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Read on for stories from exceptional students who represent a small portion of this year's talented Dal Science grads.

Natasha Morrison – MSc'17, Earth Sciences | Sydney, NS

Natasha Morrison decided to stay at Dal to complete her Master of Science degree in earth sciences after completing her Bachelor’s degree (with honours) in 2014. It was the geological research her professors (and future supervisors) were conducting that encouraged her to continue building her expertise in earth sciences.

Like many students, she started at Dal with a different end goal in mind: pharmacy school. But after taking an elective in earth sciences, she found her passion. While completing her undergrad she took time to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity in Mississippi — a region ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. Earlier this year, with the support of her family, friends and supervisors, Natasha completed a thesis she’s proud of — one that examines the offshore petroleum potential around Nova Scotia.

After defending her thesis, she travelled Scotland for two weeks. Now she’s a research assistant in Grant Wach’s Basin and Reservoir Lab here at AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ and hopes to continue building a career in the energy sector.

Adrian Dauphinee - PhD'17, Biology | Halifax, NS

Adrian joined Dal’s biology program due to his lifelong interest in science. After his coursework allowed him to learn about the many aspects of biology, Adrian eventually pursued a volunteer position with Arunika Gunawardena and the rest is history.

Over the next few years Adrian completed his BSc Honours degree and realized he wanted a career in research, so he set out to obtain a PhD with Dr. Gunawardena. Adrian studies the lace plant — a rare species found in Madagascar that can unlock many mysteries in cell biology. He has proudly represented AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ research at conferences all over the world — from Columbus, Ohio to Shenzhen, China — and has been recognized as an exceptional student within this scientific community.

When he wasn’t meticulously conducting research, he was volunteering or fundraising for medical causes and educating children through his science outreach activities. Now, he’s headed to Sweden for a post-doctoral research position, where he will continue to pursue his dream of studying cell and molecular biology.

Katelynn Boerner, PhD’17, Clinical Psychology | Ottawa, ON

Katelynn’s PhD supervisor, Dr. Christine Chambers, has nothing but good things to say about her: she’s hard-working, innovative, and has received countless awards for her research. With over 20 publications to her name, this emerging expert in the field of pediatric pain research has a special interest in the role of psychological factors in children’s pain.

Her thesis examined the role of sex and gender differences in how children learn about pain from their parents. Dr. Chambers proudly says one of Katelynn’s findings tells us something new about pediatric pain: well-documented sex differences in pain tend to emerge around the time of puberty.

Now, Katelynn will continue her career as a postdoctoral fellow in pediatric psychology at the BC’s Children’s Hospital.

Simon Meynell - MSc' 17, Physics | Halifax, NS

Staying home for his university experience was important to Simon because of his love for the ocean. Dal’s fun, friendly and supportive community made Simon sure of his choice to attend this university — he says he never had a shortage of new friends to call on to go kayaking!

He completed a Bachelor of Science in physics and got involved with scientific research in the second year of his undergrad: something he never expected possible so early in his studies. Naturally, he began pursuing his Master of Science in physics under the supervision of Theodore Monchesky. Together they examined the development of new magnetic materials.

Outside of his research, he helped the Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science run free planetarium shows for visiting schools. Now he’s attending the University of California, Santa Barbara to pursue his PhD.

Austin Korgan - PhD'17, Neuroscience | McCook, Nebraska

Austin came to AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ from Nebraska, drawn to Canada’s east coast for the ocean and Dal’s research-focused graduate programs. The community of friends and mentors he found here will leave a lasting impression: he’ll never forget the late-night lab conversations, post-seminar beers and weekend camping trips.

Now he’s pursuing a post-doctoral position in Bar Harbour, Maine and he has his supportive friends and family to thank for help with his accomplishment.