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 ( see official website ) . 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 PhD in geology at Dalhousie in 1974. He spent a year as a Killam PDF 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 PhD 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 PhD 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. Heidi McKnight-Whiteford 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 Outreach and Partnerships at Engineers Nova Scotia. As the Director of Outreach and Partnerships, 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.

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 University Teaching Fellow 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.

Administrative Assistant (Current)

Samantha Beal

Samantha Beal joined ASLA in 2023 as the Administrative Assistant. She recently completed her M.Sc. in the Biology Department at Dalhousie University. Samantha is passionate about the importance of conservation and science communication, and she enjoys finding new ways to engage with science beyond the classroom..