University professor, author, and Trent University alumna Cristl Verduyn ‘71 is among the latest inductees named to the Order of Canada. Professor Verduyn was inducted "for her contributions to Canadian studies, notably as a professor and author, and for her commitment to making Canadian literature accessible to a broader audience."

As chair of Canadian Studies at Trent University from 1993 to 1999, Prof. Verduyn was instrumental in establishing the joint Ph.D. program in Canadian Studies shared by Trent and Carleton. Prof. Verduyn was also founding Chair of Women’s Studies (1987-90) at Trent. She is currently the Edgar and Dorothy Davidson chair in Canadian Studies at Mount Allison University; as well as a research professor in English and Canadian Studies.

A former president of the national Association for Canadian Studies (2000-2002), Prof. Verduyn is a recipient of the Governor General’s International Award for Canadian Studies (2006) and a past editor of the Journal of Canadian Studies (2008-2012).  She was elected to the Royal Society of Canada in 1996 and served as President of Academy of Arts and Humanities from 2007-2009.  She was named a 3M National Teaching Fellow in 2018. 

Her recipient citation for the member of the Order of Canada reads: “Christl Verduyn has promoted Canadian studies and literature at home and abroad. A professor at Mount Allison University, she was instrumental in establishing the first doctoral program in Canadian studies in our country. Throughout her career, she has advocated for emerging, multicultural and women authors, and has spearheaded local and international literary projects intended to reach a broader audience. A dedicated ambassador of Canadian culture, she also contributes to the vitality of the Canadian literary landscape through her essays and poetry.”