Media Release - For Immediate Release
September 16 2010
SSHRC Funding Supports Research, Students
A student lies beside a skeleton unearthed as part of an archeological dig in Italy spearheaded by Saint Mary's Proffessor Dr. Myles McCallum |
Four Saint Mary’sUniverity professors researching wildly different topics have received financial support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council as part of a $190 million federal effort to develop the country’s top scholars.
The work of nearly 4,000 researchers was supported in the national initiative.
At Saint Mary’s:
Dr. Michele Byers, Sociology and Criminology, will receive $45,600 over three years to examine how ethnicity is produced in Canadian television, especially in comedies and comedy hybrids like the Trailer Park Boys and Little Mosque on the Prairie. Dr. Byers argues there has been little serious research into the area to date. The major objective of the her work will examine how “ethnicity” organizes Canadian television, and how Canadian series produce ethnic identities for public consumption.
Dr. Sean Kennedy, an Associate Professor in the Department of English, will get $45,996 over three years to look at the works of Samuel Beckett and the ways they are a counterpoint to W.B. Yeats account of the end of Protestant ascendancy in Ireland. Scholarship often links Beckett's interest in degeneration to his French experiences during the Second World War, but Dr. Kennedy's project will examine the significance of an Irish context that is routinely omitted.
Dr. Myles McCallum, Modern Languages and Classics, has received $39,865 for continued archeological work at a Roman imperial estate in Italy. Specifically the support will allow him to do more work on reconstructing the ancient environment in southern Italy through the analysis of charcoal, other plant remains, and pollen grains. He will also be able to do more DNA analysis of the skeletons that have been excavated during the past four summers. The goal of the dig is to better understand the nature of imperial landholdings in south Italy, including issues related to commerce and slavery, and the process of cultural change brought about by the Roman conquest of Apulia.
Dr. Mei-Ling Wei, a new professor at the University in the Marketing department, will use $46,700 support to build on her thesis work which looks at how consumers develop and apply knowledge about the marketplace in response to branding and marketing practices in the new media environment.
The funding announcement also included support for Master's and Doctoral students. At Saint Mary’s 16 students were awarded SSHRC Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships- Master’s, valued at $17,500 for one year. Those students are:
Christine Carey, Leah Ellingwood, Cameron Fenton, Cheryll Fitzpatrick, Heather Harrison, Ashley Leopold, Marley Levins, Ashley MacDonald, Cheryl MacDonald, Brittany Pothier, Laure Pitfield, David Reynolds, GinaBeth Roberts, Laura Rudy, Carolyn Taylor and Jennifer Wong.
Amanda Nelund was awarded a SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarship- Doctoral valued at $35,000 per year for three years.
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For More Information:
Steve Proctor
External Affairs
Saint Mary's University
(902) 420.5513
E-mail: steve.proctor@smu.ca
www.smu.ca
This page last modified Tuesday, 11-Jan-2011 11:52:01 AST