Profile

Joe Velaidum
Name:
Joe Velaidum
Email:
jvelaidum@upei.ca
Position:
Associate Professor
Department:
Religious Studies
Phone:
902-566-0406
Building:
SDU Main Building 203
Island Scholar:
Island Scholar Biography

Associate Professor

BA, MA (Wilfrid Laurier); PhD (McMaster)

I grew up in Kitchener-Waterloo, and lived in Southern Ontario most of my life before moving to Prince Edward Island in 2002. Earlier that same year, I completed my Ph.D. dissertation on the great Canadian literary and cultural intellectual, Northrop Frye, and the religious vision that underlies much of his critical theory. Since then, I have been a full-time member of the Religious Studies Department at The University of Prince Edward Island. In 2004, I created the Centre for Christianity and Culture (and still serve as the Founding Director), and in 2008 I was appointed as UPEI's first Director responsible for Student Engagement and Retention. For two years, I was also the Vice-President of a successful Digital Asset Management company that continues to operate in Charlottetown, and I am now at work creating an online tool for schools (universities, colleges, and primary and secondary schools) to easily track student performance.

Over the past decade, I have increasingly become interested about the relationship between faith and reason, and am working on a multi-faceted project that tackles the question of the meaning of life. When completed, various online videos, books, seminars and other learning materials exploring the various ways to understand the purpose and meaning of life will be available.

In my spare moments, I enjoy reconnecting with my friends over food, drinks and some good conversation.

Research Interests
  • history of liberal education
  • faith and the new atheism
  •  social/cultural theory, education and religion, in the thought of Northrop Frye

Relevant Links