Thomas Dunk, Interim Provost and Vice-President, Academic, was impressed by the growth he has witnessed within the Faculty in terms of diverse transdisciplinary programs, influential research, excellence in teaching and collaborating, and providing exceptional support and opportunities for students.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOne thing that I am very proud of is if you look at Brock\u2019s strategic mandate, this Faculty fits into every one of the pillars of the things we say we do well and the things we say we value,\u201d Dunk told the crowd.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe Faculty of Social Sciences is contributing on all fronts.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Both faculty and students were leaders in research this past year and received multiple internal and discipline-based awards and external funding from all three Tri-Council Agencies in Canada.<\/span><\/p>\n The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) granted nine new principal investigators with funding, along with many co-investigators.<\/span><\/p>\n Four Faculty members received funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and Teena Willoughby and her team in the Centre for Lifespan Development received a<\/span> $1.43-million grant<\/span><\/a> from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to study adolescent risk-taking behaviours.<\/span><\/p>\n Robert Dimand from the Department of Economics received Brock\u2019s prestigious Distinguished Research and Creative Activity Award along with a discipline-based award for his contributions to social economics and social economy.<\/span><\/p>\n It was a year of expansion and development for Social Sciences, as the Faculty celebrated its first graduates from the <\/span>Master of Sustainability program<\/span><\/a>, saw the launch of a new <\/span>Doctoral program in Child and Youth Studies<\/span><\/a> and welcomed more than 400 graduate students.<\/span><\/p>\n Four graduate students were honoured at the celebration for their exceptional writing, covering diverse, transdisciplinary and modern issues.<\/span><\/p>\n Shawn Geniole, a graduate from the Psychology program and SSHRC Banting Postdoctoral Fellow, received the award for Best Doctoral Thesis for his research, \u201cThe Facial Width-to-Height Ratio and its Role in Advertisements and Assessments of Threat Potential.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Denyelle Huelleman, a student from the Master\u2019s of Geography program, received the award for Best Master\u2019s Thesis for her research, \u201cConsuming Niagara’s Agricultural Landscapes: A Regional Assessment of the Constraints and Opportunities for Developing a Sustainable Agritourism Destination.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Another MA Geography student, Benjamin Kwao, received the award for the Best Course Paper for his research, \u201cPolitical Ecology of Small-Scale Gold Mining in Ghana.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n And Kaitlin Gibson, a student from the Master\u2019s of Political Science program received the Best Major Research Paper award for her impactful research, \u201cThe Effect of Social Capital on the Voting Behaviour of Immigrant Youth.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n This year, the event expanded from celebrating research successes to also honouring internal teaching and staff awards.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt is important to recognize the extensive work that goes on every day by all faculty, staff and students,\u201d said Ingrid Makus, Interim Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences.<\/span><\/p>\n
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