alberta Oil Sands. One of his passions lies in explaining and critiquing globalization and the changing global economy to students, and to helping them develop a sense of social justice for whatever path they choose in life. In addition, Michael also loves music and is proud to have seen the great Canadian musicians Leonard Cohen, Bruce Cockburn and Ron Sexsmith, among others, in concert several times over the years. His interest in the relationship of popular culture and politics is manifest in his most recent work - currently writing chapters for books on Rock Music and Romanticism, and on U2 and Religion.
Job Titles:
- Communications StMU 2021 - 03 - 03T13
- Faculty Representative
- History
- Professor of History
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at St. Mary's
- Communications StMU 2021 - 02 - 03T11
- Education
- Interim Dean of Education and Associate Professor, Education
Paolina Seitz is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at St. Mary's University. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Alberta in the Department of Educational Psychology. Her research interests lie in the area of curriculum alignment, student assessment, cognition, and effective leadership in school administration. Her interests in these areas range from theory to design to implementation. Before joining the St. Mary's faculty, Paolina worked with Alberta Education in the Learner Assessment Branch and later was appointed on the curriculum redesign team in the Curriculum Branch.
Paolina brings with her a variety of teaching and administrative experiences in K to 12 education: teaching (primary and secondary), school counselor, Associate Principal, Principal and Associate Superintendent of Learning Services. She has presented at several conferences and most recently presented a paper at CSSE titled, The Role of Trust in Creating Safe Classroom Environments for Learning and Assessment. She currently teaches courses on educational planning, assessment of student learning (both formative and summative), and how the three pillars of education - learner outcomes, instruction, and assessment - can be aligned to support both teaching and learning. In addition, she teaches courses on religious education in the elementary school and an introduction to the personal aspects of the Teaching Profession Act.
Her interests outside of academia include going for walks with her husband (another educator), spending time with her family and friends, and traveling to tropical islands.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor, History & Religious Studies
We are pleased to announce Dr. Sandy Vanderburgh's appointment to the position of Vice-President, Academic at St. Mary's University. Dr. Vanderburgh is currently the Vice President Academic and Learner Services at Northern Lakes College in Slave Lake, Alberta. There, he has the overall responsibility for providing leadership, management and strategic planning for a broad range
Job Titles:
- President
- Vice - Chancellor
Dr. Sinda Vanderpool became St. Mary's fourth president and vice-chancellor on July 1, 2022. With an extraordinary combination of impeccable academic credentials and dynamic leadership qualities, Dr. Vanderpool joins the university at a pivotal moment in St. Mary's history. Before coming to Calgary, she spent the past 18 years working at Baylor University, a national Christian research university in Central Texas with 20,000 students, serving in various leadership roles, the last being Associate Vice Provost for Student Success.
Education
Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor, Philosophy and Ethics
- Communications StMU 2021 - 05 - 31T12
Job Titles:
- Communications StMU 2018 - 04 - 23T12
- Education
Job Titles:
- Chemistry Lab Instructor
- Lab Coordinator, Chemistry
Job Titles:
- CFO
- VICE - PRESIDENT FINANCE
Job Titles:
- Ecumenical Representative
Job Titles:
- Community Advisory Council Representative
Job Titles:
- Administrative Staff Representative
Job Titles:
- Director of the Centre for Learning, Access and Student
Rafael De La Pena, Director of the Centre for Learning, Access and Student Success (CLASS) with the Premier's Council Award of Excellence. St. Mary's University Awarded 2017 Premier's Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities Award of Excellence for Education St. Mary's University continues to be a leader for post-secondary institutions [...]
Job Titles:
- Communications StMU 2022 - 01 - 10T13
- Vice - President Advancement
- Vice President of Advancement & Campus Services
A senior communications, marketing, external relations and fund development professional, Thérèse brings more than 25 years of experience to her role as Vice President of Advancement & Campus Services at St. Mary's University.
As Vice President of Advancement & Campus Services, Thérèse provides leadership on the overall positioning of the university and guides the Advancement & Campus Services team's activities, including fundraising and development, alumni relations, corporate relations, media relations, community relations, government relations, marketing, communications, campus expansion planning, external awards and ceremonies, retail services (bookstore, bistro), events and athletics & recreation.