Presidents’ Messages
A World without limits
Letter from the President and Vice-Chancellor of Saint Mary's University, Robert Summerby-Murray
Greetings from Saint Mary’s University!
Welcome to the latest edition of Maroon + White, your online connection to the vibrant Saint Mary’s community and to alumni family around the world.
As I write this, there is a sense of anticipation as students, faculty and staff busily prepare for exams and look forward to the holiday season after a successful Fall Term.
This year, we delighted in welcoming more students back to campus, and in seeing alumni and friends who joined in record numbers at Homecoming 2022. We also marked several outstanding achievements that point to our continued growth: Saint Mary’s rose to third in Canada for the 2023 Maclean's University Rankings undergraduate category; the Sobey School of Business achieved the prestigious EQUIS accreditation, granted to less than two percent of business schools worldwide, and the Burke-Gaffney Observatory celebrated 50 years of sparking wonder and discoveries at the edges of space. And of course, we continued our pursuit of academic excellence and supporting our students in their journey with us.
I hope you share in the excitement and pride of these achievements as you peruse this edition. Inside, you’ll find more inspiring stories of change-makers like the alumni team who are bringing an Indigenous and Africentric lens to business practices; the rise of Isalean Philip BA'16 MA'19 to senator in her Caribbean home; the story of an alum's passion for space which turned into her career; and a global fragrance brand that fosters peace.
You’ll also find the latest news from campus in the Something’s Happening Here section, where you will be able to read the stories and watch the videos from the 2022 Report to the Community for our best, most exciting stories and accomplishments.
I hope these stories leave you feeling inspired and proud. I invite you to help spread the word of how special Saint Mary’s is and how much we have to offer our students—you are our finest ambassadors and we appreciate your support.
With best wishes from all of us on campus, and please, stay in touch!
Robert Summerby-Murray, PhD President and Vice-Chancellor
Letter from the Alumni Association President,
Collette Robert BSc’15 MSc’19
To our alumni all over the globe, welcome to the fall edition of our Maroon + White magazine. Thinking back to our days as students, I am sure you will join me in remembering the incredible energy and spirit that filled the campus each year. With the return of in-person instruction and activities this fall, it's thrilling to know that students are again enjoying the unique Saint Mary's campus experience we all loved.
This fall has been full of exciting moments for the entire Saint Mary's community. As well as the successful and delightful Homecoming weekend, we were pleased to host alumni events in Toronto, Antigua and Boston this year. Alumni were excited to gather again, talk about old times, and hear about the latest happenings at SMU.
We invite you to put Homecoming 2023 in your calendar for the weekend of October 13. There is much to celebrate on the athletics front, as 30 years ago in 1973, Saint Mary's won three Atlantic championships in hockey, basketball and football. With basketball and football going on to win national titles, it was indeed a banner year for varsity sport.
Upholding our mindset of being good global citizens, our alumni represent the university well across the globe, achieving success and making a tremendous impact. In this edition, you will read the incredible story of Judge Kelly Serbu, who did not let the loss of vision affect his love of hockey or his ability to succeed in his career. Also featured is our annual Alumni Awards event held on National Philanthropy Day. Check out our incredible recipients for this year and the many stories of our alumni out in the world giving back and challenging the status quo.
As alumni, you are our best examples of what's possible. There are many ways you can help the university continue to thrive—spreading the word to potential students, volunteering your time and making Saint Mary's one of your philanthropic priorities if you can do so. If you want to become more involved with the university, please reach out; we would love to celebrate you and your achievements.
Have a safe and wonderful holiday season. I’m looking forward to what 2023 will bring for all of us. Take good care,
Collette Robert BSc’15 MSc’19 President, Saint Mary’s Alumni Association
