DR. ALEX WRIGHT
Alex Wright was born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland. In 1959 he received a diploma in education from Jordan Hill School in Glasgow; and in 1967 obtained his MSc from Springfield College in Massachusetts. From 1967 – 1975 he served as director of the downtown Montreal YMCA. There, he showed his compassion for enhancing quality of life by pioneering the YMCA’s post-cardiac rehabilitation program. He attended Boston University in the mid 70s, where he completed his Ed. D. in 1979. His academic career began at Concordia University before accepting a professorial position at Acadia in 1979. Acadia, he served as the coordinator for the graduate program and for the tourism specialization.
During his time at Acadia, Alex wore a variety of hats. He taught about the concepts of leisure, and loved learning about leisure. Another interest was tourism and he developed and taught a number of related courses. He assumed a number of administrative roles including Acting Director of the School from 1984-86 during Jim Bayer’s illness, and coordinator of the Graduate program. Not only did Alex administer the program, and teach graduate courses, he also supervised the vast majority of Master theses. Sadly, on March 31st, 1997, after returning home from a Faculty meeting, Alex passed away suddenly from a heart attack, at age 59. The field suffered a tragic blow, with the loss of a remarkable colleague, professor, and mentor. Alex was a true gentleman known and widely respected for his depth of knowledge, his commitment to the betterment of the field, his passion for leisure, and his ability to tell a good story. Alex is remembered by his students as a warm-hearted professor who always had time to listen, provide assistance, and offer advice. He possessed a wealth of knowledge which he delighted in sharing with others. He was a devoted husband to his wife Pauline, and father to their two sons, Stuart and Jamison. His recreation passions included golf, cross-country skiing, and rugby. He coached Canada’s Junior Rugby Team and participated in the sport as an international caliber player. In addition, Alex was strongly committed to the Wolfville community as a member of various non-profit organizations, and was dearly loved by the residents of this small Nova Scotian town.
During his time at Acadia, Alex wore a variety of hats. He taught about the concepts of leisure, and loved learning about leisure. Another interest was tourism and he developed and taught a number of related courses. He assumed a number of administrative roles including Acting Director of the School from 1984-86 during Jim Bayer’s illness, and coordinator of the Graduate program. Not only did Alex administer the program, and teach graduate courses, he also supervised the vast majority of Master theses. Sadly, on March 31st, 1997, after returning home from a Faculty meeting, Alex passed away suddenly from a heart attack, at age 59. The field suffered a tragic blow, with the loss of a remarkable colleague, professor, and mentor. Alex was a true gentleman known and widely respected for his depth of knowledge, his commitment to the betterment of the field, his passion for leisure, and his ability to tell a good story. Alex is remembered by his students as a warm-hearted professor who always had time to listen, provide assistance, and offer advice. He possessed a wealth of knowledge which he delighted in sharing with others. He was a devoted husband to his wife Pauline, and father to their two sons, Stuart and Jamison. His recreation passions included golf, cross-country skiing, and rugby. He coached Canada’s Junior Rugby Team and participated in the sport as an international caliber player. In addition, Alex was strongly committed to the Wolfville community as a member of various non-profit organizations, and was dearly loved by the residents of this small Nova Scotian town.
THE ALEX WRIGHT AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING SCHOLARSHIPThis award was started in 1998 in memory of Alex by his colleagues within the School. After giving careful consideration as to the focus of the award, it was decided that it would recognize Alex’s love of scholarship and of learning. Alex did not possess and extensive resume of published scholarly work, although through his mentorship with the graduate students, he fostered a love of scholarship in his students, many of whom went on to develop impressive careers as leisure scholars. The Alex Wright Award is presented to the student who best exemplifies energy and enthusiasm for learning, coupled with an inquiring mind and who demonstrates creative thinking, analytical reasoning, and effective communication skills. During the initial years, the award was presented to one student in the School of Recreation Management and Kinesiology, who could be from either program. In 2008, it was decided that there would an award for a student in both Recreation Management and in Kinesiology. The recipient of the award is chosen by faculty.
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ALEX WRIGHT AWARD RECIPIENTS
The following graduating students in Recreation Management were chosen by the faculty as best exemplifying energy and enthusiasm for learning, coupled with an inquiring mind and demonstrated creative thinking, analytical reasoning and effective communication skills. Included is a brief synopsis of the career of each (click on name to see profile).
Roberta Watts ’98
Roberta Watts ’98 went on to the Information Technology Institute and earned a diploma in IT. She worked for a time in the USA as an IT consultant before returning to Nova Scotia to work at Sobeys Inc head office where she has held various IT related positions. She currently serves as Manager of Vendor Applications.
Pamela Murphy ’99
Pamela Murphy ’99 is a Policy Advisor withe Government of Canada with the Privy Council Office, and a Senior Analyst - LGBTQ2 Secretariat. Former positions include Senior Advisor with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada; Senior Analyst with Human Resources and Social Development Canada; and Community Developer at the Sandy Hill Community Health Centre where she was responsible for providing advice on gender equality and social inclusion policy.
Mary Sweatman ’02
Mary Sweatman ’02 went on to pursue a Masters of Recreation at Dalhousie and B.Ed at Trent. She has taught and worked internationally with children in Katmandu (Nepal), Florence (Italy), and Cuenca (Ecuador). She worked as lecturer at Concordia prior to returning to Acadia as an Assistant Professor in the Community Development program. She recently completed her Doctorate in Education.
Sarah Wagner ’08
Sarah Wagner ’08 continued her studies earning a Master of Arts in Sport and Recreation Studies from the University of New Brunswick. Her current position is Executive Director with the New Brunswick Association for Community Living where she served for a time as Director of Programs.
Colin Gillis ’09
Colin Gillis ’09 is the KidSport Coordinator at Sport Nova Scotia. Previous to that he held position at SNS as Youth Leadership Program Coordinator and the After School Program Coordinator. Colin also worked for a brief period as a youth program staff member with Royal Caribbean International.
Ashley Beck-Sayer ’10
Ashley Beck-Sayer ’10 continued on to complete a BEd at Acadia and currently serves as a Resource Teacher for grades 7-12 at the North Queens Community School.
Michael Chiasson ‘11
Michael Chiasson ‘11 continued to pursue his love of hockey after Acadia, having proudly played as an Axemen. After working with the Pittsburgh Penguins for 2 years, Mike returned to Acadia as Assistant Coach of the Hockey Axemen. Since 2015, he has served as Manager of Youth Hockey for the Penguins.
Chris Falcioni ’12
Chris Falcioni ’12 continued on to further studies earning a Master's Degree in Applied Health Sciences Recreation and Leisure Studies at Brock University. He currently works as Program Manager with Outward Bound. Other positions have included Field Instructor with NOLS in the Yukon, Director of YMCA camp John Island, and a Child Care Practitioner with Niagara YMCA.