The Brewer-Wilson seminar series is the EAPP group's regular Friday lunchtime seminar series. Alan Brewer was a faculty member of this department from 1962-1977 and a founding member of the Atmospheric Physics Group with interests in both atmospheric instrumentation and dynamics. His work with Dobson at Oxford from 1948 to understand stratospheric water vapour, resulted in the Brewer-Dobson circulation theory. He also developed the Brewer spectrometer for measurements of ozone, a fore-runner to the MAESTRO instrument, which underwent characterisation at our space test facilities in 2003. Over his illustrious career he supervised both John Houghton and Tom McElroy. J. Tuzo Wilson was a faculty member of this department from 1946-1993 and is credited as the "father" of plate tectonics theory. He pioneered the use of air photos in geological mapping, was responsible for the first glacial map of Canada, was the 2nd Canadian to fly over the North Pole, and was a leader in the research of glaciers, mountain building, the geology of ocean basins and the stucture of continents.

Seminar aims

The Brewer-Wilson seminars provide EAPP graduate students, postdocs and research associates with an opportunity to present their work to their colleagues in an informal setting. The seminars give presenters a chance to get feedback on research and presentation skills and to gain confidence for formal oral presentations. Attendees benefit by gaining a broad perspective on the theoretical and experimental work of the EAPP Group. The Brewer-Wilson series has a formative rather than an evaluative purpose: that is, it is not meant as a formal tool for evaluating students in the EAPP Group, but primarily as a means of training students in the group.

All members of the EAPP Group, especially students, postdocs, and research associates, are expected to be actively engaged in the series, by their attendance and participation. Attendance is especially encouraged if the research topic is outside your area of study! Faculty will attend as their schedules permit.

The series is held at lunchtime on Fridays, during the regular undergraduate fall and spring terms. All graduate students in the EAPP Group, apart from M.Sc. students and first year direct entry Ph.D. students are expected to regularly present in the series. Each week's seminar will consist of a 35-40 minute talk followed by 5-10 minutes for questions. A short abstract for the upcoming talk will be circulated at the beginning of each week. 

The Brewer-Wilson series is convened by students in the EAPP Group who organize the schedule in consultation with the faculty. The 2024-2025 conveners are Anson Cheung and Eylon Vakrat.

Where and when

The 2024-2025 Brewer-Wilson Seminar Series will be an in-person seminar and will be held in MP606, on the 6th floor of the Burton Tower in McLennan Physical Laboratories ( 60 St. George Street). All seminars take place at noon on Friday. The title and the abstract will be distributed at the beginning of each week.