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Campus News
Saint Mary’s University Welcomes Ayo Makanjuola as Vice-President, Finance and Administration
In September 2024, Saint Mary’s welcomed Ayo Makanjuola CPA, FCCA, PMP, as the new Vice-President, Finance and Administration.
Mr. Makanjuola brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to this critical leadership role, as Saint Mary’s continues to invest in student support, infrastructure and community engagement while prioritizing financial sustainability. Mr. Makanjuola’s track record of driving financial excellence and implementing sound fiscal policies will contribute significantly to the university’s long-term success.
Mr. Makanjuola previously served as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the Millbrook First Nation and as CFO of the Black Business Initiative of Nova Scotia, where he demonstrated his ability to drive positive change and enhance organizational effectiveness.
President Robert Summerby-Murray expressed confidence in the new VP’s ability to lead and innovate, noting that “his strategic mindset, financial acumen, and commitment to student success make him an ideal fit for our university.”
Saint Mary's Launches Bold New Recruitment Campaign: Every One is Unique
Saint Mary’s launched a bold new recruitment campaign this fall designed to attract Gen Z students in Nova Scotia and key Canadian markets.
"This campaign is decidedly different, with a fresh look to cut through the noise of the digital space where our target audience spends so much time," says Lauren Cullen, Director, Student Recruitment and Enrolment. "It presents Saint Mary’s as a supportive environment that recognizes the potential in each of our students and celebrates their uniqueness, and also highlights our distinctive campus experience, our place in the city and our programs."
The ads showcase current students from each faculty and drives traffic to the Future Students webpage for more information. Watch our campaign video!
Opening the Doors to the Arts with Arts for Everyone
The Faculty of Arts recently launched Arts for Everyone, a new initiative that allows members of the public to attend a selection of courses on a drop-in basis, at no cost.
Those who wish to engage with course material a bit more deeply (and earn a digital badge to showcase their accomplishment!) can choose to register and complete a series of assignments.
The first suite of courses-- Ancient Literature, Writing for Performance and Beckett and the Idea of Zionism-- began in September and have enjoyed a positive reception. Waiting in the wings for January 2025: The Ancient Civilizations of Greece and Rome.
SMU Astronomy Researchers Release Cosmic ‘Question Mark’ Images—Revealing Clues About How Our Galaxies Evolve
Credit: Nasa
Dr. Marcin Sawicki, along with a team of astronomers from Saint Mary’s and NASA, drew international attention with the release of new research and images that reveal what the Milky Way galaxy might have looked like…7 billion years ago.
Using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope as well as James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), Dr. Sawicki and postdoc researchers Dr. Vicente Estrada-Carpenter and Dr. Guillaume Desprez have released images that show a wavelength of light trapped in cosmic dust in the intriguing shape of a question mark.
The images captured are like a time machine, says Dr. Sawicki. “These galaxies, seen billions of years ago when star formation was at its peak, are similar to the mass that the Milky Way galaxy would have been at that time. Webb is allowing us to study what the teenage years of our own galaxy could have been like,” he adds.
Saint Mary’s University to Welcome Young Scholars as New Shad Canada Partner
High school students from across Canada can now apply for a distinct summer academic experience at Saint Mary’s University thanks to a new partnership with Shad Canada. As a Shad campus, Saint Mary’s will host Shad’s STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) and entrepreneurship program for students in grades 10 and 11.
“Every summer, more than 1,500 students come to Shad to discover new areas of study, access post-secondary academics, business and community leaders, and reach new heights of personal development,” said Tim Jackson, Shad Chief Executive Officer. “We are thrilled to have Saint Mary’s join the team to deliver an incredible program steeped in entrepreneurship, research and international collaborations.”
Saint Mary's Ranked One of Canada’s Top 3 Undergraduate Universities
Saint Mary’s has once again earned a spot as one of Canada’s top 3 undergraduate universities.
Saint Mary's University is the third Best Primarily Undergraduate University in the country, according to the 2025 Maclean’s University Rankings. This marks the third year in a row that SMU has achieved this enviable position. The annual rankings also confirm Saint Mary’s status as the top-ranked primarily undergraduate university in Nova Scotia, and its Sobey School of Business as one of the top 20 business programs in the country. “I am extremely proud of our consistent placement in the Maclean’s rankings”, says Saint Mary’s University President Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. “One reason for our high standing is that faculty and students alike participate on the front line of real-world research and knowledge creation. We take pride in offering these amazing opportunities to both undergraduate and graduate students in a supportive community where they thrive.”
Saint Mary’s Student Recognized for Academic Achievements & Deaf Community Contributions
First-year science student Emi Morse won a prestigious award this Fall in recognition of her outstanding academic achievements, resilience, and dedication.
Morse is the 2024-25 recipient of the Honourable David C. Onley Scholarship Award from Canadian Hearing Services, established to foster empowerment and inspiration among the next wave of leaders within the Deaf and hard of hearing community.
Born without hair cells in her cochlea due to a genetic condition, Emi experienced total deafness from birth, and overcame many hurdles to pursue her dream of helping families and young children going through similar experiences.
“I chose Saint Mary’s because of its appealing support options and interpreting services,” notes Emi. “The Fred Smithers Centre had a lot of great accommodations that I needed, like the Digital Modulation (DM) systems that transmit primary audio directly to my cochlear implants and the GLEAN captioning software to help with notetaking.”
Morse plans to obtain a Masters in Audiology and become a Cochlear Implant Audiologist. Read her story!
