Dr. Amy Mack (BA '13, MA '16) is coming back to the University of Lethbridge as an assistant professor in the Department of New Media. An alum of the University, she was recognized with the Alumni Association's Young Alumni Award in 2023 as a key voice in advancing global human rights.
Tell us about yourself.
I grew up in a rural community in southern Alberta and did my first two degrees (BA and MA, both anthropology) at ULethbridge. After a stint as a researcher (ULethbridge Raising Spirit Project, a collaboration between Opokaa'sin Early Intervention Society and the Institute for Child and Youth Studies), I went to the U of A for my Phd (Anthropology). I then went on to a SSHRC-funded post-doctoral fellowship at the Center for Research on Extremism at the University of Oslo, where I have been for the past two years.
What drew you to the Faculty of Fine Arts at ULethbridge?
Much of my work on populism, fascism, and right-wing extremism has been about global flows of hatred and violence. This was really fulfilling and important work. However, in the last few years, I've found myself drawn back home and have reimagined my work in terms of serving the communities I grew up in – from small, rural communities to the City of Lethbridge and the campus community.
It's important that my new work – on increased polarization and decreased social cohesion, as well as trust and extremism – have tangible benefits to the people in these spaces.
So, returning to ULethbridge made a great deal of sense. Further, being in new media allows me to think more creatively about my work and particularly the outputs I produce, and the opportunity to collaborate with faculty and students in the Fine Arts is really appealing.
What does your research and/or your teaching pedagogy encompass?
From real-world acts of terrorism to reactionary social movements to online disinformation campaigns, my work asks people to engage with some of the more controversial and frankly upsetting aspects of society. I try to do this through curiosity and critical empathy. This means a lot of deep conversations. These allow people to work through issues knowing they have the space to make mistakes and grow from them.
What are you most excited about for this upcoming year?
I'm excited to be back in the classroom. I've been focused primarily on research for the last few years, and I'm keen to learn from students again.
What has been your favourite thing about ULethbridge/Lethbridge/southern Alberta so far?
The prairies. I spend a lot of time traveling abroad, but the prairies will always be my favourite.