STU Alumni Association

As a graduate of St. Thomas University, you become a lifetime member of the Alumni Association. Your Alumni Association relies on engaged volunteers for many of its activities.

STU Alumni Association Sponsorship

Thinking of asking the STU Alumni Association to sponsor your event? Please click HERE to see our Sponsorship Application Criteria.

Meet the STUAA Board of Directors

Ben McNamara, BA’07 BEd’08 - President (Fredericton, NB)
Ben is the Director of Education and Policy at Inclusion NB and has held key roles within the organization. Ben works to advance Inclusion NB’s mission to create opportunities for persons with an intellectual or developmental disability through progressive policy advocacy and collaborative efforts with community stakeholders. He has also held positions with the Atlantic Lottery Corporation, New Brunswick’s Access to Information and Privacy Commissioner’s Office, and the Multicultural Association of Fredericton. He earned a Bachelor of Arts followed by a Bachelor of Education from St. Thomas University. His experience at St. Thomas instilled a strong sense of community, which he has continued to foster through various roles over the years, including President of the Capital Winter Curling Club, Member of the Fredericton Marathon Organizing Committee, and Member of the Fredericton Affordable Housing Committee, among others.

Sabrina Sotiriu, BA'10 - Vice-President (Ottawa, ON)

Currently working in government relations and completing a bilingual PhD in trans-Atlantic Nationalism at the University of Ottawa, Sabrina worked for almost a decade on Parliament Hill in Ottawa for MPs both in government and opposition from all over Canada. In her four years at STU, Sabrina was involved with STUISA, the Students’ Union, as well as the Political Science Society among the many clubs on campus, Model United Nations, and so on. In this new role with the Alumni Association Board of Directors, Sabrina is able to give back to her alma mater and contribute to the St. Thomas community more consistently, after a decade of being a liaison for Ottawa-based STU alumni. 

Bibi Wasiimah Joomun, BA'20 - Secretary (Ottawa, ON)

Since completing her degree in Criminology, Criminal Justice & Psychology, Wasiimah has worked as the worked as the Executive Director for the New Brunswick of Student Alliance before moving to Ottawa. Wasiimah is currently living on the unceded & unsurrended Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation (Ottawa), and working as the Executive Director at the Canadian Alliance of Students Associations. During her time at STU, Wasiimah contributed to the campus community through her involvement with Residence Life, the STU Students' Union, and the STU International Student Association. As a recent graduate, Wasiimah is looking forward to staying connected with and further contributing to the close-knit STU community as a member of the STU Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Suzanne Lalla-Murphy, BA’ 88 - At Large Member (Fredericton, NB)
Suzanne works for Scotiabank and won the Best Employee of 2018 award. She enjoys spending time with her family and collecting stamps and old coins. She has been a volunteer in different foundations like the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Cancer Society, Diabetes NB and Big Brother Big Sister. She is also a member of the Royal Canadian Legion. 

Mary Beth Gorey, BA’75 - At Large Member - (Fredericton, NB)
During her 32 years in education, Mary Beth worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist (Univ. of Maine, B.Sc., ’80, MA, ’87) and then as a resource teacher in several districts in New Brunswick. She retired in 2012 though continues to help in the Student Accessibility office at STU. She enjoys volunteering, travel and participating in sporting activities. 

Bailey O'Regan, BA'21 At Large Member (Fredericton, NB)
Bailey is a recent graduate from the class of 2021 where he graduated with his Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Criminology & Criminal Justice, and Psychology. Bailey has had experience working in the non-profit sector as an Executive Director of a youth drop-in centre in Quispamsis, NB, and is now working at St. Thomas as an Admissions Counsellor. Bailey was involved in STU athletics on the Men's Rugby Team during his time as a student and was also a part of the STU Mental Health society. As many STU alumni do, Bailey has many family members who have STU degrees, including Dr. Karla O'Regan, who teaches in our Criminology & Criminal Justice Department on campus.

Samantha Squires, BA'18 - At Large Member (Toronto, ON)
Samantha is an economist currently working with PwC’s Economics & Policy practice in Toronto. After obtaining her Honours BA in Economics at STU, she went on to complete her Master of Arts in Economic Policy at McMaster University in Hamilton and work for the federal government before transitioning to economic consulting. In her four years at STU, Samantha played on the STU Varsity Women’s Hockey Team. She continues to play hockey in her spare time and stay connected with former STU teammates and alumni. She looks forward to giving back to her alma mater and is extremely proud to continue to represent the university. 

Melissa Wah, BA'10 - At Large Member (Fredericton, NB) 
Melisa is a communications professional who continues to build a career supporting non-profit organizations and government programs. During her time at STU she held several positions on the Students’ Union, sat on the St. Thomas University Board of Governors, and was a member of the grad class committee. She always says the most valuable lesson she took away from STU was the power of community. 

Dr. Angela Wisniewski, BA'03 - At Large Member (Fredericton, NB)
Dr. Angela Wisniewski is an Assistant Professor with the Communications and Public Policy Program in the Department of Journalism and Communications. She began her academic studies at STU, where she completed a BA in the Science and Technology Studies program. She has since completed an Interdisciplinary M.A. and a PhD in Sociology from the University of New Brunswick. She has researched with the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research, and she is now serving as a board member for the Centre. She also participates in STU research and teaching networks, such as the Faculty Environmental Research Network (FERN). She loves participating in campus life, especially attending varsity sports and STU Musical Theatre.

Brianna Workman, BA'19 - At Large Member (Ottawa, ON)
Since her time at STU, Brianna completed her Master of Political Management at Carleton University and has been working in several communications, government relations and policy roles with a public affairs firm and in education-focused not-for-profit organizations in Ottawa. During her time at STU, Brianna was involved in various aspects of campus life including the STU Students’ Union, Moot Court and Residence Life. As a recent graduate, Brianna is pleased to remain connected and further contribute to STU’s unique, close-knit community as a member of the STU Alumni Association Board of Directors. 

Sheri Shannon, BA’00 - At Large Member (Sussex, NB)

Sheri graduated from St. Thomas in 2000, earning a BA in French. With over 30 years of experience across government, non-profit, and corporate sectors, Sheri brings invaluable expertise to the Alumni Association Board. Her career began as a political staffer for former New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham and later extended to the federal level, where she worked for a former Member of Parliament. Sheri’s extensive knowledge of both provincial and federal government operations highlights her deep understanding of governmental processes and administrative functions. In the non-profit sector, Sheri served as the Director of Development and Donor Relations at Inclusion NB, where she developed a keen insight into charitable organizations and their fundraising strategies. Currently, Sheri is the Business Development Manager at the law firm McInnes Cooper.

Alex Dascalu, BA’20 - At Large Member (Fredericton, NB)

Alex completed his Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Journalism and Communications and Public Policy in 2020. During his degree, Alex gained experience in journalism with The Aquinian as a photo editor and in communications as an intern at the Fredericton SPCA. Since graduating, he has worked in sales and marketing but couldn't stay away from his alma mater as he is currently working as an Admissions Counsellor at St. Thomas. Alex is looking forward to working with the Alumni Association in connecting current and future students with alumni.

Jack MacLennan, PhD, BA’09- At Large Member (Kansas City, MO, US)

Jack is currently Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives and Communications, as well as Special Assistant to President for Governance, at Park University (Parkville, MO, USA). He also was promoted to Associate Professor of International Relations and National Security Studies in 2023. After completing his BA (with honours) in 2009, Jack went on to complete an MA (Political Science) at the University of Windsor. (2011), a Master’s in Public Policy at the University of Michigan-Dearborn (2011), and a PhD (Political Science) from Carleton (2017). Jack’s is dedicated to the liberal arts model and passionate about University governance and planning. At Park he has been a two term Faculty Senate President, sat on an accreditation reaffirmation steering committee, and severed as a special assistant for special projects related to academic programs. He has been awarded the President’s Award for Teaching Excellence (2020) and the Dusing-Proudfoot Award (2024) for contributions to the Park Community. He looks forward to bringing his skills and experience to the STUAA Board of Directors.

Jason O‘Hearn, BA’23 – At Large Member (Antigonish NS)

Jason O’Hearn is a graduate of the class of 2023, holding a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Criminology and Communications & Public Policy; at St. Thomas, Jason was an active student leader through different volunteer and paid student positions. Notably, Jason served on the university Board of Governors, held the position of Residence Advisor for Rigby and Vanier Hall and Residence Coordinator for Vanier Hall. Jason’s passion for student affairs discovered at STU has transpired into a meaningful career as Jason holds the position of Residence Life Coordinator at St. Francis Xavier University.

Jodi Misheal - Vice-President Advancement and Alumni Relations - Ex-Officio

Wanda Bearresto, BA'87 - Alumni Affairs Officer - Ex-Officio