Cape Breton University Research Recognized with Highest Honours
Cape Breton University鈥檚 Dr. Marcia Ostashewski, Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology and Director of CBU鈥檚 Centre for Sound Communities, will receive an Impact Award from the (SSHRC) in the category of Connection. The prestigious Impact Awards are presented annually to leading SSHRC grant holders across five categories and are considered Canada鈥檚 highest awards for social sciences and humanities research. The Connection Award recognizes an initiative that facilitates the flow and exchange of research knowledge beyond the research 福利免费在线看. Dr. Ostashewski is celebrated as the principal investigator of a research team focused on fostering equity, diversity, inclusivity and accessibility in the music industry.
Awards will be presented during an evening ceremony in Ottawa on Monday, November 25. The evening gala will feature a music and dance performance by Mi鈥檏maw colleagues, members of the research team and other artists from Cape Breton traveling to Ottawa to be part of the celebration. Dr. Ostashewski says she is both honoured and humbled to receive this award.
鈥淚t is an amazing experience to be recognized among Canada鈥檚 leading scholars, but I share this honour with many knowledge holders from diverse cultures, including those who represent Indigenous and African Canadian perspectives,鈥� says Dr. Ostashewski. 鈥淚t is an honour and a privilege to include those perspectives in our research.鈥�
While Dr. Ostashewski is identified as the principal investigator and award recipient, it recognizes research partners, including Laurianne Sylvester, Dean of CBU鈥檚 Unama鈥檏i College; Dr. Shauna
MacDonald, CBU Associate Professor of Communication and Languages; Graham Marshall, 福利免费在线看-based researcher and musician in the Sons of Membertou; Dr. Afua Cooper, University of Toronto; and Dr. Jody Stark, University of Manitoba.
Dr. Ostashewski explains that her research in Unama鈥檏i has involved foundational projects such as Singing Storytellers聽that began in 2014, and Songs and Stories of Migration and Encounter聽in 2017.聽She says the emerging themes of relationship, reconciliation and achieving diversity and inclusion within and through the arts have continued to inspire further projects, including the initiative highlighted in this award.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been working toward decolonizing the music industry across sectors through action-oriented approaches,鈥� says Dr. Ostashewski. 鈥淭his includes creating new audio recordings and films, educational resources and professional development opportunities, establishing new policy, industry entities and operations, and training a new generation of professionals from marginalized backgrounds who are now shaping the future of the industry. It鈥檚 all changing how people work, hear and think about diversity.鈥�
Dr. Ostashewski is collaborating with Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, the not-for-profit record label of the Smithsonian Institution dedicated to supporting cultural diversity through the documentation, preservation and dissemination of sound. The partnership supports the production of a new series of albums and learning resources, including the re-release of a ground breaking , a local Mi鈥檏maw drum group, as well as a series of new albums with artistic collections from Ukrainian, Acadian and African culture bearers.
CBU President and Vice-Chancellor, David C. Dingwall, will attend the Ottawa ceremony and shares CBU鈥檚 immense pride in this monumental achievement. 鈥淐ongratulations to Dr. Ostashewski and the collaborative team recognized as part of this highly sought-after award,鈥� says President Dingwall. 鈥淭his work supports the essence of CBU鈥檚 strategic priorities recognizing truth and seeking reconciliation, with actions to support decolonization of the music industry. We celebrate Dr. Ostashewski鈥檚 achievements and her place among Canada鈥檚 top social sciences and humanities researchers.鈥�
Congratulations to Dr. Ostashewski on this incredible honour!