Members of the MacEwan community are doing impressive things both on and off campus. Three times a year, we celebrate the recent accomplishments and efforts of our staff, faculty, students and alumni who are winning awards, publishing work and making a difference.
In the arts
Four former MacEwan students had their artwork featured on Oilers warm-up jerseys for the team’s cultural celebration games this season. Lance Cardinal, Pete Nguyen (Design Foundations ’05), AJA Louden (2023 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, Design Studies ’12, Design Foundations ’10) and Sunny Nerval also raised funds for local community groups through the sale of special-edition Oilers merch featuring their designs.
Louden has also been named the first-ever KDays Artist in Residence. He will work with other artists to expand the event’s art collection and create an interactive installation for festival attendees to explore.
The Edmonton Arts Council featured a Q+A with Carolyn Jervis, director and curator of the John and Maggie Mitchell Art Gallery (MAG), as part of its “I am YEG Arts” series. Jervis discussed her role in the gallery, as well as the -miut exhibition, which recently wrapped up its run at the MAG and is currently on display at the Hess Gallery, University of Lethbridge.
Two MacEwan faculty members shared exciting connections with the 2024 Juno Awards. Paul Johnston produced and engineered Christine Jensen’s album, Day Moon, which won Jazz Album of the Year (Solo). Dr. Emilie LeBel was nominated for Classical Composition of the Year for her piece, “...and the Higher Leaves of the Trees seemed to Shimmer in the Last of the Sunlight’s Lingering Touch of Them…”
Don’t say her name three times! Alum Julia Sunay, Theatre Arts ’05, is touring the country as the associate music director for Beetlejuice as part of Broadway Across Canada’s next season.
MacEwan’s Generations Big Band released two new albums in March. The Long View, a collection of original music, and Pipe Dreams, a celebration of flutist Jim Walker, were both released through Bent River Records.
Studio Arts student Max Quilliam received the Emerging Artist Award in the St. Albert Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts. They use their art to draw attention to care and healthcare, particularly in reference to queer and trans communities.
Pride vs. Prejudice: The Delwin Vriend Story, a documentary produced locally by the Edmonton Community Foundation and the Edmonton Queer History Project, is set to premiere at Metro Cinema on May 19. The film has a number of MacEwan connections, including faculty members Sheena Rossiter and Dr. Kristopher Wells, editor and impact producer, respectively. Written and directed by 2021 Writer in Residence Darrin Hagen and executive produced by 2022 Honorary Doctorate recipient Doug Stollery, the film explores the landmark legal case Vriend v. Alberta.
Research and publications
Dr. Leah Flaherty and her research assistant Taylar Whidden, Bachelor of Science ’22, worked with colleagues from the University of Alberta to publish a paper in Agricultural and Forest Entomology, titled “Independent and interactive effects of diet and entomopathogenic microsporidia on an outbreaking forest insect defoliator.”
The Griff won the Student Publication of the Year award at NASH 86, an annual student journalism conference hosted by the Canadian University Press. The MacEwan student publication shared the honour with The Western Gazette, of Western University in London, Ontario.
Two sessional instructors in the School of Social Work were featured on Global News discussing the Warrior Kids Camp, which helps children in first-responder and military families understand parents dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. Jerris Popik and Dr. Helena Hawryluk co-founded the program, which has now helped more than 1,000 kids with in-person camps in the summer and virtual camps during the rest of the year.
Dr. Emily Milne and High Prairie School Division received a Research Partnerships Program grant from the Alberta Research Network to support their collaboration on the "Engaging Diverse Stakeholders to Advance Educational Equity" project. The project will explore definitions of student success, identify barriers to achieving educational goals and uncover effective methods of collaboration with parents and community.
Jason Fung, general counsel at MacEwan, was featured in Canadian Lawyer for his expertise in technology law, and keeping up with rapid changes as rapid changes in areas including social media and artificial intelligence create the need for changes to law.
Awards and accomplishments
Journalism student Aajah Sauter earned a paid internship with The Globe and Mail to produce their award-winning podcast, The Decibel, showcasing her exceptional skills in writing and audio production.
Photo: Chris Wandler
The Griffins women’s volleyball team is celebrating a momentous first: Mariah Bereziuk is the first player to be named to a U SPORTS all-star team. The honour followed Bereziuk’s selection for the Canada West first all-star team.
Gallican Buki, social media coordinator at MacEwan, received a commendation from the NDP Caucus with his friend Clarisse Bosco for their Instagram series, titled “Living with Black Skin.” The series features stories and personal experiences of Black community members, with the goal of increasing representation and sparking conversations about racism and discrimination in Alberta.
In recognition of her outreach work and her field work with Franklin’s ground squirrels, Dr. Jessica Haines has received the 2024 Wildlife Outreach Award from the Alberta Chapter of The Wildlife Society. Dr. Haines has also included MacEwan students in her summer field work.
Marketing and Communications Partner Matthew Gaudet, Bachelor of Commerce ’15, was nominated for Outstanding Committee Member of the Year by the United Way for his work on the MacEwan campaign volunteer committee.
The Association of Canadian Travel Agencies and Travel Advisors awarded MacEwan’s Travel and Tourism diploma with a five-star rating in January 2024. The rating is the highest offered by the association.
To submit a shout-out for our August edition, email communications@macewan.ca.