A Coastal Career
Brittany MacIsaac MA’18
By Renée Hartleib
Brittany MacIsaac MA’18 has always been drawn to the ocean and the coastline, but it wasn’t until a first-year Geography course at Saint Mary’s that she realized her fascination could become a career.
Originally planning to study International Development, the Cape Breton native found her path shifting thanks to an inspiring professor in her Intro to Geography course.
“I’d always been drawn to both the humanities and to science,” says Brittany. “What I came to understand is that geography melds the two of those interests together.”
That professor was Dr. Danika van Proosdij, a specialist in coastal adaptation and vulnerability assessments related to erosion and flood risk. Brittany would go on to work closely with her, eventually writing her entire master’s thesis on climate change adaptation in Maritime communities.
“I gained so much great experience talking with municipalities and community leaders about what they needed to achieve their climate change goals, what supports and opportunities were available to them and what the gaps or obstacles were.”
This important work opened the door to her first full-time role, working with the Ecology Action Centre as a Community Outreach Coordinator for their coastal team. There, she ran sea level rise workshops across Nova Scotia and helped launch a dedicated website filled with facts, tools, engaging videos and interactive graphics to inform and empower communities.
Brittany loved this work, but when a position opened at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, she jumped at the chance. For the past six years, she has worked as a physical scientist with the Centre for Offshore Oil, Gas, and Energy Research (COOGER) at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO) in Dartmouth.
She works on a largely female team of experts in petroleum spills in aquatic environments. “Our research provides valuable information about how petroleum spills behave under a range of environmental and oceanographic conditions.” This important work aims to improve Canada’s spill response measures.
Now on the cusp of a new chapter, Brittany will soon be moving into a non-scientific role where she will provide data management and financial support to her team. She sees this shift as an evolution, but one that is still focused on ensuring their important scientific work, research, and outreach continues.
Even though she graduated from Saint Mary’s eight years ago, Brittany remains connected to the friends and memories she made in the geography program, which marks its 50th anniversary this year. As President of the SMU Geography Society, she helped organize monthly presentations, coffee chats and even geography-themed Jeopardy nights. “We were a tight-knit group in a smaller department and did a lot of activities together.”
Looking back, Brittany is grateful to Saint Mary’s for preparing her for a career related to one of her earliest interests–the ocean and the shoreline. “It feels meaningful to have made the health and well-being of the ocean my career choice. I think the younger version of me wouldn’t be surprised I veered towards a career path related to the coast and would be proud.”
Climate Change Trail Blazer
Maggie Rodwell Hon BA’24
By Renée Hartleib
Maggie Rodwell Hon BA’24 didn’t expect to find herself presenting in front of the United Nations—especially so early in her life and career—but that’s exactly what happened this past December. Alongside other young innovators from around the world, she was invited to share a unique idea for mitigating the effects of devastating wildfires.
It’s a topic she knows all too well. Growing up in Salmon Arm, BC, Maggie witnessed the increasing impacts of wildfires firsthand and dedicated herself to fighting them. For the past five summers, she worked with the BC Wildfire Service as a member of an “initial attack” crew–specialized teams that help to stop fires before they spread. Her unit used a unique mode of transportation: helicopters.
Maggie served on a highly trained “Rapattack” crew that tackled fires in remote locations inaccessible by road. She and her team learned to rappel from a helicopter using a harness and rope system, followed by two 175-pound bags carrying everything they’d need to put out a fire and stay overnight if needed. Chainsaws, hoses, pumps, tents, food, water, first aid supplies and radios were all part of their standard pack.
The work was physically demanding and mentally intense, but also deeply rewarding, and she was always surrounded by very fun and hard-working people. “I feel lucky to have found work that pushed my mind and body and allowed me to see some really cool corners of the province.”
This frontline wildfire experience became an integral part of her time at Saint Mary’s as well, when she completed her Honours thesis critiquing how individualism—a predominant Western social philosophy—negatively impacts our ability to live alongside wildfires.
While at SMU, Maggie embraced all the university had to offer. She appreciated the close-knit campus community and got involved wherever she could. The 22-year-old served as Vice President of the Environmental Society, played varsity soccer in her first two years, helped launch SMU’s first-ever rowing team and worked as a Pack Leader during Welcome Weeks.
The summer after graduating, she was selected to attend a week-long innovation camp organized by Unite 2030 in upstate New York. The competition was fierce, with only 100 people being chosen from an applicant pool of over 6,000. While there, the participants collaborated in teams to develop solutions aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Unsurprisingly, Maggie chose to work on SDG 13: Climate Action, focusing on wildfire resilience. Alongside four other teammates from Mexico, the US and Australia, she came up with the idea of the “Ember Co-op”–a community-based initiative aimed at involving local residents in fuel management (reducing burnable forest material to help limit the spread and intensity of wildfires).
“I know from growing up in BC that fuel management isn’t happening on the scale it needs to be for the number of wildfire vulnerable communities we have across Canada.”
Her team’s concept won first place in the camp’s pitch competition at the Changemakers Summit in New York City. Their success earned them an invitation to present an extended version of their pitch at United Nations Headquarters. In December, they shared their proposal with senior representatives from the UN’s communications, women’s and climate departments.
“We received a lot of really good feedback, connections for interested parties or investors and an affirmed sense that our solution holds potential.”
Back from her UN experience, Maggie is now focused on applying for grants and building the relationships needed to bring her climate disaster mitigation strategies to life. She also has her sights set on becoming a lawyer, with aspirations to work in environmental law or policy.
“I’d love to influence change to increase Indigenous sovereignty, land protection and advocacy for climate injustices. I’d like to help ensure that those who contribute the least to climate change are not the ones being asked to bear the brunt of it.”
Coming home to change the game: Dr. MacIntosh Ross returns to Saint Mary’s as a Teaching Fellow
Dr. MacIntosh Ross MA'08
By Jennifer Ashton
When Dr. MacIntosh Ross MA'08 walked the halls of Saint Mary’s University as a graduate student, he didn’t yet see himself as a professor. But thanks to a pivotal mentorship and a growing passion for research, he’s returned—this time as a Teaching Fellow with the Scott McCain & Leslie McLean Centre for Sport, Business and Health—bringing with him a bold vision for the future of sport and wellness education.
Raised in the Annapolis Valley and Cape Breton, Ross didn’t begin his academic path with lofty ambitions. “I was a good student on paper, but not particularly driven,” he said. It wasn’t until his time at Saint Mary’s, studying under the Centre's founder, Dr. Colin Howell, that he truly found his footing. “That was a turning point. Dr. Howell saw something untapped in me.” That mentorship was defining, and Ross went on to complete his PhD at Western University and teach at institutions across Canada and the United States.
Now, as a Teaching Fellow at the Scott McCain & Leslie McLean Centre, Ross is helping shape a unique academic space that explores the intersection of sport, business and health through a socially conscious lens. His research focuses on aligning sport with human rights, an area that challenges long-held assumptions in countries where sport and justice don’t always go together. “Our courses will explore these tensions and how students can think critically and promote ethical change when issues arise.”
Ross believes Saint Mary’s is the perfect place for this kind of innovation. With small class sizes and an engaged community, he can bring creativity and experimentation into the classroom, something he views as essential in today’s education landscape. “We’re in a moment where AI makes it easy for students to stagnate,” he says. “At Saint Mary’s, I have the flexibility to push students to think differently, to develop their own ideas and to express themselves through unique assignments like podcasting or building websites. I can craft courses with care and forethought and I’m excited about it; that kind of innovation thrives here.”
Empathy also shapes his teaching philosophy. “We’re living in different times and students face real and different pressures. I try to build courses around their voices and ensure they know their ideas matter.” He sees the Centre as a vital space for nurturing this kind of learning. “The Centre is focused on safe sport and reimagining what the future of sport could be. I want to contribute to a thriving program that allows students to explore sport and wellness through policy, history and ethics.”
Beyond the curriculum, he emphasizes the importance of presence. “I keep my office door open and maintain lots of office hours. Knowing students outside the classroom makes a big difference, for them and for me. It creates a social bond that helps everyone feel more comfortable and connected.”
As he settles back into life in Nova Scotia, Ross is energized by the opportunity to give back to the university that first believed in him. “Saint Mary’s is different. There’s a real drive here to see every student succeed. It’s a place you want to go every day.”
With the backing of the Scott McCain & Leslie McLean Centre for Sport, Business and Health and the support of the SMU community, Dr. MacIntosh Ross is helping redefine how sport, health and society intersect—and he’s doing it in the very place where his academic journey truly began.
