Photograph of Elmsley Place in the fall with orange and yellow leaves on the trees and Brennan Hall in the background

Hiring Announcement

The Office of the Registrar and Student Services is happy to welcome two new Assistant Registrars to their team:

Alyssa Ficaccio
Assistant Registrar

Alyssa Ficaccio has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Economics and Master of Educational Research in Adult, Community and Higher Education from the University of   Calgary. Prior to joining USMC, Alyssa has held roles in academic advising, media relations, curriculum development and program planning at institutions in Alberta. Alyssa (she/her) has focused her educational research on inclusive, diverse, accessible and innovative ways of thinking in a post-secondary environment to best suit the needs of all types of learners. Coming from Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta, Alyssa is excited to now call Toronto home and join the University of St. Michael’s College community. 

Kaitlyn Lubniewski 
Assistant Registrar

Kaitlyn Lubniewski joins St. Mike’s with a background in registrarial work. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Arts and Contemporary Studies at Ryerson (X) University. Kaitlyn (she/her) brings positive energy, adaptability, and attention to the student experience to all her roles. She arrives from Knox College at the University of Toronto, where she developed and ran community events with an eye to making students, faculty, and staff feel engaged. Kaitlyn is excited to continue her journey in the post-secondary education space at the University of St. Michael’s College.

Please join us in welcoming Alyssa and Kaitlyn!

Sarah Figueiredo is a Humber Post-Graduate Public Relations student on internship with the St. Mike’s communication team. Previously, she completed her Honours Bachelor of Arts in Economics at McMaster University, where she took an active role is student life on campus, finding a passion for improving the post-secondary student experience. Sarah currently resides in Cambridge, ON.

The Ethernet Connection: Starting a Digital Internship at St. Mike’s

Portrait photograph of a vibrant blooming pink tree outside the windows of Founders House, with two tall apartment buildings and a blue sky in the background.
Photo by Betty Noakes

Typically, I imagine parents aren’t such a present part of an internship’s first day.

Truthfully, as my commute to the office was a short 15 steps from my bed to my computer, I should have expected 2021’s unusualness extended to internships.

Starting an internship in a pandemic is both a standard and a unique experience. Contradictory, I know.

On the one hand, I had my parents popping their heads into my “office”—a somewhat quiet corner of the house where I stationed my laptop and ring light—to say good luck and offer snacks. On the other, I have a group chat full of program peers who were carefully monitoring their mute buttons as well.

Venturing on this journey with the rest of my cohort helped make this COVID internship feel somewhat normal. Two days before my official start with the St. Michael’s team, I met with my classmates. Naturally, the conversation progressed to impending internships.

Those who already started spoke of awkward Zoom hellos or introduction emails with a generous amount of exclamation points. Others who were waiting to start listened eagerly, taking mental notes. Finally, we fell into the comfortable pattern of sharing fears, fumbles, and fulfillments.

The sense of place I felt in my program was a constant in a changing world. Taking a step outside the virtual classroom and away from my peers felt like ripping away the security blanket we’d knit together the past eight months.

But, I’ve been told a little rain will make the flowers grow. As St. Mike’s is a place where physical flowers and the bloom of knowledge thrive, I knew a bed of support would cushion my next scary step. Unfortunately, though, that didn’t make it less intimidating.

I assume the first day of an internship typically starts with stopping by your supervisor’s office to say hello and possibly setting up a desk or computer. My supervisor was currently on the other side of the country. My bubble-wrapped computer was delivered to me fully configured to take on the day.

So instead, I started my internship doing what any student is so naturally inclined to do—I researched. Beginning with the St. Michael’s 180 strategic plan, I reviewed the college’s priorities, scrolled through official Twitter pages and dug deep into the Google abyss.

I’m also not above admitting I spent maybe a bit too much time stressing how to Zoom-introduce myself. Should I say a fun fact about myself? Do I even have fun facts about myself? What camera angle looks the friendliest yet professional? Wait, maybe it will be a camera-off meeting?

I’m happy to report that my overthinking was unwarranted, as my first day started with my new coworkers projecting warmth and welcome through their webcams. The format wasn’t unique in any way, a simple introduction with an explanation of your role. I nervously forwent the fun facts. But, the team’s smiles paired with their genuine interest in my story differentiated this Zoom call for those my peers spoke of.

This atmosphere was evident in all encounters I had that week. Whether it be through hello emails or individuals reaching out to offer help, it was clear the USMC team took fostering community seriously.

Later in the week, I enjoyed attending my first virtual work lunch soiree, and I genuinely mean it was a pleasure. The group seemed to make the simple game of virtual two truths and a lie evoke genuine laughter instead of awkward Zoom talk my peers have talked so much about.

From stories of past jobs to celebrity run-ins, the group welcomed me into their pasts with no hesitation. I was honoured with the trust they bestowed on me, having been a part of the team for a mere 72 hours.

I felt a sense of place in the openness and camaraderie as I sat alone, 110 kilometres away.  I did not need to trek to St. Mary Street to feel a community.

Looking back on my first week, my only regret is not sharing an exciting insight or fact about myself during that first welcome meeting. I was lucky as St. Mike’s is where the community is encouraged to reach out first; I had many chances to let the team get to know me. Though had it not, I’m not sure how long I would have spent finding the courage to build more than an ethernet connection with my new community.

So, to my fellow digital interns, I have a dare for you—I dare you to be open and authentically yourself every moment of your next adventure. I assure you, especially if you find yourself in the (digital) halls of St. Mike’s, it will be worth the risk.

Read other InsightOut posts.

The crest of the University of St. Michael's College
Image depicts Dr. Hilda Koster

Dr. John L. McLaughlin, Interim Dean of the Faculty of Theology, is pleased to announce that Dr. Hilda P. Koster will be joining the Faculty of Theology as an associate professor in Ecotheology. Dr. Koster comes to St. Michael’s from Minnesota’s Concordia College, where she held joint appointments in Religion, Gender Studies and Environmental Studies.

“The addition of Dr. Koster to our Faculty underscores the importance of both ecological and feminist theology to the University of St. Michael’s College,” says Dr. McLaughlin. “She will carry forward the groundbreaking teaching and research of eco-theologians Fr. Stephen Dunn and Dr. Dennis O’Hara, as well as the important work in feminist theology conducted by professors such as Sr. Ellen Leonard and Sr. Mary Ellen Sheehan.”

Dr. Koster will teach courses for the Faculty’s three basic degree programs—the Master of Theological Studies, the Master of Divinity and the Master of Religion Education degrees—as well as teach and supervise graduate students through the Graduate Centre in the Toronto School of Theology. In the 2020-2021 academic year her courses will include Introduction to EcoTheology, Catholic Social Teaching, and a new course titled Ecofeminism, New Materialism and Ecological Theology.

She will also help shape the activities and certificate program of the Faculty’s Elliott Allen Institute of Theology and Ecology (EAITE), which was established in 1991 to allow students to acquire a specialization in theology and ecology.

“The University of St. Michael’s College has been a leader in ecological theology through the Elliott Allen Institute. It is a privilege and an honour to further this tradition of visionary ecotheological education and scholarship,” says Dr. Koster. “My own work in ecological theology is done from an eco-feminist perspective. To me environmental and gender justice are interconnected.”

Born in The Netherlands, Dr. Koster received her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Divinity degrees from The University of Groningen. After further study at Princeton Theological Seminary and the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, she earned her doctorate at the University of Chicago.

Dr. Koster has published articles and book chapters on eco-feminist theology, and edited two books on Theology and Climate Change. The book Planetary Solidarity: Global Women’s Voices on Christian Theology and Climate Justice (Fortress, 2017), co-edited with Grace Ji-Sun Kim, gathers eco-feminist theological reflections on the intersection of gender and climate justice by feminist/womanist/mujerista theologians from both the minority and majority world. Together with Ernst Conradie, she published the T&T Handbook of Christian Theology and Climate Change (Bloomsbury, 2019) to create a dialogue between religion scholars, ethicists and theologians situated within a high carbon footprint context and those representing climate vulnerable communities in low carbon footprint world.