Church Point, NS, April 19, 2017 - Université Sainte-Anne is proud to announce that it will award an Honorary Doctorate in Acadian Studies to Barry Jean Ancelet at the convocation ceremony on Saturday, May 13, 2017.
A French-speaking Cajun from Louisiana, Dr. Ancelet is known for his exceptional contributions to the development of the Francophonie in North America and, in particular, to the strengthening of ties between Louisiana and Nova Scotia.
Born in Church Point, Louisiana and raised in Lafayette, Dr. Ancelet obtained a BA in French Studies in 1974 from the University of Louisiana in Lafayette. He went on to complete a Master of Arts in Ethnology at Indiana University in 1977 and a Ph.D. in Creole Studies at the Université de Provence in 1984. He joined the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 1977 as the Director of the Center for Cajun and Creole Folklore and then served as a Professor of Francophone Studies in the Department of Modern Languages. In 2005 he was named the Granger and Debaillon Chair of Francophone Studies and in 2015 he became Professor Emeritus and principle researcher at the Louisiana Studies Center.
Dr. Ancelet has presented hundreds of lectures, published numerous articles, and authored several books on various aspects of Louisiana's Cajun and Creole cultures, including Cajun and Creole Folktales (1994), Cajun Country (1991), and Cajun and Creole Music Makers (1984, 1999). Additionally, he was a member of the team that produced the Dictionary of Louisiana French as Spoken in Cajun, Creole and American Indian Communities (2009). He has been involved in the production of festivals, concerts, records, museum exhibitions, and documentaries including Against the Tide and the French version Contre vents et contre marées.
His alter ego, Jean Arceneaux, is a poet, playwright, songwriter and raconteur. He has published poems, plays, short stories and French songs in several anthologies and collections, including Cris sur le bayou (1980), Je suis Cadien (1994), Suite du loup (1998), and Le trou dans le mur (2012).
Mr. Ancelet is particularly interested in expanding the classroom to reach a wider audience through festivals (including the Acadian Music Festival he helped found in 1974 and still directs), concerts, museum exhibitions, documentary films, and radio programs such as the live radio program he hosted every Saturday for twenty-four years from the Liberty Theater in Eunice. In addition, he has contributed to the production of more than fifty records of Cajun and Creole music. His most recent album Broken Promised Land (2016) with Sam Broussard received a Grammy nomination in the Best Regional Roots Music Album category.
He was named Humanist of the Year (2009) by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities and was awarded the Americo Paredes Award from the American Folklore Society (2008). He also received the Ordre des Palmes Académiques, the Ordre des Arts et Lettres de la France (2006) and the Ordre des Francophones de l'Amérique (1982).
For his contribution to the advancement and influence of the Francophonie in North America, Université Sainte-Anne is proud to award an honorary doctorate in Acadian Studies to Dr. Barry Jean Ancelet.
All community members and the media are welcome to attend the convocation ceremony honoring our students and Dr. Ancelet. It will be held at St. Mary's Church on Saturday, May 13th at 2:00 p.m. For those who cannot attend, the event will also be available via webcast on our website: www.usainteanne.ca/tv.
Photo credit : François Gaudet
About Université Sainte-Anne
Université Sainte-Anne, the only French language post-secondary institution in Nova Scotia, offers university and college-level courses as well as a French immersion program and customized training in French as a second language. Recognized for its excellent programs as well as its unique and exceptional living environment, Sainte-Anne offers experiential learning opportunities that promote student engagement and success, and an atmosphere which encourages a culture of excellence in research and development. Solidly established in its community, Université Sainte-Anne is a partner of choice for all those who wish to strengthen the vitality of the regions surrounding its 5 campuses as well as all of Acadie throughout Nova Scotia.
For more information
Rachelle LeBlanc, Director of Communications and Marketing
Université Sainte-Anne
Tel. : 902-769-2114 Extension 7222
Email :