|
|
 First Recipient of John Wadland Scholarship in Canadian Studies AnnouncedFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Ph.D. student Amy Twomey began graduate work at Trent in September 2006 Friday, December 15, 2006, Peterborough Less than a year after being formally announced, the John Wadland Graduate Scholarship, one of the largest endowments for graduate-level Canadian Studies in the country and created in honour of long-time Trent Canadian Studies professor John Wadland, is already making a significant difference in the academic life of one Ph.D. student. As the first recipient of the award, Trent University graduate student Amy Twomey is receiving $10,000 over several years to pursue a Ph.D. in Canadian Studies studying the impact of globalization on Canadian cultural policy. More specifically, she is exploring cultural policy and Canada’s participation in the International Network on Cultural Policy (INCP) and determining whether or not this organization can be considered a useful tool for cultural protection in this new era of global relations. “Winning this scholarship has meant a great deal to me,” Ms. Twomey says. “John Wadland has been such an inspiring leader, teacher and researcher in the field of Canadian Studies, so to win an award in his name is a great honour.” Winning the prestigious Wadland Scholarship was also a deciding factor for Ms. Twomey, who says that “committing to a four year graduate program is an expensive endeavour and scholarships such as this one help to lessen the financial burden.” Funded through an endowed gift of $250,000 from three anonymous donors, the John Wadland Graduate Scholarship was created to support graduate students intending to make a commitment to the field of Canadian Studies. As an endowed fund, the principle is invested and the interest is used to support the scholarship. For the 2007/2008 academic year, both Amy Twomey and a new highly qualified student in their first year of the Ph.D. program in Canadian Studies will benefit from the fund. The scholarship is named in honour of Prof. John Wadland who has been teaching at Trent since 1972, the year the undergraduate Canadian Studies Program was created. Since that time, Prof. Wadland’s name has become synonymous with the field of Canadian Studies. He was editor of the Journal of Canadian Studies from 1980-84 and served as Chair of the Canadian Studies Program from 1984-93. From 1996-2000 he was Director of the Frost Centre for Canadian Studies and Native Studies, during which time he was involved, with his colleagues at Trent and Carleton, in the creation of a joint interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Canadian Studies within which the scholarship is awarded. “From the vision of its founding President, through the extraordinary efforts of my wonderful colleagues, to the accomplishments of our many graduates, Trent has made an unparalleled contribution to interdisciplinary Canadian Studies,” said Prof. Wadland. “As this scholarship recognizes Amy Twomey for the excellence of her work, and for her great promise, it also recognizes the remarkable community of which we are both so privileged to be part. To those who have provided this generous recognition we are deeply grateful.” In addition to his academic credits, Prof. Wadland is well-known and much-loved for his enthusiasm in the classroom. He has won numerous awards and accolades including Trent's Symons Award for Excellence in Teaching (1977), the National Award of Merit from the Association for Canadian Studies (1992), and the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Teaching Excellence (1993). Currently, Prof. Wadland teaches and conducts his research in the interdisciplinary fields of environmental history and visual culture. -30- For more information, please contact: Prof. John Wadland, Program Chair, Canadian Studies, Trent University, (705) 748-1011 ext.1804; or |
