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

Dal Science Spotlight: Dr. Erin Sparks

This week’s Dal Science Spotlight subject is Dr. Erin Sparks, an instructor and the undergraduate program coordinator in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. Dr. Sparks was nominated by an undergraduate student. “Dr. Sparks is one of the nicest people I have ever met at Dal,” the student says. “She has helped me and many other students when we needed it most. Words cannot describe how happy I am to be one of her students. I want everyone to know how amazing she is as a person and as a teacher.”

It's truly wonderful to hear such positive feedback about our course instructors and undergraduate advisors. Thank you for all you do for our students, Dr. Sparks. We're fortunate to have you as part of the Science team!

The Dal Science Spotlight highlights the contributions of instructors and advisors in the Faculty of Science. Recognize an outstanding instructor or advisor by filling out our nomination form. A new submission will be featured weekly in the Dean’s Office Dispatch.

Dr. Leanne Stevens appointed Associate Dean Academic

The Faculty of Science Dean’s Office is pleased to officially announce the appointment of Dr. Leanne Stevens as Associate Dean Academic (5-year term). Leanne had been serving in the role on an acting basis since January 2023 following the retirement of Dr. Sandra Walde and was recently named the successful candidate in a competition for the permanent position. Congratulations, Leanne! The Associate Dean Academic can be contacted at ADAScience@dal.ca.

Annual event inspires next generation of women in STEM

Last week ahead of International Women's Day, the Faculties of Science, Computer Science, and Engineering presented the sixth annual Women in STEM Networking and Panel Event, which saw three Dal alumni inspire the next generation of women entering science, technology, engineering, and math fields. Read our recap of the event in Dal News.

Federal government invests in ocean science, new battery research facility

Earlier this week, the Government of Canada announced $34.4 million in research funding for Dalhousie that includes support for the Ocean Tracking Network and the development of the Canadian Battery Innovation Centre (CBIC), a new facility set to open in fall 2025 in the Sir James Dunn Building. The CBIC will allow Dal's battery researchers and industry partners to accelerate the production and testing of new batteries, shortening a process that currently takes months into days. Read more about the CBIC in Dal News. 

IBA 2024 conference: Call for Abstracts

Drs. Michael Metzger and Chongyin Yang are co-chairing the International Battery Materials Association 2024 conference, which will be held in Halifax from September 8 to 13, 2024. The Call for Abstracts for poster presentations is now open until April 1, 2024. Abstracts are welcome from faculty members and graduate students conducting battery-related research. Learn more about the conference by visiting the IBA 2024 website.

Tuesday: 3 Minute Thesis finals

Members of the Dal community are invited to attend the finals of the 3 Minute Thesis competition on Tuesday, March 19 at 6:00 p.m. in the McInnes Room of the Student Union Building. Organized by the Faculty of Graduate Studies, the 3MT finals features 10 research-based master's and doctoral students competing for cash prizes and a place in the Eastern regional competition. The Faculty of Science is represented in the finals by:

• Kateryna Rudenko, Master of Environmental Studies (MES)
• Joy Liu, MSc in Statistics
• Eniko Zsoldos, PhD in Chemistry
• Divya Rathore, PhD in Physics and Atmospheric Science

Learn more about the competition in Dal News.

SRES prof discusses flood risk mapping

Why does flood risk mapping encounter so much resistance in Canada? School for Resource and Environmental Studies professor Dr. Kate Sherren published an article in The Conversation Canada (later republished in Dal News) that detailed the results of two recent studies on the perception of public flood maps. Dr. Sherren also appeared on CityNews 95.7's Todd Veinotte Show this week to discuss flood risk mapping.

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. 

Winter 2024 seminars: Department of Economics

All interested students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend winter term seminars from the Department of Economics. Seminars will be held in-person. See the full schedule on the Economics website. Upcoming seminars include:

Haokun (Sam) Sun (Cornell University)
Title: Divergent Preferences and Loan Market Consequences of Benchmark Replacement
Date: Friday, March 22
Time: 2:30 to 4:00 p.m.
Location: Marion McCain Arts and Social Sciences Building, Room 2198

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.