Faculty and Staff
Full-time Faculty
Linda Campbell
Chairperson, Department of Environmental Science
Senior Research Fellow
Professor, Environmental Science
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/lmcampbell.bsky.social
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/linda-campbell
Office: S 227
Email: lm.campbell@smu.ca
Dr. Campbell's research interests include how contaminants cycle in aquatic food webs in Canada and around the world. Dr. Campbell is also interested in using multi-disciplinary approaches to improve our understanding of anthropogenic and natural impacts in the environment, with focus on aquatic ecosystems.
Tony Charles
Director, School of the Environment
Professor, Environmental Science/Management Science
Office: SB 115
Phone: 902-420-5732
Email: tony.charles@smu.ca
Dr. Charles' role at Saint Mary's is in both Management Science (School of Business) and Environmental Science (Faculty of Science). He is a committed interdisciplinary researcher, using a range of approaches to study coastal, marine, fishery topics, with a focus on how people interact with their environment and manage their natural resources. That includes looking at ocean uses like fishing, aquaculture, tourism, offshore oil and gas, and more. It also includes conservation approaches like protected areas, ecosystem-based management and community-based natural resource management. Dr. Charles is interested as well in methods for assessing and monitoring natural resource and environmental sustainability. He works in the Canadian Maritimes, and internationally with the United Nations and with colleagues in the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Japan and elsewhere.
Cristian Suteanu
Professor
Geography and Environmental Studies (Faculty of Arts) /
Environmental Science (Faculty of Science)
Office: B 106
Phone: 902-420-5731
Email: cristian.suteanu@smu.ca
Dr. Suteanu’s research focuses on: (a) the analysis and modeling of physical processes in Earth and environmental sciences, with applications ranging from climate dynamics and natural hazards to renewable energy; (b) investigations regarding epistemological aspects of our relations with the environment. Throughout his career he has been deeply involved in the theory and practice of understanding, learning, and education, seen as fundamental aspects of what it means to be human. He is the author of “Scale – Understanding the Environment” (Springer, 2023).
Aldona Wiacek
Professor, Environmental Science/Astronomy and Physics
Office: AT 308
Phone: 902-491-6481
Email: aldona.wiacek@smu.ca
Dr. Wiacek is interested in remote sensing of atmospheric trace gases and aerosols (solid or liquid suspended particles) involved in air pollution and climate. Her remote sensing research includes the development of both retrieval algorithms as well as ground- and satellite-based instrumentation. She is also interested in modeling the atmospheric transport of aerosols that affect ice clouds and climate.
Part-time Faculty
Peter Bush
Email: peter.bush@smu.ca
Peter Bush is a Provincial Forester with the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, primarily interested in old-growth, forest ecosystem disturbance and succession, ecological connectivity, remote sensing of ecosystems, and protected areas. Recent projects in his research lab include Functional Connectivity in Nova Scotia and PEI, impacts of HWA on hemlock forests, developing a Framework for Effective Conservation Accounting and Stewardship of Old-Growth Forests on Private Land, and the use of Sentinel and Lidar to identify old forests better. Peter has previously taught courses in Biogeography, Natural Resource Management, GIS, Landscape Ecology, Informatics, and Physical Geography.
David Foster
Email: david.foster@smu.ca
David Foster is a terrestrial environmental specialist and project manager at Strum Consulting where he works with colleagues and a variety of clients in conducting environmental assessments, engagement, and other projects. His research background includes forest and environmental management, forest modelling, urban forest studies and management, and engagement in natural resource management. David has previously taught classes in environmental management, environmental information management, and environmental ecology.
Susan Glenn
Email: susan.glenn@smu.ca
- Landscape Ecology
- Plant Community Ecology
- Environmental Education
Susan Glenn is an environmental educator. She spent 20 years in the US teaching environmental science, ecology, and botany, in the field, lab, and online. She also worked on curriculum development. Susan is excited to be teaching on Canadian soil at St. Mary's. Her expertise is in plant community ecology and landscape ecology.
Karen Harper
Office: Science 220
Phone: 902-420-5643
Email: karen.harper@smu.ca
Website: www.karenharperifern.com
Karen Harper is a plant biogeographer primarily interested in the spatial and temporal patterns of plant communities. Her research interests have expanded from a focus on forest edges in the context of fragmentation and conservation to include patterns of structural diversity. Recent projects in her research group include the relationship between vegetation structure and Atlantic Coastal Plain Flora at lakeshore edges in Nova Scotia, structural diversity in ripairan zones in Belize and edge influence on structural and taxonomic diversity at forest edges in fragments of Atlantic Forest in Brazil.
David Lewis
Email: david.lewis@smu.ca
David Lewis is a current PhD candidate in Applied Science at Saint Mary’s University, with a research focus on metal(loid)s in the environment. Their doctoral work investigates the remediation of arsenic-contaminated wetlands impacted by historical gold mining in Nova Scotia, using a combination of field studies, laboratory analysis, and advanced spectroscopic techniques. David’s teaching approach emphasizes real-world environmental problems, the interplay of natural and anthropogenic impacts, and an interdisciplinary perspective supported by diverse and inclusive learning experiences.
Peter Oram
Email: peter.oram@smu.ca
Areas of Interest:
- Environmental Impact Assessment
- Public and Indigenous Engagement
- Site Reclamation
Peter is an environmental impact specialist with over 35 years of industry experience leading multi disciplinary teams for projects in Canada, US and Caribbean. He has been a part time lecturer for over a decade at Dalhousie and Saint Mary’s Universities for impact assessment and indigenous experience with impact assessment. He is the Minister’s appointee on the Biodiversity Council of Nova Scotia and past President of the Mining Association of Nova Scotia.
Cameron Power
Email: cameron.power@smu.ca
Cameron is a PhD candidate in Applied Science at Saint Mary's University with a background in physics. His research focuses primarily on remote sensing of atmospheric trace gases in Atlantic Canada through spaceborne and ground-based measurements. Cameron is also the primary technician to the Saint Mary's University Atmospheric Observatory located on the roof of the Student Union Building on campus.
Matthew Retallack
Email: matthew.retallack@smu.ca
Matthew Retallack is an interdisciplinary policy professional with over 20 years experience working on environmental policy and natural resource management issues in the public, private and non-profit sectors, and academia. Currently serving as a Senior Strategist with the government of Nova Scotia, Matthew provides leadership for strategic planning and systems change through engaging staff, management, and other interested parties inside and outside government. This work builds on past research work investigating policy linkages within complex and dynamic social ecological systems, including his doctoral work on the political economy of watershed governance.
Thomas Steele
Email: thomas.steele@smu.ca
Research Interests: Invertebrate pathology, beneficial insects
Thomas Steele is a recent graduate of the Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Science program at Saint Mary’s University. His research has focused on diseases of beneficial insects, specifically microsporidia in lady beetles used for biological pest control, and factors that influence these sublethal chronic infections. Past projects include: the effects of multiple microsporidian-infections in beneficial lady beetles; formal descriptions of two new species of microsporidia from lacewings and lady beetles; the influence of stress and secondary metabolites on the development of microsporidiosis in lady beetles.
Adjunct Faculty
Tony Bowron
Email: Tony.Bowron@smu.ca
A co-founder, President and Coastal Wetland Ecologist with CB Wetlands & Environmental Specialists (CBWES Inc.),Tony Bowron has been working on coastal wetland restoration and monitoring projects in Nova Scotia since 1998. Research interests include the ecology of coastal wetlands, ecological restoration design & implementation, ecosystem response to restoration, and climate change adaptation (i.e. managed realignment, living shorelines).
Emily Chapman
Email: emily.chapman@smu.ca
Research areas:
Human health risk assessment of contaminated sites
Hazardous materials assessment
Environmental risk assessment and remediation
Donald McAlpine
Chair, Department of Natural History, New Brunswick Museum
Research areas:
- Biodiversity
- Ecotoxicology
- Epidemiology
Article: Notes on the natural history of Donald F. McAlpine
H. Peter White
Environmental Physicist, Research Scientist at the
Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation, Natural Resources Canada
Email: H._Peter.White@SMU.CA
With continued advances in optical remote sensing technologies, spectral detail directly related to the Earth’s environment is becoming more readily available and applied. By analyzing this wealth of information, remote sensing can move towards increased accuracy in characterizing the Earth’s surface, supporting initiatives in responsible natural resource exploration, in environmental monitoring, and in site remediation. Peter’s research activities works to advance capacity and develop new methods to extract information products supporting the monitoring and management of our natural resources and environment.
Dean Emeritus
David Richardson
Office: S 210
Phone: 902-496-8174
Email: david.richardson@smu.ca
David Richardson, Dean Emeritus has a research interest in lichens and has published widely on these plants including two books, `The Vanishing Lichens` and `Pollution Monitoring with Lichens`(which is available from the Saint Mary`s University Bookstore. He is co-chair of the Lichens and Mosses subcommittee of COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada). He is also Editor In Chief of the International journal Symbiosis which is published by Springer and has nine issues per year. He is also past President and Associate Editor of the Proceedings of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science.
Staff
Ashley Campbell
Manager, Interpreting Services Faculty of Science
ASL-English Staff Interpreter
Office: S219A
Phone: 902-496-8761
Email: ashley.n.campbell@smu.ca
Ashley Campbell is the manager of the SMU Faculty of Science Interpreting Services office and works as the STEM ASL-English staff interpreter for the faculty. She has considerable experience and expertise in interpreting and interpreting services coordination for diverse STEM settings ranging from classroom lectures & labs to outdoors research sites to international conferences. She has developed an in-house English-ASL/ASL-English dictionary of STEM terminology for interpreter preparation and development, produced Best Practice documents for interpreters working at SMU, maintained and updated the SMU Deaf Academics – Professional Interpreters website resource which is used by people across North America, and co-led the Atlantic Canada Sign Language Place Names project. She has served on the national ASL-English interpreting association (Canadian Association of Sign Language Interpreters [CASLI]) board in various positions (including president) and is currently the treasurer of the provincial association the Maritimes Association of Professional Sign Language Interpreters (MAPSLI).
Cornella Steele
Interpreting Services Faculty of Science
ASL-English Staff Interpreter
Office: S219A
Phone: 902-491-6661
Email: cornella.steele@smu.ca
Cornella Steele is one of the staff interpreters with Interpreting Services. They were an Intern with Interpreting Services, with a passion for STEM Interpreting and the outdoors. Originally from Alberta, born to a Deaf family they are a Child of Deaf Adults (CODA) and a heritage language user of American Sign Language (ASL). Cornella is currently the treasurer for a local interpreting association, Maritime Association of Professional Sign Language Interpreters.
Jess Younker
Science Technician
Office: S 104
Phone: 902-496-8260
Email: jessica.younker@smu.ca
Research Assistants/Associates
| Name | Position (Supervisor) | |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. Emily Chapman | Research Associate (Campbell) | |
| Larissa Sweeney | Research Associate (Charles) | |
| Heidi Gavel | Research Technician (Campbell) | |
| Hailey Wigmore | Research Assistant (Wiacek) |
Students
| Name | Students (Supervisor) | |
|---|---|---|
| ASM Hasan Latif | PhD APSC Candidate (Charles) | |
| David Lewis | PhD APSC Candidate (Campbell) | |
| Abdul Mussa | PhD APSC Candidate (Charles) | |
| Shahriar Nazrul | PhD APSC Candidate (Charles) | |
| Cameron Power | PhD APSC Candidate (Wiacek) | cameron.power@smu.ca |
| Madison Bond | MSc APSC Candidate (Campbell) | |
| Kaitlyn Kerr | MSc APSC Candidate (Campbell) | |
| Enobong Udoh | MSc APSC Candidate (Campbell) | |
| Kagan Akiyama | BSc Hons Candidate ENVS (Wiacek) | |
| Lukas Donovan | BSc Hons Candidate PHYS (Wiacek) | |
| Bradley Knockwood | BSc Hons Candidate GEOG (Campbell) | |
| Liam Hill | BSc Candidate CHEM (Campbell) |