Friday, March 7, 20251:00 - 4:30 p.m.Saint Mary'sLoyola Conference Hall (LA290)Everyone is welcome!
Dr. Adam Sarty, Associate Vice President of Research, extends a warm invitation to this year’s Research Expo, an exceptional event to highlight and promote the innovative research of faculty and graduate students at Saint Mary’s University.
Come and experience what Saint Mary’s has to offer by visiting research displays from the faculty of Science, Sobey School of Business and Arts. There will be a series of three-minute presentations from five faculty members and industry, with a focus on environmental sustainability.
Springboard Atlantic
A special thanks to for their involvement and contribution towards helping make Research Expo happen! Saint Mary's is a member of Springboard Atlantic, which is a regional network of offices at most university's and colleges in Atlantic Canada that support researchers interested in collaborating with external partners to mobilize knowledge and protect results where possible.
2025 Agenda
1:00 p.m. - Event opening Networking and visiting booths3:00 p.m. - Welcoming remarks by Dr. Adam Sarty, Associate Vice-President of Research and Kevin Buchan, Director, Office of Innovation and Community Engagement 3:10 p.m. - Three-minute pitch presentations on environmental sustainability, hosted by Kevin Buchan4:00 p.m. - Opening remarks for Research Reception and announcements of the Staff Research Recognition Award, Dr. Adam Sarty4:30 p.m. - Closing of Research Reception
2025 Presenters
Dr. Erin AdlakhaDepartment of Geologyerin.adlakha@smu.ca
My research examines the mineralogy, geochemistry and geochronology of uranium deposits and other critical minerals to understand the geological environment under which they form and to aid effective mineral exploration efforts. The research initiates through field work to document the geological characteristics of the mineral occurrence (e.g. style of mineralization, host rocks, order of geological events) and to sample representative rocks. These rocks are then brought to the lab to undergo micro-analytical techniques such as micro-Xray Fluorescence mapping, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy to determine the mineralogy, mineral paragenesis (or relative order for mineral formation), mineral chemistry and geochemistry. Base don these results, specific minerals may be further analyses for radiometric isotopes as well as trace elements to reveal the timing and conditions of their formation. These result are important to understand the type of geological environments that form critical mineral deposits, which are essential natural resources for green technology and infrastructure, low-carbon emission energy sources, as well as securing our place in the supply chain for these mineral.
Dr. Tony CharlesDepartment of Environmental Servicestony.charles@smu.ca
Environmental sustainability and the well-being of people go hand-in-hand. Across Canada and around the world, local communities are showing successfully how this hand-in-hand synergy works. This is clear in Nova Scotia, ranging from a community garden in Northend Halifax, feeding people and protecting the environment, to fishing communities around the province, taking care of their local land and sea. This "power of community" is the focus of Dr. Tony Charles, who highlights how people and communities around the world are making a difference through their inspiring stewardship efforts.
Dr. Kate ErvineDepartment of Global Studieskate.ervine@smu.ca
Consensus is emerging that preventing the worst impacts of climate change will not be possible without the widespread deployment of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies that are able to remove CO2 from the atmosphere and store it durably for decades to millennia. How to effectively scale this nascent sector and to ensure that it complements emissions reductions instead of replacing them, poses a significant policy challenge. This challenge is complicated further by the need to secure unprecedented levels of finance for a good for which no natural demand exists. Dr. Ervine’s research emerges from these intersecting policy challenges, with a specific focus on comparatively assessing emerging models of CDR finance globally. By mapping and analyzing the potential benefits, opportunities, and risks of specific finance models and their ability to assist in meeting science-based climate targets, Dr. Ervine’s research seeks to offer policy and practical guidance for addressing one of the most pressing challenges of our time.
David Lewis (PhD Candidate)Department of Environmental Studiesdavid.lewis@smu.ca
Our research team is focusing on the impacts of 150-year-old contaminated tailings left behind by the historical Nova Scotia gold rushes. We are implementing biomonitoring approaches and developing an in-situ remediation approach for treating contaminated wetlands to allow natural recovery. This is linked to environmental sustainability through the responsible management of contaminated wetlands and supporting the natural recovery of a valuable environmental resource.
Dr. Todd VenturaDepartment of Geologytodd.ventura@smu.ca
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