SACKVILLE, NB — Dr. Jennifer Tomes has been appointed as Dean of Science at Mount Allison University. Tomes, who is an associate psychology professor and has been serving as the interim dean, will begin a five-year appointment on July 1, 2022.
 
“It was a great feeling to receive the acceptance letter. I’ve felt very supported in the Deans’ office over the past year and am excited to continue in this role at Mount Allison,” says Tomes. “Mount Allison has an incredibly strong science program and I look forward to working with my colleagues across campus to build on this success.”
 
Mount Allison’s Provost and Vice-President, Academic and Research Dr. Jeff Hennessy says Tomes’s robust research and teaching portfolios make her an ideal choice to lead Mount Allison’s science faculties. 
 
“Jennifer brings a wealth of experience, excellent problem-solving abilities, and a team-oriented approach to the role,” says Hennessy. “I look forward to working with her in the years to come to support and enrich science programming at Mount Allison.” 

Each of Mount Allison’s three faculties – Arts, Sciences, and Social Sciences — is headed by an academic dean. The dean is responsible for: promoting quality teaching and learning within the faculty; encouraging faculty professional development; administering student academic advising; supporting faculty and student research; and managing the faculty budget. The Deans work closely with faculty members in their areas as well as the Provost and Vice-President, Academic and Research and other members of the senior administration team.

As Dean of Science, Tomes will oversee the Faculty of Science which includes the Departments of Aviation, Biology, Biochemistry and Chemistry, Environmental Science, Mathematics and Computer Science, Physics, Psychology. The faculty also includes a Master’s program in some Sciences as well as several new certificate programs recently introduced.

Tomes is also Dean for Mount Allison’s newly created degree in Health Studies (BASc), which will begin in Fall 2022.

“Along with the new program in Health Studies and various we will also be working to build additional programs and degree options to meet students’ needs and interests and help prepare them for any number of career paths,” says Tomes. “We are also seeking to increase the profile of the University’s Master of Science degree program, which welcomes students from around the world in the fields of chemistry and biology.”

Tomes has worked at Mount Allison since 2000 and specializes in cognitive psychology. In addition to teaching courses in the department of psychology and recently serving as department head, she runs an extensive research program focusing on true and false memories, the impact of concussion, and applying cognition into the classroom. For the latter she co-edited the book, Mount A Teaches in 2016 with Dr. Louise Wasylkiw, which showcases the pedagogical methods and philosophies of faculty members across all disciplines at Mount Allison.
 
As the Dean of Science Tomes also represents Mount Allison as a member of Science Atlantic and the Canadian Council of Deans of Science. She is also an active member of the Maple League of Universities (Mount Allison, Acadia, Bishop’s, and St. F.X), focused on liberal arts and science educational opportunities and providing supports and opportunities for students, faculty, and staff across the campuses. The network allows the universities to work on courses together and hold workshops and discussions on best practices around teaching and research.

In addition to her administrative duties, Tomes will continue to teach psychology courses, focused on memory and forensic psychology (psychology and the law). She is also working with two honours students in cognitive science and psychology this coming year.