I was born and raised in Northern Nova Scotia and graduated from Pugwash District High School in 1977. Although Dalhousie University was my choice, Mom had concerns about big city lights being too bright for a country girl and suggested Mount Allison as an alternative. We agreed upon Acadia University and off I went for a BSc in chemistry and microbiology.
Even without completing a degree, Acadia University provided the building blocks for my future career. As a student I became familiar with university life; informative discussions with several senior faculty and members of the teaching staff gave me an understanding of academics and that way of life.
In 1986, I completed an Administrative Assistant course at Success Business College in Truro. Later that same year, I was offered a position in Halifax and moved to Big City with my young daughter.
After working for a few different businesses and several Kelly Temporary positions, I found my way to Dalhousie University during the summer of 1993. Kelly Temporary Services placed me in Physiology & Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, for 4 days in January 1994 (only for 4 days) and I managed to stick around until retirement in December 2022.
During my years, I held positions in several different Faculty of Medicine departments and divisions: Physiology & Biophysics (1994-1999), Psychology and Neuroscience (1999-2005), Medical Education (2005-2016), and Continuing Professional Development and Medical Education (2017-2022). For 11 years, over and above these positions, I provided administrative support to the Neuroscience Institute. My work was done on campus during early mornings, lunch breaks, after 4pm, and frequently late into the evening. I met many faculty at all levels, technical and other support staff, and post-graduate and undergraduate students throughout the university and in the affiliated hospitals.
The new millennium brought me unique experiences: working with Undergraduate Medical Education (UGME) committees during the lead up to and implementation of Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick, revisions to the UGME Curriculum, coordinating the Annual Thomas Fear and Alice Morgan Fear Memorial Conference, and organizing the month long Annual Medical Education Elective for senior residents.
Retirement has allowed organization of my personal schedule and catch up on rest that had been missed over the years. I enjoy being a member of 2 book clubs, knitting red scarves for the Aids Awareness Society and mittens for family, friends, and the homeless, making tie quilts for family and friends, and spending cuddle time with Munroe, my cat.
April 2025