Prescience, Vol. 4 (2013)

PrescienCE [pre • science] – noun – having foresight or foreknowledge

Faculty of Science Newsletter

Memorial professor receives Canada’s highest scholarly accolade 10 RESEARCH 3 STUDENTS 7 FACULTY 10 INVESTMENT 13 ALUMNI 16 LECTURES 18

VOL. 4

FROM THE DEAN Within universities, science is

for trilateration that is the heart of GPS

a core academic discipline — most

navigation. Likewise, the widespread

undergraduate degrees require some

use of DNA in medicine and forensic

science component. The question is:

science is based upon Watson & Crick’s

“Why?” There are really two reasons.

work in the late 1950s. More recently,

The first is that the areas of knowledge

the Internet was developed in 1989, by

that make up a faculty of science are

Tim Berners-Lee of CERN (the European

also areas of fundamental knowledge.

Organization for Nuclear Research)

A well educated citizen, and certainly

as a mechanism to provide automatic

one who has received a degree from a

information sharing between universities

major Canadian university, should know

and world institutes. Almost 25 years

something about at least one of these

later its impact upon many aspects of life

core areas, especially if this is not their

are profound.

chosen discipline. However, and more

My point is that scientific research

importantly, it teaches you how to think

and the knowledge it produces funda-

in a way that allows you to realize your

mentally changes the world in which we

dreams. It requires that you abandon

live. It is my hope, and certainly that of

your preconceptions and biases and look

most people, that these changes will

objectively at the information you have.

Ideally, it will identify areas in which we have limited information and make clear what questions must now be asked.

Science allows us to build upon existing knowledge while constantly challenging

“Science is important because the research and knowledge that we generate today will be the raw material that will solve these problems in the future.”

our state of knowledge.

be universally beneficial for generations. However, we all recognize that the future will continue to present many challenges. Science is important because the research and knowledge that we generate today will be the raw material that will solve these problems in the

Now more than ever, these traits

is surprisingly long. For example, the

future. In combination with creative criti-

are increasingly important. Society has

ubiquitous GPS technology that is in

cal thought, science will provide us with

become increasingly technological —

cars, phones and many other devices, is

a future of boundless possibilities.

a technology that is built upon scientific

a manifestation of Einstein’s Theory of

knowledge. While this is no surprise,

Relativity. Developed in 1915, his insights

the time lag between a scientific

into relativity, limitations on the speed of

discovery and the derived technology

light and its impact on time are the basis

PrescienCE Editor: Kelly Foss, communications co-ordinator

709 864 2019, kfoss@mun.ca

Prescience is a publication of Memorial University’s Faculty of Science.

We welcome all comments, submissions, story ideas and letters.

GRAPHIC DESIGN: Molly Baker Cover Photo: Dave Howells

contributors: Mandy Cook, Janet Harron, Sharon Gray, Jackey Locke, Naomi Osborne,

Michelle Osmond, Deena Riggs, Dave Sorensen, Meaghan Whelan and Heidi Wicks Faculty of Science, St. John’s, NL A2B 3X7 | Tel: 709 864 8153 or 8154 | Fax: 709 864 3316

facebook.com/MUNScience

twitter.com/MUN_Science

Webpage: www.mun.ca/science Email: science@mun.ca

RESEARCH

New program brings international students to chemistry

Researcher hopes to make health impact in India with omega-3 A biochemistry researcher at Memorial is hoping to make a long-term impact on the health and economic wellbeing of India.

For the past 25 years Sukhinder

Shunsuke Kumashiro, University of Hiroshima, recently participated in a short-term research program in the Department of Chemistry. Chris Hammond photo

Kaur Cheema has been looking into the

The Department of Chemistry is

arrived from the United States, Nick

and obesity with a focus on omega-3

going international. A new program

Settje and David Cascione, both of

fatty acids. In recent years, Dr. Cheema

sponsored by Memorial’s Strategic

Cornell University, and in the fall two

has been researching the impacts of

Internationalization Fund has been

additional students came from Japan,

maternal nutrition and has shown how

allowing the department to bring in a

Natsumi Kubota, University of Nagoya,

a mother’s diet during pregnancy and

number of foreign students for short-term

and Shunsuke Kumashiro, University

lactation can affect the health of the child

research opportunities.

of Hiroshima. A fifth student, Vaclav

in later years.

The International Student Research Experience Program in Chemistry, or ISREP-Chem, was developed in response

Houska, from the Czech Academy of Sciences, visited in January.

The department has also identified

impact of diet on heart disease, diabetes

Dr. Cheema took that research to a conference hosted by the Indian Hypertension Society. That country is also

to the most recent call for applications

Landon Hiscock and Tiffany Tozer-

having issues with obesity, heart disease

from the fund.

MacMillan as the Memorial students

and diabetes and she believes an aware-

who will be going abroad as a result of

ness of the benefits of omega-3 fatty

tional face of the department by bring-

this funding. Mr. Hiscock will work in

acids could help, particularly vegetarian

ing students in and by sending Memorial

the Academy of Sciences of the Czech

sources of omega-3 such as flax seed oil.

students abroad to foster international

Republic and Ms. Tozer-MacMillan

collaborations between researchers in

will travel to the National Centre for

benefits of flax could help the agriculture

the department with researchers in other

Scientific Research (CNRS) in Toulouse,

and food industries in India, by having

countries.

France. They will also receive a travel

them grow flax, incorporating it into foods

allowance and a monthly stipend.

and bringing those foods to market.

The idea is to increase the interna-

In summer 2012, two students

Physics outreach fires student imagination

The hope is that an awareness of the

From participating in summer enrichment programs like Shad Valley to working with the Eastern School District to offer mini courses to junior high school students in the spring of the year,

The word is getting out — physics is

Dr. de Young says the point is to show

cool.

people what physics really is and how

Department of Physics and Physical

we can use the approaches of physics to

Oceanography head Brad de Young says

understand the world around us.

that’s the message they’ve been hearing from students at all levels and from the general public as the department continues to work on expanding their public outreach programs in the province.

Outreach activities like those done by Physics lab instructor Kelly Shorelin uses a Van de Graaff generator in her outreach sessions with youth.

Chris Hammond photo

the department go a long way towards firing the imagination of students and show that physics is about more than just formulas in a book.

3

RESEARCH

Psychology research unit goes to the dogs Why do dogs behave as they do? Almost no other species has shared as much of our lives with us as they do, but how much do we really know about them?

Carolyn Walsh, an assistant professor of psychology, is a member of the Canine Research Unit (CRU) at Memorial University. She says studies, such as the ones being

The Culex pipiens, one of three species of mosquito responsible for the transmission of West Nile virus, has been found in St. John’s. Submitted photo

done by her colleagues and students, are changing the way scientists view dogs.

The group’s main work is focused on canine social behaviour, specifically how dogs communicate and interact with each other. They are also interested in factors such as the dog’s temperament, and whether measuring

Potential carrier of West Nile virus found in St. John’s

stress-related hormones, such as cortisol, could give insight into how these

For the first time, a mosquito that

factors interact with each other.

can potentially carry the West Nile virus

While some of their research involves testing dogs in their

has been found in St. John’s.

While the West Nile virus itself has not

homes and yards, much of what

been detected here, Culex pipiens, one

the CRU does happens in local dog

of three species of mosquito responsible

parks, recording hours of footage of

for the transmission of West Nile virus,

dogs interacting with each other.

and the primary culprit in Eastern North

The CRU has a number of new

America, has been found. The species

and ongoing projects and is

has been collected in the past on the

regularly looking for participa-

west coast of the island, but for the first

tion from pet owners and their

time was found on the Avalon peninsula

dogs. Dog owners inter-

and within the City of St. John’s by a

ested in finding out more

Memorial researcher.

about the research, or how

Biology student Kate Bassett made

to participate, can visit at

the collection and confirmed her iden-

http://dogsbody.psych.

tification using DNA fingerprinting. The

mun.ca/cru.

M.Sc. student researches mosquito-borne viruses in Newfoundland, specifically the Snowshoe Hare virus and the Jamestown Canyon virus. Both infect wildlife but have also been known to infect humans.

Part of her research includes collecting mosquitos, identifying them and sending them to the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg, Man., to test them for the presence of viruses. That’s how she found the region’s first potential carrier of West Nile.

4

RESEARCH

Fullerene breakthrough a result of a multi-year multidisciplinary effort Science researchers at Memorial have developed the first X-ray structural evidence that C60-fullerene can co-crystallize with corannulene. This finding could prove to be significant to those studying the assembly of fullerene into other arrays for energy applications, such as photovoltaic cells for solar energy, or into fullerene-based vehicles for drug delivery.

Shining a light on atoms

Dr. Paris Georghiou of Memorial’s Department of Chemistry has been working with C60-fullerene or “buckyballs,” a spherical molecule composed of 60 carbon atoms.

The molecules are the namesake of the late Buckminster Fuller, who has been recog-

Dr. Kris Poduska and PhD student Ben Xu at the Canadian Light Source (CLS) in Saskatoon, Sask. Submitted photo

nized for his architectural designs involving

Visualizing tiny features in a material

the behaviour of calcium-containing

fragment of a buckyball. It is bent into a

is no small task. Atoms are much smaller

materials in archaeological and geologi-

bowl shape and is sometimes called a

than what can be seen directly, yet their

cal settings using laboratory-synthesized

buckybowl. This particular component has

arrangements often have a critical impact

comparisons.

held a lot of interest for theoretical and

geodesic domes.

Corannulene is an important structural

on how a material functions.

Memorial University professor Dr.

CLS is Canada’s national synchrotron research facility, and has world-class

synthetic chemists with many working on different aspects and uses for it.

Kris Poduska and PhD student Ben Xu

tools to study the structure and chem-

Researchers had been unable to

travelled to the Canadian Light Source

istry of materials at the scale of atoms.

find proof that corannulene could form

(CLS) in Saskatoon, Sask., where they

In a building the size of two football

complexes with fullerene through supramo-

used some amazing tools for “seeing”

fields, CLS accelerates electrons to travel

lecular bonds. But reaction mixtures created

atom arrangements.

very close to the speed of light. These

to test the hypothesis formed red crystals

The pair used bright beams of

speedy electrons produce beams of light

that were studied by Dr. Louise Dawe, a

infrared light as well as X-rays at CLS to

that are one trillion times brighter than a

crystallographer with the department, and

determine how crystallinity can affect

medical X-ray.

she was successful in determining the first X-ray model of the structure.

Research shows police warnings not easily understood

interview continues — that usually involves reading the right to legal council and the right to legal silence.

He says across the country there are a

possible are no better understood.

Instead, the research team sought out ways officers could improve retention and understanding of the information by using

lot of variations on how these warnings are

certain techniques when presenting it.

You’ve seen it on countless television

delivered and even in the wording used.

Those techniques raised comprehension

programs: a suspect is arrested and read

Through seven separate studies over a

as much as 70 per cent.

their rights. But just how well understood

period of five years, Dr. Snook’s research

are those rights? Dr. Brent Snook, profes-

group has made some interesting findings.

sor of psychology, Faculty of Science, says the answer may be surprising.

Individuals suspected of committing an offence must be read their rights before an

Future studies will test if these findings will continue to work in more realistic or

Tests show that only 30 per cent

stressful situations. Dr. Snook is also seek-

of the rights as read are actually being

ing funding to study the cautions provided

understood. Dr. Snook says even cautions

to youth, which are even more complex.

worded as simply and with as few words as

5

RESEARCH

Protecting the ocean, one polymer at a time When an oil spill occurs in the marine environment, the impact is huge, not to mention the devastation for marine life. And whether or not a major marine disaster is inevitable with so much activity taking place on our oceans, Memorial University researchers are doing their part to protect our oceans.

The chief investigators of the

From left are Drs. Christina Bottaro, Kelly Hawboldt and Erika Merschrod. Chris Hammond photo

Microfluidic Sensor Technology Project are Drs. Christina Bottaro and Erika

The core technology involved

The primary advantage of the small

Merschrod of the Faculty of Science’s

is molecularly imprinted polymers

MIP-based devices is their sensitivity and

Department of Chemistry, and Dr. Kelly

(MIPs) and accompanying sensing

selectivity. When deployed into a marine

Hawboldt of the Faculty of Engineering

systems which can be deployed for oil

environment, the MIPs will only detect

and Applied Science. This project

spill monitoring and fate analysis, or

targeted compounds, such as phenols,

aims to develop microfluidic sensor

incorporated into the online analysis of

heavier polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

technology to measure contaminants in

produced water and tracking of oil spills

and other compounds that are toxic to

harsh marine environments, especially

in the marine environment.

the marine environment, while avoiding

oil-in-water.

irrelevant compounds, ensuring accuracy.

See related story on page 13: Memorial research projects receive $8 million from ACOA

Discovery could lead to protection for

deep-sea corals A PhD student affiliated with the

Upon checking other samples she

Departments of Biology and Ocean

found more and more larvae, sometimes

Sciences has discovered that deep-sea

as many as 200 on a small coral. The

cold-water corals are being used as nurs-

corals had been collected as by-catch

eries for certain types of fish.

during trawling excursions undertaken

The discovery is making big waves

by Fisheries and Oceans Canada in the

in the ecology community and may lend

months of April and May.

strength to the argument that these corals should be protected.

Sandrine Baillon was using a microscope to study sea pens, soft corals that

6

Using the molecular signature of Sandrine Baillon and Dr. Annie Mercier study sea pens under a microscope.

Chris Hammond photo

the larvae, researchers were able to identify them as redfish, a species that is commercially fished worldwide. Some

can exhibit a feather-like appearance,

of the corals on which the larvae were

much like a quill pen, when she found

found are also cosmopolitan species, so

the first larvae trapped amongst the sea

the finding may have significance around

pen’s polyps.

the world.

STUDENTS his article accepted, it also won him an Editor’s Choice Award.

Mr. Krumsick works with the Marine Institute’s Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research alongside the centre’s director, Dr. George Rose, and its team of research scientists.

His master’s thesis focused on describing feeding behaviour of cod in a changing climate and assessing how that relates to recovery of populations.

His paper is grounded on a prevailing assumption that has been largely Dr. George Rose, at left, and Kyle Krumsick analyze the stomach contents of a spawning cod. Angie Bishop, Marine Institute photo

based on studies conducted on captive fish, which concludes that Northwest Atlantic cod, in particular, the stocks off

Master’s student claims Editor’s Choice Award

Newfoundland and Labrador, do not feed during the protracted spawning period.

His research was based on data collected from 10,473 cod over nine years

Master of science student, Kyle

his first step when he submitted his

from four Northwest Atlantic Fisheries

Krumsick, is no stranger to ecosystems

first master’s paper, Atlantic Cod Feed

Organization regions. Through data

research. In fact, his life mission is to help

During Spawning off Newfoundland and

analysis, Mr. Krumsick determined that

sustain the world’s fisheries — one step at

Labrador, to the International Council

cod around Eastern Newfoundland and

a time.

for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)

Labrador do continue to feed during

Journal of Marine Science. Not only was

spawning.

The student of biology accomplished

Student and varsity volleyball captain celebrated In memory of Erin Bursey, a Memorial

A statement issued on the Sea-

psychology student and an accom-

Hawks’ official website defined Ms.

plished athlete, her fellow students,

Bursey as “an athlete that competed

family and friends have created the Erin

fearlessly and always left it all out on the

Bursey Memorial Leadership Award in

floor” and that she was “a leader and a

her honour.

friend among her teammates and varsity

Ms. Bursey, who was captain of

athletes across all sports.”

Memorial University’s varsity volleyball

Donations to the memorial award can

team and a recent bachelor of science

be made by calling 1877 700 4081 or

graduate, passed away after a pedes-

709 864 4354 or by visiting the Alumni

trian-vehicle accident in 2012.

A two-time Canadian Interuniversity

Affairs and Development website at Erin Bursey. Chris Hammond photo

Sport Academic All Canadian, multiple

www3.mun.ca/alumni/giving.p001.

Should you wish to donate online,

scholarship award winner and the

please ensure that in the “Area of

winner of the Frank T. Butler Memorial

and contribution as an ambassador in

Designation” you select the “Other” box

Scholarship, an award presented to a

the community, Ms. Bursey also gave her

and then type “Erin Bursey Memorial

student-athlete who best combines

own time as a volunteer with multiple

Leadership Fund” in the “Designation

athletic commitment, academic success

community groups.

Information” box.

7

STUDENTS

Cultural preservation from a

scientist?

From left are Jordan Chafe, Student Volunteer Bureau; Sahand Seifi, Wayne Rose, Student Affairs and Services; and LuAnne Kelly, University Bookstore. Chris Hammond photo

be an activist for Mi’kmaq culture. The disciplines may seem to

Computer science student donates prize money

come from different worlds, but Mr. Jeddore is seeking a way to

When graduate student Sahand Seifi learned he’d won

interweave the two after completing his B.Sc. in biochemistry.

first place in a university and college store association contest,

John Wejitu Jeddore is a scientist, but he also happens to

Mr. Jeddore, who produces a Mi’kmaq word of the day video series on his YouTube channel, believes that although it seems unlikely, cultural awareness is something he’d like to implement

he promptly handed the $3,000 grand prize over to others he thought could use it more.

Mr. Seifi, a master’s student from Tehran, Iran, entered a

in his career. He’s hoping to pursue medicine, where he would

contest hosted by the National Association of College Stores

focus on cultural sensitivity.

(NACS) called National Student Day. The University Bookstore is

Mr. Jeddore is the first post-secondary graduate from the Miawpukek First Nation people of Conne River on

a member of the Oberlin, Ohio-based organization.

The contest encourages university and college students

Newfoundland’s south coast, making him an inspiration for

across Canada and the United States to celebrate student

future generations of Aboriginal students attending university.

volunteerism and social responsibility.

Mr. Seifi contributed an article about how the support he received from members of the student-run organization, MUNIranians, helped him adjust to university life in a foreign

Mi’kmaq

country. He now volunteers his time with the group in order to

on YouTube

he thinks his volunteer work is “not even close to the wonderful

word of the day

give back to the cause.

When asked why he decided to donate the money, he says and unimaginable things” other students are doing at Memorial and other universities and colleges.

Chemistry conference profiles student research The ninth annual Summer Organic

feature of the conference is the keynote

other research that is occurring in the

Chemistry Conference on Everybody’s

speaker that he brings in annually.

department.

Research, or SOCCER, was another great

The 2012 guest speaker was Michel

Student prize winners at the confer-

success for the Department of Chemistry.

Gravel of the University of Saskatchewan.

ence included graduate students Tayel

The local conference is for undergradu-

In addition to the value the visiting

Al-hujran, Shuai Liang, Penchal Reddy

ate and graduate students involved in

speaker brings, Dr. Bodwell says the

Nandaluru, Rakesh Throat, Kiran Sagar

organic chemistry research at Memorial

conference allows students to become

Unikela and undergraduate student

University.

better aware of the

Jill Nash.

Graham Bodwell, a professor in the Department of Chemistry, organizes the conference.

He says one 8

important

Graham Bodwell and Michel Gravel with conference participants.

Submitted photo

STUDENTS

Math/physics student awarded Killam Fellowship As a recipient of the prestigious Killam Fellowship, Brendan Cooke will spend a semester at the University of Miami.

While working on a joint honours in physics and applied math, Mr. Cooke received numerous awards and prizes for academic excellence, including the Williams Science Scholarship for

MUCEP:

Celebrating 20 years of success and impact

2011–12. The scholarship was established by the late Dr. Hank Williams of the Department of Earth Sciences and is awarded to the most promising secondyear student entering the Faculty of Science.

Mr. Cooke enjoys working with youth and has volunteered with Let’s Talk Science, the Elaine Dobbin Centre for Autism and was a lifeguard at the Aquarena for a number of years.

The Killam Fellowship Program allows undergraduate students from Canada and the United States to participate in a program of bi-national residential exchange. The program, administered

by Fulbright Canada, is an integral part

Dr. Bill Montevecchi and MUCEP student Seth Bennett working with gannets on the cliffs of Cape St. Mary’s. Submitted photo

of the foundation’s multidimensional

In 1992, Memorial’s Employment

strategy to foster understanding

Services Centre was directed to create

has employed more than 30,000 stu-

between Canada and the U.S. and is

a student employment program that

dents in a variety of positions. It even

designed to encourage exceptional

would provide work experience and

reaches beyond offices and onto the

undergraduate

financial support.

cliffs of Newfoundland and Labrador.

students in the

The result was the launch of the

In the last 20 years, the program

Dr. Bill Montevecchi, a renowned

two countries

groundbreaking Memorial University

seabird researcher and University

by providing

Career Experience Program (MUCEP),

Research Professor of psychology,

a unique

one of the first of its kind in Canadian

biology and ocean sciences, says

opportunity

universities.

the program has been a boon to

for academic exchange.

From the employers on campus who gain excellent part-time employees to the students who gain valuable

Brendan Cooke Chris Hammond photo

seabird research in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Besides offering real-world,

work experience in their areas of study

state-of-the-art research experiences

or interest, the program is a benefit to

for students, he says they have made

all. Participating students recognize the

very important contributions to

opportunity is more than just money

research and have at times earned co-

in their pocket. MUCEP positions also

authorships on peer-reviewed scientific

provide the kind of experiences that

publications.

build resumés, strengthen interviews and confidence.

9

FACULTY

Inaugural presentation of Lien Memorial Scholarship The inaugural presentation of the Dr. Jon Lien Memorial Scholarship took place on the St. John’s campus. The award was established to commemorate the lives of Dr. Jon Lien and his student Dr. Deane Renouf, both formerly with the Department of Psychology at Memorial.

The award is for a full-time graduate student who is entering a program in marine biology or animal behaviour, marine conservation, coastal community revitalization or current fisheries challenges.

Chelsey Lawrence, a master’s student with the Department of Biology, is the first recipient of Dr. Carole Peterson has been named a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Chris Hammond photo

the award and “is the first of a legacy of talented new students eligible for this scholarship that will embrace the problems and love the

Memorial professor receives Canada’s highest scholarly accolade

questions,” according to Judy Lien, widow of Dr. Lien.

Ms. Lawrence has been a student at Memorial since 2007 and completed her undergraduate studies with honours in biology.

Dr. Carole Peterson has been honoured by the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) for her outstanding contributions to research and education.

A professor in the Faculty of Science’s Department of Psychology, she has been named a fellow of the society in the Division of Social Sciences. Election to the society is considered the highest academic honour in Canada.

Dr. Peterson has pioneered three new areas of child psychology — narrative ability, eyewitness memory and early childhood amnesia. According to the RSC, “Her impact has been profound: Illiterate parents are being trained to help their children communicate in ways that lay the foundation for reading; children now have a legitimate voice in court; and powerful public response to her newest work is raising awareness of the importance of social science research.”

The RSC elects members from all branches of learning who have achieved national and international recognition by publishing learned works or original research in the arts, humanities and sciences. Founded in 1882, the country’s oldest scholarly organiza10

tion currently has about 1,800 fellows.

From left are Chelsey Lawrence Dr. Mary Courage, sister of Dr. Deane Renouf, and Judy Lien, widow of Dr. Jon Lien. Chris Hammond photo

FACULTY

New associate dean of science appointed Dr. Mark Abrahams dean, Faculty of Science,

Science retiree wins Royal Astronomical Society award

has announced Dr. Len Zedel as the new associate dean of science (research and graduate). Dr. Zedel, an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography, was appointed to the position in 2012.

Dr. Zedel received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. from the University of Victoria and holds a PhD from the University of British Columbia. He joined

Fred Smith, retired from the Office

Memorial University in 1991 as a research

of the Dean, has received the Royal

associate and accepted a position of

Astronomical Society of Canada Service

assistant professor in 1996.

Award (RASC).

The award is given to a member

Dr. Zedel’s research activities involve exploring oceanographic

in recognition of outstanding service

processes through the use of

rendered over an extended period of

acoustic systems. His current

time, where such service has had a

interests include the

major impact on the work of the society

processes responsible

and/or of a centre of the society.

The award is given only by resolu-

for ambient sound in the ocean, the use of

tion of the national council, on recom-

coherent Doppler sonar

mendation of the awards committee.

for high resolution

Only 136 awards have been granted

water velocity profiling,

since 1959. The award was announced at the RASC general assembly in

the suspension of sediment in the nearshore zone and the application of acoustic systems to fisheries acoustics.

Dr. Len Zedel, an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography, is the new associate dean of science (research and graduate).

Chris Hammond photo

Edmonton, Alta., and presented in St. John’s at a dinner hosted by the St. John’s centre of the RASC.

A co-worker to remember When longtime chemistry employee Viola Martin passed away last November at the age of 47, her friends and colleagues at the university immediately began discussing ways to memorialize her on campus.

They decided upon a memory bench and flowerbed in front of the Chemistry-Physics building.

To bring it all together, the women worked with a number of units across the university including Technical Services, which built the bench and made the plaque, and Facilities Management, which installed

Viola Martin

the bench and created the flowerbed.

Department of Chemistry faculty and staff have also Ebony Penney, Bonita Smith, Gina Jackson, Mary Flinn and Geraldine Kennedy with the bench in memory of Viola Martin.

Chris Hammond photo

participated in the CIBC Run for the Cure in Ms. Martin’s memory. Last year their two teams, Viola’s ChemiGals and Equilibri-men, raised almost $7,500, with the ChemiGals taking home the post-secondary challenge top individual fundraiser award for St. John’s.

11

faculty

Physics professor renewed as Canada Research Chair Dr. Lev Tarasov, an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography, has been renewed as the Canada Research Chair in Glacial Dynamics Modelling.

As a tier two junior chair, Dr. Tarasov receives $100,000 annually for five years for a total of $500,000. Tier two chairs, tenable for five years and renewable once, are for exceptional emerging researchers, acknowledged by their peers as having the potential to lead in their field.

Dr. Tarasov’s research involves inferring and understanding changes in the glacial system in which ice, climate and earth interact. This work spans the last million years of ice age cycles, including questions about the stability of present-day ice sheets over the next 500 years. He is particularly preoccupied with quantifying uncertainty. This involves the integration of observational data and large ensemble modelling to generate probability distributions for the past and future evolution of ice sheets and their impacts on climate and earth.

Dr. Lev Tarasov at the Belcher Glacier, Devon Island, Nunavut.

Memorial is home to 26 Canada research chairs, 10 of those

Submitted photo

within the Faculty of Science, studying areas such as marine bioscience, human nutrition, photonics and environmental science.

Memorial honours exceptional faculty and staff at special ceremony Dr. Gary Kachanoski, Memorial’s president, has announced the university’s outstanding educators, researchers and staff members for 2012.

The recipients of the president’s awards for teaching, research, exemplary service and exceptional community service were honoured at an event at Innovation Hall, Bruneau Centre, on Memorial’s St. John’s campus.

The 2012 recipients from science included Dr. David Schneider, Department of Ocean Sciences, who received the President’s Award for Outstanding Graduate and Postgraduate Student Supervision, and Dr. Raymond Poirier, Department of Chemistry, who was named University Research Professor.

University Research Professor is a designation above the rank of professor and is the most prestigious award the university gives for research. It goes to a faculty member who has demonstrated a consistently high level of scholarship and whose research is of a truly international stature.

12

President Gary Kachanoski honoured Dr. Ray Poirier (pictured) and Dr. David Schneider at his annual awards ceremony Chris Hammond photo

INVESTMENT

Student researchers awarded more than $865,000 for ocean-related projects

Memorial research projects receive $8 million from ACOA

Twenty-one Memorial students received a significant

Science.

Three projects at Memorial University have received a combined investment of $8 million from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).

The projects are funded under ACOA’s Atlantic Innovation Fund, a program that encourages partnerships among private sector firms, universities, colleges and other research institutions to develop and commercialize new or improved products and services. The awarded projects are based in the Fisheries and Marine Institute, the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of

boost to their ocean-related research projects, thanks to the

In the Faculty of Science, Dr. Christina Bottaro, with co-

Research & Development Corporation’s (RDC) 2012 Ocean

investigators Drs. Erika Merschrod and Kelly Hawboldt (Faculty

Industries Student Research Awards. Six doctoral, 12 master’s

of Engineering and Applied Science), aim to develop technol-

and three undergraduate students — as well as their research

ogy to measure contaminants (e.g. components of oil) in harsh

supervisors — received a total of $866,333 towards their

marine environments.

research projects.

RDC’s investment supports student researchers focusing

The technology under development is intended for use at remote sites, and will be able to function in cold temperatures

on strategic areas such as offshore petroleum engineering,

and under ice cover. The long-term goal is to commercialize the

geoscience, ocean engineering, ocean technology including

sensing technology and potentially extend it to applications in

marine transport, fisheries, aquaculture and other areas such

medicine, biotechnology and civil defense. This project, with a

as marine science that support research and development

total estimated cost of $3 million, received approximately $2.1

(R&D), innovation and the commercialization of ocean tech-

million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund, with additional finan-

nologies or natural resource development. The awards range

cial support from Petroleum Research Atlantic Canada (PRNL).

in value from $7,500 per year for undergraduate research to $20,000–$30,000 per year at the graduate level.

The 2012 recipients in science include Kathleen Woolridge, Department of Chemistry; Truong Nguyen, Environmental

Chevron Canada Limited and RDC announce new research chair

Science; Xi Xue, Aquaculture; Andrew Murphy, Department

Memorial University’s research capacity in offshore

of Biology; Marina Joury, Department of Earth Sciences and

petroleum development continues to expand, with a $1-million

Lucia (Lucy) Newton, Department of Earth Sciences.

investment by Chevron Canada Limited and the Research & Development Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador (RDC).

The funding will support the creation of the Chevron

Recipients of the 2012 Ocean Industries Student Research Awards. Paul Daly for RDC.

Industrial Research Chair in Petroleum Reservoir Characterization in the Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science. Chevron Canada Limited and RDC will each invest $500,000 over the next five years in partnership with Memorial University.

The new chair will maintain a vigorous research program, sustain a strong record of peer-reviewed publications and external funding, advise and mentor undergraduate and graduate students and contribute to the teaching mission of the Department of Earth Sciences, including courses in petroleum geology.

Potential research focus areas include the determination of reservoir architecture, establishing geological flow units, using seismic data in the construction of reservoir models and identifying petroleum growth reserve potential. The chair would focus on some of the geologic uncertainties faced by industry operations in offshore Newfoundland and Labrador.

13

INVESTMENT

Research & Development Corporation investment supports Memorial researchers The Research & Development Corporation (RDC) has invested more

ways to extract precious metals.

More than 30 researchers from across

RDC announces more than $1.6 million in R&D funding to companies

than $5.3 million into research and

the university’s faculties, including Science,

development (R&D) projects at Memorial

are receiving funding that will leverage

University of Newfoundland in areas

more than $16.9 million from other

relevant to offshore petroleum, ocean

research sponsors. These include the

Business-led projects received

technology, healthcare, aquaculture and

Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency,

more than $1.6 million in funding

other natural resource industries.

the Natural Sciences and Engineering

from the Research & Development

The funding will focus on solving

Research Council of Canada, Husky

Corporation of Newfoundland and

technical challenges and identifying

Energy and Rolls Royce Marine. The

Labrador (RDC).

new opportunities such as ice-structure

investment is provided through RDC’s aca-

interaction in polar regions, effective

demic programs, which focus on building

support that will assist several

oil spill cleanup methods that minimize

the R&D capacity required for innovation

provincial companies with research

environmental impact and more efficient

and commercialization within the province.

and development (R&D) projects in

RDC announced investment

Newfoundland and Labrador’s priority sectors such as natural resources,

Science researchers receiving funding include:

ocean technology, aquaculture, advanced manufacturing and information communications technology.

IgniteR&D

LeverageR&D attracts public funding

IgniteR&D attracts highly-qualified

ects led by companies throughout

for academic-led research and develop-

academic researchers and builds new

Newfoundland and Labrador, includ-

ment (R&D) in areas relevant to both

research and development (R&D)

ing the Newfoundland Broodstock

industry and the Newfoundland and

capacity in areas relevant to both

Company Inc., which is attempting to

Labrador economy.

industry and the Newfoundland and

position itself to be a leading supplier

Labrador economy.

of selected cod genetic material

Dr. William Driedzic Department of Ocean Sciences Dr. Matthew Rise Department of Ocean Sciences Dr. Valerie Booth Department of Biochemistry Dr. Duncan McIlroy Department of Earth Sciences

Dr. Tao Cheng Department of Earth Sciences Dr. James Munroe Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography Dr. Antonina Kolokolova Department of Computer Science

(eggs and larvae) for domestic, national and international markets.

The company, which is based in St. John’s, is developing and optimizing best protocols for the shipment of live cod eggs to markets around the world. The research will be conducted at the Joe Brown Aquatic Research Building of Memorial

Dr. Susan Ziegler Department of Earth Sciences (2)

Dr. Lourdes Pena-Castillo Departments of Computer Science and Biology

Dr. Kurt Gamperl and Danny Boyce Department of Ocean Sciences

Dr. Dawn Bignell Department of Biology

lead to increased survival, hatch rates

Dr. Kapil Tahlan Department of Biology

mance of cod larvae from selective

Dr. Chris Parrish Department of Ocean Sciences

Dr. Oscar Meruvia-Pastor Department of Computer Science 14

The investment is advancing proj-

LeverageR&D

University of Newfoundland, and will allow for the evaluation of numerous optimization processes which can and eventual growth and perforcod broodstock. RDC’s investment is $15,000 of a total project cost of $21,060.

INVESTMENT

Drs. Penny Morrill, left, and Vaughan Grimes received funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation to purchase state-of-the-art research tools. Chris Hammond photo

Memorial receives more than $825,000 to attract and retain top researchers

Funded projects with Faculty of Science involvement include: Dr. Kelly Hawboldt Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science co-applicants Dr. Robert Helleur Department of Chemistry and Dr. Lesley James, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science Dr. Ronald Haynes Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Nine researchers at Memorial University have received a combined investment of $827,954 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to support their innovative research programs. The overall value of these research projects is more than $2 million.

The funding was awarded through the CFI’s Leaders Opportunity Fund, a program designed to help universi-

Dr. Iain McGaw Department of Ocean Sciences Dr. Penny Morrill Department of Earth Sciences and Dr. Vaughan Grimes Faculty of Arts

ties attract and retain the very best researchers at a time of intense international competition. Awards are made to researchers who are recognized leaders in their field, or those with a clear promise of becoming future leaders and who require specialized infrastructure.

Researchers from the faculties of arts, engineering and applied science, science, medicine and Grenfell Campus received funding under this program. The funding is also creating valuable opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Dr. Kapil Tahlan Department of Biology, co-applicant Dr. Dawn Bignell Department of Biology Dr. Lev Tarasov Canada Research Chair in Glacial Dynamics Modelling, Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography 15

ALUMNI

Breaking science

Becki Pecham, Bold Creative photo

To watch Tony Ingram dance is

in the 80s, doing handstands in his

like watching a moving work of art. The

basement without knowing what he was

School of Human Kinetics and Recreation

doing. He also admits that growing up in

ing to start a Concrete Roots Productions

graduate student looks like his body is

Port aux Basques wasn’t the best place

in St. John’s, something he and other

moving involuntarily, in one fluid motion.

to learn.

b-boys started in Halifax as a dance

Mr. Ingram, who holds a B.Sc. in

The first time Mr. Ingram tried real

principles of motor learning.

Mr. Ingram and some others are try-

program that is now in more than 20

behavioural neuroscience, is part of

breaking was in the MUN dance studio,

schools. The group has partnered with

a growing trend called breaking or

which is now the kinesiology lab in the

School Sports NL in St. John’s to start a

b-boying/b-girling. It might look like what

basement of the Physical Education

dance program called Street Movement,

was called break dancing from the 1980s

building. He says his kinesiology

as getting youth involved is very impor-

but it’s much more sophisticated than

courses have helped shape him as a

tant to him.

that.

dancer — understanding the mechan-

He admits to being a “closet b-boy”

Founder of Memorial’s medical school earns place of honour 16

Human kinetics and recreation graduate student Tony Ingram “breaking.”

To see Mr. Ingram in action, visit

ics of the body, how to train and the

www.bboyscience.com.

heroes inducted into the Canadian

accomplishment so remarkable is the

Medical Hall of Fame. He is the first

vision and perseverance it took to

native Newfoundlander to receive this

establish a medical school in a poor,

distinction — Sir Wilfred Grenfell was

underserved province at a time when

inducted in 1997.

all of Canada’s medical schools were

Dr. Rusted was recognized for establishing Newfoundland and

located in large, resource-rich cities.

Dr. Rusted, an alumnus of the Faculty

Labrador’s only medical school, which

of Science, was born in Upper Island

The late Dr. Ian Rusted has joined the

to this day is a world leader in medical

Cove, Newfoundland, on July 12, 1921,

ranks of Canada’s distinguished medical

education. What makes this singular

and died in St. John’s on July 14, 2007.

Award-winning documentary has roots at Memorial

ALUMNI PROFILE

ALUMNI

Zachery Hynes finished a joint major in chemistry and

computer science in 2010. Since then he

enrolled in medical school at Memorial and is currently in his second year.

Originally from St. John’s, Mr. Hynes said

majoring in chemistry was an obvious choice

due to his desire to become a doctor. But he

says his decision to add computer science as When Joel Heath moved to

located on one of the Belcher Islands

Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, to study the

in Hudson Bay. The film also outlines

effects of climate change on Arctic

how the region’s hydroelectric projects

solving,” he said. “You have a problem

sea ice ecology for his PhD, he had

threaten not only the eider duck, but

and nobody knows the answer to it. That’s

no idea that his work would ultimately

also the Inuit way of life.

just the most exciting thing to a computer

lead him to create an award-winning

Dr. Heath has helped start a

his second major may have served him best.

“Computer science is all about problem

scientist.”

documentary, or that it would have

registered charity, the Arctic Eider

Mr. Hynes says that mindset translates

anything to do with hydroelectric

Society (www.arcticeider.com) to

very well into medicine, where patients come

projects.

promote community-based research,

in with symptoms and lab results and he has

monitoring and education programs.

to make sense of them.

Dr. Heath holds a joint honours degree in biology and psychology and

The charity works directly with Inuit

a master’s in cognitive and behavioural

using knowledge of sea ice to study

information and put them together to

ecology from Memorial University.

environmental change in Arctic

develop a diagnosis and treatment plan. It’s

ecosystems.

very much the same cognitive process.”

As co-writer, cinematographer, director and producer of People of a Feather, he used time-lapse photog-

The educational version of the film,

“You have to take all these pieces of

He believes his computer studies helped

including lesson plans and a licence

“grow” that part of his brain. He also found

raphy and an underwater camera to

for screenings, is currently available at

his studies opened up an area of new

follow the movements of birds and ice

www.peopleofafeather.com/educational/.

opportunities he believes wouldn’t otherwise

over a period of 11 years, and compiled a stunning story of the vital

have been available.

“Researchers put out calls to medical

role of the eider duck

students to see who might be interested in

to the 800 residents

being involved in a project. But it turns out

of Sanikiluaq, a

what they really need is a computer scientist

community

who can work with large amounts of data, using computers and databases and who

is also able to speak the medical language, interacting with clinicians, immunologists, geneticists and pathologists.

He says that with computers being such a prevalent part of society, having knowledge that can let you insert yourself in a useful

manner into many different kinds of organizations and research groups is invaluable.

“The opportunities that computer

science has opened up to me have not all been related to what’s been taught in the curriculum, but through the kinds of work

you get to do when you come out of degree program like that, the kinds of people you

get to work with, and the types of organizaCo-writer, director, producer and cinematographer Joel Heath.

Johnny Kudluarok photo

tions you get to be a part of, that’s been exciting too.”

17

LECTURES

Geological community hosts national conference The St. John’s geological community

using new techniques to look at sedimen-

played host to the Geological Association

tary rocks, which is of great interest to oil

of Canada (GAC) and the Mineralogical

companies. Other topics included talks on

by Amanda McCallum, an outreach

Association of Canada (MAC) during their

mineral deposits, petroleum, the origins

geologist with the Department of Natural

joint annual meetings.

of life, forensic geology, uranium deposits

Resources, was facilitated by a team of

and a special session on Appalachian

experienced geoscience professionals

chaired by Memorial earth science profes-

geology in honour of the late Dr. Hank

and educators from across Canada, and

sors Steve Piercey and Alana Hinchey and

Williams.

provided elementary, intermediate and

Geoscience at the Edge was co-

offered something for everyone, with more

There was also a special workshop

curriculum-linked thematic sessions.

The program, which was organized

senior teachers with instruction, lesson

than 40 symposia, special and general

and field trip that brought teachers

plans, hands-on activities and classroom

sessions, short courses and field trips.

from across the province together to

resources designed to explore earth sci-

participate in various instructional and

ence in and out of the classroom.

On the schedule was a short course on

Inside story of cells and complex life topic of public lecture Dr. Martin Brasier, an adjunct

and cells became hooked together to

Stratigraphy (overseeing the formal

professor in the Department of Earth

form symbiotic teams. This was evolution

definition of the Precambrian-Cambrian

Sciences, presented a public lecture on

by networking, and it played a crucial role

boundary on the Burin Peninsula in

the inside story of cells and complex life.

in the evolution of the biosphere.

Newfoundland), voting member-

Currently a professor of palaeobiology

“Without it, no complex life could

at Oxford University, Dr. Brasier talked

have evolved. So why did this extreme

about a remarkable episode in the history

networking happen? And why only

of life that took place between two and

then?”

one billion years ago.

Dr. Brasier, well known for

“Until that time, life on Earth had

his work on early life, explored

been bacterial,” he explained. “But

these questions, stemming

something then enabled the evolution

from the theme of his latest

of complex eukaryote cells, including algae, animals and ourselves. Bacteria

book, Secret Chambers.

Dr. Brasier’s duties have included chair of the Faculty of Earth Sciences at Oxford, chair of the Subcomission on Cambrian

18

Dr. Martin Brasier researches some of the earliest amber fossils in the lowest Cretaceous of Hastings, Sussex, U.K. Submitted photo

ship of the Neoproterozoic Subcommission and membership on the National Science Foundation and NASA panels.

LECTURES

Twenty-first century dinosaurs from hell

The lighter side of black holes The Lighter Side of Black Holes was hosted by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics as part of the 14th Canadian Conference on General Relativity and Relativistic Astrophysics. This biennial meeting

A public lec-

alternates in location between Eastern

ture on the St. John’s

and Western Canada and this was the

campus of Memorial University,

first time it was held in Newfoundland

discussed 21st-century dinosaurs from Hell; that is, Hell Creek,

The hadrosaur dinosaur Dakota.

Submitted photo

South Dakota.

and Labrador.

About 40 participants from across Canada and around the world gathered

Dr. Phil Manning heads

on the St. John’s campus to discuss a

the Palaeontology Research Group in

mammal, fish, crocodilian and turtle; and

wide range of topics, including math-

the School of Earth, Atmospheric and

invertebrate material, such as arthropod

ematical and numerical relativity, quan-

Environmental Sciences at the University

cuticle, feeding traces, etc., as well as a

tum gravity, string-theoretic approaches

of Manchester. He visited Memorial

diverse flora including seeds, leaves and

to gravity, relativistic astrophysics and

University for Ichnia 2012, the third

amber, and is knee-deep in dinosaurs.”

cosmology.

International Congress on Ichnology,

Dr. Manning says the traditional

As part of the conference, Dr.

which was hosted by the Department of

approach to excavating such sites often

Robert Mann, University of Waterloo’s

Earth Sciences.

overlooks key chemical information that is

Perimeter Institute, presented a public

present in both enclosing sediments and

lecture intended for non-specialists.

“The Hell Creek Formation (late Cretaceous) consists of a productive succession of sediments that contain

fossil remains.

“The easily comprehended physical

Black holes are perhaps the most unusual objects in the universe. They

the fossil remains of dinosaurs and their

fossil often takes precedence over the

bend light, stop time and appear to

contemporary fauna/flora,” explained

less visible ‘chemical’ fossil,” he said.

destroy the laws of physics at their

Dr. Manning. “A recently discovered

“However, it is the latter that might hold

core. His talk introduced the general

multi-taxa site in South Dakota is yielding

the key to the reason behind the organ-

public to black holes, providing an

vertebrate, such as dinosaur, bird,

ism being fossilized in the first instance.”

overview of what is known about them and of the puzzles they present for

Conway’s rational tangles Dr. Alberto Elduque presented a

assign a common fraction like 3/4 (or infin-

public lecture as part of the 11th annual

ity) in a unique way to each rational tangle.

summer school of the Atlantic Association

During the lecture, Dr. Elduque played with

for Research in Mathematical Sciences

rational tangles and devised an algorithm

(AARMS).

to unknot any given tangle, or to get the

The summer school is intended for graduate students and promising undergraduate students from Canada and around

rational tangle corresponding to any given common fraction.

Dr. Elduque’s research focuses on

the world and takes place each summer in

nonassociative algebras, with a stress on

an Atlantic Canadian university.

composition algebras and their interactions

Alberto Elduque discussed Conway’s

physics in the 21st century.

with Lie algebras and superalgebras. He has

rational tangles, which applies basic math-

authored and co-authored more than 100

ematic principles to tangling and untangling

papers and is an editor of Communications

ropes. John Conway noticed that one could

in Algebra and of Journal of Algebra.

19

NEWS

Science holds annual awards ceremony The Faculty of Science had much

achievements of students graduating

to celebrate as it recognized the accom-

with a B.Sc. or B.Sc. (hons.) degree and

plishments of faculty, staff and students

named to the dean’s list for four con-

at the unit’s annual awards ceremony.

secutive years. It is the highest award for

Dr. Mark Abrahams, dean of science,

undergraduate academic achievement in

presented the Dean’s List Awards, which

the Faculty of Science.

recognize the top 10 per cent of students

In addition to recognizing student

in the Faculty of Science.

academic achievement, the ceremony

Dr. Gary Kachanoski, president and

also honoured faculty and staff. Dr.

vice-chancellor of Memorial University,

Abrahams celebrated the outstanding

attended the ceremony and presented

and sustained contributions, particularly

the Dean of Science Book Prize, which is

in the areas of teaching and research,

awarded on the basis of academic excel-

of Dr. Jeremy Hall, Department of

lence to a student in each department

Earth Sciences. He also presented the

offering a bachelor of science program.

Distinguished Service Award to Linda

Dr. David Wardlaw, provost and vicepresident (academic), was also present and handed out the Lou Visentin Award.

This award recognizes the outstanding

Gaborko (left) of the Department of Dr. Mark Abrahams recognized service, teaching and research, along with academic achievement, at the annual Dean’s List Awards ceremony.

Psychology. The award recognizes service superior to that normally expected of staff members.

Chris Hammond photo

Aquarium proposal supported by Memorial A proposal by the tiny town of Champney’s West to develop

facility small enough that local people can operate it. The

a public marine aquarium and touch tank is receiving substantial

marketing and business plan for the Champney’s West Marine

support from Memorial University.

Aquarium says the objective of the facility is to strengthen the

Dr. Bill Driedzic, a professor in the Department of Ocean Sciences and the Canada Research Chair in Marine Bioscience, has had a summer home in the community for nearly a decade. Town members approached him to help put together the initial proposal.

The proposal is for a small aquarium for the community — a

20

community infrastructure, and in doing so, improve the economic development capacity while enhancing visitor experience.

The aquarium, which will include four large viewing tanks and a touch tank, will be open to the public from June until October annually, engaging four seasonal employees.

An artist’s rendering of the proposed aquarium for Champney’s West. Cathy Driedzic

NEWS

All-ages festival

brings science to the public Families were given the opportunity to discover glow-in-the-dark crystals, explore microscopic pond life and make slime during Science Rendezvous. This all-ages event, hosted annually by the Faculty of Science at Memorial University, allows participants to do fun and safe handson science activities on the St. John’s campus.

While construction continued on the Logy Bay facility, OSC summer students visited local schools, summer camps and tourist destinations with a travelling touch tank. Chris Hammond photo

During the event, representatives from the departments of chemistry, Earth sciences, biology, mathematics and statistics and ocean sciences set

Department of Ocean Sciences takes public education program on the road An average of 15,000 visitors take

The facility has been delivering this

up activities in the lobbies and various rooms in the Chemistry-Physics and Science buildings.

Science Rendezvous is a grassroots non-profit organization that partners with Canada’s top research institutions to present an annual science festival that is aimed at developing collaborative partnerships between educational institutions, libraries, science-based associations

part in the public education program

program since 1988 and rather than

and outreach programs and promot-

at Memorial’s Ocean Sciences Centre

cancel the program entirely they have

ing science awareness as well as

(OSC) between June 1 and Labour Day

been putting the show on the road,

science culture and literacy.

weekend in any given year. So when

using a portable touch tank and seal

construction at the Logy Bay facility

video presentation to visit local schools,

shut down public access to the site, the

kids’ summer camps and tourist destina-

fear of losing one of the region’s most

tions throughout the summer.

popular tourist attractions was a valid concern.

Features of the program at the OSC

Students also set up temporary displays in and around the city of St. John’s in places such as Signal Hill and Cape

include an outdoor touch tank where

Spear National Historic Sites, Memorial

visitors can experience a variety of

University’s Botanical Garden, the

marine life, an outdoor observation plat-

MUN Childcare Centre and the Easter

form for viewing their captive population

Seals house. With construction nearing

of harp seals, and marine interpreters,

completion, the Logy Bay site is once

primarily Memorial summer student staff,

again open to the public, although the

to answer questions and explain current

travelling roadshow will likely continue in

research initiatives at the facility.

a smaller capacity.

21

NEWS

New Department of Ocean Sciences approved For the first time since 1979, the Faculty of

The plan is for the department to be interdisci-

Science has added a new department. Memorial’s

plinary, allowing students to take courses from the

Board of Regents approved a recommendation of

other science departments. The new department is

Senate to change the status of the Ocean Sciences

hoping to begin by offering two minors, in oceans

Centre (OSC) from a research unit to an academic

and in aquaculture, and are in the process of trans-

unit.

ferring the marine biology graduate program from

In the short term, faculty will retain their teaching obligations to other academic units within the Faculty of Science. However, graduate and

the Department of Biology to the Department of Ocean Sciences.

The Ocean Sciences Centre, then named the

undergraduate academic programming is already

Marine Science Research Laboratory, was con-

being developed for the new Department of Ocean

structed in the 1960s to serve as a marine science

Sciences.

research facility for all university faculty interested in marine organisms. It became operational in 1968.

Government investment big news for computer science

Science hosts second annual student orientation

Government’s announcement of a $3.5-million invest-

For the second year in a row, science student Ryan

ment into Desire2Learn (D2L) Incorporated is great news for

Murphy has coordinated a successful Faculty of Science

Memorial University’s Department of Computer Science. That’s

student orientation.

according to acting department head, Dr. Wolfgang Banzhaf.

With this funding, the provider of cloud-based learning

Mr. Murphy, a psychology and computer science student, says Everything Science 2012 provided new students who

solutions for education, health care, government and the

are interested in science with an introduction to what the

corporate sector is now expanding operations from its head-

faculty and its departments offer, as well as gave them an

quarters in Waterloo, Ont., into Newfoundland and Labrador.

opportunity to meet other like-minded students and get

Dr. Banzhaf hopes the company will think of Memorial when they begin hiring new employees in the areas of computing and information processing.

“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity because many people

them used to campus.

Student societies from all of the Faculty of Science departments were highly engaged in planning the orientation event. They came together to form a new science stu-

in science, when they graduate, feel they have to move to the

dents’ society which aims to bring all departmental societies

mainland or somewhere else, whereas opportunities like this in

together to share ideas and collaborate on big projects.

our local community are very attractive.”

A big strength for these kinds of companies is that their

Mr. Murphy chaired several meetings of the new society, which made recommendations as to how Everything Science

employees can be remote from headquarters according to Dr.

2012 should be run and what information new students

Banzhaf. While the company headquarters aren’t located in

needed. Most of the more than 30 student volunteers who

Newfoundland and Labrador, he feels the department can still

took part in the orientation event were made up of depart-

provide creative people to these businesses, while providing

mental society members.

employees with a great quality of life and a high-paying job.

The faculty’s goal is to one day to have the societies run the orientation event on their own, with support from the

22

Dean of Science office, rather than the other way around.

NEWS NEWS

Early recommendations suggested two sites for the new core science facilities.However, the university has since decided to move forward with a single location, Lot 16 near the Smallwood Centre. Submitted photo

Memorial welcomes province’s support for new core sciences facilities The provincial government has

The institution’s president and

announced significant funding support

vice-chancellor, Dr. Gary Kachanoski,

construction of the new core sciences

for the development of new core sciences

indicated that funding in a previous

facilities at Memorial will create nearly

infrastructure at Memorial University.

provincial budget enabled planning

1,440 direct and indirect person years

One key rationale for the overall

Government is estimating that the

to begin on the development of core

of employment, and approximately $94

initiative is to create purpose-built modern

sciences facilities, but he described the

million in labour income.

facilities that will enable the university to

announcement as a “game-changer.”

recruit and retain faculty, students (under-

In addition to high-end facilities for

Planning work for the building is ongoing, however the university is mov-

graduate and graduate) and staff, and to

the Faculty of Science, the core sciences

ing forward on a building site located on

increase Memorial’s success in national and

infrastructure plan includes additional

parking area 16 west of the Smallwood

international grant competitions. The facili-

growth for the Faculty of Engineering

Centre.

ties will also provide contemporary and

and Applied Science.

flexible space for teaching and research.

Moved?

Have you changed cities? Changed email address?

Would like to get back in touch with Memorial? By updating

Department of Chemistry unveils computational chemistry degree programs

your info we’ll be able to reach you from time to time and

The Department of Chemistry now offers B.Sc. and

share with you our exciting news and have the opportunity

B.Sc. (hons.) computational chemistry degree programs.

to say thank you for being an alum of Memorial. But we can’t do it without you.

Being green matters.

If you are web savvy, simply go to www.munalum.ca and

Joining a relatively short list of similar programs across the country, Memorial’s computational chemistry degree programs stand apart from the other available programs in the approach of training students in computational chemistry.

By ensuring a robust mix of chemistry, mathematics

click on the link for Update Your Information. If you have any

and computer science courses, graduates of these degree

questions about the collection and use of your info, please

programs will be prepared to enter industrial or academic

contact the Office of Alumni Affairs and Development at

positions in a wide variety of fields where computational

709 864 4354 or munalum@mun.ca.

chemistry has been emerging as a powerful tool of study.

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