The following individuals have been nominated for positions on Science Atlantic’s Board of Directors. The vote will be held during the 2025 Annual Members Meeting, Nov. 14, 2025, hosted by St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS. There is one vote per Member Institution, exercised by the Dean/Institutional Representative or their proxy.
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Treasurer
Nominated: Katherine Gottschall-Pass (UPEI)
Kathy Gottschall-Pass obtained her BSc (Nutrition & Consumer Studies) from St. Francis Xavier University and a Dietetic Internship from Victoria Hospital in London, ON. She worked in healthcare and industry prior to obtaining a PhD in Human Nutrition from the University of Saskatchewan.
Dr. Gottschall-Pass is a nutritional physiologist. She has received funding from numerous sources including NSERC, CIHR, and industry. She has presented her work at national and international conferences and published numerous papers and technical reports. Dr. Gottschall-Pass has over 25 years teaching experience at both the undergraduate and graduate level. She is the co-author of an introductory nutrition textbook and was awarded an award for teaching excellence from UPEI in 2000.
Dr. Gottschall-Pass has served as a Department Chair, Interim Dean of Science, and Interim Vice-President Academic and Research at the University of Prince Edward Island. She has extensive experience in program development, organizational restructuring, and university administration, including having served as Vice-Chair of Senate. She has volunteered extensively including over 20 years as a surveyor for accreditation of nutrition programs, 3 years as secretary of the CSNS, 6 years on the Quality Assurance Committee for MPHEC, and 2 years as UPEI’s institutional representative for Science Atlantic. During her time with Science Atlantic, she played a key role in the creation of the Nutrition and Foods division.
Director, Institutional Representative (one vacant position)
Nominated: Sanjeev Seahra (University of New Brunswick, Fredericton)
Sanjeev Seahra obtained his PhD from the University of Waterloo and has held NSERC and PPARC postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom. He is currently the Dean of Science and a Professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics at the University of New Brunswick (Fredericton) and an affiliate member of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. He has previously served as the Director of AARMS (the Atlantic Association for Research in the Mathematical Sciences) and as Department Chair.
He has published over 50 peer reviewed articles on general relativity and cosmology; been the principal investigator of funded research collaborations with industry and governments; and led an AARMS Collaborative Research Group on the Mathematics of Black Holes. His recent work on infectious disease modelling has played a role in the governmental response to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Brunswick, the Northwest Territories, Prince Edward Island, and other jurisdictions. He has been named a University Research Scholar (2022-24) by the University of New Brunswick.
He has also been awarded for his teaching; been named a Friend of Guiding by the Girl Guides of Canada for founding the “All SySTEMs Go” provincial camps; and actively promoted science via public lectures and media appearances. He co-founded the AARMS Industrial Problem Solving Workshop program, which has spawned many new funded collaborations between Atlantic Canadian mathematical scientists and various non-academic entities. He has served as a member of the NSERC-Canadian Association of Physicists liaison committee.
Director: Community-at-Large (one vacant position)
Nominated: Carrie-Ellen Gabriel (DFO)
I am a bilingual environmental scientist and science educator, and I draw upon my interest, education and experience in multiple scientific disciplines (BSc Chemistry (CBU 1995), BSc Hon. Biology (Dal 1998), MSc Earth Science (StFX 2010), and PhD Earth Science (Dal 2020)) to develop a deeper understanding of Earth’s integrated systems and to determine the impacts of anthropogenic activities. I am a skilled communicator (written and oral), having published my NSERC-funded research in biogeochemistry in leading peer-reviewed journals, presented at regional, national and international conferences, and experience working with community stakeholders.
I am devoted to science education, with formal education, training (BEd, St. FX 2003) and broad frontline experience in teaching at all levels. Notable experiences include teaching junior high science and math, coordination of summer STEM camps, and consulting on inquiry-based science curriculum and bilingual classroom-ready resources on climate change for the government (NSDEECD, Dept of Agriculture) and non-profit sectors (Clean Foundation). I thrive in innovative, interdisciplinary environments, and delight in collaborating with others across disciplines, stakeholders and the community-at-large. In my role as a PhD student, researcher and limited-term professor in Earth Sciences at St. FX, I helped to foster community across campus by leading an interdisciplinary NSERC-CREATE seminar series, supporting student research, integrating service learning in my courses, and developing local community outreach programs for youth.
I am currently a sea-going aquatic chemist and laboratory manager with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) where I study carbon cycling in blue carbon ecosystems and ocean acidification. In this role, I report data from monitoring programs, provide science advice to management and stakeholders, volunteer with youth outreach, coordinate logistics for Arctic field programs, and am presently working on the regional strategic plan for DFO Maritimes. In my spare time, I am an accomplished musician and budding film-maker.
Statement of Interest
I am eager to contribute to the work of Science Atlantic, an organization that seeks to foster community across disciplines, that connects scientists with the community-at-large, and that helps to support the next generation of scientists. I believe I am ideally suited for the role of Director, Community-at-Large, due to the close alignment of my personal attributes, as outlined above, with the principles, mission, and vision of your organization, and due to my breadth of knowledge, skills and experience in the post-secondary sector in Atlantic Canada and the larger community. Notably, my current role as a federal government laboratory manager has allowed me to develop key senior leadership skills and competencies, especially in regards to strategic planning, policy, managing finances and budgets, and human resources. I approach my work with great care, integrity and enthusiasm, and would be honoured to act as a credible, passionate advocate for the post-secondary science community in Atlantic Canada.
Nominated: Ophelia Fernandes (Fora: Network for Change; Newfoundland and Labrador Organization of Women Entrepreneurs (NLOWE))
I am an MBA graduate (Social Enterprise and Entrepreneurship) from Memorial University and currently serve as Program Coordinator for NLOWE’s Inclusive Entrepreneurship Lab in St. John’s, where I am developing programming to support newcomer women entrepreneurs across Newfoundland and Labrador. I am also a Young Director with Fora Network’s Rise on Boards Program, where I am completing comprehensive training in board governance, strategic planning, fiduciary oversight, and inclusive leadership. I have most recently completed the GBA+ Analysis Certification as well.
Relevant Experience and Skills
My background aligns strongly with Science Atlantic’s mission to grow and connect post-secondary science communities:
- Governance Training: Currently completing advanced board governance training through the Rise on Boards Program, including practical exercises in strategic decision-making and fiduciary responsibility
- Community Building: Experienced in building partnerships across government, nonprofit, and private sectors to expand program reach and impact
- Quality & Sustainability: Led Certificate of Recognition (COR) certification processes and implemented ISO 9001:2015 quality management systems, demonstrating strong organizational and systems-thinking skills
- Communication & Engagement: Proven track record in stakeholder engagement, content creation, and building connections across diverse communities
- Atlantic Canada Connection: As a Memorial University graduate who also studied and worked in Australia, I bring both local knowledge and an international perspective to supporting science students and faculty across the region
Why Science Atlantic
Having benefited from Science Atlantic’s opportunities as a student, I am passionate about giving back and ensuring the next generation of science students has access to networking, research, and professional development opportunities. I am particularly interested in supporting Science Atlantic’s commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, and helping to strengthen connections between institutions across Atlantic Canada.
I am prepared to commit 3-5 hours per month, serve on a Board committee, attend meetings and the Annual Members Meeting, and support fundraising initiatives. My flexible schedule allows me to be responsive and engaged in advancing Science Atlantic’s mission.
Nominated: Shannan Grant (Mount Saint Vincent University)
Shannan Grant, RD, MSc, PhD, lives and grows in K’jipuktuk (Halifax), Nova Scotia, with her family. As a registered dietitian, Shannan has worked in clinical, community, public health and industry settings in Ontario, Northern Ontario and Nova Scotia. 2015-25, Shannan has been a devoted dietetic educator in the Department of Applied Human Nutrition, Faculty of Professional Studies, Mount Saint Vincent University, an Affiliate Scientist at IWK Health, and an Adjunct Professor in Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, passionate about inter-professional and interdisciplinary education, experiential learning, psychological safety, accessibility, and knowledge mobilization. While at MSVU (10-years), she has developed a successful research program, funded by internal and external grants, exploring nutrition and foods intervention development, implementation and evaluation. Since 2016, she has also been part of community-led initiatives in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) program development; including the NSERC PromoSci Two-Eyed Seeing Program.
Skilled in survey, clinical trials, quality assurance and health and wellness communications design and methodology, she is known for her unfailing advocacy for evidence-based decision-making and programming. Shannan has knowledge in and passion for human anatomy, physiology, and metabolism, clinical nutrition, and biological life sciences, which she has shared with youth through after school programming, undergraduate and graduate students through courses, research projects, and internships, and in the context of adult or continuing education.
Shannan enjoys spending time with her family and friends, gardening, hiking, collecting plant specimens, and cooking. True to her original training in Biological Life Systems at the University College of Cape Breton (Unama’ki), Shannan is captivated by botanicals and flora and passionate about plant pressing, from which she creates ‘pressed plant wall art’ and cards. Other interests include reading and writing, yoga, sewing, and spending time with her pets.
Her work and life are guided by many teachings, and frameworks, but perhaps most notably are Etuaptmunk (Two-Eyed Seeing), feminism, socioecological frameworks, internal family systems model, knowledge mobilization, and recent efforts (provincially and nationally) to increase accessibility through design.
Nominated: Asif Saiyed (Delviom, LLC)
I am deeply inspired by the organization’s mission to connect and strengthen post-secondary science communities across Atlantic Canada and would be honored to contribute to this vision through my leadership and experience.
I bring over a decade of experience leading AI, data engineering, and governance initiatives that integrate technical innovation with ethical leadership and community impact. My background spans the design and implementation of metadata-driven data platforms, responsible AI frameworks, and cloud-based analytics solutions across Microsoft Fabric, Azure Databricks, and Snowflake ecosystems. Throughout my career, I have prioritized equity, inclusiveness, transparency, and collaboration—values that align closely with Science Atlantic’s guiding principles.
I have worked extensively across academic, research, and financial ecosystems, leading initiatives that improve data quality, interoperability, and scientific collaboration. As a reviewer for IEEE and other peer-reviewed journals, I have evaluated innovative research in AI and data management, contributing to the advancement of open science and evidence-based decision-making.
As a Board Director, I would bring both strategic governance and technical insight to support Science Atlantic’s mission and sustainability. Specifically, I aim to:
- Engage actively with members to understand their perspectives and strengthen community collaboration.
- Support policy development and governance frameworks that promote equity, accessibility, and innovation.
- Advance responsible data and digital practices across post-secondary science communities.
- Contribute to sustainable resource allocation and organizational strategy to ensure long-term community impact.
I am fully committed to the principles of Inclusiveness, Leadership, Responsiveness, Community, and Sustainability, and I see this role as an opportunity to meaningfully contribute to Science Atlantic’s continued growth and influence.
Continuing to November 2026
Executive:
- Chair: Dale Keefe (Acadia University)
- Past Chair: Charles Macdonald (Dalhousie University)
Directors, Institutional Representatives:
- Céline Surette (Université de Moncton)
- Jennifer Tomes (Mount Allison University)
Directors, Division Representatives:
- Angie Birt (Mount Saint Vincent University)
- Darien DeWolf (St. Francis Xavier University)
- Deanne van Rooyen (Acadia University)
Directors, Community-at-Large:
- Svetlana Barkanova (Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland)
- Nick Nickerson (Eosense)
Director, Student Representative:
- Carter Clifton (St. Francis Xavier University)
Many thanks to outgoing Board members:
- Isaac Cook (Dal Innovates), Director-at-Large, Chair of Board Development
- Alain Joseph (Nova Scotia Community College), Director, Institutional Representative
- Steven Smith (Saint Mary’s University), Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee