Dr. Suzie Currie ('91) is the Dean, Faculty of Pure and Applied Science and Professor of Biology at Acadia.  Her career was inspired by many Acadia faculty and staff beginning with her Honours Biology degree in 1991.  Suzie left Acadia to study for her Master’s in Science and then her PhD at Queen’s University and was supervised by Acadia alumnus, Dr. Bruce Tufts (Class of 82). Notably, Bruce played football at Acadia and was part of the 1979 and 1981 Vanier Cup champion teams!  Shortly after completing her PhD, Suzie went on to the Charles and Katherine Darwin Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Cambridge, UK, where again, she worked with an Acadia alumnus, Dr. Bob Boutilier (Acadia Class of 1976, DSC, 1996).  Her Acadia roots run deep!  In addition to being Dean of the Faculty of Science, Suzie is an active researcher and marine and freshwater biologist, funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. Together with her students, she studies how fishes respond to climate warming and environmental stress.  

Believe it or not, there are over 300 species of air-breathing fishes. Suzie will provide an introduction to these amphibious animals and how they can shed light on our evolution and on the perils of climate warming in marine and freshwater environments. She will also discuss how social isolation, even in fish, can impact the ability to cope with stress.