In a faculty as diverse, as engaged and as robust as ours, the storytelling possibilities are ridiculously rich - whether we are profiling groundbreaking research, marking the achievements of our distinguished faculty, students, staff and alumni, or cheering on our latest graduates.
Here then, are the top stories of 2019:
Citizen historian Bashir Mohamed exposes Edmonton's racist past
With white supremacy on the rise around the world, the political science alum (he graduated in 2018!) is using the city and provincial archives to reveal a strong KKK presence in Alberta during the '20s and '30s.
Bashir Mohamed ('17 BA), citizen historian
Fall Convocation 2019: A Passion for Bringing Worlds Together
Mpoe Mogale ('19 BA Hons, Political Science) has always had big dreams. Growing up, they had their sights set high - literally - with plans to one day explore the universe by studying astronomy. But when it came time to apply to university, they realized their true passions were grounded here, in the complexities of this world, and switched their focus to an Arts degree.
Mpoe Mogale is graduated with a BA (hons) in Political Science this fall
Avenue Magazine's Top 40 Under 40
A perennial favourite, Avenue Magazine released its annual list of Edmonton's Top 40 under 40 late in November, and as always, our Faculty of Arts community (three alumni, one academic!) were well-represented. Check out the amazing ways they are changing society for good.
2019 Top 40 Under 40 Kisha Supernant, Associate Professor, Anthropology
Spring Convocation 2019: Doctoral student's journey comes full-circle
Shama Rangwala's life took her all over the world before she returned to her hometown to pursue a PhD in English and Film Studies, focused on cultural studies - a discipline that investigates the political dynamics of contemporary culture. Fascinated by the discipline, it allowed her to interrogate the relationship between culture and politics, and unpack systems of oppression that directly affected her as a woman and a person of colour.
Shama Rangwala's life took her all over the world before she returned to her hometown to pursue a PhD in the Faculty of Arts
Alumni Awards 2019: A powerful voice for the Métis experienceThrough her poetry, Alumni Honour Award recipient Marilyn Dumont has inspired generations of Indigenous writers and scholars.
Through her poetry, Faculty of Arts Alumni Honour Award recipient Marilyn Dumont has inspired generations of Indigenous writers and scholars
Alberta Policy Internship Program Launched
Developed over the last year, the new Alberta Policy Internship Program (APIP) is the pillar of the new Masters of Arts in Policy Studies in the Department of Political Science at the University of Alberta, set to launch in 2020 and overseen by Jared Wesley. The internship program will facilitate graduate training for policy professionals.
Associate Professor Jared Wesley, who serves as the Director of Master's Programs in Political Science, will oversee the APIP
Inspired by a childhood book on human evolution, anthropology grad Jennifer Miller finds a career
The day that Jennifer Miller received her PhD in anthropology, she was struck by a memory of herself as a young girl when she had been given a book about human evolution. The ideas in that book would shape the direction of her life, leading to a career in archaeology.
Kate Kingsbury helps bring Mexican death goddess to life on big screen
When the third instalment of the hit Bad Boys movie franchise featuring Will Smith opens in January 2020, there's a good chance producers will get the details right when the plot turns to the veneration of Santa Muerte, the female Mexican deity of death. That's because the film's production company consulted with anthropologist Kate Kingsbury, an expert on a badass female folk figure that has exploded in popularity across Mexico over the past decade.
Modern Languages and Cultural Studies launches new, streamlined degree
The Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies launched its new single major in the fall, replacing multiple, individual degrees previously available through the department. Inclusive of the overall breadth of this field of study, the degree will now be called a BA in Modern Languages and Cultural Studies.
The School in Cortona Celebrates 20 Years
Perched on a hillside 600 metres above the Val di Chiana (Chiana Valley) in the Tuscan countryside, the ancient town of Cortona has been the backdrop for one of the most extraordinary study abroad opportunities available to students at the University of Alberta over the last two decades.
2019 Kule Research Cluster Grants announced
In March, the Kule Institute for Advanced Study (KIAS) announced the recipients of the 2019 Kule Research Cluster Grants. These grants support the activities of interdisciplinary research teams in the social sciences, humanities and fine arts.
Is it possible to have a world without "us" and "them"? In exploring ways to create and empower groups without falling back on divisive and hierarchical concepts, Abu-Laban says the answer to this question can lend insight into how to build stronger and more inclusive social and political practices.
Political scientist Yasmeen Abu-Laban appointed Fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) program, Boundaries, Membership and Belonging
Digitization project aims to preserve Indigenous voices
Thousands of Indigenous multimedia recordings spanning nearly 60 years will live on through a partnership involving the University of Alberta's Sound Studies Institute.
The Department of Drama announces new BFA in Production degree
A new BFA in Production degree allows students to specialize in one of three theatrical focuses - Design, Technical Production or Stage Management - with opportunities to work on professional productions for course credit. It streamlines three longstanding BFA programs (Theatre Design, Technical Production, and Stage Management) and offers students more hands-on experience and a healthier school-life balance.
BFA student Brianna Kolybaba (centre) received hands-on experience with Properties Master Jane Kline (left), creating props for MFA student Sofia Lukie's (right) Studio Theatre production.
Opioid crisis has cost Canada nearly $5 billion in lost productivity
Economics student Alex Cheung estimates the financial toll of a drug epidemic that has claimed more than 11,000 lives since 2016.
As the undergraduate student advisor in English and Film Studies retires after 30 years, Mary Marshall Durrell shares some parting words of wisdom.
Teen pregnancy research earns U of A sociologist prestigious Killam award
Lisa Strohschein was among 29 professors (along with Women's and Gender Studies professor Philomina Okeke-Ihejirika), post-doctoral researchers and grad students who received prestigious Killam awards at a ceremony on October 16. The sociologist was recognized for her outstanding research on teen pregnancy in Canada, profiled in this folio story.
Sociologist Lisa Strohschein, named a Killam Annual Professor today, is studying teen pregnancy in Canada.
New bookshop offers more than just books
The Glass Bookshop, run by Faculty of Arts' alumni Matthew Stepanic and Jason Purcell, opens up space for marginalized voices.
Faculty of Arts alumni Jason Purcell and Matthew Stepanic, co-owners of Glass Bookshop
21st Century Tools for Indigenous Languages receives 2019 SSHRC Partnership Grant
Linguist Antti Arppe's project aims to place Indigenous language tools on the same plane as majority languages.
Led by archaeologist Andrzej Weber, two decades of research yields fresh insight into hunter-gatherer cultures of the Holocene.
Archaeologist Andrzej Weber in Moty-Shamanka, on the Irkut River, Siberia
Happy Holidays from the Faculty of Arts!
Read the Top 2018 stories here.