Faculty Members Recognized for Contributions to University
Four faculty members are being recognized for their professional achievement and impact on the university.
Dr. Jamie Gillies and Dr. Mark Temelini are the recipients of teaching awards, Dr. Matthew Hayes is the recipient of the scholarship award, and Dr. Dawne Clarke is the recipient of the university service award.
Dr. Jamie Gillies - John McKendy Memorial Teaching Award
Dr. Jamie Gillies holds a BA from the University of Victoria and an MA and PhD from the University of British Columbia. He joined St. Thomas University and the Communications and Public Policy program in 2013. Since then, he has developed the program with a focus on experiential learning and has worked to create partnerships with public, non-profit, and private sector organizations to provide students with hands-on learning opportunities. This combination of theory and practice illustrates to students how social and political forces shape the construction of knowledge, and he aims to provide students with a deeper understanding of how their in-class learning can be translated to real-world, professional situations.
Dr. Gillies uses innovative teaching strategies and current events to shape the content of his courses, and his mentorship of students is noteworthy. His students consistently comment on his willingness to make himself available—even after their time in his classes has finished—to discuss matters relating to their education, life, and career plans. His passion and expertise in communications, politics, and policy has been influential as many students have credited Dr. Gillies with inspiring them to pursue careers in policy and communications. Since 2015, Dr. Gillies has edited three books, authored six academic journal articles, and nine book chapters. His scholarly work focuses on American presidential advisers and their role in the development of fiscal policy, New Brunswick and Atlantic Canadian public policy, and the confluence of marketing, branding, and election messaging. He is also a frequent commentator on New Brunswick, Canadian, and American politics.
Dr. Mark Temelini - Excellence in Part-Time Teaching
Dr. Mark Temelini is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Romance Languages where he teaches courses on Italian language, cinema, and literature. He holds a BA from the University of Windsor and McMaster University, an MA from the University of Ottawa, and a PhD from McGill. His approach to teaching includes a philosophy that develops skills in reading and pronunciation, oral communication, writing, and the application of knowledge to other contexts. He routinely incorporates music, film, and media into his teaching to foster cross-cultural understanding and emphasize the real-life application of language and communication skills.
Dr. Temelini’s passion and teaching style has inspired an enthusiasm for Italian language in students who had no prior exposure to the field. He supplements weekly language courses with “Cultural Fridays,” where he introduces students to Italian culture including cooking and food demonstrations. Since 2015 he has organized an annual travel-study experience that takes students to Venice, Florence, and Rome. This study abroad opportunity brings in-class learning to life and allows participants to immerse themselves fully in Italian language, history, and culture.
Dr. Matthew Hayes - University Scholarship Award
Dr. Matthew Hayes is an internationally recognized scholar who specializes in global sociology, transnational gentrification, lifestyle mobilities, and cosmopolitanism. His latest research explores the lives of lifestyle migrants from high-income countries in the Global North to lower income countries in the Global South. He has conducted much of his research in Ecuador, where he studies how migrants from North America create new lives and identities through migration and how they navigate global inequalities of class and racialization. He has compiled this work in his book Gringolandia: Lifestyle Migration Under Late Capitalism, which leaders in the field of lifestyle migration described as a “timely and sorely needed intervention.”
Dr. Hayes is currently the Canada Research Chair in Global and International Studies. In the past year, he has co-organized the International Sociological Association’s mini-conference of leading sociological thinkers, was an invited scholar at the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning at the University of Lisbon, and helped organize a series of Global Studies Seminars on campus to highlight the work and research of STU faculty. He has published several well-cited peer-reviewed articles and book chapters—in English, Spanish, and French—and has forthcoming work that will be featured in Anthropologie et sociétés and a special issue of Urban Studies. Dr. Hayes joined the Department of Sociology in 2009 after earning a BA and an MA from Carleton University and a PhD from York University.
Dr. Dawne Clarke - University Service Award
Dr. Dawne Clarke’s service to the St. Thomas University community is wide-ranging. She has served as Chair and Acting Chair for the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice and is currently the Acting Chair for the Department of Journalism and Communications and Public Policy. She has been the chair of the Senate Committees on Curriculum, Campus Planning, and Integrity in Research, and is a current member of the Senate Research Committee, the Senate External Review Coordinating Committee, and the Joint Board-Senate Committee. Dr. Clarke is a Faculty Representative on the Board of Governors and an active member of the Alumni Association. She is a leader within the campus community and has committed many hours, time, and energy to the enhancement of the university and its service to students, faculty, and staff. Dr. Clarke teaches in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice and holds a BA from St. Thomas University, and an MA and a PhD from the University of New Brunswick.