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

International Women's Day message from the Dean of Science

Today marks International Women’s Day, a global day to celebrate the achievements of women and advocate for gender equality. The Faculty of Science and Dalhousie University are enriched by the daily contributions of women to our faculty, staff, student, and alumni communities. You don’t have to look far to be inspired – since last year’s International Women’s Day we have seen:

• Medical Sciences student Diana Adamo named Dal’s 94^th Rhodes Scholar in recognition of her scholastic achievements and community leadership.
• The Dalhousie Centre for Psychological Health, a new community mental health clinic, open its doors, owning greatly to the hard work and vision of its co-directors, Drs. Shannon Johnson and Alissa Pencer of the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience.
• The appointment of Dr. Kim Brooks as Dal’s 13^th President and Vice-Chancellor, making her the first woman to hold the position in the university’s history.

Today seems fitting to recognize Dr. Angela Crane as the 2024 winner of the Faculty of Science Excellence in Teaching Award. A University Teaching Fellow in the Department of Chemistry and First Year Program coordinator, Dr. Crane previously earned the Early Career Faculty Award of Excellence for Teaching at Dal’s 2022 University-wide Teaching Awards. Dr. Crane’s innovative approaches to teaching introductory chemistry and their demonstrated impact on student success made her the unanimous choice for the award. Congratulations, Dr. Crane! 

On Wednesday evening, the Faculties of Science, Computer Science, and Engineering presented the sixth annual Women in STEM Networking and Panel Event at the Atlantica Hotel in Halifax. Moderated by undergraduate science students Harshita Pasumarthi and Lamisa Rahman, a panel of three Dal alumni, including Leanne Lucas (MSc’13), discussed how to inspire the next generation of women in STEM, many of whom were in attendance for the fully-booked event. I’d like to thank everyone involved for supporting this year’s event, and if you couldn’t attend, watch for our recap story coming soon in Dal News.

I encourage you to listen to past episodes of our Sciographies podcast series, which aired its fifth season last fall. It’s a great way to get to know members of the Dal Science community, and season five features episodes with Drs. Shannon Sterling, Melanie Zurba, and Erin Bertrand. As well, please read this interview with members of Dalhousie’s Women in Research Caucus, including Drs. Mita Dasog and Christine Chambers, for their reflections on the state of gender equity in academia. 

Finally, please take the time to acknowledge the women in your life and thank them for all that they do, not just on International Women’s Day, but every day.

Sincerely,

Dr. Chuck Macdonald
Dean of Science

Centre for Psychological Health celebrates GreenShield gift

Last Friday, the Dalhousie Centre for Psychological Health celebrated a $200,000 gift from GreenShield that will allow the Dal-run community mental health clinic to strenghten the care it provides to an increasingly diverse client base. So far, funding has been used to hold workshops to help the Centre's staff and students better work with and deliver culturally appropriate care to priority populations, including members of the Indigenous, African Nova Scotian, and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, refugees, and newcomers to Canada. Read our Dal News story for more on the Centre and how GreenShield's gift will allow it to grow.

Queen Elizabeth Scholars: Fall 2024 placements

Applications for fall 2024 placements as part of the Queen Elizabeth Scholarships (QES) program are open until April 1.

The QES program offers undergraduate students the chance to complete a funded internship for credit at the Cape Eleuthera Institute in The Bahamas. Applicants should have an interest and academic background in environmental science, sustainability, marine science or a related field, and be in at least their third year of studies at the time of the internship.

Visit Dal’s QES website for complete details on the three types of internships that can be applied for (marine research and conservation, sustainable agriculture, and sustainable systems). Any questions can be directed to Dr. Tarah Wright (tarah.wright@dal.ca), coordinator of the QES Program at Dal. Fall 2024 placements run from August 19 to December 10, with applications due April 1. 

March 12: Ocean-themed Trivia Night

On Tuesday, March 12, students from the Marine Affairs Program are hosting an ocean-themed trivia night fundraiser at the Grawood in the Student Union Building from 7 to 9 pm. Admission is $5, with all proceeds supporting the fall 2024 Sustainable Ocean Conference. All are welcome to attend. Visit the Sustainable Ocean Conference Instagram page for more details.

Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) Summer Course Scholarships and Fall Semester Program

Scholarships are available for marine biology and ocean sciences students interested in taking courses this summer at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS). The deadline to apply is March 31.

Scholarships are also available for the BIOS Fall Semester Program in Marine Biology, which runs from August 26 to December 6. The deadline to apply is April 7.

Visit our new Travel and Experiential Learning Opportunities page (login required) for more details on the BIOS summer course scholarships and fall semester program, including eligibility requirements and links to Dal's internal application forms.

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.