Daily News

Posted on Nov. 5: She found a new path along the way

The year 1977 was monumental for Nasrin Rahimieh. It was two years before a major revolution in her country of origin, Iran, when she packed her bags for Canada. She had spent the two previous years in the United States and Switzerland completing her secondary education. Now, she was leaving behind family to start a post-secondary life that 26 years later would lead her to the role of dean of humanities at McMaster University. When she started her education at Dalhousie University in 1977, her career path ahead was entirely different. Her intention, as it had been for years, was to be a chemist. But she was finding her courses in biology, chemistry and calculus didn't evoke the same passion in her as her humanities courses did. It was her history, language, and literature courses that allowed her to make sense of what was happening in her world. "The revolution and the war that followed separated me from my parents and home, and I felt a need to understand my experiences; to understand what was happening in my life and in the world. The humanities courses helped me grapple with my sense of loss and isolation."