Antigonish Nova Scotia’s St. Francis Xavier University chemistry department made a strong showing at the 68th International Conference on Analytical Sciences and Spectroscopy, held in Halifax from June 17 to 19, 2026. Faculty members and undergraduate students presented research on clean fuels and water treatment, with one student earning a top prize.
Drs. Geniece Hallett-Tapley and Erwan Bertin were invited speakers at the conference, which is organized by the Canadian Society for Analytical Sciences and Spectroscopy. Dr. Hallett-Tapley presented work on using light to create chemical feedstocks and clean fuels, based on research by former student Leah Baylis. Dr. Bertin discussed advanced water treatments for urea oxidation, from work done by former student Noah Ruscica, who is now at Western University.
Four undergraduates from the Tapley Research Group also shared their work through poster presentations. Ella MacPhee, Makayla Bugden, Scarlett Evans, and Zoe Sturmy all presented to conference attendees, with MacPhee earning second prize in the poster competition.
The participation highlights StFX’s commitment to undergraduate research, a factor in the university’s top reputation ranking in Canada, according to Maclean’s 2026 undergraduate category. The chemistry department has received nearly $600,000 in infrastructure funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and Research Nova Scotia in 2023 to support such work.
The annual conference, now in its 68th year, brings together experts in analytical sciences from across Canada and beyond. StFX’s presence this year underscores its growing role in scientific research and the opportunities it offers students in Antigonish.
