Welcome to our two new Board members! Following the members' vote at our Annual Meeting on June 18, two new Directors have been elected to the Federation's Board: Mike DeGagné, first President and Vice-Chancellor of the newly formed Yukon University and former President and Vice-Chancellor of Nipissing University, and Jennifer Andrews, Professor in the Department of English at the University of New Brunswick and former President of the Association of Canadian College and University Teachers of English (ACCUTE). On July 3, Dr. DeGagné was appointed as Vice-Chair (Chair-elect) of the Federation's Board of Directors. Read more about our board. 

Exhausted? Slow down and listen (to disabled wisdom): In our latest blog, guest author and Western professor Erika Katzman (also a member of the Canadian Disability Studies Association) recounts her experiences as an occupational therapist working with a person with disabilities as they navigate a world not designed for them. "In this forced moment of slowing down there is an opportunity to listen and to learn from those whose bodies have been begging, demanding that we do just that." Read more.

Call for submissions for Big Thinking: We are currently welcoming proposals for a Big Thinking lecture or panel featuring scholar(s) in any discipline of the humanities and social sciences, on the topic of the U.S. Election in 2020. The event will take place virtually between October 20 and November 17, 2020. Submit your idea!

Demonstrating the role of the HSS during the COVID-19 pandemic: Are you conducting research related to the COVID-19 pandemic, or do you know someone who is? The Federation is currently undertaking communications activities to raise awareness of the vital role played by the social sciences and humanities in the pandemic response. Share your story!

We must tackle and dismantle systemic racism and w hite supremacy: The exploitation, control and violence against Black people in the Americas is not a new phenomenon. We have seen the world of Black people worsen each day, m onth, year, decade, and century. Read more in the latest blog in our Equity Matters blog series by Dr. Bathseba Opini.

Le confinement comme prétexte politique: Congolese professor and author Patrick Ouadiaboutou argues that in the delicate economic conditions faced by African countries, the war against coronavirus needs a second look. If the world can come together to fight against the respiratory devastation of coronavirus, we should also be able to create a world in which everyday people can breathe, and live free from poverty and oppression. Read more. (in French only)

Emma Donoghue: "We're relying on the arts more than ever." On Tuesday, June 2, the Association for College and University Teachers of English (ACCUTE) presented the plenary 'Generation Gaps' with renowned Irish novelist and scholar Emma Donoghue. Our Digital Communications Officer, Lily Polowin, interviewed her for the occasion. Read more.

Malinda Smith appointed inaugural vice-provost, equity, diversity and inclusion: Former Federation Board member Dr. Malinda Smith's appointment at the University of Calgary will be effective Aug. 1. Dr. Smith comes to U of C from the University of Alberta, where she is a professor in the department of political science and serves as a provost fellow in equity, diversity and inclusion policy in the office of the provost.  Read more.

Joanna Everritt elected President of Canadian Political Science Association: Dr. Joanna Everitt of the University of New Brunswick's Saint John campus has been elected as president of the Canadian Political Science Association. She is the first president from an Atlantic Canadian university in more than 20 years. Read more.

National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation founding director hired to decolonize archives at B.C. university: After guiding the creation of a national archive that includes thousands of stories from residential school survivors, Ry Moran, founding director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) at the University of Manitoba, is bringing his expertise to the West Coast. Read more.

SSHRC awards $2.5M to Concordia-led collaborative research on deindustrialization and the rise of populism: 24 researchers and dozens of partner organizations will collaborate on an investigation into deindustrialization and its political consequences. The project will be based at Concordia's Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling under the direction of Steven High, professor in the Department of History and founder of the centre.  Read more.

SSHRC's new Perspectives on COVID-19 platform: Browse through this set of articles by SSHRC-funded researchers about different aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic. From federal pandemic response policies to the impacts on our behaviours, the economy, cities, workplaces, employment, education and social media, find out how SSHRC researchers are applying a social science and humanities lens. Read more.

What you should know about Black birders: Birding is one of the most popular nature-based activities in Canada. About a quarter of adults spend time watching, feeding or photographing birds. Birdwatching is also a racialized hobby, where whiteness and white privilege work together to keep it non-Black. Read more.