Introductory Programming with Python 

Join today
  • Instructor:  Tannia Chevez
  • Level: Beginner
  • Duration: 7 hours
  • Helpers: Serguei Vassiliev
  • Date:  October 8 & 10, 2024 | 1:00 – 4:30 PM (Atlantic)
  • Prerequisite: None
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COURSE DESCRIPTION
Using software-carpentry.org materials this workshop introduces you to the fundamentals of Python.

This is a beginner level series that is hands-on, covering the fundamentals of introductory programming with Python. This includes data types, conditional statements, loops and functions, as well as program design, version control, data management, and task automation. Participants will be encouraged to help one another and to apply what they have learned to their own research problems. The goal is to teach the practical knowledge needed to start programming, debugging and using Python in everyday tasks. 

You do not need to have any previous knowledge of the tools that will be presented or previous programming experience but intermediate level experience with a computer is highly recommended.

You do need to have a laptop with a Mac, Linux or Windows operating system (not a tablet, Chromebook, etc) on which you have administrative privileges, as you will need to pre-load specific software packages. 

SETUP REQUIREMENTS

  1. See instructions for how to download and setup Python here.
  2. Obtain lesson materials here.

Meet your teaching team

Tannia Chevez

Instructor

Digital Training Specialist
BSc Computational Chemistry, Memorial University

Tannia joined ACENET in 2023 and is based in St. John’s. She has held positions as a research assistant in various departments, with responsibilities ranging from developing algorithms for an online animal sound repository, to crafting chemical composite films. Proficient in Python, Java, and JavaScript, she has focused on spectral data analysis, SEM image-based nanoparticle detection, and software development for data analysis. Tannia contributed significantly to the publication of a research paper by analyzing potential environmental toxicants, generating millions of chemical structure IDs, and conducting data extraction and analysis using Python, R, and JavaScript, as well as enhancing algorithms for simulating potential environmental toxicants’ behavior in water, soil, and air environments. Tannia’s teaching experience includes a Leader Instructor at Brilliant Labs where she taught a range of digital topics, and a Digital Literacy Instructor for the Association for New Canadians.

Yashar Monfared

Host

Research Consultant
Ph.D. Electrical and Computer Engineering, Dalhousie University

Yashar joined ACENET in 2023 and is based in Nova Scotia. With a Ph.D. from Dalhousie University in Electrical and Computer Engineering, he has extensive experience managing research projects, developing curriculum, and teaching in various disciplines. His research focused on optical systems, nanomaterials, and their applications in various fields. Yashar has secured academic grants, published over 40 research articles, and instructed courses at multiple universities.

Serguei Vassiliev

Helper

Research Consultant

Ph.D. Biophysics,  University of New Brunswick

Serguei joined ACENET in 2019 as a Research Consultant at UNB. His background is in experimental and computational biophysics. After doctoral and postdoctoral studies in biophysics of photosynthesis, Serguei was Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship recipient at the Technical University of Berlin where he studied energy conversion in natural and artificial photosynthetic systems using ultrafast laser spectroscopy. More recently he was working as a research associate at Brock University with Dr. Douglas Bruce, where he was engaged in inter-disciplinary research of photosynthesis, integrating biology, computational chemistry, physics and data science. Working at Brock University, Serguei developed specialized programs for global and target analysis of time-resolved spectroscopic data, and analysis of molecular dynamics trajectories. Serguei’s research interests include molecular modelling, simulations of water and oxygen transport in proteins, and computation of the properties of cofactors in protein complexes.