Welcome to the MSVU Research office event page, this is where we post all our event information on our upcoming events. If you are interested in attending any of our events, please fill out the RSVP forms that can be found with the event information below.
Research Events
Come join us virtually on Thursday, January 22, 2026 for Dr. Debbie Martin’s talk “The Trouble with Indigenous Identity Policies and How They are Harming Indigenous Peoples.
Wading into the complicated politics of Indigenous identity has opened a whole host of issues for academic institutions. In this presentation, Dr. Martin will explore some of the ways in which Indigenous Peoples, who are meant to be protected from the harm caused by those committing “Indigenous identity fraud”, are being targeted and erased by the very policies meant to protect them.
Debbie Martin is NunatuKavut Inuk, raised in Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, with many family connections to both Trinity Bay and St. Lewis, Labrador. Dr. Martin is a Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples’ Health and Well-Being and Full Professor at Dalhousie University. She is currently the Nominated Principal Investigator of the Wabanaki-Labrador Indigenous Health Research Network.
Further details coming soon! Please RSVP today by filling out Dr. Debbie Martin’s talk RSVP Form.
SAVE THE DATE! The MSVU Research Office invites MSVU Faculty and Staff to join us for Research Refresh Training event on Wednesday, January 28th, from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm in McCain 105/106.
RSVP today by clicking and filling out the Research Refresh 2026 RSVP Form by January 21, 2026!
Stay tuned for further information!
SAVE THE DATE! The MSVU Research Office Lunch & Learn invites you to join us to learn about Mitacs with Reid Sutherland on Thursday, February 12th 2026, from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm.
RSVP today by clicking and filling out the Mitacs Webinar with Reid Sutherland RSVP Form!
Join Mount Saint Vincent’s Mitacs Advisor, Reid Sutherland, to learn about how Mitacs can fund your research, help you develop industry and community partnerships, and bolster your international collaborations.
From bilateral student mobilization into and out of Canada and R&D or innovation projects to student stipends, research costs, and professional network development, Reid would love to connect and discuss how Mitacs can best support you.
Please find further information about the program summary and “what to expect” infographics for your reference in the links below:
About Reid Sutherland:
Reid Sutherland came to Mitacs with a background in marine science and industry experience from the Canadian Coast Guard. With degrees in both science and the arts, she brings an interdisciplinary perspective to her work and a broad curiosity for the projects in Atlantic Canada that cover the entire academic spectrum. When she is not wearing her Mitacs hat, you can find her teaching spin classes in Halifax or reading historical fiction at a local café.
The MSVU Research Office welcomes in time for African Heritage Month our next of 2026, Dr. Rachel Zellars to our campus to for their talk “Black Thriving in Impossibility” on Tuesday, February 24, 2026 from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm (hybrid). Come join us in McCain 105 or Virtually via Teams!
Black Thriving in Impossibility is a keynote on life beyond survival. Drawing on Black radical thought and traditions, this talk explores how Black communities create joy, vision, and freedom inside systems designed to constrain them. This talk invites audiences to consider thriving not as an exception or resilience alone, but as a deliberate practice of refusal, care, and world-making that is ultimately threatening to power. It is a call to recognize Black thriving as both an act of love and a blueprint for futures that have already been imagined—and are already being built.
Dr. Rachel Zellars, MA, JD, PhD, is a legal scholar, Associate Professor, and Senior Research Fellow in Social Justice and Community Studies at Saint Mary’s University. A nationally recognized expert at the intersection of law, history, and public policy, her research focuses on antiblack racism, institutional accountability, and systemic inequities in public governance.
Dr. Zellars led the landmark national “Study on the Black Executive Community in the Federal Public Service,” shaping 2026 federal reforms on leadership equity and systemic antiblack racism. Her ongoing research examines historical exclusion, governance structures, and recourse mechanisms, revealing the disproportionate procedural and psychological burdens faced by Black and racialized public servants.
In 2021, she was the inaugural Jocelyne Bourgon Visiting Fellow at the Canada School of Public Service, conducting pioneering research on merit and inclusion in government institutions. Her work has informed executive-level policy, equity reforms, and discussions on procedural fairness and accountability across federal departments.
An award-winning educator, Dr. Zellars has been recognized for excellence in teaching and research, including the SMUSA Award for Overall Excellence in Education (2021), the Father William A. Stewart, SJ Medal for Excellence in Teaching (2025), and the Dr. Geraldine Thomas Educational Leadership Award (2025).
Further details coming soon! Please RSVP today by filling out Dr. Rachel Zellar’s talk RSVP Form.