I am Pablo (he/him) and my hometown is Quito, Ecuador. I did my undergrad in Biological Science there, and I recently finished my Master’s degree here at UBC in the Zoology department.
I conducted my Master’s research in the Srivastava Community Ecology Lab, where I studied how different aspects of urbanization affect communities of aquatic macroinvertebrates that live in tree holes and ground holes. I looked at the constructed, human, and environmental parts of cities, and I found that pretty much everything in the urban environment is affecting these communities.
I was a recipient of the BRITE Internship, and I’ve done a lot of volunteering, mostly in Ecuador before I came here. My father lived in the Galapagos for three years, so when I would go there to visit him during the summer holidays I would also do volunteer work with the Galapagos National Park and other small organizations in the Galapagos. I really like nature and I always try to be in nature.
I have been a TA in BIOL 180 (Thinking Like a Life Scientist) six times, including this term. I really like this course, and I wish that I could have taken it when I was in my undergrad because it teaches you all these things in science that nobody teaches you, but everyone expects you to know. I also like how it is open to many different topics, so that I get to learn something new each time I TA it. In addition to BIOL 180, I have also been a TA in BIOL 336 (Fundamentals of Evolutionary Biology) and BIOL 111 (Introduction to Modern Biology) during the summers.
What do you most enjoy about being a TA?
With BIOL 180, I really enjoy that it’s a first year class and open to all students in science so that I get to know a lot of people from different areas. Students come in with different ideas and perspectives on science, and because the course is not centering one particular topic, students have a lot of opportunity to share their insights and background. I like to learn from them and see different perspectives.
What has been an interesting outcome of your TA experience?
I’ve found that many of the tools and things that we teach students are also useful for me. For example, we teach a lot about how to communicate science to non-scientific people, and this has informed how I communicate about my own research so that is it more understandable. I also have learned how to better formulate hypotheses. I previously had an idea of how to create a hypothesis, but it’s been nice to teach about it and see what’s really important and how to perfect hypothesis formulation, because it’s a hard skill to develop. So, TAing and teaching about the process of science has really helped me a lot in my own studies.
What opportunities relating to teaching and learning have you been a part of?
Learning more about the skill of communicating science has been really useful in helping me to transmit my science in a more digestible way when presenting at conferences, and I see this as a way to share good science communication practices with other professionals in the field. I’ve also been able to help with some of the TA Development & Advancement in Biology (TADA) workshops to train TAs in how to teach effectively. I feel like the experience that I’ve had in BIOL 180 especially helped me to better understand teaching-related topics and have a bit of experience to transmit this knowledge to others.
How has your unique background influenced your TA experience?
I was a student in Ecuador, so I have a different academic background, and because of this, a different perspective and way of thinking. When I teach, I always try to make students aware that how things and topics are discussed here is different than in other places. So, I try to take them out of the bubble of Canada and what science looks like here, and bring in other ideas. I think that this also gives students the confidence to share their own backgrounds because many students come from outside of Canada, so they start also sharing their perspectives and how things are seen where they’re from.
What is your most memorable moment as a TA?
I love how in BIOL 180 students work on a final project and then we do a virtual symposium at the end of the term where they present their projects in an understandable way. I always try to go to all the presentations that I can because it’s really nice to see the work that students have done and how they are starting to produce things with their own perspectives. I like to see the results of what we have been teaching them, not from us, but from them, and how much they have learned. I also get to learn a lot myself during those symposiums.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I like to go bird watching, especially at the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Delta. It’s kind of far, but it’s worth the extra travel. I also like to spend time with my dog and go out on walks.
What are your future career plans?
I want to do something where I’m out in the field and in nature. I have experience mostly with invertebrates and a bit of plants, but I’m interested in all the aspects of biology and science, so I’m really open. It doesn’t matter much what this work is about; as long as it is outside in nature, I am sure that I will enjoy it. I’m also in the process of applying for the Professional Biologist Certificate so that I will be able to work as a professional biologist outside of academia in BC.