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For 150 years, MSVU has been a home for advancing the education of women. In this installation of Inspiring Action: The Impact of Research at MSVU, we look at how feminist ideologies of the past have allowed female researchers to expand their research horizons today.
Dr. Catherine Wallace served as the Mount's fourth president from 1965 to 1974. She presided over the institution during a crucial period in its history; when it changed from a college to a university in 1966. She has even been referred to as having a "transformative feminist presidency." “Wallace developed an inter-disciplinary, team-taught course, ‘Perspectives on Women,’ one of the first women’s studies courses in Canada. … The success of ‘Perspectives on Women’ led to the development of disciplinary-specific courses focusing on women, which subsequently led to a women’s studies minor at MSVU in 1979 and a major in 1982. Veronica Strong-Boag proclaimed MSVU’s women’s studies ‘experiment’ as ‘unprecedented in Canada, even perhaps in North America’” (Source: Heidi MacDonald). The north-wing of the 2nd floor of Evaristus Hall is named in her honour: the Catherine Wallace Centre for Women in Science.
Dr. Tamara Franz-Odendaal is a full professor in the department of Biology at MSVU. Her biology research is in the field of Developmental Biology, with a special focus on the development of the skeleton with an evolutionary perspective. The Franz-Odendaal Bone Development Lab focuses on research on the skeleton and has enabled them to better understand how bone is induced to form and what influences its maintenance.
“The skeleton is like a scaffold for our body, it is essential. It also remodels over time. There are many ways our skeletons can fail either due to injury, age or disease, any of which can affect our ability to be mobile and even to breathe. It is therefore important that we learn as much as about this part of our body as possible.” - Dr. Franz-Odendaal
Her other research area is equity and inclusion in science for minority individuals. “Research in the field of EDI has improved our understanding of the experiences of minority individuals in Science in Canada - this includes women, LGBTQ+ and those that identify as Black. This data is critical to inform and shape the future of the Science culture in Canada.”
When asked about what she would tell her former research self in terms of EDIA, Dr. Franz-Odendaal says to:
“Look around and see who is doing Science research around you. Then read. To become informed about unconscious bias and to learn about the barriers that different minority groups face in Science”.
Regardless of the field, MSVU has been encouraging women’s education and research for 150 years.
