TEAM
WHO WE ARE
The core team is based out of Dr. Doug Wallace's lab in the Department of Oceanography at Dalhousie University (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada). We're a mixed bag of scientists, engineers, and technologists, all with one common interest - developing and adapting existing technology for ocean research and exploration.
"Human pressures and dependency on the ocean are now global in scope, and extending deeper. What happens in a very distant part of the ocean—or atmosphere, for that matter—can affect us in Canada very directly. And at the same time, the waters and ecosystems off Canada play an enormously significant role for the well-being and economies of Canada and the World."
Dr. Doug Wallace, underDOG Project Supervisor
SCIENTISTS
DOUG WALLACE
Project Supervisor
EDUCATION
PhD (Oceanography) - Dalhousie University
BSc (Environmental Science) - University of East Anglia
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Currently, Doug is the Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Ocean Science and Technology as well as a Professor in Chemical Oceanography at Dalhousie. He is also the Scientific Director of the Marine Environmental Observation, Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR). See here for a full list of his professional experience.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Doug's research is focused on the interface between the atmosphere and the ocean and the exchanges between the two media. Realizing that instrumentation is a key part of understanding this interface, Doug is also highly interested and invested in ocean technology (e.g. AUVs!).
ALLISON CHUA
Project Lead
EDUCATION
MASc (Metallurgical Engineering) - Dalhousie University
BEng (Mechanical Engineering) - Dalhousie University
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Before beginning her PhD, Allison was a Production Engineer at Irving Shipbuilding for two years. She has also worked in the oil and gas and biomedical engineering industries.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
The underDOG forms the basis of Allison's PhD work, and thus is her main research interest. Broadly speaking, though, her interest is in addressing the challenge of taking useful measurements that can characterize oceanic events that change in three dimensions and over time.
ENGINEERS & TECHNOLOGISTS
AARON MACNEILL
Electrical Engineering Lead
EDUCATION
PhD (Electrical Engineering) - Dalhousie University
MASc (Electrical Engineering) - Dalhousie University
BEng (Electrical Engineering) - Dalhousie University
Certificate of Applied Science - Acadia University
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Currently, Aaron is working as an Electrical Engineer in Dalhousie's CERC.OCEAN lab. He is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Dalhousie.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Aside from AUVs, Aaron's research interest is focused in ocean technology, including offshore power systems and embedded systems. He is currently focused on work with the SeaCycler.
PIOTR KAWALEC
Mechanical Engineering Lead
EDUCATION
BEng (Mechanical Engineering) - Dalhousie University
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Currently, Piotr is working as a Mechanical Engineer in Dalhousie's CERC.OCEAN lab. He comes to us from the Faculty of Engineering at Dalhousie.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Although he has far more experience in design work above rather than below the water's surface, Piotr has never met a mechanical system he couldn't resist re-designing. This includes the SeaCycler, which is currently his chief responsibility.
MIKE VINING
Electronics Lead
EDUCATION
Dip. (Electrical and Electronics Engineering) -
Nova Scotia Community College
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Currently, Mike is working as a Research Assistant in Dalhousie's CERC.OCEAN lab. His past experience includes Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO), Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO), and Rolls-Royce Marine.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Mike's hands-on industry experience makes him the go-to person for pretty much every piece of oceanographic equipment in the lab. Working closely with Aaron, Mike is also a key part of the SeaCycler team.
COLLABORATORS
We have partnered with PhD candidate Florian Lange and his supervisor Prof. Dr. Gernot Friedrichs from the Institut für Physikalische Chemie at the Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (Kiel, Germany) on sensor development.
To learn more about this project, please visit the Science page (note: coming soon!)
FLORIAN LANGE
Sensor development
EDUCATION
BSc Chemistry - Philipps-Universität Marburg
MSc Chemistry - Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Most people only consider the vast depth of the ocean, and don't realize the importance of its 'skin', or the interface between the air and the sea. Florian studies the complex chemical interactions that occur in this (extremely) thin surface layer, which is about the thickness of a human hair! Although his work is in surface photochemistry and laser spectroscopy, Florian's broader interests include the development of other types of sensors used for oceanographic measurements.
Other institutional collaborators linked to the underDOG project include:
REFERENCES
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Fisheries and Oceans Canada. (2016). Multi-partner Research Initiative. Retrieved from http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/science/coe-cde/cooger-crpgee/mpri-eng.html
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Mullin, M. (2018). Government announces details of $1.5B plan to protect coasts, encourage trade [CBC news article]. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/oceans-protection-plan-1.4574451
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Government of Canada. (2016). Canada's Oceans Protection Plan. Retrieved from http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/canada-oceans-protection-plan.html
Last revised: May 2, 2020