The department announces the appointment of two new Associate Chairs.

Prof. Bob Sica (right) is new Associate Chair for Graduate Studies, and Prof. Martin Zinke-Allmang(left) is Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies. These appointments are for a two year term, 2012-2014.

 

Bob and Martin each bring with them extensive experience of well over 20 years in the Department, and a desire to work actively for the upliftment of our programs.

 

Outgoing Associate Chairs are Prof. Aaron Sigut and Prof. Jeff Hutter.

 

Robert J. Sicais a Full Professor and geophysicist whose research focus is on atmospheric dynamics and its effects on constituent chemistry such as ozone, water vapor and aerosols. He investigates these problems primarily by using lidars (laser radars). Since arriving at Western in 1988 he has constructed one of the world’s most powerful lidar systems for studying the atmosphere from the surface to the edge of space. He is also an active participant in the Canadian Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Change lidar measurements from Eureka in the Canadian high arctic. He was awarded Western’s Florence Bucke Science Prize for Research in 2003. Bob has supervised 11 MSc and PhD theses in total. He has introduced innovative new courses at Western in atmosphere sciences as well as the application of basic physical principles to the motion of athletes through the air and water.

 

Martin Zinke-Allmang arrived at Western in 1990 from the Research Centre in Juelich, Germany, and has been a Full Professor since 1996. He ran a very active and well-funded research program specializing in Thin Film Growth, with well-referenced review articles in Thin Solid Films and Surface Science Reports. Martin has supervised 18 MSc and PhD theses in total. Starting in 1999, he developed a textbook “Physics for the Life Sciences” that has just been published in its 2nd edition with Nelson Ltd. and is used in Canada, the US, South Africa, and soon to be in Germany. He was Director of the Centre for Chemical Physics and a Reviewer of the Canada Research Chair program.