Conference celebrates Brian Carty’s life and work

Brian Carty was a much respected and admired social work professor who died tragically after a motor vehicle collision with a moose on the TransCanada Highway just before he was to defend his years of hard work on his PhD thesis. Brian’s examining committee has very favourably assessed and accepted his work and UNB will present Brian’s PhD posthumously to his Mother, June, and sons, Alex and Ian, at the UNB 189th Encaenia on May 17, 2018.

Brian was very active in the community and this informed his social justice interests in his professional field of Social Work. Brian’s PhD research carries important and useful knowledge for Social Workers and to help disseminate this knowledge, so abruptly halted by Brian’s death, Saint Thomas University is holding a Conference, “Social Justice Champion: Remembering Brian Carty” on May 18th and 19th.

On FRIDAY, MAY 18 AT 6:30 PM in Kinsella Auditorium, McCain Hall, St. Thomas University, Dr. Merlinda Weinberg, who was to be the external examiner on Brian’s PhD, will present a review of his work, “Dr. Carty’s Legacy: Innovative Ideas for Ethics in Social Work”, and her view of its significance. Dr. Weinberg is a professor in the School of Social Work at Dalhousie University and has been nominated for the Aurora Prize as the top new researcher in Canada by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Dr. Weinberg was recently granted a Senior Fellowship to Durham University, a very prestigious award from one of the top five universities in the United Kingdom.

On SATURDAY, MAY 19 AT 9AM, there will be a showing of Brian’s short film Blowies, which tells the story of three men who are in training for a synchronized snow blowing competition. A brief presentation on Brian’s PhD dissertation will be followed by breakout sessions, with themes based on Brian’s interests – poetry, music jam and song writing, teaching and the importance of mentors for youth, community activism and social justice, social work – for attendees to participate in, reflect on, and share in Brian’s work and life. Bring your instruments! Lunch will be provided, and in the afternoon there will be a plenary session for all to share insights and motivation for social justice and policy initiatives stemming from Brian’s life and work.

The conference is FREE but participants are asked to RSVP at pmcintyre@stu.ca, 452-0540.