News Release 17-Oct-2011

Meet Concordia's first Trudeau Fellow

History professor Ronald Rudin receives $225,000 over 3 years to propel research

Concordia University

This press release is available in French.

Montreal, October 17, 2011 — As a professor in the Concordia University Department of History, Ronald Rudin's research has examined questions of Quebec and Acadian identity from centuries past. Yet he's always sought contemporary methods to share his findings with future generations. That storytelling prowess has now been rewarded.

At an October 17 ceremony in Toronto, Rudin will become Concordia's first faculty member to earn a Trudeau Fellowship. He will be joined by peers from the University of British Columbia, Queen's University and York University.

"Ronald Rudin is an innovator in teaching and research," says Concordia University President Frederick Lowy. "As a public historian, he investigates seminal matters and constantly seeks new ways to share his findings with the broadest possible audience. Recognition from the Trudeau Foundation will enable Ronald to find new ways to continue making the past relevant to our future."

Each fall, the Trudeau Foundation selects up-to five Fellows who have set themselves apart through research, creativity and social commitment. Selected by an independent jury, Trudeau Fellows receive $225,000 over three years to propel their research. Only 42 Trudeau Fellowships have been awarded since the program began in 2003.

"To be selected as a Trudeau Fellow is a great distinction," says Louise Dandurand, Concordia Vice-President, Research and Graduate Studies. "These fellowships reward a rich body of work and serve as a catalyst to further advance research for the benefit of society."

Seeking new ways to share stories

Beyond peer-reviewed papers and the six books to his name, Rudin has capitalized on an unusual medium for an academic in his field. He's produced two documentary films: Life After Île Ste-Croix, distributed by the National Film Board of Canada, and Remembering a Memory, which can be viewed online. He's also created the Remembering Acadie website, which deals with questions of how Acadians recall their past.

"Digital technology has provided the means to share stories with wider audiences," says Rudin. "I've always been interested in how history is shared. People always make choices in what they tell — and what they don't."

Rudin is currently on sabbatical leave to work on his next book, which follows the harrowing experience of over 1,200 people, mostly Acadians, who were expropriated from their homes in the late 1960s to make way for Kouchibouguac National Park. "Until now, that story has mostly been shared through oral history and works of art," he says.

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Partners in research
Rudin's research has been supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.