Leader in Canadian Studies Awarded Sought-After Professorship at Trent University
Historian Dr. Joan Sangster awarded Vanier Professorship
Well-known historian and author, Dr. Joan Sangster, a professor of Gender and Women’s Studies at Trent University, and current president of the Canadian Historical Association, will be adding another impressive accolade to her list of accomplishments: the Vanier Professorship, a sought after position at Trent University which is awarded to a professor who has made significant contributions to the study of Canada.
The Vanier Professorship, which is awarded by the President’s Office, presents an opportunity for the University to recognize and celebrate the achievements of one of its faculty in the study of Canada, an area in which Trent has been a leader since its inception.
“To follow in the footsteps of the previous Vanier Professors, W.L. Morton and Tom Symons, is a great honour, but also a daunting prospect,” said Professor Sangster. “I hope to use this wonderful opportunity to increase the visibility of Trent’s long-standing, exceptional record of scholarship in Canadian History and Canadian Studies.”
“I am delighted that a scholar and teacher as distinguished as Professor Sangster has undertaken this position,” said Vanier professor emeritus Tom Symons, founding president of Trent University.
“The University is pleased to be able to continue the tradition that began when W.L. Morton was appointed our first Vanier Professor,” said Leo Groarke, president and vice-chancellor at Trent University. “It continued with the appointment of Tom H.B. Symons, who served for many years, and will continue with the appointment of Joan Sangster. All three appointments highlight Trent’s outstanding record of research on Canada.”
To kick-off her five-year term, Prof. Sangster will give an inaugural public lecture relating to her upcoming book, The Iconic North, in the second term. During Prof. Sangster’s five year appointment, she will also work with Trent’s Development Office to find ways to grow the Vanier Endowment so that it can be used to augment activities associated with the Vanier Professorship and the new School for the Study of Canada.
At the end of their term, the Vanier Professor gives a second public lecture reflecting on their work and will hold the title “Vanier Professor Emeritus.”
The Vanier professorship was established in honour of Governor General Georges Vanier, who officially opened Trent in 1964. W.L. Morton and Tom H.B. Symons were the first and second Vanier professors. The Vanier professor has access to the interest earned on the endowment, in support of activities related to their work at Trent.
About Dr. Joan Sangster
Dr. Joan Sangster has written articles and books on working women and the labour movement, the history of the Left, feminist theory and historiography, the criminalization of women and girls, and Aboriginal women and the law. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, she has held a Killam fellowship, as well as visiting professorships at Duke, Princeton, and McGill Universities. Her work has received SSHRC research funding, and national and international honors and awards, including the Harold Adams Innis award for the best book in the Social Sciences. A recipient of both Trent’s Symons Teaching award and the University Research Award, she has also been a Dean of Graduate Studies, Director of the Frost Centre for Canadian Studies and Indigenous Studies, and has also chaired the Departments of History and Gender and Women’s Studies.
About Trent University
One of Canada's top universities, Trent University was founded on the ideal of interactive learning that's personal, purposeful and transformative. Consistently recognized nationally for leadership in teaching, research and student satisfaction, Trent attracts excellent students from across the country and around the world. Here, undergraduate and graduate students connect and collaborate with faculty, staff and their peers through diverse communities that span residential colleges, classrooms, disciplines, hands-on research, co-curricular and community-based activities. Across all disciplines, Trent brings critical, integrative thinking to life every day. Today, Trent's unique approach to personal development through supportive, collaborative community engagement is in more demand than ever. Students lead the way by co-creating experiences rooted in dialogue, diverse perspectives and collaboration. In a learning environment that builds life-long passion for inclusion, leadership and social change, Trent's students, alumni, faculty and staff are engaged global citizens who are catalysts in developing sustainable solutions to complex issues. Trent's Peterborough campus boasts award-winning architecture in a breathtaking natural setting on the banks of the Otonabee River, just 90 minutes from downtown Toronto, while Trent University Durham delivers a distinct mix of programming in the east GTA.
For more information contact:
Kate Weersink, media relations & strategic communications officer, Trent University, (705) 748-1011 x6180 or kateweersink@trentu.ca
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