Faculty Teaching and Research

Celebrating a Career Superhero: Dr. Linda Pardy

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Celebrating a Career Superhero: Dr. Linda Pardy

Describing Dr. Linda Pardy isn’t easy. Those who have met her can attest to that. After all, how can we describe a career superhero?

 

Since 2019, Dr. Linda Pardy has been serving the College of Arts as an Associate Dean of Students. During her tenure, she accomplished some incredible feats:

  • Canada Comeback Challenge: Dr. Pardy led 15 student teams and faculty members to participate in this national event, where students delivered brilliant pitches and ideas on tackling real-world problems. This initiative not only showcased the exceptional creativity of our students but also positioned the College of Arts as a leader in innovative education.
  • 1000 + Work-Integrated Learning Experiences: She achieved—and nearly doubled—the goal of 1,000 student work-integrated learning experiences. This monumental accomplishment provided students with hands-on opportunities to apply their academic knowledge in real-world settings, bridging the gap between classroom learning and professional experience.
  • Arts Worx Initiative: Dr. Pardy launched this groundbreaking platform to boost student participation in work-integrated learning activities and connect the local community to some talented Arts minds. Arts Worx has become a vital resource for students, offering a wide array of opportunities to gain invaluable work experience and career opportunities, setting them on a path to success even before they graduate.
  • Practicum Participation: Under her leadership, the number of Arts students participating in practicums significantly increased. Dr. Pardy’s efforts ensured that more students could benefit from immersive, practical experiences that are crucial for their professional development.

Dr. Pardy is known for being an innovator, collaborator, creative thinker, and leader. Her forward-thinking approach and dedication to student success have left a lasting mark on the College of Arts. The students who exit her classroom are more confident, self-assured, and resilient than when they first came in. They are better prepared to face the challenges of the professional world, thanks to the robust career foundation she helped build.

Beyond her professional achievements, Dr. Pardy has been a mentor and inspiration to countless students and colleagues. Her passion for education, coupled with her unwavering commitment to student development, has created a supportive and nurturing environment within the College of Arts.

As Dr. Pardy concludes her term as Associate Dean of Students, we reflect on the deep impact she has made and we are cheering for her on the next chapters of her adventure. And fear not – Although Dr. Pardy is concluding her term as Associate Dean, she will stay within the College of Arts, returning as an Associate Professor and faculty researcher.

From all of us at the College of Arts, we want to express our deepest gratitude for your remarkable work, Dr. Pardy. We hope to continue building on the strong foundation you have created, and we look forward to seeing the continued success of the initiatives you have set in motion.

Thank you, Dr. Pardy, for being a true superhero in our academic community.

Talk the talk, walk the walk: A lifelong commitment to Human Rights and International Law

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In November 2023, Criminology Assistant Professor Dr. Mark Kersten was invited to speak to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development about Canada’s approach to diplomacy, particularly its inconsistent commitment to international law. As an expert witness, he testified about his hope that Canada could be a leader in human rights and concerns over Canada’s double standards in the investigation and prosecution of international crimes – war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide – both abroad and in Canada. Mark was also asked to submit a written brief to the Standing Committee, which is now part of the House of Commons official record.

As a human rights practitioner and professor, Mark emphasizes the importance of serving as a role model for students and demonstrating that a commitment to human rights extends beyond the classroom.

It is important to me that my students know that I don’t just talk the talk, but walk the walk. A genuine commitment to human rights and international justice can’t end when the bell rings at the end of class or when it’s time to go home after work. It truly is a life commitment. By sharing with my students, the that work I do outside the university, I hope to leave them with the impression that human rights matter not simply as an intellectual project, but in everyday life, and to the most powerful political actors in the country. I also hope this work leaves my students with the impression that human rights and international law and justice matter, not some of the time, but all of the time.

When asked about the lessons and insights he gained from serving as an expert witness, Mark highlights the misconception that human rights are something distant from daily life.

Sometimes people think human rights and a commitment to international law is something that happens ‘elsewhere,’ away from day-to-day life. That’s the farthest thing from the truth! Many people, including students and professors, enjoy the lives they have precisely because of hard-fought gains in the field of human rights, whi

ch have often come at immense sacrifice. Like the famed lawyer Bryan Stevenson says, I want aspiring professionals to know that the measure of our character is how we treat the most marginalized and vulnerable people in our communities and in our world. A dedication to improving the human rights and access to justice for those whose rights are most fragile and least respected can and does improve all of our rights.

Reflecting on his experiences as both an expert witness and a professor, and the legacy he hopes to leave in shaping the next generation of leaders and influencers, Mark underscores the importance of showing people that human rights and international laws matter.

I hope that I’m nowhere near the point of reflecting on my legacy quite yet! But in my work, I do hope to leave the impression that human rights and international law matter. They are relevant in our neighbourhoods and communities. They are relevant across Canada and around the world. Our shared humanity depends on adherence to the basic standards of human rights law and decency, and we can’t be too privileged or too distracted to forget that or take it for granted.

April News | Faculty Projects and Publications | UFV College of Arts

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April News at the College of Arts

Check out what our faculty at the College of Arts have been up to this April!

From exciting projects to new publications, read more about their work and connect us to learn more about the College of Arts.

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Criminology and Criminal Justice

History

Philosophy

  • Dr. Anna Cook, Assistant Professor and Head of the Philosophy Department, has contributed a chapter to “The Bloomsbury Handbook of Pragmatism.” Her chapter, titled “Pragmatism and Indigenous Philosophy,” is a part of Part IV of the book which focuses on Pragmatism in the Multicultural World.

Political Science

  • Political Science Assistant Professor Dr. Simon Lambek has published a research article in the Canadian Journal of Political Science. Lambek S. The Constitutive Power of Public Debate. Canadian Journal of Political Science. 2024;57(1):156-173. doi:10.1017/S000842392300077X

Psychology

Faculty Projects | March 2024

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Criminology & Criminal Justice

  • Criminology Associate Professors Dr. Irwin Cohen and Dr. Amanda McCormick wrote a report on the use of restorative justice in power-based crimes. Cohen, I.M., Plecas, D., McCormick, A.V., De Jager, T., Davies, G., & Dawson, S. (2024). The Effects of Police Pre-Charge Restorative Justice on Future Criminal Involvement and the Use of Restorative Justice in Cases Related to Power-Based Crimes. Report for Public Safety Solicitor General. Centre for Public Safety and Criminal Justice Research.
  • Criminology Associate Professor Dr. Jon Heidt co-authored a book on cannabis control. Heidt, J., & Wheeldon, J. (2023). Visions of Cannabis Control. Oxford University Press.
  • Criminology Assistant Professor Dr. Mark Kersten submitted a brief to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development on the role of Canada in investigating and prosecuting international crimes and violations of human rights law.
    • Kersten was also interviewed by CBC News and The Breach Show on January 26 about the recent International Court of Justice decision.
    • He also contributed to the Toronto Star on the recent issue before the International Court of Justice.
  • Criminology Assistant Professor Dr. Carlos Ponce was interviewed by SBS on the role of the state of emergency in El Salvador and its impact on the upcoming presidential and legislative elections.
    • Dr. Ponce was also interviewed by elsalvador.com about the secret negotiations between public officials and gang leaders in El Salvador and their potential effects on the elections.

History

Political Science

  • Political Science Assistant Professor Dr. Simon Lambek published an article: Simon Lambek, “The Constitutive Power of Public Debate”, Canadian Journal of Political Science. 57, no.1 (2024), doi:10.1017/S000842392300077X

Psychology

  • Psychology Assistant Professor Dr. Kristina Gicas published a research article: Differential sensitivity of intraindividual variability dispersion and global cognition in the prediction of functional outcomes and mortality in precariously housed and homeless adults. The Clinical Neuropsychologist. 1-24. 5 Mar. 2024.
    • Dr. Gicas also co-authored an article: Tang, V. M., Zawertailo, L., Selby, P., Zangen, A., Mehta, D., George, T.P., Le Foll, B., Gicas, K. M., Sloan, M.E., Veldhuizen, S. (2024). Identifying clinical predictors of response to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for smoking cessation: Secondary analysis of a multicenter RCT. Brain Stimulation, 17(1), 137-139. doi: 10.1016/j.brs.2024.01.008

School of Communication

  • School of Communication Associate Professor Dr. Jeffrey Orr co-edited a collection that explores the Canada-US border through a variety of theoretical, cultural, and literary approaches and aims to contextualize cultures and communities within a wider global understanding of border thinking.

School of Creative Arts

  • From The University of Toronto Press (UTP) the Summer 2023 issue of The Canadian Theatre Review (Vol. 195) is on Performance and Pathography. Combining the words ‘pathology’ and ‘biography,’ pathographies are illness narratives that explore the intersections of health, identity, and storytelling. Edited by Visual Arts faculty Dr. Candace Couse and former SoCA school director and current Dean of Fine Arts, University of Lethbridge, Dr. Heather Davis-Fisch, the issue unites several scholars across Canada. Contributors to this issue take up poetry, visual arts, dance, theory, performance, comedy, scriptwriting and more to explore valuable perspectives on coping mechanisms, resilience, and the human experience in the face of adversity.

 

Faculty Publications & Projects | January 2024

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Criminology and Criminal Justice

  • Criminology Associate Professor Dr. Jon Heidt co-authored a publication on cannabis and international criminology. Wheeldon, J., & Heidt, J. (in press). Cannabis and international criminology: Tolerance, aversion, and legal technical assistance. Crime, Law, and Social Change.
  • Criminology Assistant Professor Dr. Carlos Ponce was interviewed on December 9, 2023, by News Talk 980 CKNW to discuss the increase in extortion cases in BC. The interview highlighted current trends and patterns in extortion, different types of extortion, and its potential impact on our community.
  • Criminology Associate Professor Dr. Hayli Millar’s chapter on prosecuting trafficking in persons offences is available through Fernwood Publishing. O’Doherty, T., & Millar, H. (in press). Prosecuting Trafficking in Persons Offences: Problems and Pitfalls in the Post-PCEPA Era. In K. Roots, A. De Shalit, & E. van der Meulen (eds.), Trafficking Harms: Critical Politics, Perspectives and Experiences.
  • Criminology Associate Professor Dr. Amanda McCormick presented a webinar for the Research and Education for Solutions to Violence and Abuse (RESOLVE) Network on the topic “Enhancing System Responses to Survivors and Perpetrators of Strangulation in Intimate Partner Violence.”
    • Dr. McCormick also conducted another webinar Associate for the Connect Centre for Research on Violence and Harm at the University of Central Lancashire in the UK. McCormick, A. (2023, November 8). Recognizing and Responding to Strangulation and Brain Injury Among Victims/Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence.
    • She also presented “Coercive Control in Intimate Partner Relationships” at the Abbotsford ACCESS Agency Awareness and Connection Breakfast as part of the Purple Lights Nights theme on intimate partner violence.
    • Additionally, she spoke at the Be Safe, Be Well community event in Abbotsford on October 18, 2023.
  • The following Criminology professors presented papers at the latest American Society of Criminology Conference held in Philadelphia, PA:
    • Associate Professor Dr. Amanda McCormick: McCormick, A. (2023, November). Police Responses to Intimate Partner Violence with Indigenous Populations. Paper presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA, November 15-18, 2023.
    • Associate Professor Dr. Carlos Ponce: Ponce, C. (2023, November). #PunitivePopulism: An Examination of Retweet Networks That Promote Criminal Justice Abuses in El Salvador. Paper presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA, November 15-18, 2023.
    • Associate Professor Dr. Jon Heidt: Heidt, J., & Wheeldon, J. (2023, November). Cannabis Research: Criminology, Ethics, and Evidence. Paper presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA, November 15-18, 2023.
    • Associate Professor Dr. Stanislav Vysotsky: Vysotsky, S. (2023, November). Beyond Anomie: Modernizing and Applying Subculture Theory in Criminology. Paper presented at the American Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA, November 15-18, 2023.
  • Criminology Assistant Professor Dr. Mark Kersten testified as part of a witness panel for the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. Dr. Kersten testified on Canada’s commitment to international law and the prosecution of international crimes.

Modern Languages

  • On January 12th, MOLA’s Department Head Dr. Alan Cameron and French Sessional Instructor Andrew Iverson visited grades 11 and 12 classes at WJ Mouat’s École Secondaire school to promote UFV’s French studies program and inform prospective students of the 10 new French entry scholarships available to them.

Philosophy

Psychology

Political Science

  • The Political Science department organized a very successful POLITALK on November 9, 2023. They welcomed speakers from the Canadian Armed Forces, LCol Jesse van Eijk and Major Jurgen Miranda, who spoke on the topic “Canada’s land force commitment to NATO and Ukraine in Europe through Operations Reassurance and Unifier.”
  • Political Science Department Head and Associate Professor Dr. Edward Akuffo participated as a panelist in a hybrid symposium organized by the Peace and Reconciliation Centre at the University of the Fraser Valley and Utrecht University on November 28, 2023. The symposium’s theme was “Beyond Reductionism: Trans-Atlantic Perspectives on the Israel-Hamas War 2023,” Dr. Akuffo’s presentation was titled: “Israel-Hamas War and the Tragedy of International Law.”
  • Political Science Assistant Professor Dr. Noah S. Schwartz travelled to Ottawa in October to appear as an expert witness before the Senate Committee on National Security and Defense (SECD) as they studied Bill C-21.
  • Political Science Assistant Professor Dr. Simon Lambek’s article: “Comedy as Dissonant Rhetoric” was published in the November 2023 volume 49, issue 9 edition of Philosophy and Socialism Criticism.

School of Communication

Theatre

  • Climate Change Theatre Action (CCTA), a global initiative aligning with the United Nations’ COP meetings, involves fifty professional playwrights creating short plays on climate change. UFV Theatre participated by staging pop-up readings and performances on their Abbotsford campus, marking their third year in the event. Various classes, including Movement for Living (THEA 210), Digital Performance (THEA 311), and Acting Skills for Work and Life (THEA 111), presented movement-based works, digital performances, and staged readings, respectively, inspired by the 2023 CCTA catalogue. Notably, individuals like Taya Viger, Han Wood, Raven Turchinetz, Hazel Franklin, and Bella Dimano contributed by presenting selected pieces from the catalogue, contributing to the global dialogue on climate change awareness.

Faculty Publications & Projects | October 2023

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Criminology and Criminal Justice

  • Criminology Associate Professor Dr. Hayli Millar wrote a report on children’s rights and the sentencing of parents. Millar, H. (2023, August). Children’s Rights and the Sentencing of Parents Facing Criminal Sanctions. International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy.
    • Milar and Criminology Professor Emeritus Yvon Dandurand wrote a report on the best interests of the child in sentencing. Millar, H., Dandurand, Y., Chin, V., Bayes, S., Capp, M., Fowler, R., Jahn, J., Pickering, B., & Castle, A. (2023). Considering the Best Interests of the Child in Sentencing and Other Decisions Concerning Parents Facing Criminal Sanctions: An Overview for Practitioners. International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy.
    • Millar presented at the European Society of Criminology and Criminal Justice Annual Meeting on human rights. O’Doherty, T., & Millar, H. (2023, September 8). Panel Presentation, Implementing the Palermo Protocol in Canada: Implications for Human Rights and Fundamental Principles of Justice. European Society of Criminology and Criminal Justice Annual Meeting, EUROCRIM 2023, Florence, Italy.
    • Millar also co-authored a submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice. Millar, H., O’Doherty, T., Roots, K., Sibley, M., & van der Meulen, E. (2023, June 15). Submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice, Bill S-224: An Act to Amend the Criminal Code (Trafficking in Persons).
  • Criminology Assistant Professor Dr. Mark Kersten presented at a conference on transitional justice for children organized by the University of Saskatchewan. Kersten, M. (2023, October 27). Atrocities Against Children in Settler Contexts: What, If Anything, Does Transitional Justice Tell Us?
  • Criminology Assistant Professor Dr. Carlos Ponce was interviewed by Voz Pública about wrongful convictions in El Salvador.
  • Assistant Professor Dr. Mark Kersten contributed a media article on atrocities in Palestine and Israel. Kersten, M. (2023, October 12). The ICC prosecutor needs to break his silence on Israel-Palestine.
  • Criminology Professor Emeritus Yvon Dandurand gave a lecture on criminological studies and research in Canada at the Center for Criminology and Criminal Law Research at the Vietnam National University, Hanoi – University of Law.

Philosophy

  • Philosophy Associate Professor Dr. Glen Baier presented his paper, “I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream: Nietzsche’s Lyric, Artaud’s Double and the Self as Pain” at the Friedrich Nietzsche Society Annual Conference in Lausanne, Switzerland, September 14-16. The theme of the conference was “Nietzsche and the Lyric”.

Psychology

  • Psychology Assistant Professor Dr. Kristina Gicas presented “Strategies to Optimize Cognitive Functioning” at CERA Day to celebrate the International Day of Older Persons.
  • Two psychology undergraduate students, Ekam Banipal and Ariel Dennison-Hardy presented a poster at the Western Canadian Conference on Undergraduate Research and Psychology (CURP) last month, which took place at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. The research they presented examined the link between children’s rights and their beliefs about education and was conducted under the supervision of Dr. Michelle Superle (Associate Professor, Department of English) and Dr. Madison Pesowski (Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology). They had a great time discussing the project and meeting other students and faculty.

Faculty Publications & Projects | September 2023

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A group picture featuring the English department faculty and students.

Arts & Integrated Studies

Criminology & Criminal Justice

History

  • History Sessional Instructor Dr. Sharanjit Kaur has been named one of the three new EDI Scholar-in-Residence with the UBC Library for the 2023-2024 term. UBC Library’s vision is leading and partnering with the University and communities in the creation, stewardship, exploration, and discovery of knowledge that values openness, belonging, connection, and curiosity.

Modern languages

  • Halq’eméylem Assistant Professor Mary Stewart assisted in the process of Kwantlen First Nations Band attaining B.C. Post Secondary partnership funding from the First Nation Steering Committee, to offer the three UFV courses, Halq’emeylem 202, 301 and 302.

Philosophy

  • Peter Raabe, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, recently participated in a virtual conference hosted in Japan. At the event, he conducted a workshop and introduced a publication titled “On Self-Defeating ‘Mental Viruses.'”
    • In addition, Dr. Raabe has contributed two articles to the Journal of American Philosophical Practitioners Association. The first article, titled “Not if, but when,” was featured in Volume 17, Number 3, released in November 2022. His second publication, titled “Approaching Elsewhere: On Fear of ‘The After-Life’,” can be found in Volume 18, Number 2, published in July 2023.

Political Science

Psychology

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Faculty Publications & Projects | April & May 2023

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Arts & Integrated Studies

Arts and Integrated Studies Assistant Professor Dr. Dale McCartney has been named the Assistant Editor of the journal Comparative and International Education.

 

 

Criminology and Criminal Justice

Criminology Professor Emeritus Dr. Yvon Dandurand wrote an article on child justice reform. Dao, L. T., & Dandurand, Y. (2023). Social, cultural, and systemic barriers to child justice reform: Lessons from Vietnam, 23(1), 29-48.

Dr. Dandurand and Dr. Darryl Plecas produced a report on assistance and support services for survivors of human trafficking. The report is based on a qualitative survey and analysis of the types of services and supports most needed by survivors of labour and sex trafficking, including the perceived usefulness and effectiveness of these services. The study also examined service delivery models, sources of referrals, models of inter-agency collaboration, and accessibility of relevant services in British Columbia and Alberta for meeting the needs of labour and sex trafficking survivors (including those at risk of or are currently being trafficked). Dandurand, Y., Plecas, D., Winterdyk, J., & Chin, V. (2023, April 26). Assistance and Support Services for Survivors of Human Trafficking: A Qualitative Study. International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy.

 

Criminology Associate Professor Dr. Amanda McCormick presented on policing domestic violence. Stickle, B., & McCormick, A.V. (2023, March). Policing domestic violence in rural communities: Tennessee police data. Presented at the 67th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. New York, NY.

She also presented at the 3rd Community Forum for Safe Relationships Safe Children. Her presentation focused on Intimate partner-related brain injuries among service providers. She is also scheduled to present on barriers to reporting intimate partner violence to police at a May 16th community event co-hosted by UFV and the Ann Davis Transition Society on Women’s Equity and the Link to Femicides in BC. Additionally, Dr. McCormick will also present on “Project Safe Relationships: Evaluation of a Healthy Relationships Program for Adolescents in Abbotsford” at the 13th Annual Network to Eliminate Violence in Relationships (NEVR) Conference on May 25.

 

Criminology Associate Professor Dr. Jon Heidt published an article on cannabis and research ethics, outlining how the history of controlling cannabis research has led to various harms, injustices, and ethical complications. Wheeldon, J., & Heidt, J. (in press). Cannabis, research ethics, and a duty of care. Research Ethics.

 

 

Criminology Associate Professor Dr. Hayli Millar co-authored a brief with Dr. Tamara O’Doherty that was submitted to the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women. This brief addressed the House of Common study on human trafficking of women, girls, and gender-diverse people in Canada.

 

 

Criminology Associate Professors Dr. Irwin Cohen and Dr. Amanda McCormick presented at the Focus on the Future Western Regional Conference on Problem Gambling Awareness in Seattle, Washington. Their presentation focused on “Participant experiences while transitioning into voluntary self-exclusion.”

 

English

English Associate Professor and newly appointed Department Head Dr. Heather McAlpine hosted the 4th UFV Young Authors’ Conference on April 27, 2023, at the UFV Chilliwack campus. The conference welcomed 75 middle school students from Chilliwack and offered 7 workshops led by a team of twelve UFV student volunteers.

Dr. McAlpine is also set to publish an article in the journal Pedagogy in May. Titled “Digital Meters: Using Text Encoding to Teach Literature in the Undergraduate Classroom”, this article draws on research as well as interviews with over a dozen instructors from all over the world to demonstrate that using the digital humanities practice of text encoding — embedding information about a digitized text into the source code — can be a valuable way of teaching literary analysis to undergraduates.

 

On April 16th, English Associate Professor Dr. Prabhjot Parmar gave a talk titled “I Will Bid”: The Changing Face of Punjabi Cinema at the 10th Punjabi Ma Boli International Film Festival in Surrey. The talk offered a brief history of Punjabi Cinema and highlighted the portrayal of caste in recent films.

 

Modern Languages

In a recent workshop presented at WEFLA 2023, an international conference on Canadian studies held in Holguín, Cuba, Modern Languages and Arts Studies Assistant Professor Dr. Maria de Luna presented a workshop titled “Estudiantes construyendo conocimiento que va más allá del salón de clase” [Students building knowledge that goes beyond the classroom walls]. The workshop was held at the Facultad de Comunicación y Letras, y la Facultad de Ciencias Sociales de la Universidad de Holguín, and was part of the XVII Seminario Internacional de Estudios Canadienses.

 

Philosophy

Dr. Peter Raabe, emeritus professor of Philosophy, led a ZOOM workshop on the topic “Philosophical Practice Today” at an international philosophy conference held in Japan. His paper, titled “On Self-defeating Mental Viruses: An Interdisciplinary Study in Philosophy, Psychiatry, and Mental Healthcare” will appear in the upcoming journal of the Japanese Society of Philosophical Practice (JSPP). The conference was hosted by Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan on May 20, 2023.

 

Political Science

Political Science Assistant Professor Dr. Noah Schwartz published an article in the Journal of Politics and Policy titled “Taking Stock: the contribution of the policy studies to our understanding of gun policy”. Dr. Schwartz has also published an op-ed article with Tim Thurley in the National Post: Opinion: Mass Casualty recommendations wouldn’t have stopped N.S. massacre, and won’t stop others, which was quoted by MP Stephen Ellis (Cumberland-Colchester) in a debate yesterday in the House of Commons.

 

Psychology

Dr. Anna Cook, an Assistant Professor and Department Head of Philosophy, led two panels at the American Philosophical Association – Pacific Division Meeting held from April 5-10, 2023. The conference showcased her expertise in the field, and attendees had the opportunity to learn from her during two sessions. The first panel explored “Native Knowing, Endangered Languages, and the Meaning of Life,” while the second discussed “Reconfiguring the Canon of Nineteenth-Century American and British Philosophy.” The conference was an important event for philosophers and academics, providing a platform for the exchange of ideas and insights.

School of Creative Arts

Theatre Assistant Professor Dr. Anna Griffith presented at the Architecture, Media, Politics, Society (AMPS) conference: Applying Education in a Complex World and shared a paper titled “Futures Teaching and Interdisciplinary Praxis” about her pedagogical principles in SOCA 401.

 

 

 

Aimée Henny Brown, an assistant professor of Visual Arts, has been making waves in the art world lately. Her work has been featured in numerous exhibitions and publications, including Create Magazine’s Magic Issue #34, which was released in March 2023. The book “Folklore of the Upper Nithsdale” also showcases Brown’s work alongside other international collage artists, all of whom reimagine stories of witches, ghosts, and other spirits from Sanquhar, Scotland, in a contemporary context.

In addition to those publications, Brown’s collage and installation piece “Metaphorical Rocks” was featured in the Mythical Landscape: Secrets of the Vale Exhibition. This exhibition was a collaborative effort among international artists who travelled to Sanquhar, Scotland, to investigate the region’s history and folklore. Brown’s work, along with others, was inspired by stories from the past (true or otherwise) and considered the history of the region.

Brown was also one of the featured artists in an International group exhibition at the Sharp Hands Gallery, which celebrated educators in collage. The exhibition highlighted the work of several accomplished artists, including Michael Toti, Lyz Wendland, Miranda Millward, Craig van den Bosch, Ann E. Lawton, and of course, Aimée Henny Brown. The exhibition was curated by Cheryl Chudyk and Kevin Sampsell.

Brown’s contributions to the art world have not gone unnoticed, and she was recently invited to participate as a guest panellist at the Artists at Work Symposium, hosted by the Kent Harrison Arts Council at the Ranger Station Art Gallery. During the symposium, Brown and other artists shared their experiences, including both successes and failures, inspiring attendees with valuable insights into the challenges and rewards of pursuing a creative life.

Looking ahead, Brown has been awarded an artist residency with PADA Studios in Barreiro, Portugal, in August 2023. Her research, conducted during an initial ROSA research + project phase, has led to her residency, where she will continue her exploration of artist books, possible architectures, and speculative futures with peer mentors, curators, and other artists. Overall, Brown’s art reflects her ability to blend traditional and contemporary techniques while exploring themes of folklore, history, and imagination.

School of Culture, Media and Society

Dr. Satwinder Bains, Director of SASI and SCMS Associate Professor and Thamilini Jothilingam co-presented a paper titled “Connecting the Dots: Building Support for GLAM Partners in Digital Repository Networks with Arca/British Columbia Electronic Library Network” at the Archives Association of BC conference. Their work highlighted SACDA’s collections, archival strategy, and open access. Along with Alisa Sohi, Dr. Bains and Thamilini Jothilingam also led a metadata creation workshop based on SACDA collections at the ConnectED 2023 conference at UFV.

On April 19th, Historica Canada released a Heritage Minute about Paldi, a welcoming and inclusive town founded by immigrants on Vancouver Island, BC. The Paldi Heritage Minute is the first to be released in Punjabi (in addition to English and French). SASI Director Dr. Satwinder Bains was on set during the shooting as a historical consultant.

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Faculty Publications & Projects | March 2023

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Arts and Integrated Studies

Candy Ho, an Assistant Professor of Integrative Career and Capstone Learning, recently contributed a chapter to the book ‘Educating the Sustainability Leaders of the Future (World Sustainability Series).’ Her chapter, titled ‘Making Career Development Sustainable: A Senior Capstone Course Case Study,’ presents a case study of a liberal arts career capstone course. The course aligns theoretical career development frameworks with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), offering a modernized curriculum that helps students explore their potential contributions to a more sustainable world.

On March 29, Dr. Ho presented at the Society for Research into Higher Education (UK) during a session on ‘reframing employability and graduate outcomes through sustainable development.’ Her presentation, titled ‘Making the global personal: The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in career curricula,’ examined a Canadian case study on how academic institutions, including Dr. Ho’s own, have incorporated the SDGs into their career learning pedagogy.”

Dr. Ho also delivered a keynote presentation at the Private Degree-Granting Institutions Association (PDGIA) Conference on March 30. Her address, entitled “Developing Critical Thinkers in the Age of Automation: The Case for Private Institutions,” examined the role of private institutions in the contemporary higher education landscape. Dr. Ho highlighted the importance of systemic change and emphasized the need to integrate critical thinking into the curriculum and teaching methodologies to prepare students for the rapidly evolving 21st-century workforce. She also underscored the significance of private institutions in shaping the future of higher education and enhancing their reputation through meaningful contributions to critical thinking education.

On April 20, 2023, Dr. Candy Ho will present at the 2023 Career Development Symposium hosted by the BC Career Development Association. Her presentation is titled “Sustaining Career Development: Using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals” and it aims to explore how Incorporating the SDGs can inspire students to assess their professional aspirations and how these aspirations can be grounded on a broader goal(s) that promotes a sustainable future for our local and global communities.

Criminology

Criminology Assistant Professor Dr. Mark Kersten presented as part of a conference panel on transitional justice. Kersten, M.S. (2023, March). Making the Invisible Visible: The Case for Truth Commission on Poverty in Canada. 2023 International Studies Association Annual Convention, Montreal, QC, March 15-18, 2023.

Additionally, Dr. Kersten also presented as part of a conference panel on international criminal justice. Kersten, M.S. (2023, March). ‘Make ‘em Pay’: The Costs and Benefits of Using Tort Law to Redress War Crimes. 2023 International Studies Association Annual Convention, Montreal, QC, March 15-18, 2023. He also participated in a conference roundtable on “The International Criminal Court at 25: Assessing Process, Performance, and Impact.” 2023 International Studies Association Annual Convention, Montreal, QC, March 15-18, 2023. And he was a conference discussant on “Localizing Transitional Justice.” 2023 International Studies Association Annual Convention, Montreal, QC, March 15-18, 2023.

 

Criminology Assistant Professor Dr. Carlos Ponce was interviewed by Expediente Público, a Central American journalism magazine, to discuss secret negotiations between government officials and gang leaders in El Salvador.

Dr. Ponce was also interviewed with SBS Spanish, a Spanish program broadcasted by the SBS national radio network in Australia, to discuss the state of emergency declared in El Salvador and the secret negotiations between Salvadoran authorities and MS-13.

 

Criminology Associate Professor Dr. Irwin Cohen and the Centre for Public Safety and Criminal Justice Research were awarded a research grant from the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General to evaluate co-response mental health crisis teams.

 

English

English Associate Professor Dr. Heather McAlpine, English Sessional Instructor Dr. Ron Sweeney and Communications Sessional Instructor Jess Wind have co-edited a collection of essays on the Archie comics universe, coming this spring from McFarland: The Archie/Sabrina Universe: Essays on the Comics and Their Adaptations. The collection is based on the Riverdale conferences which were held at UFV from 2018-2020 and were co-organized by the co-editors and other UFV folks. This book features essays by Dr. Ron Sweeney, Arts and Integrated Studies Department Head Hannah Celinski, Social, Cultural, & Media Studies Sessional Instructor Brett Pardy, UFV English grads Katie Stobbart, and Dessa Bayrock.

Modern Languages

On March 30th, an open class for the LING 101 course was hosted by Dr. Maria de Luna, Assistant Professor in Modern Languages, with the valuable contribution of Camila Flores Salvo, a guest speaker from the University of Chile. The topic of the presentation was “Inclusive language/non-gendered language: A grammatical and identity dispute,” which was well received by the attendees.

Philosophy

Philosophy Department Head Dr. Anna Cook presented a paper “Graffiti and Colonial Unknowing: A Comment on Mishuana Goeman’s “Caring for Landscapes of Justice in Perilous Settler Environments”” at the 50th Annual Meeting for the Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy (Denver, CO).

 

On March 30th, the Philosophy Department hosted its monthly Philosophy Cafe in honour of Dr. Wayne Henry’s scholarship and impact on the philosophical community in the Fraser Valley.

Faculty Publications & Projects | February 2023

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Arts and Integrated Studies

Dr. Ho has also participated in interviews across a diverse range of media platforms:

Communications

  • Communications Department Head and Associate Professor Dr. Rashad Mammadov co-authored a manuscript titled “Russian Journalists and the ‘Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union’” published in the Journal of Slavic Military Studies. The article focuses on the role of Russian journalists and their reporting during World War II.
  • Communications Sessional Instructor Dr. Adam Vincent guest edited an academic journal for their special issue on arts-based educational research (ABER) and wrote the editorial (published in Dec 2022): Vincent, A. (2022). The Way of Rigorous Aesthetics. Transformative Dialogues: Teaching and Learning Journal, 15(2).

Criminology and Criminal Justice

  • Criminology Assistant Professor Dr. Mark Kersten was interviewed by the Globe and Mail on global criminal justice. Dickson, J. (2023, January 25). S. ambassador for global criminal justice ready to play long game with Russia.
  • Criminology Associate Professor Dr. Jon Heidt published a book on cannabis. Wheeldon, J., & Heidt, J. (2023). Cannabis criminology. Routledge Taylor and Francis Group. 
  • Criminology Professor Emeritus Dr. Yvon Dandurand authored a report on organized crime. Dandurand, Y., Bird Ruiz Benitez de Lugo, L., Madueke, K., & Zombre, O. (2023, January). Building resilience to organised crime: A policy review. ECOWAS Commission. Commission de la Cedeao Comissão da Cedeao.
    • Dandurand also presented at a seminar on organized crime. Dandurand, Y., Bird Ruiz Benitez de Lugo, L., Madueke, K., & Zombre, O. (2023, January 31). Resilience to organized crime: new insights from West Africa. ECOWAS Commission. Commission de la Cedeao Comissão da Cedeao.
  • Criminology Associate Professors Drs. Amanda McCormick and Irwin Cohen presented at the Western Society of Criminology Annual Conference. McCormick, A.V., Cohen, I.C., Davies, G., & Haarhoff, T. (2023, February 4). The perils of using police data to understand criminal pathways. Paper presented at the Western Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Vancouver, BC, February 2-4, 2023.
  • Criminology Assistant Professor Dr. Carlos Ponce presented at the Western Society of Criminology Annual Conference. Ponce, C. (2023, February 4). Doubling up to maintain control: Redundancy in the execution of an extortion racket in El Salvador. Paper presented at the Western Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Vancouver, BC, February 2-4, 2023.
  • Criminology Associate Professor Dr. Stanislav Vysotsky presented at the Western Society of Criminology Annual Conference. Vysotsky, S. (2023, February 3). Hard and soft targets: Counter-protest, violence, and far-right strategy. Paper presented at the Western Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Vancouver, BC, February 2-4, 2023.

Global Development Studies

  • Dr. Geetanjali Gill, Assistant Professor in Global Development Studies, and Dr. Rita Dhungel, Assistant Professor in Social Work, have obtained $472,442 from the New Frontiers in Research Fund for their project, “Participatory Action Research with female sex-trafficking survivors living with HIV/AIDS in Nepal: addressing intersectional gender oppression and advocating for well-being and inclusion”.

Modern Languages

  • In observance of Black History Month, the Modern Languages Department’s French Associate Professor, Dr. Ghizlane Laghzaoui, organized a workshop on “African Storytelling” in collaboration with Jean-Pierre Makosso. Mr. Makosso is a celebrated theatre director, actor, writer, and storyteller who was a featured guest in the workshop, held on February 14.

Philosophy

  • The Philosophy department held a Publication Celebration on February 9, which featured Philosophy Associate Professor Dr. Wayne Henry’s forthcoming book, “A Philosopher’s Guide to Natural Capitalism: A Sustainable Future Within Reach.” The book is scheduled to be released on July 7, 2023, by Routledge.
  • Philosophy LTA Instructor Dr. Joseph Carew presented at the last PHIL Café on February 16. His talk titled “Hegel on the Logic of Human Life” summarizes several key themes of Dr. Carew’s new interpretation of Hegel’s logic.

Political Science

  • Dr. Edward Akuffo, Head of the Political Science Department, was a featured expert at a recent webinar organized by the Africa Study Group of the Canadian International Council. The webinar centred on the Canadian government’s proposed Canada Africa Strategy, and Dr. Akuffo specifically presented on the peace and security aspect of the proposed strategy.

School of Creative Arts

  • Assistant Professor, Foundations, 3D, and Extended Media Aimée Henny Brown was a guest panellist at Artists in the Archive: Collage and Place in Archives, hosted by Kolaj Institute and the Henry Shelby Museum, in Middlebury, Vermont. Her presentation addressed how artists and galleries can employ resources from the past, such as archives and collections, as ways to instigate research and practices of imagining possible futures. The webinar accompanied their exhibition Artists in the Archive: Community, History and Collage.Aimee was also a guest speaker at the ACT Art Gallery in Maple Ridge and delivered a talk titled “Projecting Outwards:” which imagined possible futures through collage and accompanied their exhibition Intricate Arrangements. A public lecture was held on February 4, 2023.Additionally, Aimée has been awarded an artist residency with PADA Studios in Barreiro, Portugal, in August 2023. Based on the research performed through an initial ROSA research + project phase she will continue her research on-site with studio mentors and artist collaborators to further the exploration of artist books, possible architectures, and speculative futures.
  • SoCA’s School Director Dr. Heather Davis-Fisch was awarded a SSHRC Insight Development Grant, valued at $62,908, for the project, Performance in the Pacific Northwest. With collaborator Sasha Kovacs (University of Victoria), she is investigating the role of theatrical and non-theatrical performance practices in the establishment of settler colonial structures in the Pacific Northwest and the ways that artifacts and documents in galleries, libraries, archives, and museums can be reinterpreted to contribute to understandings of settler colonial practices.