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On behalf of the Faculty of Engineering, Dean John Newhook聽 is pleased to announce that Alexandra Fenton has been formally recognised by Actua for her leadership as Executive Director at SuperNOVA at 鲍鱼tv University for 5 years. Alexandra鈥檚 consistent leadership over her time at SuperNOVA has enabled continued success in reaching youth in various communities, while promoting equitable access to high-quality STEM education.

In 2020, SuperNOVA was the recipient of Actua鈥檚 Award for Excellence, which is Actua鈥檚 highest honour of the year. The award was given for SuperNOVA鈥檚 鈥渓eadership role within the Actua Network and for the significant impact that SuperNOVA has on the larger STEM community鈥�. There is already cause for celebration at SuperNOVA in 2021, as they are celebrating their 25th anniversary. Established in 1996, SuperNOVA has reached tens of thousands of youth in more than 500 communities over the 25 years so far.

Tracy Ross, Actua鈥檚 Director of Network Membership, says that 鈥渟trong leadership, now more than ever, is critical to helping outreach programs thrive and make an impact in the communities they serve. We are grateful to have Alexandra Fenton as an integral part of the Actua network鈥�. Under Alexandra鈥檚 leadership, SuperNOVA has successfully developed and delivered a variety of programs and initiatives that have benefited local communities, as well as communities across the Atlantic provinces.

Over these 5 years, SuperNOVA has developed and delivered a variety of programs and continued several successful initiatives. These include all-girls programming such as Industry, Technology, Science (ITS) For Girls and Girls Count, rural and remote outreach with a series of home learning kits, semester-long ocean programming in classrooms with Sea to School, and local projects for different regions around Nova Scotia such as Community STEPS, Take Home Tech with the Halifax Public Library and a virtual homeschool program.

Currently, SuperNOVA is preparing to launch their new program, ATLAS. This space-based camp hosted in partnership with GALAXIA Mission Systems will be for high school-aged youth who are interested in aerospace engineering, technology, and computer science. It will work towards gender parity, with a target of 50% Indigenous and Black student enrolment, through collaboration with local, youth-serving community partners to identify who will benefit most from the fully-funded opportunity.

Alexandra鈥檚 passion for providing youth with meaningful opportunities has found her speaking about the organization on an international level as part of the International Visitor Leadership Program, in addition to forging long-term partnerships with the Canadian Women鈥檚 Foundation, the Canadian Space Agency and countless others.

Alexandra is an unwavering presence across the whole of 鲍鱼tv University and beyond, from her dedication to the SuperNOVA team to her efforts in establishing a roundtable of youth-serving organisations at 鲍鱼tv. Connecting with communities across the HRM, Nova Scotia and the entirety of Atlantic Canada, Alexandra continuously inspires and empowers those in her network.