Faculty of Science Council Meeting April 13, 2017 April 13, 2017 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Faculty of Science Council Meeting

April 13, 2017

April 13, 2017

Today’s Agenda

• 1. Review of Agenda
• 2. Approval of Minutes of January 12 Meeting
• 3. Introduction and Brief Vision Statement, Acting Dean
• 4. Faculty of Science Transitions: Introductions and Brief Vision Statement
• 5. Proposed School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences
• 6. Science Research Portfolio Update
• 7. Nominating Committees
• 8. Joint Teaching Fellowship
• 9. Science Senators Report
• 10. Undergraduate Awards 2017

Acting Dean

Pauline Barmby

Associate Dean Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

Jisuo Jin

Graduate and Postdoctoral studies in science Vision and priorities (Jisuo Jin)

Continue to improve the quality and reputation of graduate and postdoctoral studies in science at western.

 Promote a healthy and supportive environment for GPS (funding, space, inter- personal relationships, and other supports);  Promote research quality and productivity (e.g. highlight the dissemination of results of GP research in Science);  Promote professional development / career preparation (writing and other communication skills, teaching experiences, etc.);  Promote interdisciplinary breath and collaboration (e.g. multi-departmental graduate and PDF research conferences).

Acting Associate Dean Academic

Ken Yeung

Ken Yeung

Department of Chemistry (50%, Home) Department of Biochemistry (50%) Assistant Professor (2001 – 2007) Associate Professor (2007 – ) Undergraduate Chair, Chemistry (2012 – 2014) Associate Chair, Chemistry (2015 – )

Undergraduate Courses Taught: Biochem 4465B (Proteomics) Chem 3372G (Analytical Chem) Chem 2272F (Analytical Chem) Chem 1302B (General Chem)

Top Priority: Maintain smooth operation of undergraduate affairs in the Faculty of Science

• A. Formalize the process for Varsity event accommodation with Health Studies.
• B. Most common accommodation requests.
• C. A form for Academic appeals with pre-set questions.

Refinement: explore opportunities that can make use of electronic forms

Vision: Fostering the Quality Indicators for “Best Student Experience”

2. Rebrand ongoing professional development 1. Promote high-impact educational practices (HIEPs) 3. Review recruitment priorities

Centre for Advanced Materials and Biomaterials Research (CAMBR)

Elizabeth Gillies, Acting Director Department of Chemistry Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering

Current status of CAMBR

Centre that brings together researchers across faculties in area of materials and biomaterials

A Faculty of Science research theme encompassing: 1) Materials for Health 2) Materials for Sustainable Energies 3) Innovative Functional Materials 4) Earth and Astromaterials

Review of CAMBR is required according to Western Senate policy

Extension until June 2018 Need to conduct strategic planning and internal review to decide future directions

Plans for the next year

Strategic planning exercise

Should CAMBR renew as a Centre? What are the strategic research priorities where Western can lead in Materials and Biomaterials? What are infrastructure needs? What are faculty recruitment needs (e.g, CRCs)? How can CAMBR help coordinate large grant initiatives?

Bring CAMBR through the renewal process Opportunities to provide your feedback

Feel free to contact me

Proposed

School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences

What is it?

• School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences
• Closer academic and administrative

association among three departments in FoS

Why a School?

• Old academic divisions no longer make sense
• Increase visibility at Western and beyond
• Operational benefits to be realized too

Why Not Merge?

• Preserve decidedly different cultures
• Cultures need not be disrupted altogether in
• rder to realize the scientific benefits of closer

association

• Operations can benefit without a merger

How is it to be Structured?

School Director APPLMATH Chair Program Chair P & T, APE DSAS Chair Program Chair P & T, APE MATH Chair Program Chair P & T, APE RES Chair Program Chair P & T, APE

Impact

• Minimal for those outside participating depts.
• Improved service teaching
• Still eager to collaborate
• Math will still have a central place in science

Science Research Portfolio Update

Bryan Neff

2016-2017 Awards

NSERC Steacie Fellowship

• Elizabeth Gillies

Hellmuth Prize

• Tsun-Kong Sham

CFI - JELF

• Johanna Blacquiere, Sheri Molnar

NSERC CRD

• Liz Webb and Patricia Corcoran, Matt Davison, Marc

Moreno Maza

2017 Discovery Grants

80% overall success rate Total annual funding increased by $128K Excellent Outcomes

• Yuri Boykov, Graham Denham, Keith

Hobson, Mikko Karttunen, Rogemar Mamon, Brent Sinclair

2017 Discovery Grants

Research Tools & Instruments

• 42% success rate (5 of 12 funded)
• Science average $135K
• Brian Branfireun
• Giovanni Fanchini
• Francois Lagugne-Labarthet
• Bryan Neff
• Liana Zanette

NSERC SPG-P

83% invited to submit full proposals (5 of 6 LOIs)

• Irena Creed
• Giovanni Fanchini
• Norman Huner
• Kostas Kontogiannis
• Bryan Neff

U15 Science

6 12 (8)

High impact publications

Nature

• Audrey Bouvier - Primitive Solar System materials and Earth share a

common initial 142Nd abundance

Science

• Gordon Osinski - The formation of peak rings in large impact craters
• Kristy Tiampo - Surface uplift and time-dependent seismic hazard due to fluid

injection in eastern Texas

Nature Communications

• David Smith - The Gonium pectorale genome demonstrates co-option of cell

cycle regulation during the evolution of multicellularity

• Fred Longstaffe - Agriculture causes nitrate fertilization of remote alpine lakes
• Jan Cami - Atomically resolved phase transition of fullerene cations solvated

in helium droplets

• Liana Zanette - Fear of large carnivores causes a trophic cascade
• Tsun-Kong Sham - Platinum single-atom and cluster catalysis of the

hydrogen evolution reaction

Nominating Committee Update/Discussion

1) Suggested change to filling 1-year replacements for P&T committees Current:

• Same process as used to fill the 3-year full term positions
• Department representatives on the Nominating Committee (with

Department Chair) solicit nominees for the position. A FoS vote is held to elect the replacement. Suggested Change:

• Fill the position with the nominee that had the 2nd highest number of

votes on the initial election for the 3-year full term position.

• The nominees have already all been vetted by the Department and

deemed as suitable

Nominating Committee Update/Discussion

2) Short Bio Blurbs for nominees in FoS elections

• All members of the FoS vote to fill open service positions (i.e. P&T

committees, representative on Faculty council for other Faculties, etc) Current:

• Only the names of nominees are provided in the vote. If the nominee

is outside of your home department it is difficult to make an informed decision when voting. Suggested Change:

• Nominees should provide a short (1-2 sentence) bio blurb that

conveys why they are well suited for the given position.

• The Nominating Committee will provide examples or prompts

Nominating Committee Update/Discussion

3) Process for elections that have >2 nominees for a position

• Ideally an individual is nominated with majority support, which is not

guaranteed if there are >2 nominees for one position. Current:

• First past the post voting

Suggested Change:

• Ranked ballot

Ranked Ballot Example

• 1 position with 3 nominees A-C, 100 voters
• Voters rank A-C, where ‘1’ is their top ranked candidate.
• 1st choice (1) candidates are tallied

Nominating Committee Update/Discussion

3) Process for elections that have >2 nominees for a position Case #1: Majority based on 1st choice votes

Nominee A Nominee B Nominee C Top choice (1) votes 60 20 20

Candidate A wins the election

A B C 1 votes 40 35 25 2 votes from C ballots 5 20 X Total 45 55

Candidate B wins the election Case #2: No Majority based on 1st choice votes Round 1: C has fewest votes and is removed. 2nd choice nominees from ‘C’ ballots are tabulated

Joint Teaching Fellowship in Science

Lindi Wahl Applied Math Tom Haffie Biology

“Students as Partners”

3 yr, 40% secondment $50K/yr funding

Science Senators Report

Undergraduate

• Fall Study Week (Thanksgiving Mon-Fri)
• 15% of grade 3 days before drop deadline
• Drop deadline pushed back to Dec 7
• Blended courses: at least 30% on-line
• No classes between 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
• Gold Medalists: avg.in top 10% of dept.

Science Senators Report

Graduate

• Proposed new hub-and-spoke (Master of Data

Analytics) is awaiting Quality Council Approval

• New spoke (Applied Science) in the MMASc

program

Other

• Computer Science cyclical review: achieved the

highest rating

Undergraduate Awards 2017

• competition for undergraduate students

completing 3rd- or 4th-year

• 25 categories spanning Science, Arts &

Humanities, Social Science, etc.

• students submit work already completed that

earned an A

• top submissions are published and invited to the

UA Global Summit in Dublin

• submission deadline: June 13
• more info: www.undergraduateawards.com