l

Hannah Rizun
Contributor

ithin the Royal Society of Canada, the

Academies of Arts, Humanities, and
Sciences were established in 1882 as the
senior Canadian collegium of distinguished
scholars, artists and scientists. The primary
objective of the society is to promote
learning and research.

UNBC’s Associate Professor of History,
Dana Wessell Lightfoot, has been named a
founding member of the Royal Society of
Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists
and Scientists, the newest of four branches
within the Royal Society of Canada,
joining the Academies of the Arts and
Humanities, Social Sciences, and Science.

The mission of the College is: “To address
issues of particular concern to new scholars,
artists and scientists, for the advancement
of understanding and the benefit of society,
taking advantage of the interdisciplinary
approaches fostered by the establishment
of the College.” Over The Edge caught

up with Dr. Wessell Lightfoot to learn

more about her recent appointment.

“The College of New Scholars, Artists and
Scientists was created because they [the
Royal Society] realized that the majority

of faculty at universities in Canada got

their PhDs after 2002, and they wanted to
bring new life into the Royal Society; in
particular, people that are putting forth new
advancements and research. But also, to make
it interdisciplinary, as the other parts of the
Royal Society are siloed by Humanities or by
Sciences, this is people from all three fields.”

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ee

So, what kind of people can you
expect to meet within this particular
college? “The people are from all over;
there are other historians, but also
artists, musicians, and scientists all
working in a huge range of fields.”

What are you hoping to bring back to UNBC
from this position? “I’d like to bring back
connections with these other institutions, as
well as bringing more awareness to UNBC,”

On November 21, Dr. Lightfoot attended a
symposium and general meeting as a part of
the Royal Society. Before her departure, we
asked her about the themes being discussed
at the conference. “The theme this year is
immigration and thinking about immigration
broadly across Canada but also how it
impacts post-secondary education. There will
also be speakers discussing ‘The Role of Post-
Secondary Education in the 21st Century.

I think this is one of the big questions
post-secondaries are facing right now.”

Dr. Lightfoot’s research interests include
gender in medieval European history,
with a focus on Spain. She hopes to
foster a discussion around gender equity
and higher education in this forum.

Dr. Lightfoot is one of 91 researchers from
across the country that were presented

as inaugural members of the College last
weekend at the annual general meeting in
Quebec City. She is only the second UNBC
professor to be named to the Royal Society,
joining Professor Emeritus of Political Science
Alex Michalos. Inductees were selected after
demonstrating a high level of achievement

in the early stages of their career.

UNBC Life 5

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