The Dean's Office Dispatch is the Faculty of Science's weekly e-newsletter sent out to students, faculty and staff. 

Please note that Dalhousie University will close for the holiday break beginning Friday, December 22 at noon and reopen on Tuesday, January 2, 2024.

View Dal's holiday card

Holiday message from the Dean of Science

With the end of the fall semester nearly here, I want to wish everyone in the Faculty of Science all the best for the holiday season and thank you for all that you do. Our Faculty is a big place, and in my second full year as Dean of Science, I have enjoyed meeting even more of the students, faculty, staff, and alumni that make our community special.

This year featured many high points, including exciting research accomplishments, new additions to our Faculty, and numerous awards and honours for students, faculty, and staff. Of course, every year is not without its difficulties, and members of our community were forced to contend with challenges both here at home and around the world. I want to make it clear that we are always here to help any member of the Dal Science community in need of support – please don’t hesitate to reach out to your department chair or a member of the Dean’s Office.

Whether you will be travelling or staying close to home over the holidays, I hope you can find some time to relax and recharge with family and friends.

Enjoy the holiday break and have a happy new year!

Sincerely,

Chuck Macdonald
Dean, Faculty of Science

Dal clinical psychology profs, alumni rank among Canada's most productive

Dal faculty and alumni are well represented in a new study assessing the publication productivity of professors from Canadian Psychological Association-accredited clinical psychology programs. Four faculty (Drs. Christine Chambers, Jill Chorney, Simon Sherry, and Sherry Stewart) and two alumni (Melanie Noel and Joel Katz) are listed among the top 15 per cent most productive professors in Canada in terms of research output. Read more about the study in Dal News.

SRES prof listed among 2023's Highly Cited Researchers

Dr. Tony Walker of the School for Resource and Environmental Studies is among three Dal professors included on data analytics company Clarivate's annual list of Highly Cited Researchers for 2023. Dr. Walker is joined by the Faculty of Medicine's Dr. Noni MacDonald and Dr. Rudolf Uher as Dal representatives in the global rankings. Read more in Dal News.

Fall/Winter 2023 DAL Magazine

In need of some reading material over the holiday break? Check out the just-released Fall/Winter 2023 edition of DAL Magazine, featuring stories on the Aquatron, the impact of Dal's community health clinics (including the Centre for Psychological Health), a physics alum working in the world of auto racing, and more. Look for print copies on campus or read the digital edition online. 

Call for nominations: Honourary degree recipients

In late November, Dalhousie’s Senate Honourary Degrees Committee (SHDC) sent out an email to the Dalhousie community inviting nominations for recipients of honourary degrees to be awarded at future Convocation ceremonies.

The Faculty of Science’s Honourary Degree committee is seeking suggestions from members of the Dal Science community on potential honourary degree candidates. Please note that we are not asking for formal nominations, as described in the SHDC’s email, but rather the names of potential candidates that our committee can review and consider. The committee will submit application packages for any candidates selected to be nominated for honourary degrees.

If you know of someone who would be a deserving recipient of an honourary degree from Dalhousie University, please complete this short form by January 8, 2024 to tell us a little bit more about them and their accomplishments. Complete details about the honourary degree nomination process can be found on the University Secretariat website.

2024 Aurum Award nominations

Do you know of a Faculty of Science alum who is doing great things? Nominate them for the 2024 Aurum Awards, Dalhousie's flagship alumni award. Each year, alumni are recognized for their outstanding achievements in innovation, community engagement, and leadership. Nominations are due on January 16, 2024. Visit the Dal Alumni website to learn more.

2024 summer research awards 

Interested in working in a lab for the summer? The application portal is open for the 2024 summer research awards, which provide an opportunity for undergraduate students to spend the summer months working in a research lab alongside faculty members and graduate students. Each year, funding is provided for dozens of undergraduate Science students to spend 16 weeks from May through August working as a paid, full-time member of a research lab.

Applications are due by January 26, 2024. Please visit the summer research awards page (login required) on the Faculty of Science myDal site for complete details and instructions on how to apply.

Would you like to make a submission to the Dean's Office Dispatch? Email communications.science@dal.ca with a brief summary of your notice, a supporting link or email address, and a photo/image if you have one.