Sciographies Sciographies

In this episode we talk to Will Burt, a chemical oceanographer and Dalhousie alum (PhD’15).







Dr. Burt is the Chief Ocean Scientist at Planetary Technologies, a carbon dioxide removal company headquartered in Nova Scotia. The company partners with Dal researchers to study the efficacy and safety of ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE), a mitigation approach that harnesses the ocean’s natural ability to capture and store CO2 from the atmosphere.







This special alumni episode, done in partnership with Dal’s Open Dialogue Live series, is the final episode of Sciographies’ fifth season. Host David Barclay interviews Dr. Burt about discovering a passion for oceanography, leaving a tenure-track position in academia to work in industry, and what it’s like to be on the frontlines fighting climate change.







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Visit the Planetary Technologies website: www.planetarytech.com







Learn more about Open Dialogue Live: www.alumni.dal.ca/open-dialogue

In this episode, we talk to Kevin Hewitt, a physicist.







Dr. Hewitt is a professor and the Associate Dean, Equity and Inclusion in Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Science. His research involves designing optical diagnostic tools for disease detection.







Outside of his scientific endeavors, he’s passionate about increasing the representation of Black professionals in STEM fields. He was a graduate student when his commitment to this work began with the earliest vision of Imhotep’s Legacy Academy, which is now a province-wide community partnership that helps to improve student success for youth of African heritage in Nova Scotia.







The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada has also named him an inaugural Atlantic-region co-chair for Inclusion in Science & Engineering.







Dr. Hewitt talks to us about immigrating to Canada, his mother’s influence on his success, and pursuing research related to health outcomes for African Canadians.  







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Learn about Imhotep’s Legacy Academy: www.imhotep.ca

In this episode, we talk to Dr. Michael Freund, a materials scientist.







Dr. Freund is a professor and the Harry Sherriff Chair of Chemical Research at Dalhousie University. 







He uses his training in analytical chemistry to do research that informs the design of sensors, electrical devices, and energy storage technologies. He’s also the Director of Dalhousie’s Clean Technologies Research Institute, where he facilitates the resources and funding needed to conduct studies that can help build a more sustainable future.







Dr. Freund talks to us about designing sensor arrays that work with machine learning to mimic the brain’s olfactory system, the collaboration between fields to develop new materials, and more.







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Learn about the Clean Technologies Research Institute: dal.ca/ctri







Visit the Freund Group’s website: www.solar.chem.dal.ca

In this episode, we talk to Dr. Erin Bertrand, a marine biogeochemist.







Dr. Bertrand is an associate professor at Dalhousie University and her research examines the relationship between marine microbes and ocean metabolism. To do this, she travels to challenging environments like the Antarctic to collect samples of ocean water. 







She’s also a Canadian ambassador for the BioGeoSCAPES project, an international scientific effort to map marine microbes all over the world. If successful, this tool will plot microbial activity into ecosystem modeling technologies for the first time, leading to a more dynamic understanding of the ocean’s role in global climate patterns and marine-based food supply.







Dr. Bertrand talks to us about pivoting from liberal arts to natural sciences, the challenging fieldwork she conducts in Antarctica, and her commitment to creating an inclusive lab environment for her students.

In this episode, we talk to Dr. Aaron Newman, a cognitive neuroscientist.







Dr. Newman developed an early curiosity for computers in the ’80s. While at university, he found a way to combine his interest in technology with his studies in psychology and carved a path for himself in the field of cognitive neuroscience.







Today Dr. Newman is a professor and department chair at Dalhousie University. He uses technologies like functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in his research to understand how different language experiences shape the brain. He’s also the director of Nova Scotia’s SURGE Innovation Sandbox, a place for STEM students to explore technology, design thinking, collaboration, problem-solving and more.







Dr. Newman talks to us about how he got started, his experience studying how the brain processes sign language, how he emphasizes innovative thinking when he’s training students, and more.

In this episode, we talk to Dr. Melanie Zurba, a social scientist and associate professor at Dalhousie University.







Her research in environmental governance explores how to design resource management studies that best support a community partner’s aspirations. Dr. Zurba also taps into her creative side to use art as an engagement tool. Her work bridges the gaps between natural sciences, social sciences, the arts, and equity-deserving knowledge systems.







Dr. Zurba talks to us about doing “research about research,” leveraging the power of art, and what collaboration between researchers and Indigenous partners can look like.