Saint Mary’s University and TRIUMF shine light on the Strong Nuclear Force

Dr. Rituparna Kanungo, Department of Astronomy & Physics, and Amit Kumar, Master of Science alumnus, at TRIUMF.

Physicists are one step closer to understanding the mysteries of the strong nuclear force (the strongest force of nature) responsible for binding subatomic particles, thanks to Saint Mary’s researchers.

Astronomy and Physics professor Dr. Rituparna Kanungo and Saint Mary’s alumnus Amit Kumar, together with a team of Canadian and international researchers, have gained insight into the characteristics of the strong nuclear force through a highly-sensitive experiment conducted at ISAC Charged Particles Spectroscopy Station (IRIS).

IRIS is a Saint Mary’s University facility located at TRIUMF, Canada’s national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics in Vancouver.

Otherwise simply known as the “strong force,” the strong nuclear force is perhaps the least understood of the four basic forces in nature; the others are gravity, electromagnetism, and the weak force. Responsible for binding together the fundamental particles of matter (quarks) to form larger particles (protons and neutrons), the strong force also holds the atomic nucleus.

The project, which synthesized a state-of-the-art radioactive ion beam experiment and ab initio theory, was led by Dr. Kanungo and Dr. Petr Navratil from the TRIUMF theory department. Amit Kumar, a graduate of Saint Mary’s Master of Science in Applied Science, contributed greatly to the research at TRIUMF’s IRIS facility, as did TRIUMF postdoctoral fellow Angelo Calci.

The research work is published in Physical Review Letters highlighted as Editor’s Suggestion and discussed in APS Physics Viewpoint.

The team would like to gratefully acknowledge research support from NSERC, the Canada Foundation for Innovation and Nova Scotia Research and Innovation Trust. TRIUMF receives funding via a contribution through the National Research Council of Canada.

Saint Mary's Faculty of Science signs new 2+2 agreements with BNUZ

Saint Mary’s has had a partnership with Beijing Normal University (BNUZ) since 2002, encompassing a number of study abroad programs, transfer credit agreements, and a Saint Mary’s satellite campus at BNUZ.

There are 2+2 agreements in Business Science, and Arts that enable BNUZ students to complete the first two years of university study on campus at BNUZ, and to transfer to Saint Mary’s to complete the final two years of their degrees in Halifax.

Seated: Xiangdong Geng, Chair of University Council, BNUZ; Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray, President, SMU
Standing: Professors Hongyu Xiao and Hongshun Chen, Faculty Members, School of Information Technology, BNUZ; Dr. Malcolm Butler, VP Academic and Research, SMU; Dr. Steven Smith, Dean, Faculty of Science, SMU

On July 10, 2017, the Faculty of Science at Saint Mary’s University signed a new 2 + 2 articulation agreement with Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai.

BNUZ students can now complete the last two years of a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) with a Major in Computing Science at Saint Mary’s after successfully completing two years of required courses at BNUZ. Students graduate with a degree from Saint Mary’s University. A similar agreement for Psychology was signed on June 12 at BNUZ.

The most recent signing ceremony coincided with the BNUZ@SMU Summer Institute, an annual professional development program attended by faculty and administrators from BNUZ.

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Welcome to our BNUZ guests

SMU Alumnus becomes Canadian citizen on Canada 150

Stephen Robinson-Enebeli (centre right) stands with (from left to right) Dr. Mary Ann White, a recipient of the Order of Canada who presided over the citizenship ceremony; the Honourable Lena Diab, Minister of Immigration and Minister of Acadian Affairs and Francophonie; and a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Saint Mary’s engineering alumnus Stephen Robinson-Enebeli will always remember where he was on Canada’s 150th birthday: surrounded by friends and family, in the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, becoming a Canadian citizen.

“Saint Mary’s was a very welcome start to my life in Canada.”

— Stephen Robinson-Enebeli

“The room was overflowing,” he recalls. “I was so moved by the number of people who came in solidarity to welcome new Canadians, and to welcome me.”

Stephen immigrated to Halifax from Nigeria in June 2012, and he started Saint Mary’s Diploma of Engineering program that fall. He credits the university’s academic and non-academic support services, coupled with professors eager to help students succeed, with helping him integrate quickly and achieve his goals.

“Saint Mary’s was a very welcome start to my life in Canada,” says Stephen. “Everyone was so warm and friendly. With their support, I quickly became familiar with the culture of a new country and was able to thrive in university.”

After completing a Bachelor of Science and Diploma of Engineering at Saint Mary’s in 2015, Stephen pursued a Bachelor of Engineering degree at Dalhousie University, with a focus on mechanical engineering. This summer, he’s completing an internship at Welaptega Marine Limited, a Halifax-based subsea mooring inspection company, where he is modelling offshore underwater assets. He plans to graduate this Fall and is thinking about graduate school.

For Stephen, becoming a citizen on Canada’s sesquicentennial was an honour he won’t soon forget.

“Every dignitary who spoke at the ceremony reflected the sentiment in the room,” he recalls. “That of loving appreciation for Canada and the diversity of its citizens.”

Stephen Robinson-Enebeli (centre right) stands with family members and citizenship ceremony officiants.

Saint Mary’s honours back-to-back national football championship teams with Hall of Fame induction

Back-to-back national championships are being honored this year as two Saint Mary’s University football teams will be inducted into the Saint Mary’s University Sport Hall of Fame.

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13 Inuit leaders graduate with Sobey School Advanced Management Diploma

Saint Mary’s and partners recognized for efficient shared services program

Perry Sisk, Senior Director of Information Technology Systems & Support (second from left) represented Saint Mary's at the annual CAUBO awards ceremony in Ottawa.

The Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO), has awarded Saint Mary’s University and its partner institutions first prize in the category of Cloud Enabled Collaboration & Productivity at its annual conference in Ottawa.

Nova Scotia’s 11 post-secondary institutions make up the Nova Scotia Higher Ed IT Shared Services Program. Members are using the Office365 communication and collaboration platform to provide each institution with industry-leading cloud-based technology at lower costs.

A single procurement contract with Microsoft and a shared services project management office allows schools to share implementation plans, policies and best practices, change management and support services, as well as technical migrations and collaborative training. Vice-Presidents Finance and Administration, along with IT leaders from each institution, collaboratively manage the shared IT services.

The Office365 platform has enhanced both mobility and security, while reducing costs. Moving internal email systems and file storage to the cloud resulted in annual savings of $20,000 to $200,000 per institution for maintenance, and $100,000 system-wide in software licensing fees.

“Divested of servers and responsibility for upgrading applications and storage, IT organizations can focus on more value-added activities...”

In 2015/16, eight shared service projects were completed at a combined saving of nearly $350,000.

Divested of servers and responsibility for upgrading applications and storage, IT organizations can focus on more value-added activities, including ongoing transformation of service delivery, technology, and collaboration. In the future, the standardized platform could also facilitate sharing networks across multiple institutions.

Having leveraged the transferability of core infrastructure and IT systems among its institutions, Nova Scotia has created a model for adoption in other jurisdictions.

PhD candidate wins prestigious Vanier Scholarship

Amy Heim

Saint Mary’s University is proud to announce that Amy Heim, a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Science, is the recipient of a three-year Vanier scholarship worth $50,000 per year.

Heim’s work is in the area of Evolution and Ecology, and she was honoured for her research proposal titled “Using traits to enhance plant co-existence and maximize ecosystem services in the green roof environment.”

“I am very excited that Amy won this scholarship. It’s a great endorsement of her innovative research,” said supervisor Jeremy Lundholm.

A plant community ecologist who specializes in understanding the co-existence mechanisms between plant species in harsh environments, she is currently working in two distinct environments: the coastal barrens of Nova Scotia and on extensive green roofs.

Heim explains that both habitats are exposed to drought, high wind, and extreme temperatures, making them useful habitats to compare co-existence patterns in a natural and artificial environment.

“For my green roof research I am looking at how specific combinations of species with specific plant traits can improve the ecosystem services provided by green roofs,” says Heim.

Her work also focuses on better understanding how urbanism impacts humans and the environment as more people move to cities. “Our research will develop a practical approach for selecting high-performance plant combinations that will make green roofs more efficient, reducing several issues related to urbanism,” she explained.

When asked what this scholarship means to her, Heim said that it will let her fully concentrate on her research, and also make it easier for her to create collaborations with researchers across the globe. She has plans to complete an internship with a green roof researcher in Japan during the fall of 2018.

“As an international student, Amy is not eligible for regular NSERC scholarships, so we are grateful for this level of support for her PhD studies. This frees up grant funding and as a consequence I can now fund Amy’s travel to a conference in Italy in the fall,” said Lundholm.

“Research is a collaborative effort so I believe these opportunities will enhance my own studies,” says Heim.

About Vanier Scholarships

Vanier Scholarships are awarded to students in the areas of health research, natural sciences and/or engineering, and social sciences and/or humanities research.

The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships program aims to attract and retain world-class doctoral students by supporting students who demonstrate both leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate studies in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, and health sciences.

Three equally weighted evaluation criteria are considered: academic excellence, research potential, and leadership.

Canadian and international students are eligible to be nominated for a Vanier CGS. Vanier CGSs are valued at $50,000 per year, for up to three years. For more info, visit the Government of Canada site.