Employment & Opportunities

Assistant Professor - St. Francis Xavier University 

Position Description

The Department of Earth Sciences invites applications for a nine-month limited term appointment beginning August 14, 2023.

Applicants should have either have, or be finishing, a Ph.D. degree in the Earth Sciences. Candidates will have demonstrated excellence, or show promise of excellence, and interest in undergraduate teaching and experiential learning. The ideal candidate should have a background in the solid earth geosciences and capacity to teach across a broad range of Earth and Environmental Science courses in the department. Courses may include introductory Earth Science, structural geology, metamorphic petrology, geochemistry and field methods.

Application Instructions

Consideration of applications will commence on February 28, 2023 and will continue until the position is filled. To apply, please submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae, a statement of teaching and research interests and experiences, and the names of three references via email to:
Dr. Lisa Kellman
Chair, Department of Earth Sciences
St. Francis Xavier University
Please forward applications to the following email address:

St. Francis Xavier University is located in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.

Our institution is committed to upholding the values of equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including Indigenous persons (especially Mi’kmaq), racialized persons (especially African Nova Scotians), persons with disabilities, those who identify as women and/or 2SLGBTQIA+ and any others who would contribute to the diversity of our community. Please note that all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, applications from Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

We are also committed to the elimination of barriers to participation for persons with disabilities. Should you require an accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact Human Resources at or 902-867-5038.

About St. Francis Xavier University

Established in 1853, St. Francis Xavier University (StFX) is consistently recognized as one of the best universities in Canada. StFX exceeds the needs of today’s undergraduates through providing the very best academic experience -- outstanding teaching, exceptional hands-on research opportunities, and global exchanges -- all within Canada’s most vibrant and inspiring residential campus. Here, the focus is on the academic and the personal development of every student, making community and social engagement a large part of the learning experience. Our students are academically strong and highly engaged in every aspect of life, determined to make a positive impact on the world.

In 2022, Maclean's annual university rankings put StFX #1 in student satisfaction and #2 in reputation across Canada in the primarily undergraduate category. For more, visit here.

About Antigonish, Nova Scotia

The beautiful and historic town of Antigonish is located within the northeastern corner of Nova Scotia. Only a 15-minute drive from the ocean and a two-hour drive to major urban centres, Antigonish is a family-friendly community with a diverse and growing population and provides access to excellent education at all levels. The town is surrounded by rolling countryside and beautiful beaches and is a hotspot for outdoor recreation, sports and other active lifestyle activities. Antigonish supports a vibrant culture in the arts with music, performing arts, visual arts and crafts, and fabulous festivals happening throughout the year. For more information visit here.

Ocean Camp Guide - Ocean Ambassadors Canada

Overview

Ocean Ambassadors Canada is a not-for-profit company that is focused on turning the tide on marine pollution by creating interactive learning experiences that encourage the love of the ocean. Our spring and fall school field trip programs provide students in grades 1 – 10 in the Lower Mainland with an inspiring educational experience that culminates in our on-the-beach Ocean Camp, Gumboots and Ocean Health Inquiry programs. Students discuss the ways ocean plastics impact marine life and discover ways they can make a difference. Our summer TideRider camps are creating a community of ocean ambassadors by connecting kids aged 8-12 with the ocean. Participants will develop a relationship with the ocean through personal experience, exploring the intertidal zone, learning about the problem of plastics and other pollutants in the oceans, and developing leadership skills. Our team strives to encourage meaningful connections to nature while creating a fun environment for learning and skill development.

Participants learn to stand-up paddleboard with all of the best equipment to make their time on the water comfortable and fun. On the beach, participants learn how plastics are made and how they break down, discuss the ways ocean plastics impact marine life, and discover ways they can make a difference. Students discuss our culture of consumption and convenience, including fast fashion.

Position Description

The Ocean Camp Guide is responsible for safely leading workshops for groups of participants in school and summer camp programs. Workshops include learning activities and on-water stand up paddleboard sessions. The Ocean Camp Guide will directly involve participants in a program of learning and discovery of the beach and ocean environment. The Ocean Camp guide will actively engage with participants in creativity and free play activities on the beach.

Camps have small instructor to participant ratios and are based at Hollyburn Sailing Club at Ambleside Beach in West Vancouver and Kitsilano Yacht Club or Royal Vancouver Sailing Club in Vancouver. Your typical week will consist of spending half of your time on the beach delivering educational workshops, and half of your time on the ocean paddle boarding. Your workday will include set up and take down of equipment each day.

Job Responsibilities

• Use best judgment to provide fellow guides and participants with a safe and fun environment
• Communicate effectively with Program Coordinator, other guides, teachers, parents and participants
• Maintain a professional and positive attitude
• Maintain SUP equipment, program equipment, daily upkeep of van
• Fit PFD’s, paddles and provide equipment information to participants
• Deliver stand up paddle lessons that include information about ocean health and ocean life
• Lead intertidal discovery walks, beach activities, and workshops
• Ensure group safety and conduct an assessment to determine potential for physical and/or environmental limitations
• Ensure storage of waivers and other relevant paperwork
• Provide photos for social media posts regularly
• Liaise with sailing club members and staff and maintain a positive relationship with stakeholders
• Other related duties as required

Qualifications

• Passion for sustainability and the Ocean
• Must have proficient Stand-Up Paddleboard skills
• Must be comfortable working in an outdoor environment, including on the ocean, in all weather conditions
• Must be an excellent team player, with a positive attitude
• Must be able to make programs fun and engaging, and be a mentor to volunteers and participants\
• Must be able to communicate in an effective, professional and friendly manner with kids, parents, supervisors and co-workers
• Experience working with children preferred
• Knowledge of local history and Pacific Northwest ecology is a benefit

Please contact: , or click here.

News & Events

Solving the Sustainability Challenges at the Food-Climate-Biodiversity Nexus - A Panel Discussion

Tuesday, February 27, 2023
5:00-6:00 PM, Reception with lights refreshments to follow. Please RSVP here.
Aquatic Ecosystems Research Laboratory (AERL) Theatre, 2202 Main Mall

The ocean’s capacity to sustain life and support human wellbeing is increasingly threatened by intensifying climate change that exacerbates other non-climatic human stressors such as overfishing, pollution, and invasive species. The world is facing the major challenge of finding just, equitable and culturally-sensitive ways to feed and nourish the future human population while achieving biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation goals. This is the focus of the Solving the Sustainability Challenges at the Food-Climate-Biodiversity Nexus Partnership (Solving-FCB).

Join us to hear from an international interdisciplinary panel that will discuss the development of marine and aquatic food-climate-biodiversity solutions that explicitly consider their complex social and ecological contexts. The panel will highlight case studies in Canada, China, Costa Rica, Nigeria/Ghana and the Netherlands to elucidate different potential pathways towards achieving food security, climate mitigation and biodiversity conservation goals.

IOF SEMINAR, “The role of sociality in cetacean ecology, evolution, and conservation” - February 17, 2023

Sociality – the suite of socially learned behaviors specific to a group of animals – is increasingly recognized as a survival strategy that is integral to the evolutionary ecology of many non-human animals. This is especially true in marine environments, where there are few barriers to dispersal, and top predators must find other ways to segregate and identify their niche space.

In this presentation, Dr. Van Cise will share four examples of recent research that incorporate the lens of sociality into our understanding of the evolutionary ecology of cetaceans as top marine predators. From evolutionary trajectories to population health to management implications, understanding the effects of sociality can provide important insight relevant to both the ecology and conservation of top marine predators. 

Speaker: Dr. Amy M. Van Cise, Assistant Professor. Whale and Dolphin Ecology Lab, University of Washington

Time: Friday, February 17, 2023 - 11:00am  - 12 noon. Online: ZOOM

UBC members, alumni, and all others, please RSVP at here.

FOSI seminar: Introducing the new dual beam FIB-SEM in UBC Bioimaging facility - February 27, 2023

We completed the installation of the new dual beam Focused-Ion-Beam (FIB)-SEM in BIF, and the equipment will be available for training and service in March.

For next February FOSI seminar on February 27th at 2 pm in the MSL auditorium or Zoom, Miki will give an overview of the Zeiss Crossbeam 350, Lucas Andrew (MacLachlan lab, Chemistry) and Sam Livingston (Keeling lab, Botany) will present applications for material and biological samples respectively.  Talk will cover field-emission SEM, EDX, focused-ion-beam (FIB) milling, 2D tiling with Atlas software, 3D FIB-SEM, and Deep Learning Tool in Dragonfly software.

Snacks and coffee will be provided for those attending in person outside the MSL auditorium!

Please arrive 15 min early as food and drink is not allowed in the room.

For those who would like to join the seminar remotely, please use the Zoom link below.

https://ubc.zoom.us/j/64682599472?pwd=S2RkME1rZk9GUTdEaSt1aGp5NGNZUT09

Meeting ID: 646 8259 9472

Passcode: 310456

If you would like to access the recorded seminar, please contact Miki (bif.manager@ubc.ca).