Nuclear Operations & Facilities welcomes new Manager, Nuclear Outreach and Education

Nuclear Operations & Facilities is pleased to announce that Erica Dao has joined NO&F as Manager, Nuclear Outreach and Education.

Reporting to Karin Stephenson – NO&F’s incoming Director, Nuclear Research and Education Support – Dao will design, develop and lead programs that ensure a best-in-class user experience for researchers at McMaster’s nuclear facilities. She will also work to expand NO&F’s outreach program to better serve our local, national and Indigenous communities and enhance integration of McMaster’s nuclear facilities into the University’s undergraduate and graduate education programs.

Stephenson says Dao’s expertise in nuclear research, communication and curriculum design and implementation makes her well-suited to the role.

“An accomplished researcher and passionate spokesperson for Nuclear at McMaster, Erica brings a wealth of experience in nuclear research, outreach and education to this role. Her extensive knowledge of McMaster’s nuclear portfolio will help us grow our reactor tour program, facilitate best-in-class support for our internal and external facility users and expand our nuclear education portfolio to ensure the next-generation of nuclear experts are setup for successful careers in their fields,” she says.

Dao completed her PhD in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, specializing in Medical Physics – Radiation Sciences, and is a Sessional Instructor in the School of Interdisciplinary Science. She has been a tour guide for the McMaster Nuclear Reactor for over eight years. Dao won the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Communicating Graduate Research Award in 2019 and 2021 and is a member of the President’s Advisory Council on Building an Inclusive Community.

Dao previously worked as the Manager of Undergraduate Education & Recruitment in the Faculty of Science – where she sat on the Academic Planning and Policy Committee – and has led the development of new programs in nuclear science and health physics. 

“McMaster has both a rich history and exciting future in nuclear. I’m looking forward to working with the brilliant team at NO&F to grow our research and education portfolios and develop meaningful connections with the communities we do our work for,” says Dao.

As Manager, Nuclear Outreach and Education, Dao will support a number of projects that will enhance McMaster’s nuclear research and education profile. She will design, establish and manage an accessible User Experience Office to attract and support a growing cadre of Canadian and international research users at the University’s nuclear facilities. She will also lead a team of Nuclear Ambassadors to expand the University’s nuclear outreach activities on campus and within local communities and contribute to the design and development of programming in nuclear and radiation-based education at McMaster and partner institutions.

Dao can be reached at erica@mcmaster.ca