College Dean's Message

Greetings All,

Welcome back to what is no doubt the start of a(nother) super busy academic year. Oddly enough, as an educator, I have always thought of September as being a bigger and more dramatic reset than January. I’m sure many of you feel this way too!

I’d like to start off by saying welcome to the new faculty and staff who have joined CSSH. We had our third annual new faculty orientation, which is sponsored by the three colleges. More than 50 new faculty, ATS, and staff joined the university. We look forward to working with them and seeing what gifts they bring to our academic and student communities. 

Quickly, for those of you who are teaching, just a friendly reminder to ensure you have transitioned your courses over to Canvas, as we are no longer supporting e-class as a learning management system.

I hope many of you were able to enjoy some holidays this summer, even as our college continued to be a hub of activity and events. For instance, we welcomed and celebrated our second Black Youth for Social Innovation (BYSI) cohort, along with a new cohort in the I-STEAM program, which connects Indigenous students with researchers and research projects at the U of A. Our new college dean search has also been in full swing this summer, and I would like to take a moment to thank all those who have been involved in this process. I anticipate a new dean will be announced shortly. 

And congratulations to all of our successful SSHRC applicants! Faculty and graduate students from across the college achieved remarkable success, with more details continuing to be communicated. Special thanks to the Research Partner Network and our Office of Research team, led by Oliver Rossier, for their continued efforts to support our researchers and make this year such a banner year. If you were unsuccessful in the past round of SSHRC funding or want support for your upcoming application, please do not hesitate to connect with our Office of Research, which has many resources to help you refine and review your submissions.

Best regards,

Marvin

Office of Research

Inaugural CSSH Celebration of Research

All CSSH faculty researchers are invited to participate in our college-wide Celebration of Research Event, Research in Uncertain Times: A celebration of research in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities. 

Happening on Thursday, October 16, from 2:00 - 4:00 pm in Education North - 4th Floor Lounge and Studio, the event gives researchers a chance to:

• Showcase their research with a poster, arts performance, or short presentation
• Attend the event to learn about the latest research across the four faculties: Arts, Business, Education, and Law
• Network with colleagues within the college

If you are interested in presenting your research, please register here.

For further information, please contact Oliver Rossier, orossier@ualberta.ca

Congratulations Insight and Insight Development Grant Recipients

Heartfelt congratulations to the recipients of 24 Insight Grants and 24 Insight Development Grants awarded to our college. These grants from Canada’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) reflect the diversity and strength of research happening across the College of Social Sciences and Humanities, and we look forward to celebrating the successes of each of the projects over the coming years. 

Office of Education

Here's to a New Academic Year

The Office of Education would like to wish everyone a wonderful start to the new academic year and all the best for an exciting term ahead. May this year be filled with fresh opportunities, meaningful connections and inspiring experiences.  

Performance Corner

Department of Art & Design: Be sure to visit the FAB Gallery between September 2 and 27 as the Department of Art & Design presents Sky, Stone, and Prairie: Plein Air Perspectives of Alberta by Samantha Williams-Chapelsky and The Paris Sketchbooks by Robert Shannon (with curatorial support from Justine Kohleal). You can find out more about both shows, and about visiting the gallery, HERE.

Department of Drama: Studio Theatre kicks off the 2025-2026 season with A Harvest Truce by Serhiy Zhadan (translated by Nina Murray). Directed by MFA Directing candidate Stanislav Tsybrukh, this topical play tells the story of a town in Eastern Ukraine following the Russian invasion in 2014. A Harvest Truce runs Sept. 2-7 in the Bleviss Laboratory Theatre (FAB 1-63). Find out more about the show, including showtimes and how to purchase tickets, HERE, and keep on top of what Drama has to offer this season at uab.ca/onstage .

Department of Music: The 2025-2026 season marks the 60th anniversary of the Department of Music. We start the year with the always popular U of A Days Music Concert Sept. 21 at 2 p.m. in the Horowitz Theatre (SUB) featuring performances from the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, University Symphony Orchestra, Madrigal Singers and Concert Choir. Stay tuned as we release more info about our 80th Anniversary Season at uab.ca/concerts .

College News