Serge Nader is a post-doctoral fellow for the Faculty of Science and an active volunteer with the University of Alberta’s Dino Lab.  Serge moved to Edmonton in 2019 and is currently working with the Department of Chemistry. Passionate about contributing to research, he began looking for ways to get involved on campus and came across the Dino Lab. 

As a volunteer, Serge works on uncovering fossil specimens from Dinosaur Provincial Park. He cleans bone fragments from the matrix that surrounds them and re-assembles them into their proper shapes. These tasks typically involve work with dental picks, brushes and solvents, a longer process called fossil preparation.  If this sounds daunting, don’t worry - the Dino Lab provides training and volunteers begin with easier projects that can scale up in difficulty as they become more experienced. 

Serge thinks of the work as a delicate puzzle to uncover and solve, a “challenging combination of patience and problem solving”.  He is often struck by the fact that the fossils he is working on were once part of a living animal that roamed around millions of years ago. “Your imagination will make you travel back in time, I will tell you that.”

When it comes to volunteering, Serge really enjoys being able to see the results of his efforts over time. This is especially evident with the detail-oriented work uncovering fossils in the Dino Lab where you start with something that ultimately ends up looking quite different. The Dino Lab is a great place to see not only your progress and projects unfold, but also that of your friends and fellow volunteers which is incredibly rewarding. 

There are a lot of projects and research that benefit multiple departments that could really benefit from having some extra human power. Serge’s advice to volunteers is to plan ahead to make sure that your schedule allows time for volunteering, as commitment over time is what makes the difference.  In addition to interesting discussions with other volunteers, he also recommends to “be prepared to have glue, sand and dust on your hands (and sometimes on your hair). I promise it's a nice experience.” 

In his spare time, Serge enjoys playing squash and is currently learning how to paraglide.