StFX President & Vice-Chancellor Dr. Andy Hakin has been awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal in recognition of his service to Nova Scotia, Canada, and specifically his contributions to education.
His Honour, the Honourable Arthur J. LeBlanc, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, presented Dr. Hakin with the Coronation Medal at an investiture ceremony on November 28th held at Government House in Halifax.
The King Charles III Coronation Medal honours those who have made a significant contribution to Canada or to a particular province, territory, region or community of Canada, or have made an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada.
Dr. Hakin is in his second term as StFX’s 19th President & Vice-Chancellor. He has demonstrated exceptional leadership. Among his many achievements, Dr. Hakin successfully navigated the university through the pandemic, working tirelessly to adapt and preserve the StFX experience as best possible while keeping the safety of the students, faculty, staff and the broader community at the forefront of the university’s operations. His understanding of the importance of StFX’s model of education and his commitment to delivering its mission has been critical. Equally as impressive is his focus on continuing to advance the academic and cultural status related to the StFX community. In 2023, he introduced StFX’s five-year strategic plan “Building Our University The Way It Is Meant To Be,” which was informed by where StFX has been while recognizing the university has important work ahead, wrapping the path forward around the core values of being academically driven, EDIA and community-focused, responsive, and sustainable. His attention to the experiences of students, faculty and staff is impressive, introducing initiatives such as the President's Action Committee on Anti-Racism, tasked with moving beyond identifying problems to crafting a solution-focused action plan to advance equity and anti-racism across our campus. He has also fostered and improved one of StFX’s most important relationships – the broader community. Dr. Hakin has been instrumental in developing strong working relationships with the leadership and people of the Town and County of Antigonish, appreciating that StFX plays such an integral role to the success of the community, and vice-versa.
This is the second time Dr. Hakin has been recognized for his demonstrated exceptional service in education. In 2022, Dr. Hakin received the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal, honouring his outstanding leadership role in education. In his over 30 year career, Dr. Hakin has been a steadfast champion of advancing education, both as a professor of chemistry, and as an administrator. He is driven by the belief that education has the power to open doors for everyone.
