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

Please note Dalhousie University will be closed on Monday, July 1 for Canada Day.

Role changes: New acting associate deans and more

July is always a time for change regarding department and Facuty roles, and there are some new appointments to announce, effective July 1:

• Dr. Laurent Kreplak is stepping down as Associate Dean Research to become the chair of the Department of Physics & Atmospheric Science. Filling the role on an acting basis is Dr. James Brenan of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. 
• Dr. Sophia Stone, the Associate Dean Graduate Studies and Global Relations, is now on sabbatical leave. Filling in on an acting basis is Dr. Joanna Mills Flemming of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

New department chairs/directors:

• As noted earlier, Dr. Kreplak will become the new chair of the Department of Physics & Atmospheric Science.
• Dr. Kate Sherren will become the new director of the School for Resource and Environmental Studies. 

Inaugural math camp brings Indigenous youth to Dal

Dr. Jason Brown of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and Dr. Nauzer Kalyaniwalla of the Faculty of Computer Science were co-directors of a new summer camp that brought a group of Indigenous youth to Dal this week for five days of fun with math and computer science. Read our Dal News story for more on the camp, which is based on the long-running Black Educators' Association-Dalhousie Math Camp. 

Dal experts discuss aquatic invasive species

During Dal Alumni Days in late May, a panel of experts gathered in the Steele Ocean Sciences Building to discuss the impact of aquatic invasive species. Master of Marine Management alum Julie Gaal (MMM'24) hosted a panel discussion with Ocean Tracking Network scientific director Dr. Robert Lennox and Dr. Sarah Stewart-Clark, an associate professor with the Faculty of Agriculture's Department of Animal Science and Aquaculture and the Department of Biology. Read our recap of the discussion in Dal News.

Summer Institute Series: Generative AI for Course Instructors

Date: Wednesday, July 10
Time: 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.
Format: Online via Microsoft Teams

In this virtual session, Erin Aspenleider (McMaster University) and Les Tyler Johnson (Dalhousie, CLT) will expand beyond student-focused artificial intelligence (AI) topics, and discuss applications and uses of generative-AI for course instructors (e.g., assessment design, task efficiency, etc.). Interested faculty, staff, and grad students are welcome to attend. Registration is not required - join the session at the Teams link above.

Integrated Science Program Teaching Assistant Positions

Six teaching assistant positions for the Integrated Science Program have been posted on the CUPE 3912 website and will remain open until filled.

• Ethics in Science TA130, Integrated Science Program/Philosophy
• Biology Lab TA45, Integrated Science Program
• Writing in Science TA90, Integrated Science Program
• Statistics TA45, Integrated Science Program
• Psychology Lab TA35, Integrated Science Program
• Integrated Field Trips TA65, Integrated Science Program

Complete details and application instructions for all positions can be found on the CUPE 3912 website (positions can be found approximately halfway down the page).

Funded research opportunity: Master of Environmental Studies

Dr. Peter Tyedmers of the School for Resource and Environmental Studies (SRES) is keen to recruit a thesis-based master's student focused on understanding the impacts of the Alaska pollock fishing sector and its products. The stipend support for this project is $35,000 per annum for two years. The selected candidate would ideally be able to start a Master of Environmental Studies in September 2024. 

Complete details can be found on the SRES website under the 'Funded Student Opportunities' heading. Please share with any students or recent graduates who may be interested.

Student volunteer mentors wanted for virtual STEM camp

Interested in mentoring youth in STEM? NSERC and BrainSTEM Alliance are recruiting undergraduate student volunteers from STEM and/or business programs for FLIGHT Atlantic, a two-week long virtual tech entrepreneurship camp from July 15-26. Complete the sign-up form to learn more.

The camp is for girls and gender-diverse youth (aged 13-18) who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour. Participants will work in teams to develop tech-based business ideas addressing UN Sustainable Development Goals. Volunteers help keep participants on track and gain access to tech workshops, presentations, and coaching from industry professionals. 

Winter/spring 2025 Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Program applications

Applications for winter/spring 2025 placements as part of the Queen Elizabeth Scholarships (QES) program are now open until September 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 placement. 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.

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.