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

Dal Science Spotlight: Dr. Jen Frail-Gauthier and Dr. Josef Zwanziger

For this semester’s final Dal Science Spotlight, we’re highlighting a pair of faculty members featured earlier in the series who received repeat nominations: Dr. Josef Zwanziger, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Canada Research Chair in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Studies of Materials, and Dr. Jen Frail-Gauthier, an instructor in the Department of Biology and director of the SEASIDE Program.

“Dr. Zwanziger is an advisor without parallel,” says a graduate student. “Not only is he an outstanding researcher making huge strides in his field, but he always has time to mentor students in his research group and brings a passion for learning and understanding to his courses that is critical for mentorship.”

“Dr. Frail-Gauthier displays extreme compassion for her students and she makes her labs engaging and fun,” says an undergraduate student. “She creates the best environment in which to learn.”

It’s been wonderful hearing from students and colleagues about all of the outstanding course instructors and advisors in the Faculty of Science! Thanks to everyone who took the time to highlight these important contributions and to our dedicated course instructors and advisors, for consistently supporting our students. We’re planning to bring back the Spotlight again in fall 2024, so if you didn’t get a chance to give someone a shout out, you can still complete the nomination form and we’ll add it to the queue for the start of the term.”

Watch Dalplex Fieldhouse transform into exam space

Best of luck to any students writing final exams from April 11-23!

Do you know it takes almost a full week of work by six to 10 staff members to transform the Dalplex Fieldhouse into an exam hall? Watch a time-lapse video of the process and learn more about the Fieldhouse's twice-annual transformation in Dal News.

Science students win big at Board of Governors' Awards

Medical Sciences student Eshan Arora and Biology and Chemistry student Emilia Cordova were among the four recipients of Dalhousie's 2024 Board of Governors' Awards, Dal's top award for student life. The four winners were nominated by their peers in the Dal community and selected by a panel consisting of the president, Board members, and the vice-provost student affairs. Read more about Eshan, Emilia and the rest of this year's winners in Dal News.

Experiencing the eclipse at Dal

For Monday's solar eclipse, the Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science hosted a viewing session outside the Dunn Building. Newtonian telescopes were equipped with solar filters that allowed viewers to safely observe the eclipse. Students also took advantage of the clear skies and pleasant weather to gather on the Studley Quad to watch the eclipse from beginning to end. Read our Dal News story on how the campus community came together to observe the eclipse.

Where Ideas Meet Impact: Dr. Shannon Sterling and CarbonRun

Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences associate professor Dr. Shannon Sterling is also the chief science officer at CarbonRun, the carbon dioxide removal startup she founded with Dal alum Dr. Edmund Halfyard. Read more on how Dr. Sterling's research into combating the acidification of Nova Scotia rivers led her on the path to entrepreneurship in the latest edition of the Where Ideas Meet Impact Series.

SRES prof releases decadal review book

Congratulations to School for Resource and Environmental Studies professor Dr. Kate Sherren on the release of “Opening Windows,” the third book in a series of decadal reviews of the field of natural resource social sciences. Dr. Sherren was the lead editor for the book, which features contributions from SRES associate professor Dr. Melanie Zurba and current and former SRES students Bryanne Lamoureux, Yan Chen, and Polly Nguyen. 

Undergraduate research prize: Student applications due April 12

Eligible students are invited to apply for the Faculty of Science Undergraduate Research Prize, which is awarded annually upon graduation to students who have made a substantial commitment and contribution to research during their undergraduate programs. To apply, students should submit a completed application form and letters of support from supervising faculty members to their designated department contact by April 12. Departments should then forward application forms and letters of support to the Dean’s Office (Nirali.Patel@dal.ca) by April 19. Complete eligibility details, frequently-asked-questions, and the application form can be found on the Faculty of Science myDal site (login required).

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.