Mount Allison University English Professor and Director of the Centre for Canadian Studies Dr. Christl Verduyn received two national honours this year for her contributions to Canadian studies at Mount Allison and the wider community.

In December, 2017, Verduyn was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada. The announcement was made by Governor General Julie Payette (LLD'05).

Verduyn is being recognized for her contributions to Canadian studies, notably as a professor and author, and for her commitment to making Canadian literature accessible to a broader audience.

"Hearing this news was both exciting and humbling," says Verduyn. "When I look at the people who have received the Order of Canada, like the late George Stanley, for instance, Mount Allison's very first director of Canadian Studies and designer of the Canadian flag, it is a tremendous honour to be recognized with this distinction."

Less than two months later, in February 2018, Verduyn was named a 3M National Teaching Fellow by the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. The awards recognize Canada's best post-secondary teachers. Only 10 Fellowships are awarded annually.

The 3M National Teaching Fellowship is the only pan-Canadian, cross-disciplinary recognition of educational leadership and excellence in post-secondary teaching. Fellows receive a lifetime membership in STHLE and participate in a four-day study retreat held each year.

Verduyn joins seven other Mount Allison professors who have been named 3M Teaching Fellows during their time at the University, giving Mount Allison one of the best records in the Maritimes for the award.

A campus community celebration for the national recognition of Verduyn, CM and President and Vice-Chancellor Robert Campbell, CM, who was named to the Order of Canada in 2016, was held on campus this February.