Kevin Hewitt
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Position: Professor of Physics, Associate Dean of Equity and Inclusion and NSERC Chair for Inclusion in Science and Engineering
Organization: Dalhousie University
Dr. Hewitt is a full Professor in the Department of Physics & Atmospheric Science, inaugural Associate Dean of Equity and Inclusion for Dalhousie’s Faculty of Science, and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Atlantic-region co-chair for Inclusion in Science & Engineering. He is also the former Chair of Senate (2015-2021) at Dalhousie University. In the classroom, Dr. Hewitt strives to link Physics to the everyday lives of the learner. In his Bionanophotonics lab, he’s developing novel nanoparticle probes for bioimaging and treatment, optical imaging approaches combining Holography and Raman Spectroscopy, and a prototype medical diagnostic tool for liver transplantation and uterine fibroids applications. Completing his B. Sc., Physics & Biology at the University of Toronto (1992), he received the UofT Physics prize. At Dalhousie he unified his deep and abiding interests in science and community engagement by co-founding (in 2003) the award-winning Imhotep’s Legacy Academy, a STEM outreach program for Black students from junior high to university and established in 2021 the Canadian Black Scientists Network Youth regional science fair. He’s featured in Cool Black North, a film which explores the unique and vibrant Canadian Black Community. He’s been recognized with the top awards for science promotion in the province (Nova Scotia Discovery Centre Science Champion, 2018) and country (NSERC Award for Science promotion, 2021). Community engagement has been recognized with Nova Scotia’s Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee medal (2023) and Youth Community Service Award in British Columbia (1999). National awards for professional excellence (Harry Jerome Award for Professional Excellence (2014) and service to students at Dalhousie (Rosemary Gill award, 2021) round out recognition of the breath and depth of his efforts.
Areas of Expertise:
Language(s):
My Work
What I do:
My contributions to research are interdisciplinary and span the scholarship of discovery, integration and application, and most recently include the development of: (i) a novel combination of optical techniques for molecular holography, (ii) an optical diagnostic tool for liver transplantation application – from discovery to patent, (iii) a nanomedicine platform for triple-negative breast cancer therapy and diagnosis (theranostics).
Ask me about:
Bionanophotonics; Raman spectroscopy; Optical diagnostic tools for disease detection
Why me:
Dr. Hewitt runs an interdisciplinary research program that integrates optical and spectroscopic instrumentation development with biomedical and materials science applications. Dr. Hewitt’s strong research record includes publications in highly diverse journals, patenting and spinning off a company to commercialize technology developed to detect steatosis (liver fat buildup) and leadership of many national grant review committees.
Fun facts:
An account of Dr. Hewitt’s life must begin with recognition of the powerful influence of his late mother who raised four children as a single parent, to value family, community and hard work. Kevin was initially raised by his grandmother in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, until the age of ten, when he reunited with his mother. His mother was heavily involved in Toronto’s black community, and Kevin began serving his community as a counsellor at the Harriet Tubman summer camp. As an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto (UofT), where he was the first African Canadian to win the UofT-Scarborough College Physics prize, he established tutoring programs for students while leading the African Caribbean Students Association. While at graduate school at Simon Fraser University, Kevin co-founded the Association for Students of African Descent and the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Association of Greater Vancouver. He has African and Carib roots and is discovering his Garifuna heritage.
About Me
Sector: Academia (Post Secondary)
English proficiency: Read, Write, Speak
Title: Dr.
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Gender: Male
Demographic: African/Black