Meet our team

Message from the Dean

While you may be a master’s or doctoral student studying with one of the many departments across Dalhousie’s four campuses, you are a Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) student. We are here to support and encourage you along every step of your program. Think of our team as a travelling companion on this exciting journey. When you don’t know which way to go, just ask. We’ll help point you in the right direction.

– Dean Marty Leonard, Faculty of Graduate Studies

Senior team

Marty Leonard, Dean
grad.dean@dal.ca

Valerie Chappe, Associate Dean Students and Postdoctoral Fellows
valerie.chappe@dal.ca

• Appeals
• Academic integrity
  
• Postdoctoral fellows
• Thesis and defence
• Student and faculty issues

Adam Donaldson, Associate Dean Scholarships and Programs
adam.donaldson@dal.ca

• Scholarships
• New programs
• Program modification
• Curriculum issues
• Program reviews

Estelle Joubert, Assistant Dean, PhD Strategy
estelle.joubert@dal.ca

Staff

Admissions and programs

Tasha-Lynn Baxter, Senior Manager, Academic Regulations and Student Services
tashalynn.baxter@dal.ca
902-707-4305

• Leads the FGS student service team
• Strategic planning for enrolment and retention
• Academic regulations management

Sarah Berrigan, Manager, Graduate Degree Progression and Completion
sarah.berrigan@dal.ca (for convocation inquiries, email fgs.convocation@dal.ca)
902-707-4303

• Oversees graduate student program requirements and degree audits
• Compiles and verifies convocation lists

Jaye Cartney, Grad Student Services Clerk
gradstudentservices@dal.ca
902-703-6861

• Program and student services support

Dennis Cheng, Graduate Applications Coordinator
fgsapplications@dal.ca
902-706-3940

• Oversees processing of admission application files
• Oversees processing of VGRS applications
• Electronic reference processing and support

Nicole Fraser, Program Officer
program.officer@dal.ca
902-707-4299

• Manages graduate program processes and procedures
• Oversees graduate student progress reports and program changes

Lori Lawton, Graduate Academic Quality Assurance Coordinator
llawton@dal.ca
902-707-4285

• FGS memberships
• Graduate calendar
• Governance committees
• Curriculum
• Program modifications/reviews

Melissa Maloney, Graduate Admissions Clerk
fgsapplications@dal.ca
902-707-4291

• Supports processing of admission application files
• Electronic reference processing and support

Vicki Sullivan, Admissions Liaison Officer
vicki.sullivan@dal.ca
902-800-1740

• Leads the Graduate Application team
• Provides admission policies, requirements, procedures, education and support

Charlene Joseph-Dunbar, Grad Student Services Clerk 
gradstudentservices@dal.ca
902-706-3661

• Program and student services support

Scholarships and funding

Niki Power, Scholarships Liaison Officer
fgs.slo@dal.ca
902-707-4301

• Liaison Officer and scholarship administration for NSERC, SSHRC and CIHR
• Administers major scholarship competitions, pre and post-award
• Dalhousie’s liaison with Killam Administrator
• Administers Killam and Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship competitions
• Post-award administration for Postdoctoral Fellow Scholars

Mary Anne Dib, Funding and Awards Coordinator
MaryAnne.Dib@dal.ca
902-707-4290

• Oversees departmental FGS allocation process and regulation enforcement
• Administers prize, bursary and award competitions
• Acts as student advocate for scholarship payment issues and concerns

Andrea Wheeler-Wade, Graduate Student Payment Specialist
gradfunding@dal.ca
902-707-7902

• Coordinates FGS scholarship allocation process
• Administers graduate student payments
• Provides information to departments and students concerning scholarship funding

Fernando Cunha Neto, Finance and Awards Assistant
financial.coordinator@dal.ca
902-706-3659

• Graduate Student Conference Travel Grants
• Scholarship competition assistance
• Financial clerk duties (invoices, SARs, journal entries)

Thesis and defence

Helena Martel, Senior Thesis Clerk
thesis@dal.ca
902-703-6898

• Provides information on all matters related to thesis preparation
• Coordinates thesis submissions
• Arranges doctoral defences                           

Office administration

Trisha Estabrooks, Office and HR Manager
trisha.estabrooks@dal.ca
902-707-4300

• Human resources
• Assistant to the deans
• Operational planning

Archana Sadana, Receptionist
graduate.studies@dal.ca
902-494-2485

• Phone, email and walk-in reception
• Track incoming grad-related forms and documents

Stephanie Theriault, Budget Officer
stephanie.theriault@dal.ca
902-707-4304

• Finance
• Operating and scholarship budgets
• Annual Killam Event organizer

Paul Strople, IT Coordinator
gradrequests@dal.ca
902-707-4302

• Development of FGS website and information systems
• Administration of FGS database systems and reports

Marketing, communications and student engagement

Mabel Ho, Director, Professional Development and Student Engagement
mabel.ho@dal.ca
902-707-4286

• Manages student experience portfolio
• Oversees Dal GradPD, Together@Dal: Grad Edition orientation, and Three Minute Thesis (3MT)
• Assessment and evaluation of professional development activities

Denise Sullivan, Student Experience Clerk
denise.sullivan@dal.ca (for professional development inquiries, email GradPD@dal.ca. For Together@Dal: Grad Edition inquiries, email TogetherGrad@dal.ca)
902-706-7587

• Professional development and student engagement support

Manager, Strategy and Communications
Vacant

• Oversees communication activities
  
• Develops marketing strategy
• Manages promotional plans for initiatives and projects

Mia Samardzic, Communications Coordinator
mia.samardzic@dal.ca
902-706-7252

• Manages social media channels
• Coordinates web updates
• Creates and deploys email marketing, including weekly newsletter

Interdisciplinary PhD program (IDPhD)

Peter Tyedmers, IDPhD Director
peter.tyedmers@dal.ca

Khoi Truong, IDPhD Graduate Secretary
idphd@dal.ca
902-706-7909