Message from the Dean
Welcome to Brock University’s Faculty of Mathematics and Science (FMS).
FMS is a community of students, faculty, staff, and researchers united by curiosity and a commitment to discovery. Every day, our faculty members are teaching, conducting research, asking new questions, and creating new knowledge across mathematics and statistics, computer science, biological sciences, chemistry, physics, earth sciences, engineering, neuroscience, biotechnology, data science, and many other fields.
One of the things that makes FMS special is that our students are not separated from that process of discovery. We encourage students to become part of that work.
“Don’t just learn science. Do science.”
Through undergraduate and graduate research, experiential learning, co-op, internships, field experiences, and community and industry partnerships, students have opportunities to move beyond the classroom and participate directly in the creation and application of knowledge. These experiences deepen learning, develop confidence, and help students discover where their interests and talents can take them.
At FMS, we are committed not only to teaching scientific knowledge, but also to developing a scientific mindset. Being a scientist is not simply about knowing more facts about nature. It is a way of thinking. We observe and ask questions. We look for evidence. We formulate hypotheses. We test them. We measure, calculate, and verify results. And when the evidence tells us that we are wrong, we change our minds. That last point is particularly important.
Science does not promise certainty. It provides a method for getting closer to the truth. The scientific method is imperfect because science is done by imperfect human beings. Yet it remains the best method we have found for distinguishing between what we would like to be true and what the evidence tells us is true. This method got us far – very far – and those habits of mind that derive from it have never been more valuable.
AI and Science
We are living through a period of extraordinary technological change. Artificial intelligence is already transforming how we work, learn, communicate, and conduct research. By the time today’s students graduate, many aspects of the world they enter will look different from the world they encounter today. No one knows exactly what that future will look like, and that is precisely why education matters.
In FMS, we encourage students to become AI-literate and to use these technologies creatively, critically, ethically, and responsibly. But we also recognize that today’s tools will evolve. The abilities that endure are the ability to think critically, adapt to change, ask good questions, solve problems, and continue learning throughout one’s life.
We encourage students to apply the scientific mindset to emerging technologies as well. Do not believe something simply because a computer presents it confidently. Ask: What is the evidence? Can I verify it? Does it make sense? Those questions are as important in the age of artificial intelligence as they are in the laboratory.
Science and Mathematics: A Social Endeavour
A Brock education is more than a collection of courses and grades. It is an opportunity to build a portfolio of knowledge, skills, experiences, accomplishments, and relationships. Through research, leadership opportunities, student organizations, conferences, skills development, and community engagement, students can prepare themselves for success in a wide range of careers and professions.
The Faculty of Mathematics and Science is more than a collection of departments and programs. It is an environment built around discovery. One of FMS’s greatest strengths is the opportunity for students to become part of that community from the moment they arrive. Through close interactions with faculty, staff, graduate students, and their peers, students are encouraged not simply to learn about science, but to participate in it. That culture of curiosity, mentorship, and discovery lies at the heart of the FMS experience.
In a world where information is instantly available, and artificial intelligence can generate explanations, code, images, and even scientific hypotheses in seconds, it is worth asking: what remains special about being part of a university community? My answer is simple: the people around you.
Technology can provide information, but it cannot replace the experience of learning alongside others, working together to solve difficult problems, sharing ideas, and building friendships. Some of the relationships formed at Brock will last a lifetime. Others will become colleagues, collaborators, employers, business partners, or alumni connections who continue to shape and strengthen the FMS community. University is about knowledge. But it is also about curiosity, relationships, experiences, and discovering who you want to become.
At Brock’s Faculty of Mathematics and Science, we are proud of the research we conduct, the education we provide, and the community we have built. Most importantly, we are proud of the students who leave Brock prepared to think critically, act thoughtfully, and contribute meaningfully to society.
When our graduates leave Brock seeing themselves as scientists, innovators, problem-solvers, and lifelong learners, we have done our job well.
Peter Berg, PhD
Dean, Faculty of Mathematics and Science
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