DSSLP teams up
with ICG to develop Science Outreach Modules supported by two
grants from the Dalhousie's Centre for Teaching and
Learning.
The MOSOM
program is based on an experiential learning
educational platform that makes environmental genomics
accessible to everyone. MOSOMs allow both citizens and
undergraduates to work collaboratively with Dalhousie
scientists to co-produce new knowledge on microbial
biodiversity. A centerpiece of the approach is the
creation of science educational content by, with,
and for youth from underrepresented communities.
CTL grant 1: Anne Marie Ryan
Teaching & Learning Enhancement Grant (Title: “Developing
Microbial Observatory Science Outreach Modules).
CTL grant 2: Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Grant (Title: “Studying Learning and Belonging in
the Microbial Observatory Science Outreach Module
Program”)
Many thanks to Jessica Latimer for leading grant
development!
February 2024
“Breaking
Conventions” Event: Tiny Tools Big Science.
Many many thanks to Jennifer Van Dommelen, Anais Pierre-Estme, Abigail Cave, and Tiara Mulder for their work to make this event a success!
March 7th, 2024
DSSLP awarded a
John Dingle Science Communication Internship
Dalhousie Science Scholars and Leaders was one of five
projects for the annual John
Dingle Science Communications Internship!
The intern will receive 1-week training led by the Faculty
of Science, and then be will be hosted by DSSLP for a 10-
week work placement where they will gain practical
experience working on projects such as “Breaking
Conventions” and “The Be a Scientist Project”
as well as working on DSSLP outreach-related materials.
February, 2024
Students create
and launch a new DSSLP outreach initative called “Breaking
Conventions”
Science has many rules and conventions. Some are
necessary. But, have you wondered if adhering to all
of them are necessary for successful science? This
outreach initiative respectfully engages with the
non-traditional pathways within sciences and explores
their relationship with mainstream notions of success in
Western Science. The goal is to highlight the importance
of diverse perspectives to the future of science.
Anais Pierre-Estme (undergraduate), Abigail
Cave (undergraduate), and Tiara Mulder
(graduate program), all students in the Department of
Biology, are working over the winter term to develop the “Breaking
Conventions” initiative and deliver pro-social
science communication using a wide variety of methods (a
live discussion panel, a series of video podcasts, and
hands-on experiential learning [fold-scope event])
January 2024
DSSLP ongoing evaluation recognized by Australian STEM Ambassador Office (we are on “The Portal”)
The Australian Governments Office of the Women in STEM
Ambassador has developed an Evaluation Guide for STEM
equity programs (the
Guide) and the STEM Equity Evaluation Portal (the Portal).
The purpose of the portal and the guide are to promote and
assist STEM equity program leaders in the evaluation of
their programs.
The Portal is a searchable repository to discover program
evaluations and learn what works and doesn’t work to
improve equity.
We are proud that the Dalhousie Science
Scholars and Leaders Program (DSSLP) is now recognized on
the portal. You can go HERE
to see our evaluation design, indicators and metrics.
November, 2023
Eshan Arora
helps "kick off" Dalhousie’s second annual Accessibility
Week
In recognition of the United Nation’s annual December 3rd
observance of the International Day of Persons with
Disabilities, Dalhousie held its second annual Accessibility
Week (November 27 to December 1), and it was kicked
off by a speech from our very own Eshan Arora.
Accessibility Week at Dalhousie expands the United
Nation’s International Day for Persons with Disabilities.
You
can watch a video of Eshan's speech here!
November, 2024
Just ratified… a NEW general-interest society called the Dalhousie Science Scholars & Leaders Society (DSSLS)!
Students in DSSLP have created a NEW student society
centered on our co-circular program. It is a new
general-interest society called the Dalhousie Science
Scholars & Leaders Society (DSSLS) and it was just
ratified for 2023-2024! Their vision is for this
student society is to empower a sense of belonging for
traditionally marginalized science students, and to grow a
new and mutually supportive student community. We
will post updates as the students develop their
society. Many thanks to Eshan Arora for his strong
leadership on this effort.
October 31, 2023
DSSLP partners
with the Faculty of Science to develop a new course called "Science
Communication for Social Change".
Leticia Magpali is designing the new course and will be
the primary instructor in the Winter term of 2024. Leticia
is currently a PhD Graduate Student in the
Department of Biology, but before coming to Dalhousie,
Leticia had already earned a reputation for Portuguese-language
Science Communication. Letitia brings to
the course an international network of colleagues who are
known for communicating science to non-English
speakers. Many of these will contribute to the
course as guest lecturers!
Letitia is also leading the development of a new
initiative called "Decolonizing Molecular Evolution"
which has already run one international event in
Brazil. Letitia is currently working to secure
long-term funding.
https://leticiamagpali.com/
https://www.instagram.com/rainhadasbaleias/
https://scholar.google.com.br/citations?user=h9OetlEAAAAJ
Many thanks to Dr. Leanne Stevens (Associate Dean Academic) for her ongoing support for the new course! The course as been assigned a course code (BIOL 4811) and is now open for registration!
Stay tuned for more information.
Developed in Fall 2023, Offered in Winter 2024
DSSLP partners with the Dalhousie Science Communication and Leadership Program to offer a new First-Year Interest Group (FIGS 0021 ) called "Science for Everyone"
First-Year Interest Groups (FIGs) are a mix of tutorials,
study groups, and social get-togethers. A FIG is a small
group of about 15 first-year students who have similar
academic interests. They're free and informal, and they
appear on your transcript.
FIG 0021 meets for 50 minutes every week during the Fall
term to discuss some of the big ideas around the diversity
of science and science education. Our goal is to affirm
and support historically excluded and underrepresented
students in STEM.
Many many thanks to Leadership program students Eshan
Arora, Aaliyah Arab-Smith, and April
Foote for doing a fantastic job teaching the fig and
serving as outstanding role models for the FIG students!
Fall term, 2023
DSSLP partners with Biology Department to offer a for-credit "graduate module" in Undergraduate STEM Diversity & Outreach (BIOL5710)
This module will offer graduate students the opportunity
to develop their own undergraduate science outreach event,
or workshop. The graduate students will be able to
interact with undergraduate students in the Dalhousie
SSL Program, and well as King’s History of
Science and Technology (HOST) program.
Link: Biology
Graduate
Modules (See graduate module No. 1)
Delivered over Fall 2023 & Winter 2024
DSSLP student creates a new outreach event.
DSSLP student Julia Packer (joined in Fall 2022)
partnered with Diversity of Nature (DoN) to develop and
offer a unique science outreach event for young
girls. Julia developed a phytoplankton art project
to teach about photosynthesis in the sea, and combined it
with fun field trips and a beach clean-up. These future
scientists had a great time!
The idea was developed after Diversity of Nature (DoN)
gave a guest lecture in BIOL2111/SCIE2111 (a core course
in DSSLP) about scientific outreach to underrepresents
groups in STEM. Many thanks to our partners in DoN,
who provide support and training to Julia!
DoN: https://www.diversityofnature.com/
Summer, 2023
Screening and
Panel Discussion: Picture A Scientist
DSSLP has teamed up with the History of Science &
Technology (HOST) program at King’s College, and the
Institute of Comparative Genomics (ICG) at Dalhousie
University to create an evening event centered on gender
equality in Science.
Film Synopsis: PICTURE A SCIENTIST chronicles the
groundswell of researchers who are writing a new chapter
for women scientists. Biologist Nancy Hopkins, chemist
Raychelle Burks, and geologist Jane Willenbring lead
viewers on a journey deep into their own experiences in
the sciences, ranging from brutal harassment to years of
subtle slights. Along the way, from cramped laboratories
to spectacular field stations, we encounter scientific
luminaries - including social scientists,
neuroscientists, and psychologists - who provide new
perspectives on how to make science itself more diverse,
equitable, and open to all.
Link: https://www.pictureascientist.com/
April 11th, 2023
We will be participating in annual conference hosted by the King's College History of Science Student Society.
Joseph P. Bielawski will be giving the Keynote
lecture in Alumni Hall on Diversity
and Values in Science and Science Education.
As part of this lecture, he will talk about the launch of
DSSLP at Dalhousie, and the unique ethos of the program.
March 25th, 2023
Diversity of Nature offers our students opportunity to develop individual outreach events
Diversity of Nature (DoN) offers DSSLP students both training and resources to create from scratch a scientific outreach event of their own design. Students will develop their own ideas, and lead the event. Successful development via DoN includes paying the students to run the event and deliver the scientific content.
Link: Diversity of Nature
Winter term 2023
Workshop series on scientific outreach opened up to undergrad students
The 3-part workshop series was made available to our undergraduate students. Students in the program had the opportunity audit the workshop or take it as a full participant or as an audit. The workshop provides formal training on effective scientific outreach.
March 2023
DSSLP offers a for-credit "graduate module" in developing Undergraduate Diversity & Teaching (BIOL5710)
This is a course that offers graduate students the opportunity to (i) participate in development of DSSLP, (ii) develop undergraduate teaching resources based on their own ideas and experiences, and (iii) gain teaching experience by delivering their material within the context of BIOL2112.
Link: Biology Graduate Modules
Winter 2023
Students begin to develop their personal academic websites
It is important for historically excluded and underrepresented STEM students to be able to control their own scientific narrative. To support the program participants began development of their own academic websites. Development of these websites is incorporated into our efforts to (i) document early development of their transferable skills, and (ii) practice scientific communication.
Link: A student's academic website
November 2022
Our courses SCIE2111 and SCIE2112 approved as "selectives" for the Dalhousie Med Sci Program
The Medical Sciences program connects courses from a wide range of subjects offered by the Faculties of Science, Medicine, and Arts & Social Sciences to prepare students for a career in any aspect of the medical sciences.
"Selectives" are a specific set of electives that are selected for credit in the Med Sci Program because their content is uniquely relevant to the goals of the program.
Link: Dalhousie
Med Sci Program
Link: Course Syllabus PDF
October 2023
Our new publication (the 10 simple rules paper) is incorporated into classroom instruction
The title of the paper is "Ten simple rules for succeeding as an underrepresented STEM undergraduate". Undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds (e.g., Black, Indigenous, and people of color, members of the Deaf community, people with disabilities, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, those from low-income backgrounds, or underrepresented genders) continue to face exclusion and marginalization in higher education. In this piece, we illuminate the "hidden curriculum" of STEM specifically as it relates to the underrepresented undergraduate experience. Material from this paper is formally incorporated into SCIE2111/BIIOL2111
Link: Paper PDF
September 2022
DSSLP launched in Fall 2022
The Dalhousie Science Scholars and Leaders Program (DSSLP) was formally launched in the Fall term of 2022. The launch included the debut of two new 2nd year courses: BIOL2111 and BIOL2112: Becoming a Scientist I and II. The program operates under the guidance of the Department of Biology's Diversity and Respect Committee. The program is open to all students with a passion for science and a desire to make a difference in the world through a career in science. The biology courses are cross listed as SCIE2111 and SCIE2112 to accommodate students from any department in the Faculty of Science.
September 2022
Do you have questions about the program?
Email us at j.bielawski@dal.ca and we will be happy to help!