Who are we?
	Christopher Davis is a social-personality psychologist at Carleton University. His research focuses on the longterm effects of trauma and loss. In particular, he is interested in how people make sense of what appears to be senseless tragedy, and the ways in which people pick up the pieces of their lives following loss. His research has involved people adjusting to a variety of losses, including the loss of one's baby to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, the loss of a loved one to a terminal illness, and loss following a motor vehicle accident. He was a recipient of the Canadian Psychological Association President's New Researcher Award (2000) for his work on how people find meaning in loss.
	Norine Verberg is an Associate Professor of Sociology at St. Francis Xavier University. Professor Verberg has studied the socio-political aspects of housing inequalities and the role of families and peers on men’s attitudes toward and experiences with sexual coercion against women. More recently, Professor Verberg’s research focus is shifting to family issues. Her work on the Westray families study was interrupted when she gave birth to her second child in April 2001. Currently she is taking maternity leave until May 2002, at which time she turn to publishing the papers based on the Westray families study and resuming her research on maternity leave.
	Donna Smith was one of the interviewers for the study. Donna is in her fourth year of study at St. Francis Xavier University where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Honours Sociology. Donna was so moved by her discussions with the members of the Westray families that she changed the focus of her own research. Last year, Donna wrote a research paper on the Westray exhibit at the Nova Scotia Museum of Industry in New Glasgow and this year she is completing her honours thesis on the social construction of the Westray mine explosion. Donna intends to publish both papers in learned journals in the coming year.
	Heather Landry served briefly as an interviewer for the Westray families study. Heather felt especially moved by the goals of the study, having been raised in Stellarton and Guysborough County. Currently she and her family are living in Halifax where Heather is studying at the Atlantic School of Theology. Upon completion of her degree, Heather plans to enter the ministry.
	Glenda Noseworthy Davis, one of our interviewers, is originally from St. John's, NF. Her grandfather and several relatives were iron ore miners in Bell Isle, Newfoundland. As a student of History, Glenda has had a particular interest in the effects of coal mining disasters on the sense of community in such places as Springhill, Nanaimo, and Fernie, British Columbia.
	Angela Flemming was one of the interviewers for the study. Angela completed her Bachelor of Arts in Honours Sociology at St. Francis Xavier University in May 2002. She completed an honours thesis on how student loan debt influences a student’s future prospects for employment. Currently Angela is enrolled in a Master of Arts program at the University of Western Ontario where she plans to continue her research on social inequality.
	Megan Gray is a fourth year student finishing a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in psychology at St. Francis Xavier University. She is involved in the data management of the Westray study and her senior thesis will focus on some of the aspects drawn from the interview. Upon graduation she will pursue an MA in counselling psychology and hopes to one day work in a community health clinic as a family counsellor.
[Photo not available]	Lorraine McKeough was the Administrative Assistant for the Westray families project. Lorraine administered several aspects of the study including typing, printing, and mailing correspondence to the participants, managing the research office, transcribing and filing data, and overseeing many of the day-to-day issues that arose. Currently Lorraine lives in Tracadie and she is employed as an administrative assistant at the Maryvale Elementary School.

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