SFU Science

SFU BPK grad Daniel Mao never imagined how far his co-op experience would take him until he landed a role in athletic footwear design at Adidas in Germany. https://ow.ly/e1Re50Z7PzQ

Congratulations to Dr. Brooke McNeil on receiving a Governor General’s Gold Convocation Medal and Dr. Chao Chun (Jimmy) Liu and Dr. Erin Williams on receiving Dean’s Convocation Medals!

Meet SFU’s 2026 Graduate Convocation Medalists! Celebrating excellence: https://www.sfu.ca/gradstudies/life-community/news-events/news/2026/graduate-convocation-medalists.html

Chemistry and nuclear science grad Rebecca Storck wasn’t fond of chemistry until an organic chemistry course changed her perspective. “For the first time, I felt a deep curiosity and passion to understand the world on a molecular level. The way the course was taught made me realise that chemistry is the key to unraveling the complexities of the universe.”

“I found my true passion when I started doing research at SFU,” she says. “Working with nanomaterials has a way of shifting how you see the world, you have to think about the smallest details and understand how things behave at the molecular level.”

Learn more about Rebecca: https://ow.ly/F7qH50Z6Sqk

Congratulations to the SFU Science Technical Centre on receiving a 2025 SFU Staff Achievement Award for Teamwork! The team works collaboratively to fabricate and repair a variety of different specialist instruments used in research and teaching at SFU, and the impact of their work reaches way beyond the Faculty of Science to facilities, Residence and Housing and even dining services on campus. https://ow.ly/xyGz50Z4tLB

Summer semester is underway and Student Learning Commons workshops at Sci-Space are here to help set you up for success, starting with Level Up Your Study Skills this Friday: https://ow.ly/mTnp50Z3QAC

New research from SFU Biological Sciences professor Tanya Brown has found more than 200 contaminants in water and juvenile Chinook salmon in the Lower Fraser River estuary, including industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals and personal care products. https://ow.ly/b85W50Z2UPI

It's World Bee Day! SFU Biological Sciences has some tips on how you can make life a little easier for your local wild pollinators:

It’s World Bee Day! If you are concerned about pollinator declines, there’s something you can do: plant flowers. Professor Elizabeth Elle of Biological Sciences at SFU is studying backyard biodiversity, and in a study of just nine gardens in 2025 documented 130 species of pollinators!

Clockwise from top left, popular flowers include:
🌻Coreopsis (from the aster family, with the specialist sunflower bee, Melissodes microsticta)
🌸 Crab apple (from the rose family, with a blue orchard mason bee, Osmia lignaria)
🪻Alliums (which supported 31 species of pollinators in the study! shown with a miner bee, Andrena prunorum).
🐝 And look for nests! 70% of our bee species nest in the ground, including this furrow bee, Halictus rubicundus. One female is about to enter the nest she dug in soil, and you may spot a second peeking out of a hole below!

With the mild spring showers continuing, Starry Nights is unfortunately cancelled for tonight, May 15. We hope to see you next week. Thanks as always to our friends at Royal Astronomical Society of Canada - Vancouver for their support of Canada's biggest Star Party!

SFU statistics major, business minor student Jackie Liu completed a summer co-op as a junior bioeconomy analyst with the BC Ministry of Forests.

“I conducted techno-economic research and market analysis on emerging bio-based technologies and low-carbon solutions. My work included carbon modelling across different scenarios to identify revenue-maximizing pathways, business case development, and cost modelling. I also used QGIS to create interactive spatial analyses and write clear, targeted briefings to support strategic decision-making.”

“One piece of advice I’d share is to stay in regular contact with your co-op coordinator. Schedule a few meetings throughout the semester to review your resume and cover letter. It is best to start early, ideally before your job search term begins, so you can submit high quality applications from the start. Good luck!”

Learn about Co-op opportunities in Science, Environment and Health Sciences at an info session on May 21: https://ow.ly/lE5M50YYvkJ

Science Rendezvous and International Astronomy Day is coming up soon! Join us this Saturday for a day of free, hands-on science activities: https://ow.ly/b6yV50YVQf3