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

Making a whale of an entrance

If you have passed through the Steele Ocean Sciences Building recently, you are likely aware of its newest resident: an 18-metre blue whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling. The whale skeleton represents the centrepiece of the Beaty Centre for Marine Biodiversity, which is under construction and set to open later in 2025 in the space. 

Read our Dal News story for more photos from the installation process, and stay tuned for more updates on the Beaty Centre's progress throughout the summer.

2025 University-wide teaching award winners

Congratulations to the recipients of Dal’s 2025 university-wide teaching awards, which were announced this week. Read this Dal News story for the complete list of winners and details on their achievements.

Winners from the Faculty of Science include:

• Dr. Christopher Greene of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (Online/Blended Course Development, Design, and Delivery)
• Dr. Sarah Chisholm, Department of Mathematics and Statistics (Early Career Faculty Award of Excellence for Teaching)
• Dr. Jan Rainey, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with cross appointments in Biomedical Engineering and Chemistry (Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision)
• Sam Knight, Department of Chemistry (Sessional and Part-time Instructor Award for Excellence in Teaching)
• Clarke Brown, part of the Department of Chemistry’s instructional team and a PhD candidate in the Department of Civil Engineering (President’s Graduate/Undergraduate Student Teaching Award)

2025 Faculty of Science Summer Institute Series starts today

This summer, the Faculty of Science is once again offering a series of sessions focused on teaching and learning open to all faculty, staff, and graduate students. No registration is needed. Please drop-in either online or in-person, depending on the format of the session.

Learn more and see the full list of upcoming sessions on our myDal site (login required). Any questions about the Summer Institute can be directed to Dr. Leanne Stevens, associate dean academic (ADAScience@dal.ca).

The first session begins today at 10:00 a.m. Join the online session at this link or scan the QR code above.

The next session takes place in-person on Tuesday, June 10:

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.