I completed my BSc in Applied Biology at UBC in 2020 after working as a research associate and completing an undergraduate thesis with Dr. Andrew Trites in the UBC Marine Mammal Research Unit. In September 2020, I began my MSc at UBC in the Marine Mammal Research Unit studying the presence and prey consumption of transient, mammal-eating, killer whales off the B.C. coast. I am mapping out transient killer whale abundance and distribution to then determine approximately how many seals and sea lions the transient killer whale population is consuming!
Since starting my MSc at UBC I’ve TA’d BIOL 112 (Biology of the Cell) in both winter terms.
What do you enjoy most about being a TA?
Although all of my TA experience has been online through virtual learning, the thing I enjoy most about being a TA is meeting so many students, learning about them and introducing them to UBC. It’s really rewarding to see students you’ve worked with all semester understand difficult concepts and excel in the course you’re a TA for.
What has been an interesting outcome of your TA experience?
When I applied for my MSc I wasn’t planning on becoming a TA, but it’s been an added bonus to my graduate degree experience! Being a TA has made me consider going into academia in the future to pursue teaching while still being able to conduct research.
How has your unique background influenced your TA experience?
When thinking about how I wanted to approach being a TA I thought back to all of my favourite TAs and professors from my undergraduate experience and what about them made the experience stand out for me. For most it was developing a relationship with them, and how they were genuinely interested in getting to know their students and wanting their students to succeed, which is what led me to take the same approach as a TA. Also, since I did my undergrad at UBC, I’ve taken the course that I TA, which I think offers a unique perspective as I can relate to the students.
What opportunities relating to teaching and learning have you been a part of?
This past year I attended several BioTAP workshops, which were extremely valuable for learning how to teach online and keep students engaged virtually.
What are your plans following graduation?
I’m not sure yet! I’d like to continue doing research and maybe go into a PhD program to continue on a path towards academia and teaching!