Get to know the Faculty of Science

Dal News

Get to know the Faculty of Science

Pop-up lecture (and live music!)

A Hard Day's Math - The Connections Between Mathematics and Music

Mathematics is the science of patterns, and patterns infuse music. Mathematics is a tool that allows us to understand the aesthetics of music, which go on at both a conscious and subconscious level.

Dr. Jason Brown鈥攁 professor with the Department of Mathematics and Statistics鈥� created buzz in math and music communities all over the world when he used math to dissect the mysterious opening chord of 鈥淎 Hard Day鈥檚 Night鈥� by The Beatles.

Join The Faculty of Science in the University Club鈥檚 Pub to watch Dr. Brown and a live band apply a variety of mathematics to discover why we love music the way we do, and to uncover mysteries hidden in the best of pop music.

Enjoy a late afternoon session of popular tunes and (light) math lessons. Yeah, yeah, yeah!

Musicians accompanying Dr. Jason Brown (lead guitar):
鈥� David Langstroth, Faculty of Computer Science (Institute for Big Data Analytics) 鈥� Bass
鈥� Dilshan Weerasinghe, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (Department of Music) 鈥� Rhythm Guitar
鈥� Scott Ferguson, Professional Musician 鈥� Drums

Date: Thursday, November 26

Time: 3:30 p.m.
*Lecture will begin at 3:30 but music will continue until 5pm. Drop by anytime.

Location: University Club Pub (first floor)

Storify

We strive for excellence in teaching, providing hands-on fieldwork and research opportunities for students. See what Faculty of Science faculty and students have been up to in this week's Storify.

Dean's video

Faculty of Science Acting Dean Ian Hill answers our questions in this video interview.

Feature story

Five things you didn't know about the Faculty of Science

The Faculty of Science is Dal鈥檚 largest, with eight departments and over 3,700 undergraduate students and 470 graduate students. In Atlantic Canada, it鈥檚 a research powerhouse, conducting more than $26-million in research last year. Initiatives like Math Circles take our professors and student volunteers into classrooms across the province to show young students a side of math that standard curriculum may not cover. Together, our students, faculty, staff and alumni show enthusiasm for the wonder of science and a passion to share their knowledge with the world. 聽

But did you also know:

We have a greenhouse with a view
13 Nobel laureates have delivered public lectures about physics on campus
Our museum offers a glimpse of Nova Scotia鈥檚 natural history
There鈥檚 a glassblowing shop in the Chemistry Building
We like to show off our creative side, too

Read the full story on Dal News

Photo gallery

Get to know some of the faces at the Faculty of Science.

鈥淎fter receiving my PhD in Chemistry in Germany, I spent my postdoctoral time at UC Berkeley. Following that, I worked at Indiana University for 10 years. In 2003, I took over the solid state NMR component of Dal鈥檚 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Research Resource (NMR-3), a service facility with liquid and solid state NMR instruments. Collaborating with members of various AV俱乐部 faculties, I study topics such as optical glasses, bio-active glasses, and battery materials. I particularly enjoy the wide variety of research areas to which I can contribute with my local and international collaborators from academia and industry.鈥�

Ulrike Werner-Zwanziger (Adjunct Professor & Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Coordinator, Department of Chemistry)

鈥淗aving grown up on a family farm, the notion of growing was instilled at an early age. I came to Dal freshly out of high school 26 years ago and never left! Many of my outside interests are nourished by Dal鈥檚 culture of education and growth. I鈥檓 a nationally certified Sommelier; I teach, judge and write on various aspects of the wine industry. I鈥檓 also a fourth degree black belt in Shotokan Karate and actively train and instruct with the Dal Karate Club, a not-for-profit club founded on the Dal Campus in 1979.鈥�

Carman Mills (Greenhouse Manager, Department of Biology)

鈥淚鈥檝e been at Dal since July, 2013. I define myself as an empirical microeconomist. I use empirical methodology to answer questions in economics. I鈥檓 originally from Shanghai, China and many of my research projects focus on the development process in China. My research papers can be divided into two areas: household finance as it relates to the One Child Policy after the post-war baby boom; and the economics of education around the Send-down movement that occurred during the Chinese Cultural Revolution in the '60s and 鈥�70s.鈥�

Weina Zhou (Assistant Professor, Department of Economics)

鈥淚鈥檓 originally from Glasgow, Scotland, but I鈥檝e lived in Canada since 1994. I came to Dal as a mineralogy instructor in 2011. All minerals are inorganic, crystalline structures. The atoms or molecules are arranged in a precise and reproducible geometric form, which is unique to every one of the approximately 4,500 naturally occurring minerals. Here, I have graphite and diamond. Even a small change in the alignment of atoms can make an enormous difference to the physical properties of a mineral, which we see when comparing graphite, a soft mineral, and diamond, the hardest known mineral on the planet."

Richard Cox (Instructor, Department of Earth Sciences)

鈥淚 was born and raised in Calgary, then I moved to Nova Scotia in 1985 seeking an adventure. I鈥檓 still riding the wave today. September 2015 marked my 25th year working at Dal. I met my husband on campus in 1990 and we were married on the AV俱乐部 quad in 1997. He still works at Dal, too! I鈥檓 ever grateful to have a job that I enjoy and to work with people who are willing to have me here. When I鈥檓 not working or teaching fitness and yoga classes, I鈥檓 busy delivering my two children to various practices and events, or curling with my husband.鈥�

Dennette Hanna-Shea (Finance Coordinator, Dean鈥檚 Office)

鈥淢y research studies the processes by which individuals and institutions choose to cooperate to promote sustainability of global fish stocks. For me, questions about and implications for sustainable seafood have global social, ecological and economic consequences, so my research allows me to engage with a wide range of theoretical and applied issues that are always socially relevant. I also love to eat fish and seafood, so I like to work towards a future where fish harvesters will be gainfully employed and the next generation of seafood consumers can have sustainable options on their plates.鈥�

Megan Bailey (Assistant Professor, Marine Affairs Program)

鈥淲hile studying for my Masters at the University of Aberdeen, I attended a marine mammal conference and from that point on, knew where I wanted to focus my research and study. As a researcher with the Ocean Tracking Network, I鈥檓 using satellite and novel acoustic telemetry to study predatory-prey interactions in the grey seal, with the focus on Atlantic cod and salmon. This is exciting work because while we鈥檙e trying to better understand the seals鈥� ecology, we鈥檙e using the tracking technology to collect data about other aspects of the marine ecosystem as well. While on Sable Island in December 2000, I met my partner Suzanne Budge (a professor in Food Science, Faculty of Engineering) and we鈥檝e been together since.鈥�

Damian Lidgard (Research Associate, Ocean Tracking Network / Department of Biology)

鈥淚 came to Dal two years ago; the Department of Economics was particularly attractive because of the presence of a vibrant and diverse group of scholars. Having been born in a developing country (Nigeria) and being fortunate enough to study in Canada, I鈥檝e always been fascinated with the ability of human beings to rise above several constraints, imposed by nature, in a bid to improve our living standards. At the same time, individuals in other parts of the world have found it particularly difficult to achieve these sustained increases in standards of living. My research is primarily devoted to the study of how improvements in human capacity (e.g., education, health) interact with the socio-economic environment to generate sustained improvements in incomes and general well-being.鈥�

Dozie Okoye (Assistant Professor, Department of Economics)

鈥淢y research has taken me to the coastal Southern Ocean, which is an amazingly captivating place to work. My work involves using protein measurements to understand what controls the growth of marine microbes, including tiny organisms called phytoplankton, which form the base of ocean food webs. In the coastal Southern Ocean, those phytoplankton are stunningly productive and support extensive orca whale, penguin, and seal populations鈥攁ll of which I got to observe while sampling these microbes. The more we learn about how microscopic life in the ocean makes a living, the more beauty and wonder I see in this world.鈥�

Erin Bertand (Assistant professor & Tier II Canada Research Chair in Marine Microbial Proteomics, Department of Biology)

鈥淚 truly believe that I have one of the best jobs in the world. No two days are the same and every day I鈥檓 learning something new. Students are often surprised about how many unanswered questions still remain in the field of neuroscience. Given the opportunities at AV俱乐部 to get real, hands-on research experience, it's not only possible for students to learn about what we do know, but to potentially play a part in new discoveries! How awesome is that? Interacting with students, playing a small role in their growth and learning, learning from them, and watching them evolve during their time at Dal makes this an unbelievably rewarding job."

Leanne Stevens (Instructor & Coordinator, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience)

鈥淚鈥檓 originally from Nigeria. I have a chemistry degree from Dal and now I鈥檓 working on a math degree. I became involved with Let鈥檚 Talk Science (LTS) in 2012, first as a volunteer and then a coordinator. Let's Talk Science is a non-profit organization that has over 40 university sites around Canada. The goal of the organization is to raise awareness about STEM (science, technology, engineering & math) in the upcoming generation. I believe STEM is very important in everyday life and what better way to create that awareness in the community and for youths than to be part of LTS? I love working with kids.鈥�

Sandra Chukwu (Coordinator and Volunteer, Let鈥檚 Talk Science (AV俱乐部 Chapter))

鈥淚 started school at age five and never left. I鈥檝e always loved learning鈥攊ndoors and outdoors. I鈥檝e been around for awhile: the other Trudeau was Prime Minister when I started teaching in the Biology Department; and in theatres, the Empire had just struck back. AV俱乐部 offers a wonderful community where our students can learn about their chosen disciplines and the broader world. Learning and teaching, helping students over hurdles, encouraging appreciation for our diverse natural world鈥 can鈥檛 imagine a better life.鈥�

Christine Beauchamp (Assistant Dean (Student Affairs), Dean鈥檚 Office & Senior Instructor, Department of Biology)

鈥淚鈥檓 originally from Windsor, Ontario and after 10 years working at the University of Alberta, came to Nova Scotia and Dal with a desire to see the coast and experience new challenges. When I was younger, I had read a newspaper article about an old Austrian scientific glassblower that had immigrated to where I had grown up. I was fascinated by the combination of art and science with glassblowing, and its seemingly endless possibilities. That is what originally drew me into my line of work.鈥�

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