Jim Weldon
completed his PhD in English at Queen’s University at Kingston in1979. Jim joined the Department of English at Wilfrid Laurier in 1986. Since then he has served the Department, Faculty, and University well. When Jim first arrived, he helped to transition the department from a service unit teaching ESL and writing courses, to a research department. He was instrumental in creating the Master’s program in Gender and Genre Studies in 1993 and was the first Graduate Officer for the program. Jim later also served as Chair after the Department had evolved into the Department of English and Film Studies and had grown its graduate program to include a PhD. Jim has also served on many Faculty and University committees, including Chair of the Program Development Committee for the Interdisciplinary Medieval Studies Program which started in 2003 and became its first co-ordinator. Jim also served as Senator for 9 years serving on numerous Senate Committees. Jim served as Vice President and President of the Canadian Society of Medievalists and served as editor of the association’s official journal from 2004-2007. Jim is also the author of numerous articles in Refereed Journals.
Mark Pancer
Came a few years after Angelo in 1983 and has enriched the social and community areas of the psychology department. His research work in the “Better Beginnings, Better Futures program” has been a springboard for community action across Canada. With colleagues in the department he has long looked at the effects of student transition to University and changes that occur in the “emerging adult” stage of life. Mark has served as department chair in Psychology ably taking the department through a difficult financial time (the market meltdown of 2008, but perhaps now a more chronic situation). Mark has a passion for playing bluegrass music on the mandolin, a signed picture of his mandolin guru David Grisman hung in his office, and perhaps we will hear more from Mark in this context now that he will have more time on his hands.
Michael Skelton
Came to Laurier in 1988 as a Reference-Collections librarian and worked here until his retirement in Jan. 2014. In all, Michael worked as a professional librarian for 40 years, assisting several generations of students (including his two sons, both Laurier grads), 25 years of that being at Laurier. When the Library went through its year of renovation he was asked to take on the full-time role of Project Manager for “a short time”. After being assured that “everything was in place” and someone just needed to monitor the process he agreed. On his first day in the position the Fire Marshall arrived and declared the building could not stay open and the staff could not remain working there. Michael had to scramble to find alternatives. The fun had begun. It was a very long 14 months! He has served on many committees, both internally and externally, and more than exceeded the service aspects that come as part of the position. Michael was very active in WLUFA. He was first elected as a member-at-large in late 1990’s. He served on three Part-time Negotiating Committees. Service with WLUFA was continuous until the Spring of 2013 when he knew he would not be able to fulfill a full-year’s term due to his impending retirement. He was Vice-President when Joyce Lorimer was President and succeeded Joyce as the first librarian and part-timer to become President. Following his term as President Michael served several years as Past-President during Judy Bates’ terms. He was also a long-time WLUFA representative to CAUT meetings and has just completed his second term as a member of the CAUT Librarians` Committee, a very active committee. His experience with, and knowledge of, the challenges of part-time academic librarianship also led to speaking invitations in Canada and the USA. Retirement began with a bang. Michael loves to travel and is just back from a 49 day cruise. Many thousands of photographs were taken. That and his many other hobbies ensure he will not be bored in this new phase of life.
Angelo Santi
Joined Laurier’s Psychology Department in 1976, and has been a significant influence on the department, faculty and University. He has served as Chair of Psychology, and has taken on many University and Faculty administrative responsibilities. Psychology was lucky to have him at the helm when they were engaging in a hiring exercise which, because of the gender imbalance in the faculty, was directed only to female candidates. In the years he has been at Laurier, right from the beginning he has maintained an active research program (long before we became a Comprehensive University with a significant research presence). He had one of the first NSERCs in the department and NSERC has honoured him a number of years ago for having been funded for 25 years. Angelo is the guiding energy behind the irregular meetings of the “Old Fogies” in psychology a gathering of retired and more senior members of the department. We have been told that Angelo is a very proficient golfer, having had the potential to go pro (we are all glad that he did not) suggesting this activity that may form part of his retirement plans. He is looking forward to spring.
Carole Leclair
Hired at Laurier Brantford in July 2002 to create Indigenous Studies courses and has singlehandedly placed Indigenous Studies on the academic map of WLU. She was instrumental in developing Indigenous Studies as an option and a minor degree in 2005, assisting to implement Aboriginal Student Services and create Aboriginal Student House in Brantford, and generally helping to transform WLU Brantford into a more welcoming academic home for Indigenous students. Not content to rest on her accomplishments, Carole worked tirelessly on a proposal for an Indigenous Studies degree program between 2011 and 2013. The program is now under review. In addition to her academic contributions, Carole is highly involved with Indigenous communities in Hamilton, ON. Like all Indigenous scholars, Carole has held two jobs – one as a teacher, mentor, researcher at WLU and the other as a teacher, mentor, researcher, and Elder with Indigenous communities.
Lynne Hannay
Work at Laurier began with her development of the program model for the Bachelor of Education in 2007-08. Dr. Hannay served as Interim Dean for the Faculty of Education from 2007-2009. Dr. Hannay was formerly a curriculum professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), a former visiting professor at Laurier Brantford and served a near 20-year term as the head of OISE’s Kitchener-based Midwestern Centre from 1987-2006. Dr. Hannay holds a PhD from Ohio State University and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from the University of Victoria. In addition to teaching in the public school system for seven years, Hannay’s research has been published extensively and supported by more than $1 million in grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training.