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Marni in front of her comic collection

VIU library welcomes large comic book collection

March 8, 2024

Dr. Marni Stanley, former dean of VIU’s Arts and Humanities Faculty, has donated her graphic narrative collection of nearly a thousand titles to the library. ­­Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) library is now home to one of the largest comic and graphic narrative collections found at any university library. Dr. Marni Stanley, former dean of VIU’s Arts and Humanities Faculty, has donated her... Read more


Headshot of Christina Mansueti

Colloquium series begins with a talk about TV shows Chewing Gum and Fleabag

September 19, 2023

VIU’s Christina Mansueti examines how comedy shows challenge and affirm contemporary feminisms. Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) Arts and Humanities Colloquium Series returns this fall with an engaging lineup. This season explores contemporary feminisms in two UK-based TV comedies, the history of special effects on stage and the value of failure. “For the Colloquium’s fifteenth year, we have... Read more


Dr. Theo Finigan, a VIU English Professor, holds up the book Atomic Blonde while standing in front of the VIU koi pond.

VIU Colloquium Series kicks off with a deep dive into the action thriller Atomic Blonde

September 21, 2022

Arts and Humanities lectures at the VIU Nanaimo campus are free and open to everyone to attend. Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) Arts and Humanities Colloquium Series returns this fall with three fascinating lectures. The lectures delve into the action thriller Atomic Blonde, housing availability and affordability in Louisville, and the use of songs in musical theatre. All lectures are free... Read more


Terri Doughty, a VIU English Professor, smiles while standing in front of a rhododendron plant.

VIU hosts conference on the environment and young people’s literature and culture

June 1, 2022

The Assembling Common Worlds conference, held at VIU’s Nanaimo campus from June 10 to 12, will explore concepts of the human relationship with nature in youth culture. Vancouver Island University (VIU) is hosting a conference from June 10 to 12 that will help broaden the understanding of environmental knowledge and issues in young people’s literature and culture. The conference – Assembling... Read more


: Dr. Yoichi Mukai, a VIU Modern Language Studies Professor; Dr. Kelly Black, a VIU Adjunct History Professor;  Dr. Joy Gugeler, a VIU Creative Writing, Journalism and Media Studies Professor, and Stephanie Johnson, a member of School District 68

VIU Faculty Create Understanding Through Colloquium Lectures

January 14, 2021

People can attend the Colloquium Series lectures from the comfort of their own homes this spring and gain an appreciation of how important the arts and humanities are to understanding today’s world. Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) Arts and Humanities Colloquium Series returns this spring with a thought-provoking lecture lineup that delves into the intricacies of language; re-evaluates... Read more


Photo of Dr. Richard Lane, smiling with greenery behind him

Researchers Developing a Better User Interface for Historical Archive

December 2, 2020

VIU researchers are mapping historical data contained in the Canadian Letters and Images Project and creating a sophisticated interface so scholars, students and the public can gain better access to information contained in the archive. Researchers at Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) MeTA Digital Humanities Lab are using advanced computer software to help map large quantities of historical... Read more


Terri Doughty, a VIU English Professor, will use Swedish artist Elsa Beskow’s work to illustrate how children’s picture books can contribute to a shift in perspectives in the plant-human relationship, during her Colloquium Series lecture.

VIU's Colloquium Series Lectures Live Streaming this Fall

September 17, 2020

Annual lecture series delves into a variety of topics including respectful relations between humans and plants, understanding women’s pain and examining London’s last Frost Fair. The show will go on for Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) popular Arts and Humanities Colloquium Series this fall. “The Colloquium committee is excited to be able to continue the Series in this academic year,” says... Read more


Cold War Propaganda, Graphic Narratives and Magical Music Explored in Series

January 22, 2020

Spring Arts and Humanities Colloquium Series allows faculty to share their scholarly and creative work.  Action-packed television shows in the 1950s entertained many children, but also served as a powerful Cold War propaganda tool that conveyed messages about security, ethnicity and gender, say VIU History professors Dr. Cheryl Krasnick Warsh and Dr. Katharine Rollwagen. They’ll discuss how... Read more


VIU Music Department Instructor Hans Verhoeven sits on a rock near a pond holding a drum.

Cozy Classrooms, Biomusical Beats, and Crime and Punishment Explored in Colloquium Series

September 23, 2019

Lectures allow VIU faculty to explore questions and share their passions with students, colleagues and the public. This fall, three Vancouver Island University (VIU) drummers will attempt to merge into a single entity of sound during a performance of Nebojša Živković’s Trio Per Uno. The piece, which requires the musicians to play on multiple percussion setups, combines quick tempos, complex... Read more


VIU English Instructor Belinda Williams

5 Questions with Belinda Williams

February 14, 2019

VIU English Language Instructor Belinda Williams is passionate about sharing her love of language with her students. Whenever she’s able, she also works as an Education Assistant in the public-school system for Port Alberni, where she supports learners with special needs. Outside of the classroom, she’s an avid wilderness hiker, active member of the Portal Players Dramatic Society and amateur... Read more