This month, one of Trent’s own history professors, Dr. Dimitry Anastakis, was elected to the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC).
“It’s a great honour, I’m very appreciative of the fact that they elected me. I’m very appreciative of my colleague who nominated me, Dr. Palmer,” said Dr. Anastakis.
He is the first Trent professor to be elected into the College of New Scholars.
The College at the RSC is a system where academics of all subjects and disciplines can converge and be recognized for their hard work early in their academic career.
Anastakis has definitely earned his spot at the RSC, having produced a variety of works, including eight different books, collections, academic articles, newspapers, and magazines, as well as editing the Canadian Historical Review.
“I’m one of the few people who are working in this particular area. The approach that I take, I’m writing more from a national perspective and more broadly,” he explained.
One of Anastakis’s books, Death in the Peaceable Kingdom, is used for a second-year history course called “Canadian History since 1867 through Murder, Execution, Assassination and Suicide” and was written based on the course material.
Many of his other books deal with post-WWII policies and economics in Canada. He also focuses on the automotive industry in Canada around this time, including Auto Pact: Creating a Borderless North American Auto Industry, 1960-1971 in 2005; Anastakis is currently working on Bricklin Dreams: The Promoter, The Premier, The Province and the Spectacular Failure of an Unlikely Car Company.
Being a member of the RSC does not take away from personal ongoing research projects. In fact, it gives academics the chance to talk to other academics all across the country about current research.
Anastakis explained that he now has the opportunity to meet others in his field, and in different fields such as the sciences, to discuss their research and how they can come together to tackle a particular issue from various angles.
“I’m going next week to Victoria, B.C. because that’s where they’re having the induction ceremony event for the new members. Where we get to meet each other and talk about what we do,” shared Anastakis.
Currently on sabbatical, he is looking forward to returning to teach the second-year course in the Winter 2016 semester.
“Teaching is pretty important to me and it’ll be good to get back into the classroom.”
