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Each year, up to 80 first-year Bachelor of Science students enroll in DISP, which provides the cohort with an opportunity to gain an interdisciplinary perspective in science while developing research and science writing skills. Though the program only lasts a year, DISP students benefit from the early research experience during the rest of their BSc, with many opting to pursue an honours program.

See how DISP shaped the paths of two recent Dal alumni.

Interested in applying? Learn more about DISP.

Seeking out the ocean – Kendra Mainprize

Born and raised in the small farming town of Beeton, Ontario, Kendra Mainprize (BSc’25) knew she would have to leave home to study marine biology. 

“I just wanted to be where the ocean was,” Kendra says. Having first heard of AV���ֲ� and the Integrated Science Program (DISP) through a chance encounter with a DISP student while travelling around Ontario in high school, she learned more after visiting Nova Scotia for the first time, meeting students in the program during a campus tour.

“Everyone only had good things to say about DISP,” Kendra recounts. “A smaller community while going to such a big school, especially when moving away from home, was really appealing to me.”

After enrolling in DISP, Kendra welcomed the chance to get involved with research, participating in a blue shark tracking project with the Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO). “It was really cool to work with shark researchers at the BIO in my first year of university,” she says, adding that the experience inspired her to seek out more research opportunities, including an Honours project supervised by Dr. Ramón Filgueira of the Marine Affairs Program.

After DISP, Kendra made the most of her undergraduate experience, completing the requirements for two certificates (Aquaculture and the Environment & Science Communication and Leadership) and heading abroad for internships in the Bahamas, as part of the Queen Elizabeth Scholars (QES) program, and in Germany at the through .

It took a fifth year to fit it all in, but Kendra was ultimately awarded the University Medal in Marine Biology when she graduated in spring 2025. She plans to pursue a PhD, but not before taking a year off to teach English in Spain.

In looking back at her time at Dal, Kendra praises the mentorship of DISP instructors Dr. Gabrielle Tompkins and Dr. Kerrianne Ryan, as well as the friends who lasted through her undergraduate program. “Both Gabrielle and Kerrianne were important mentors to me as I worked through the challenges of doing the Science Communication and Leadership certificate and the rest of my degree,” she says. “Quite a few people from DISP went into marine biology, and we stayed friends and became part of the diving community.”

Kendra offers a final pitch for any students considering DISP.

You really get to know your professors, your classmates, and be in a small group, especially when I feel it’s easy to get a bit lost in the shuffle in your first year of university. — Kendra Mainprize

Finding chemistry – Owen Yoshida

In his second year, Owen considered working toward a double major in earth sciences and chemistry, but scheduling conflicts made taking the necessary courses difficult. Instead focusing on chemistry, Owen excelled, pursuing an Honours research project in the lab of Dr. Alex Speed, and graduating in June 2025 with the University Medal in Chemistry as well as other departmental honours.

While the pandemic delayed his initial plans to study outside of Halifax, Owen has since moved to the west coast to begin a PhD at the University of British Columbia this fall. He can now look back at his DISP experience, which helped set him up for success at Dal and beyond.

“Getting to know the profs is great,” he says. “I still said ‘hi’ when I ran into them in the halls.” Owen also praises the social aspect of DISP and the instant community the cohort provides. “DISP helped with making friends and connections,” he says, noting that he remains close with several students from his first year.

In some regular first-year courses, you’re sitting in a big lecture hall and don’t really talk to people. Having 70-80 students in a DISP class makes a huge difference. — Owen Yoshida