Dear readers, friends, and colleagues,
It is with a heavy heart that we must share this news. Robyn Fadden, McGill Delve’s Managing Editor since 2021, has passed away. She died in the early hours of September 23, 2024.
Robyn was a beacon of light in our faculty, a trusted leader and colleague, and – above all else – a friend. Words can’t express our sense of loss at her passing, a feeling shared by her colleagues across the Desautels Faculty of Management.
“We miss Robyn dearly,” said Saku Mantere, who worked with Robyn for three years as Editor-in-Chief at McGill Delve. “She was instrumental in shaping Delve into what it is today.”
When Robyn joined our team, McGill Delve was finding its feet. But she took the challenge and ran with it, laying the groundwork for a podcast, website, and eventual newsletter. She was also the driving force behind two thought leadership magazines, the first of which earned numerous design and user experience awards.
“When things felt impossible or insurmountable, Robyn was always quick to say, ‘I know how to make that happen,’” said Sabine Dhir, Director of the Marcel Desautels institute for Integrated Management (MDIIM) and a colleague of Robyn’s. “I remember hiring Robyn only one month after I started at McGill and from her first day, she exuded calm and confidence. Even in challenging times. Robyn could bring sunshine and lightness to her interactions and her projects, creating something with McGill Delve that we’ll be able to grow for a very long time.”
Robyn also had an incredible eye for human stories, finding them in the densest studies and abstract subjects, and rejoiced in sharing them with the world. She could take kernels of ideas and translate them for others with breathtaking accuracy and intimacy.
“She was genuine, caring, brave,” said Alexandra Samra, another colleague of Robyn’s at MDIIM. “She embraced people, learned from them, and taught the rest of us so beautifully through her creations.”
Outside of her day job at McGill Delve, Robyn was embedded in Montreal’s artistic community. She played the keyboard with her band Triceratreetops. She also regularly wrote for the Montreal Review of Books and Tourisme Montreal, hosted a cultural show on CKUT 90.3 FM, and was often engaged in numerous creative projects at any given moment.
Today, we invite you to revisit some of her contributions to our platform. It’s impossible to capture the scale of her work here, but we have curated a list of some of our favourite podcasts and articles created and shared by Robyn.
Even though she’s no longer here, her spirit echoes through her work and in our hearts. Rest in peace, Robyn. We miss you.
The flag above McGill University’s McCall MacBain Arts Building will be lowered in honour of Robyn Fadden on October 23, 2024. Her celebration of life will take place on October 27, 2024 at Le Systeme , 7119 rue St. Hubert, Montreal. Her obituary is available here. If you would like to support Robyn’s family during this time, please consider contributing to this crowdfunding page.
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Remix or Reinvent? How Deviance Can Drive Careers in the Creative Community of EDM
In this episode of the McGill Delve podcast, two of Robyn’s worlds collide: her passion for music and her love of research and learning. Here she explores the behaviours of EDM DJs through the lens of deviance, as documented in a study by Professor Amandine Ody-Brasier.
Gourmet Food Trucks and the Authenticity Recipe
This podcast episode is another example of Robyn’s passion for culture. She walks us through the unique world of restauranteurs to reveal the opportunities and pitfalls of food truck entrepreneurship with Professor Daphne Demetry.
Why Accounting Holds the Key to Successful Sustainability Initiatives
Here, Robyn helps break down the role of accounting in the race against climate change, with the help of Professor Brian Wenzel. This piece is a testament to her ability to quickly grasp complicated issues and share them with audiences, and her personal passion for climate awareness.
How Digital Technologies Could Turn Crisis into an Opportunity for Societal Change
Robyn was fearless in her pursuit of knowledge, tackling some of the biggest and most complicated topics facing society. She was also fiercely committed to equity, impact, and social justice. These qualities are on display in this piece, where she explores the role of new technologies in times of crisis, looking at how they can be leveraged to help others with Professor Michael Barrett.
Photo credit: Juniper Glass