Faculty of Science announces appointment of four department chairs

From left: Prof. Yi Huang (Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences), Prof. Laura Nilson (Department of Biology), Prof. Brigitte Pientka (School of Computer Science), Prof. Galen Halverson (Department of Earth and Planetary Science).

The Faculty of Science is pleased to announce the appointment of four department chairs, who began their terms on June 1. 

The three new chairs are Prof. Yi Huang (Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences), Prof. Laura Nilson (Department of Biology), and Prof. Brigitte Pientka (School of Computer Science).   

Prof. Galen Halverson, who has served as Chair of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences since September 2023, will continue in this role for another three-year term.  

“I am delighted to congratulate Professors Huang, Nilson, Pientka and Halverson on their appointments,” said Alanna Watt, Dean of the Faculty of Science. “Their leadership and commitment are invaluable, and I thank them for their dedication and service to their departments and to the Faculty of Science as a whole.” 

Prof. Yi Huang - Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (new, three-year term) 

Prof. Huang joined McGill’s Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences in 2011 and became a Full Professor in 2025. A member of the Trottier Space Institute, Huang and his Atmospheric Radiation Group use satellite remote sensing and numerical modeling to better understand how atmospheric radiation affects climate and weather variations. He succeeds Prof. Andreas Zeund as Chair of the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. 

Prof. Laura Nilson - Department of Biology (new, five-year term) 

Since joining Biology in 2000, Prof. Nilson has been an active leader at McGill alongside her research in developmental biology. She has served as Associate Dean at Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and as Associate Dean (Graduate Education) in the Faculty of Science. In 2018, she led the creation of the Faculty of Science Equity and Climate Committee (SECC) and received a McGill Equity Award in 2023. She succeeds Prof. Gregor Fussmann as Chair of the Department of Biology. 

Prof. Brigitte Pientka - School of Computer Science (new, four-year term) 

Prof. Pientka joined the School of Computer Science in 2003 and leads the Computation and Logic Group. Her research focuses on building the theoretical and practical foundations for reliable, safe software systems, combining work on the mathematical underpinnings of computer science with system design and development. She succeeds Prof. Matthieu Blanchette as Chair of the School of Computer Science. 

Prof. Galen Halverson - Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences (renewal, three-year term) 

Chair of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences since 2023, Prof. Halverson integrates sedimentology, stratigraphy, and isotope geochemistry to reconstruct ancient environments and understand the interplay between tectonics, climate, and early life on Earth. In 2024, he was appointed T.H. Clark Chair in Sedimentary & Petroleum Geology, and in 2025 was named a James McGill Professor.