The Dalhousie Software Engineering Lab (DalSEL) is dedicated to understanding and improving the human process of creating, evolving and maintaining software systems, and the wellbeing of both the developers and users of these systems. DalSEL is led by Professor Paul Ralph.
DalSEL provides a supportive, inclusive, multicultural environment where Postdocs, PhD students, MSc students and undergraduate research assistants benefit from extensive mentoring, a collaborative lab culture, strong industry links and competitive stipends. Those intent on an academic career receive coaching and help with professional networking. Those intent on an industry career path have opportunities for internships or close collaboration with industry partners.
Current Members
Hera Arif, MSc (Abu Dhabi University) is a PhD Student at DalSEL under Prof. Ralph’s supervision. Her research interests include software code quality and measurement. She holds a Bachelors in Information Technology and a Masters in Information Technology from Abu Dhabi University, UAE and has five peer-reviewed publications. Her thesis investigates current research related to software code quality metrics; their measurement standards, validation, and usage.
Bimpe Ayoola, BTech (FUTA, Nigeria), is a PhD Student at DalSEL under Prof. Ralph’s supervision. Bimpe’s research interests include sustainability and human factors of software engineering. Her thesis focuses on developing interventions for socially sustainable software design and development, promoting social justice and responsibility in software engineering. She was recently honoured with the prestigious Ada Byron Award for her substantial contributions to advancing and advocating for women’s involvement in computer science. Bimpe currently serves as the women’s representative of the Student and Postdoc Advisory Committee (SPAC) at CS-Can Info-Can, and a coding mentor and tutor for Grades 4-12 students of African heritage in Nova Scotia at Imhotep’s Legacy Academy.
Keisha Gaspard-Chickoree, B.Sc., M.Sc. (West Indies) is a PhD student at Dalhousie University and a highly experienced professional in agile software development, showcasing a career that spans over a decade. Her unwavering passion for software development and social innovation for refugees has been the driving force behind her research. Keisha holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science and an M.Sc. in Geoinformatics from the University of the West Indies, as well as certifications as a Scrum Master, ITIL professional, and Project Management Professional.
Arazoo Hoseyni, BCS, M.Eng. (Dalhousie) is a PhD Student at DalSEL under Prof. Ralph’s supervision. Her research interests include human factors of software engineering and the (remote and hybrid) future of software development. She previously worked for IBM Canada.
Past Members
Ronnie de Souza Santos was a postdoctoral researcher at DalSEL. He is now Assistant Professor of Business analytics at Cape Breton University.
Arham Arshad was a research assistant at DalSEL and undergraduate student in Dalhousie’s Bachelor of Computer Science program.
Sean McGuire was a research assistant at DalSEL and undergraduate student in Dalhousie’s Bachelor of Computer Science program.
Erin Shultz was a research assistant at DalSEL and undergraduate student in Dalhousie’s Bachelor of Computer Science program.