Gov.-Gen. David Johnston announced 95 new appointments to the Order of Canada in December 2014.
Of these recipients, 79 became members of the Order, 13 officers, and three companions—companions being the highest appointment within the Order.
The new appointments were awarded to a diverse range of noteworthy Canadians, many with significant ties to Canadian universities and post-secondary institutions.
Some of the new members include Caroline Andrew, director of the Centre on Governance in the faculty of social sciences at the University of Ottawa, and Peter Calamai, a veteran journalist and adjunct professor in the School of Journalism and Communication at Carleton.
Andrew was appointed “for her academic research on cultural diversity, and on urban and feminist studies, and for her civic involvement with non-profit and community-based organizations,” according to the Governor General’s list of the new appointees.
Andrew said this wide variety of interests and studies stems from “a sort of theoretical question about inclusion.”
“I think that cities are important places to think about inclusion, and I think that in another way recent immigration is an important question about inclusion and so are the role of women and girls in cities. So [the topics are] tied together,” she said.
Like Andrew, Calamai’s areas of expertise are diverse, including science journalism and the cause of literacy.
Both new members of the Order said they are proud of their research.
Calamai said he is proud of his 1986 study on the accuracy of quotations in newspaper reporting, as well as his extensive study on Canadian literacy rates in 1987.
Group projects and collaborations are the things in which Andrew said she takes pride.
She referred to her work with Youth Futures, which helps teens in danger of marginalization transfer successfully from high school to a post-secondary institution, as well as to her work with the City for All Women Initiative.
Both of these researchers said they are familiar with university campuses and had suggestions for changes they would like to see.
Calamai said he would like to see university programs become more interdisciplinary.
He gave the example of a possible partnership between the journalism and business schools, as he said journalists now need to become much more entrepreneurial.
Andrew said she would like to see an increased internationalizing in university curriculum, giving the example of an international development program expanding beyond a western perspective to include a more southern vision for the program as well.
Both members of the Order also said they agree universities should encourage their scholars to pursue what interests them.
Calamai suggested giving researchers more freedom to do what interests them even if it is outside of where there is funding readily available.
Andrew said she thinks universities should “try and encourage people to think of what they both like doing and are good at doing.”
“People will be able to create the job they want,” she said.
