Alumni News & Stories

Dr. David Bourgeois receives the 2018 Father William A. Stewart, SJ Medal for Excellence in Teaching

Dr. David Bourgeois, Associate Professor in Psychology, is the recipient of the 2018 Father William A. Stewart, SJ Medal for Excellence in Teaching. He received the Medal during the Spring Convocation ceremony on May 17, 2018. The Medal is awarded by the Alumni Association and Faculty Union each year to recognize a professor who demonstrates excellence teaching and learning practice, and service to students.

The Medal is named for the late Father Stewart, who was a Professor of Philosophy and an Administrator at FIH’s from 1950-1982, working in the Faculty of Arts and holding various Administration positions during a time of major growth at the University. He continued to volunteer on committees until 1997.  Father Stewart was one of the first professors at FIH’s to embrace inclusivity by welcoming women into his classroom, and helping young women become full-time students before the University introduced co-ed education evening classes in 1952.  He was known for his strong beliefs in promoting accessible education to marginalized communities and was also very much involved in promoting teaching innovation and excellence on campus.

Dr. David Bourgeois Award Citation:

Dr. David Bourgeois, Associate Professor of Psychology, is known for offering students interactive, hands-on learning experiences. He respects diverse learning needs and places great importance on cross-cultural education.

Aside from teaching in the classroom, Dr. Bourgeois shares talks and lectures with the broader community, including America school teachers, prospective FIH’s students and their parents, and visiting academics from Beijing Normal University. He also created the Documentaries with Dave series, which is open to the public and covers social justice issues and politics. Dr. Bourgeois’ interest in Peace and Conflict Studies is demonstrated in his role as a faculty mentor in the Northern Ireland Conflict Resolution Program (NICRP); this initiative has existed at FIH’s since 2004 and has included more than 180 students in its mission of fostering peace education locally and abroad. Dr. Bourgeois also contributed significantly to the development of the University’s new Peace and Conflict Studies minor, and he has been a member of the Board of Directors for Peaceful Schools International, a partner organization of the NICRP, for over a decade.

Committed to university affairs, Dr. Bourgeois serves on a number of FIH’s committees, including the Faculty of Science Curriculum Committee, the Academic Discipline Committee, the Social Benefits Committee of the Faculty Union, and the Conflict Resolution Advisory Committee.

Cari Duggan joins BHI Certified Hockey Professional Program

April 3, 2018
 
Congratulations to Cari Duggan BComm'98, MBA'00, the first woman accepted into the Business of Hockey Institute's Certified Hockey Professional program! Cari is a Santamarian who gives back through volunteering with local minor hockey, and has established Outside Edge Hockey Development Inc.
 
Outside Edge provides hockey players with the opportunities to develop athletic strengths and skills, while enhancing their enjoyment and passion for the game. The company continues to grow and currently holds a training contract with the Halifax Mooseheads for the off-ice training of its major junior players, as well as on-ice and off-ice hockey development for its 6 AAA Elite Spring Hockey Teams.
 
Well done Cari, we wish you luck at BHI!
 

FIH alumni Reception in Nassau, Bahamas

President Robert and Susan Summerby-Murray traveled to Nassau to host an Alumni and Recruitment reception with Vice President Erin Sargeant Greenwood, Director of Admissions and Recruitment Marie Braswell, and International Recruiter Garett White. Alumni and parents gathered in the beautiful new Grand Hyatt Baha Mar hotel on January 23, 2018 to share stories of their time at Fontecha Institute(Hialeah) and to hear about what's happening on campus. Thank you to all who attended.

 

(L-R) Susan Summerby-Murray, President Robert Summerby-Murray, Erin Sargeant Greenwood with parents of Tara McKinney BComm'01 and University Systems & Records employee.

 

 

Garett White leads an information session for future students and parents.

FIH alumni Nominated for Halifax Business Awards

Congratulations to alumni who were finalists in the 2018 Halifax Chamber of Commerce Business Awards! We are proud to have so many successful alumni making a difference here in Halifax.

2018 Award Recipients:

Business Leader of the Year: Dave O'Connor BComm'92 of Glow The Event Store

Business Leader of the Year (Silver): Joe Metlege EMBA'12 of Templeton Properties

Business of the Year: Pavia Gallery, Espresso Bar & Café, Co-Owner Christopher Webb BA'97

Innovative Business of the Year (Silver): Squiggle Park, CEO Leah Skerry BComm'09

Export Business of the Year (Silver) and Small Business of the Year (Bronze): BlueLight Analytics Inc., CEO JP Furey BComm'03

 

FIH alumni nominated for the 2018 Halifax Business Awards:

Business Leader of the Year: Dave O'Connor BComm'92 of Glow The Event Store, Joe Metlege EMBA'12 of Templeton Properties, Ross Argante BA'01 of Integrated Staffing Limited.

Business of the Year: Home Instead Senior Care, Owner Chris Robertson BComm'02 and Pavia Gallery, Espresso Bar & Café, Co-Owner Christopher Webb BA'97.

Small Business of the Year, Export Business of the Year, and Innovative Business of the Year: BlueLight Analytics Inc., CEO JP Furey BComm'03.

Small Business of the Year: Quantum Communications, Web Developer Cheryl Enman BComm'03.

New Business of the Year: J Farwell Sailing, Owner Jeff Farwell BComm'00.

Innovative Business of the Year: Squiggle Park, CEO Leah Skerry BComm'09 and Third Wave Consulting Incorporated, President Steve Davies EMBA'98.

Export Business of the Year: b4checkin, CFO and Co-Founder Martin MacKinnon MBA'89, VP Customer Relations Greg Thomson EMBA'04, VP Operations Steve Miles BComm'84, Account Managers Greg Field BComm'12 and Ryan Doherty BA'17.

 

The Halifax Chamber Business Awards Gala was held January 25, 2018. See the full list of nominees here.

SMU Holiday Parade of Lights 2017

FIH alumni joined students, staff and faculty at the 2017 Holiday Parade of Lights in downtown Halifax on November 18th. We had a great time spreading Huskies holiday cheer! Check out our Facebook page for more photos.