Hi! My name is Jubi and I am a Biology major. I actually graduated last summer with a BSc in Biology and am currently back as a non-degree student taking special education courses full-time. Also, I grew up in Vancouver and cannot imagine being anywhere else but here! This term I am peer tutoring for …
Author Archives: Christine Goedhart
Peer Tutor Spotlight – Timothy Wolf
Hi, I’m Timothy and I’m from Washington State. I am majoring in Nutrition Science with a minor in Biochemistry. I’m interested in helping people with both improving their health and studying science, so I’m glad that I have the chance to be a peer tutor for BIOL 200 this term, which is my favorite course …
Teaching Spotlight – Making Questions More Understandable For EAL Students
As an instructor in Botany and Vantage College, Caitlin Donnelly teaches many international students for whom English is not their first language and who are still in the process of learning English. She has found that these students sometimes answer questions incorrectly, not because they don’t understand the concepts, but because they don’t understand what …
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TA Spotlight – Amy Kim
Hi! I’m Amy (she/her) and I am from Vancouver, the traditional, ancestral, and unceded lands of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ speaking xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and sə̓lílwətaʔɬSelilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Biology and I am currently a PhD candidate in the Rieseberg lab located in …
Student Research Spotlight – Elizabeth Chesley
Hi! My name is Elizabeth and I am a 5th year Biology student in the Faculty of Science. I am originally from Medicine Hat, A.B., but have called Vancouver home for 7 years now. Through my degree I have been involved in a rather diverse range of research experiences. In the summers following my 2nd …
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Serving the Underserved Majority: 5 Ways to Support Women in Biology Classrooms
By Christine Goedhart Walk into any undergraduate biology classroom, take a look around at the students in the room, and you might notice something: most students are women.* Given that women now outnumber men in higher education throughout much of the Western world, this might not be too surprising, but it actually is quite different …
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Student Spotlight – Frances Butterfield
Hi – I’m Frances Butterfield and I’m originally from Treaty One territory, or Winnipeg. I’m a fourth year student in the Combined Major in Science (CMS) program and biology is one of my packages, along with chemistry and earth and ocean sciences. I really like the CMS program because it gives me flexibility in terms …
Teaching Spotlight – Creating Animations to Teach Biological Processes and Principles
To help shift students’ focus from memorizing to understanding, Pam Kalas and Rosie Redfield recently developed innovative animations and teaching materials for learning mitosis and meiosis. Their question-driven, terminology-free, stop motion videos encourage students to discover the underlying principles and build a deep understanding of these key processes. Below they describe what motivated them to …
TA Spotlight – Sophia Fan
I’m Sophia (she/her), a second year MSc student in the Tseng lab at UBC Zoology. I’m from Snuneymuxw land over on the island, a small city also known as Nanaimo. I moved out east to the University of Toronto for my undergraduate degree in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, where I lived on land home to …
Student Research Spotlight – Ruhi Mander
Hi! My name is Ruhi Mander and I am a 4th year student in the Faculty of Science, specifically in the Biology Program. I am originally from Surrey, B.C. where I lived with my parents and younger brother, and am now living here at UBC as I pursue post secondary. Throughout my degree I have …
Peer Tutor Spotlight – Annie Cai
Hello everyone, my name is Annie Cai and I spent most of my childhood in Nova Scotia (Sydney Crosby’s hometown!), but moved here due to the weather. I am currently in my second year in the Dental Hygiene program at UBC and I am a peer mentor for the BIOL 155 class. I was very …
The Simple Secret to Creating a More Inclusive and Equitable Classroom
By Christine Goedhart A question I often get from instructors is: How can I make my classroom more inclusive and equitable for all students? My answer: Get to know your students. This response usually takes people off guard because they are expecting a checklist of defined things that they can do that will result in …
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Student Research Spotlight – Fabrizio Chow
Hello! My name is Fabrizio Chow (he/him) and I am currently in my 5th year of my Chemical Biology degree here at UBC. I am originally from Chilliwack, in the Lower Mainland, so I’ve grown up near Vancouver. Currently, I am fortunate enough to do research in the Samuels Lab, where we focus on plant …
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Teaching Spotlight – Course Projects Focused on Community Partnerships and Experiential Learning in BIOL 320
Bridgette Clarkston recently taught the first ever summer offering of Biol 320 (Survey of the Algae), which is a 3rd-year organismal lab course focused on exploring the biodiversity, ecology, evolution and human connections to macro- and micro-algae. Local seaweeds are a major course focus and Bridgette decided to pilot two new class projects around them …
Peer Tutor Spotlight – Maia Palka
Hi everyone! My name is Maia and I am a fourth year student in the Applied Animal Biology program at UBC. I am originally from Calgary, Alberta, but I have permanently relocated to Richmond after falling in love with the Greater Vancouver Area while being a student at UBC. I am incredibly lucky to have …
TA Spotlight – Jessica Li
Hello! I’m Jessica (she/her) and I’m from the traditional lands of the Treaty 7 region, which includes the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda, as well as the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region III, now also known as the City of Calgary. I moved here in 2015 and got my BSc …
Teaching Spotlight – Using Instructor Talk in the Classroom
If you observed one of Brett Couch’s classes, you would notice that in addition to talking about course content, he also frequently explains the ‘why’ behind his teaching decisions, reveals secrets to success, and shares personal experiences. This type of non-content talk directed to the entire class is known as Instructor Talk, and using it …
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Peer Tutor Spotlight – Courtney Cheung
Hi! My name is Courtney and I’m a 3rd year student working towards my Biochemistry degree at UBC. I was born and raised in Richmond, and I currently live on campus, which is my home away from home. I’m part of the Pilates club on campus and I also recently joined Dance Horizons, where I …
TA Spotlight – Sandra Emry
I’m currently a PhD student in Dr. Chris Harley’s lab in the Department of Zoology, where I study a large range of topics related to climate change impacts in intertidal systems. Prior to my PhD, I also did a Bachelor of Science here at UBC with a combined major in Biology and Oceanography. During my …
Peer Tutor Spotlight – Risa Ogushi
Hi! My name is Risa and I’m in my fourth year studying marine biology. I grew up in Vancouver and I love all things involving the ocean, especially marine invertebrates and seaweeds!! This is the second year I’m peer tutoring for BIOL 121 and it has been one of my favourite experiences during my time …