SMU Science

09/29/2026

Congratulations to Saint Mary's University Halifax professor and researcher Dr. Marcin Sawicki for winning a Science Writers and Communicators of Canada book award for “Webb's Cosmos"!
🙌 🛰 🌌

🎉 📚 Congratulations to the SWCC 2025 Book Awards winners 📚 🎉

General Category: 'Webb's Cosmos' by Marcin Sawicki

Youth Category: 'Dad, is it Time to Gather Mint?' by Tyna Legault Taylor, illustrated by Michelle Dao

Paradigm Prize: 'Dad, is it Time to Gather Mint?' by Tyna Legault Taylor, illustrated by Michelle Dao*

*This is only the second time since the introduction of the Paradigm Prize that one title won both a category award and the Paradigm Prize! 🏆

We want to thank all publishers and authors for their submissions, showing us again the diversity and abundance of Canadian Science Literature 📖

09/24/2026

Congratulations to Samuel Sequeira, winner of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science’s Student Science and Technology Writing Competition for his piece titled “Jumping into danger: Evaluating the impact of contaminants, disease and climate change on frog populations in Nova Scotia, Canada.” 🙌 🌟 🐸

A graduate student in the Faculty of Science at Saint Mary’s University, Sam is working towards a Master of Science in Applied Science in the field of Environmental Science. His graduate research work is on amphibian ecotoxicology and bioaccumulation in contaminated wetlands, in collaboration with New Brunswick Museum.

Sam graduated from SMU in 2025 with a BSc Honours with a thesis on chironomid ecotoxicology. No stranger to strong science communication, he also won the 3MT (Three-Minute Thesis) competition two years in a row at Saint Mary’s.

Through its annual writing competition, the NSIS’s promotes effective communication as an important aspect of science, technology, engineering and math-based professions for young and emerging scientists.

Photo: Sam (far right) is pictured with Connor Smith (left), NSIS Councillor, and Jillian Phillips, 2025/26 NSIS President.

Read more: from NSIS: https://lnkd.in/gtTBzS8T

09/15/2026

09/11/2026

Ready to learn more about AI? In this new course we will explore how text is converted into a form computers can work with and how models learn patterns from data to generate responses.

Explore what AI tools can do—and what they can’t do—highlighting limitations of machine understanding, and exploring practical approaches for evaluating AI outputs responsibly.
We will also look at ethical concerns around the use of AI tools, such as privacy, bias, and intellectual property.

Open to all students in Science, Arts and the Sobey School of Business!

Tuesdays/Thursday in the winter 2027 term. View the academic calendar for more details.

09/10/2026

To get ready for their first term at Saint Mary's University Halifax, our first year students in the Faculty of Science attended Academic Orientation to learn about the many support systems available across campus, solve their first (fun!) math problem, and meet new friends and professors. Welcome to SMU! 😀👋

09/08/2026

Looking for hands-on experience?

Innovation Sprints are a short, focused event, that brings a business and keen, creative students together to generate ideas and solutions to real business problems.

Compete for a $1,000 grand prize while gaining hands-on experience solving real-world business challenges. You'll build valuable professional connections and make a direct impact on the success of local businesses.

Eligibility:
• Must a Resident of Canada or be allowed to stay, study or work in Canada
• Must be a current student from any faculty (Science, Arts or Commerce) and any university in Atlantic Canada
• Must compete as team of minimum 3 members and maximum 4 members (you can form teams at the event if you sign up individually)

Register your interest at https://loom.ly/loMCxCU and be the first to receive important updates!

To learn more about the Innovation Sprint, visit our website at https://loom.ly/ifQQAgU.

Saint Mary's University Halifax Saint Mary's University Students' Association (SMUSA) SMU Student Life Sobey School of Business - SMU SMArts - Saint Mary's Faculty of Arts SMU Science Dalhousie University Mount Saint Vincent University University of King's College, Halifax Acadia University Cape Breton University StFX University

08/28/2026

Now in its second year, the Star Finder Workshop at Saint Mary's University Halifax prepares elementary and junior high teachers from across Nova Scotia to teach astronomy to their students.

During the full day workshop in August, teachers were introduced to lesson plans, performed hands-on experiments they can use with their students, and learned to use the Burke-Gaffney Observatory. They will also have access to use the BGO remotely from their classrooms, along with a large archive of data and images.

To learn more about Star Finder - The David Lane Astronomy Outreach Program, including teaching resources, web resources, and to sign up for our newsletter, visit https://observatory.smu.ca/bgo-about/star-finder.

08/20/2026

From volunteering at the IWK Health Centre as a teenager to becoming a family physician, Dr. Alyson Colborne BSc'16 found the confidence to pursue her passion at Saint Mary's. ❤️🐾

While studying biology and psychology at SMU, Alyson discovered her calling in family medicine and women's health through academics, campus involvement, and life experiences that shaped her future. Today, she's caring for patients across Halifax and helping train tomorrow's physicians.

👩‍⚕️ Read her inspiring story in the Spring 2026 edition of Maroon & White: https://loom.ly/JaJw3uI
Saint Mary's University Halifax SMU Science

08/18/2026

Are you a Saint Mary's University Halifax student doing research this summer? If so, you are invited to present at our first annual Summer Student Research Showcase. We're looking for talks of any kind, or demonstrations, or videos, or any way you can highlight and show the university community what you have learned this summer. It need not be a formal research talk, but it can be.

Monday August 24, 1:00 - 4:00 pm in Atrium room 340

If you wish to present, please send an email to [email protected] by Friday August 21 with a brief description of your presentation, your supervisor, and your name.

Snacks will be provided too!!

SMU Science SMArts - Saint Mary's Faculty of Arts Sobey School of Business - SMU Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre Scott McCain & Leslie McLean Centre for Sport, Business and Health