Director's Message

I am honoured to be the incoming SASAH Director and I look forward to meeting and working with students, staff, alumni, board members, and other members of the SASAH community. I follow in some pretty daunting footsteps, most recently Pleva-award-winning director Aara Suksi.

I’m a long-time faculty member in the Department of English and Writing Studies, where I’ve just completed a stretch as Chair. A Canadian literature scholar, I have authored and edited books and articles on Canadian literature ranging from the early 19th century to contemporary writing, including poetry, fiction, drama, collaboration, and autobiography. I also teach and publish in popular culture studies, especially the aesthetic and social dimensions of crime fiction and film.

SASAH’s core values – interdisciplinarity, community engagement, experiential learning, collaboration, and creativity – are near and dear to my heart. SASAH gives students the opportunity to develop critical acuity, reflect deeply, communicate in distinctive ways, connect with and shape the world around them. I can’t wait to join this amazing group on their adventures.