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Our Mission
ASLA's mission is to bridge the gap between the
scientific community, schools, and the public by:
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Facilitating visits and activities by volunteer scientists, engineers and technologists to schools and public venues
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Providing supporting information and resources to teachers that will enable them to effectively promote science and technology awareness and interest
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Conducting science contests and mentoring services for students
The History of ASLA
written by Patrick Randall
The Atlantic Science Links Association (ASLA) has metamorphosed through various configurations in response to changing pressures. This project was started by Mike Keen. Mike had been Chairman of the Geology Department at Dalhousie, had been Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science, and then became Head of the Atlantic Geoscience Centre at BIO. Somehow, he had become aware of the need to make available to teachers at various levels, scientific expertise beyond their training. The reality is, that in many cases, teachers were finding themselves in situations where they were dealing with subject matter with which they were not fully familiar. Many of them felt that they and their students would benefit from the expertise of a scientist who worked in the area concerned, someone who would have the background to cover the topics in depth. Some of this demand may have been fuelled by the introduction of plate tectonics into science programmes in the years before. Mike ran a pilot programme in the city of Dartmouth in 1989 using the expertise of people known to him. This programme was well received and so he got a group of people, about a half of them geoscientists, together to explore the possibility of establishing a long-term programme. My involvement dates to that time, since I was Chair of our Geology Department, and I had known Mike since my student days.
Board Members and Officers
Arunika Gunawardena, President
Arunika Gunawardena joined the Biology Department at Dalhousie University in September 2006, after winning a prestigious University Faculty Award from NSERC (National Sciences and Engineering Research Council). Since then, she has been actively involved in outreach activities in the province. She is a professor of Biology and her lab studies Programmed Cell Death (PCD) in plant development (http://pcdlab.biology.dal.ca/). She is passionate about her research on PCD and very much enjoy teaching and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students. She joined ASLA in 2011 and recently became the President. She looks forward to the continued privilege of sharing her knowledge and love of science with young children.
Patrick Ryall
Patrick Ryall completed his Ph.D. in geology at Dalhousie in 1974. He spent a year as a Killam Post-Doctoral Fellow before going to Universiti Sains Malaysia to teach geophysics. After 3 years there he returned to Dalhousie as a Research Associate for 3 years before becoming a faculty member. Over the years he became more involved in administration, being Chair of the Geology/Earth Sciences Dept from 1986-96. He later became an assistant Dean, an Associate Dean, and Interim Dean for a year. He has been extensively involved in many professional organizations – he was the founding President of the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Nova Scotia, and volunteer organizations – he has been involved with ASLA since the beginning.
James Brenan
James Brenan is Professor and Chair of the Earth Sciences Department at Dalhousie (see official website). His research involves making magma in the laboratory, with the recovered products characterized for texture and composition. This information is then used to interpret the conditions at which natural igneous rocks form. He also seeks to understand the processes by which nature can achieve extraordinary enrichments in scarce precious metals to form mineable deposits. Brenan has a B.Sc. Honours from McGill (1985) and a Ph.D. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York (1990). He spent 19 years at the University of Toronto before joining Dalhousie in 2016.
Neil Ross, Treasurer
Neil Ross obtained his Ph.D. in biochemistry from McGill University in 1986. Following a two year postdoc at a pharmaceutical laboratory (Syntex Canada), he worked at the National Research Council for over 23 years as a scientist, a Director of Research and an industrial technology advisor. His primary research interests are in the area of aquaculture. He is currently assisting a number of small companies in developing their research and development needs. He loves getting into classrooms with students and bringing his joy of science to young minds.
Rajesh Rajaselvam, Executive Director
Rajesh Rajaselvam completed his post graduate degrees in Biology at Oxford University, UK, and the University of Toronto, Canada in 1997 and 2003 respectively. He joined ASLA as the Coordinator in 2011, and became the Executive Director in 2014. He is now a full time faculty member at Dalhousie University and teaches undergraduate courses in Ecology, Conservation and Plant Sciences (see official website). He has a strong passion for outreach activities and does this through ASLA.
Heidi McKnight-Whitford
Heidi is a Professional Engineer with a Master’s of Applied Science focused in Geotechnical Engineering. She has a background in consulting engineering and research, and is currently the Director of Professional Sustainment at Engineers Nova Scotia. As the Director of Professional Sustainment, she is responsible for raising public and member awareness of the Association’s purpose and roles, supporting professional sustainment, volunteer engagement, and enhancing registrant experience. She enjoys opportunities to share engineering expertise, and to educate young minds on opportunities in the field of engineering
Valerie Schagen, Administrative Assistant
Valerie Schagen began her undergraduate studies at the University of Guelph before transferring to Dalhousie University, where she earned her B.Sc. in Biology in 2024. Passionate about science and learning, she works as a part-time research assistant researching programmed cell death in plant development at the Gunawardena Lab at Dalhousie University, and volunteers her time teaching elementary school students at The Museum of Natural History in Halifax. As the Administrative Assistant for ASLA, Valerie aims to develop connections between the science community and classrooms, foster positive attitudes towards science.
Past Administrative Assistant
Samantha Beal
Shanukie Embuldeniya
Clare Snow Michaela Kember
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