Samin Tajik, a candidate in the Department of Physics, will present her Master of Science thesis defence on Friday, Nov. 10 at 1 p.m. in Welch Hall 147.
Her thesis is titled Effect of Rattling Phonon on Superconductivity of KOs2O6.
Her examination committee members are Dr. Michael Bidochka, Chair; Dr. Frank Marsiglio, External Examiner (University of Alberta); Dr. Božidar Mitrovi?, Supervisor; Dr. Kirill Samokhin and Dr. Shayamal Bose, Committee Members.
Faculty of Mathematics and Science, Physics, Thesis defence
Categories: Events
Between 2003 and 2013, Brock University biology professor and bee expert, Miriam Richards and her research team collected and recorded the number of bees and number of species they got from traps at the Glenridge Quarry Naturalization site in St. Catharines and compared that to traps they set in three sites at Brock that had not been restored.
The team found that the numbers of individual bees and bee species in the Glenridge Quarry Naturalization site went up, at first.
“Our results suggest that ‘If you restore it, they will come’: restored foraging and nesting sites were re-occupied by bees as soon as they became available, then bee numbers continued to grow for three to four years,” says the study, “Rapid initial recovery and long-term persistence of a bee community in a former landfill” published recently in the journal Insect Conservation and Diversity.
Richards’ study, funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, puts the spotlight on a trend that has scientists and environmentalists worried: the worldwide drop in bee populations.
Read the full story here
Brock Bee Lab – headquarters of Richards’ research
The Canadian Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (CCUNESCO) has appointed Brock biologist Liette Vasseur to President of its Sectoral Commission on Natural, Social and Human Sciences, an 11-member group of Canadian scientists, academics and others providing knowledge and expertise on a range of issues.
These include social and environmental impacts of climate change; conservation of natural heritage and water resources; inclusion of newcomers and vulnerable groups; reconciliation between indigenous and non-indigenous people; youth engagement; and measures to fight discrimination, racism, violence, bullying and radicalization.
“We’re producing reflection papers on some of the topics we believe are important to come up with a long-range vision of how Canadians and the federal government can implement various actions related to sustainability,” explains Vasseur.
Read the full story here
Department of Chemistry – Seminar Series
Dr. Jianbo Gao
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Clemson University
DATE: Friday, November 24
TIME: 12pm
LOCATION: H313
Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Science, Seminar Series
Categories: Events
The research of 28 gifted high school students was the focus of the Mentorship Program Information Night held Wednesday, Oct. 25 in Sean O’Sullivan Lecture Hall. Students had the opportunity to each share two-minute PowerPoint presentations summarizing their research projects with Brock mentors, graduate students, fellow protégés, teachers and parents.
The annual event marks the first of two presentations by mentorship students as part of Brock’s long-running Science Mentorship program. Introduced more than 20 years ago, the program is designed for students who demonstrate significant scientific curiosity and are capable of working independently. Twenty-two faculty members will lend their expertise to the students’ research projects which span eleven subject areas, including Physics, Biological Sciences, Psychology, Electronics, Chemistry, Child and Youth Studies, Earth Sciences, Health Sciences, Kinesiology and new this year, Geography and Business.
From reconstructing historical fires, recording physics videos and creating guitar tuners to researching sleep quality and insect mills, the students spoke excitedly about their projects. In February, final research findings will be presented by the largest group of students to date during the Mentorship Symposium Event. Designed to mirror the format used at professional science conferences, protégés will complete 20-minute presentations followed by a 10-minute question and answer period.
Faculty of Mathematics and Science
Categories: Events
As the region prepares to celebrate another year of the popular Niagara Icewine Festival, Carman Cullen and Linda Bramble are reflecting on the event’s history.
The origin story of the January festival was chronicled by Cullen, Chair of Brock’s Marketing, International Business and Strategy Department (MIBS), and Bramble, author and professional affiliate at Brock’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI), in a chapter within the book Best Practices in Global Wine Tourism.
That book has been amassing accolades since its publication last year, including Best Wine Tourism Book in the United States. It was more recently honoured with the Best Wine Tourism Book in the World award at the 2017 Yantai China International Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in May.
Both Cullen and Bramble said it was gratifying to have played a part in bringing the book to fruition, and in sharing the fascinating stories of the local wine industry with the world.
The Niagara Icewine Festival takes place Jan. 12 to 28 and includes a series of events and activities devoted to one of the country’s most unique products.
CCOVI, Faculty of Mathematics and Science
Categories: News
Department of Chemistry – Seminar Series
Tim Newhouse
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Yale University Department of Chemistry
DATE: Friday, November 3
TIME: 12pm
LOCATION: H313
Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Science, Seminar Series
Categories: Events
Niagara has been named as the host for the prestigious International Cool Climate Wine Symposium(ICCWS) in 2020, the event’s 10th anniversary. As part of the lead-up to the symposium, 12 Niagara winemakers are using grapes from two specific vineyards to produce an assortment of one-of-a-kind Chardonnays.
The Great Chardo Swap will see six winemakers from east of the Welland Canal making wine from grapes grown on the west side of the canal, and six winemakers from the west side making wine from chardonnay grapes grown on the east side. Two of those winemakers, Emma Garner (BSc ’04) from Thirty Bench Wine Makers and Shiraz Mottiar (BSc ’00) from Malivoire Wine Company, are graduates of Brock’s Oenology and Viticulture program. All of the fruit to make the Chardonnays is being donated by Inniskillin Wines and Thirty Bench.
Brock’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) collaborated with stakeholder organizations across the country to bring the ICCWS to Canada, and it was CCOVI Senior Oenologist Belinda Kemp who came up with the idea for the Great Chardo Swap after hearing about a similar initiative that took place in New Zealand.
Read the full story here
CCOVI, Faculty of Mathematics and Science, OEVI
Categories: News
When Donna Phelps left her hometown of Columbus, Ohio, in 1977 to start a four-year program in California, she never imagined it would be almost 40 years to the day before she graduated.
The administrative assistant for Brock’s Department of Computer Science dreamed of becoming a photojournalist and set her sights on California after working for a year to finance her schooling. Not long after her freshman year, Phelps was forced to return to her hometown when her program was unexpectedly cut short and the school later closed. It was the first of many setbacks and challenges that Phelps would face while pursuing her degree.
Fast forward to Friday, Oct. 13 when Phelps walked across the stage at Brock’s Fall Convocation, an experience she describes as “very emotional and overwhelming.”
“When they said, ‘you’re all alumni now’ – that moment hit me the hardest,” Phelps said. “I arrived. A weight was lifted off my shoulders. It was quite a journey to get there and it was pretty special.”
Phelps’ path to becoming a Brock alum has not been easy. Despite all odds, her achievement is the result of unwavering dedication and determination. Read the full story here
Computer Science, Faculty of Mathematics and Science
Categories: News
The Canada Foundation for Innovation, one of Brock University’s major funders, wants to know how working in state-of-the-art facilities and with cutting-edge equipment has helped research and post-doctoral students.
The organization has launched the #IAmInnovation Twitter contest in an effort to show how CFI-funded infrastructure has opened opportunities for Canada’s next generation of researchers.
Participants are asked to tweet a photo or video of themselves working with CFI-funded equipment or in a CFI-funded research space. All entries should include both hashtags #IAmInnovation and #Contest to be eligible. Participants must also follow CFI’s Twitter account, @InnovationCA, to be eligible to win.
The contest closes Dec. 1. Read the contest rules for more details.
More information available here
Faculty of Mathematics and Science
Categories: News
