{"id":3456,"date":"2026-05-12T10:19:45","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T17:19:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/bionews\/?p=3456"},"modified":"2026-06-04T10:20:05","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T17:20:05","slug":"ta-spotlight-josh-abel-nwachukwu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/bionews\/2026\/05\/ta-spotlight-josh-abel-nwachukwu\/","title":{"rendered":"TA Spotlight – Josh Abel-Nwachukwu"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Profile<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hi everyone, my name is Josh! I was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, but grew up mainly in Calgary, Alberta where my family currently lives. I have been at UBC for about six years, completing a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 2024 before beginning a Master\u2019s program in the Zoology Department as part of Matthews Mosquito Lab, where I am currently in my second year! My research focuses on understanding the taste system and feeding behaviour of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti,<\/em> and how this knowledge can help us better understand and potentially reduce the spread of vector-borne diseases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have TA\u2019d BIOL 200 for two terms now, and it has been a great firsthand experience in teaching and working closely with students. Although I initially viewed TAing as an intimidating prospect, I have really enjoyed the experience so far!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you most enjoy about being a TA?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

My favourite part of being a TA is engaging with students and helping them better understand difficult concepts. I find it really rewarding to see students gain confidence and understanding, while also noticing myself becoming better at explaining complex ideas in a clear and approachable way. When I first started TAing, I was nervous about being asked questions I might not know the answer to, but over time I have grown much more confident in that environment. Being able to work through questions with students and help clarify concepts is something I truly enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How has your unique background influenced your TA experience?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

During high school and throughout my undergraduate degree, I frequently tutored students from a wide range of backgrounds, experience levels, and learning styles. Through those experiences, I learned how important it is to adapt my teaching approach to different learners. I feel that this has strongly influenced my TA experience, as I now work with an even more diverse group of students and feel well equipped to support a variety of learning needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is something you are currently doing that you are excited about?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I am really excited about my mosquito research. Being from a country where mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria are highly prevalent makes this work especially meaningful to me. Studying how mosquitoes make decisions about who to bite and blood-feed on is both fascinating and highly relevant, and I always enjoy it when friends and family ask me questions about my research!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mosquitos
Female mosquitos choosing between a control artificial blood meal (Blue; Left) and an artificial blood meal coated in a bitter compound (Red; Right).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What is your teaching philosophy?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As a TA, I try my best to be approachable, relatable, and to foster an environment where students feel comfortable participating and asking questions. As a student, I was often intimidated not only by my TAs, but also by the idea of answering questions out loud and potentially being wrong in front of the class. Now that I am on the other side of that experience, I recognize the same hesitations in many students. Because of this, one of my main priorities when teaching is creating a supportive environment where students feel comfortable learning, making mistakes, and asking questions without fear of judgment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you like to do in your spare time?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In my spare time, I love staying active through running, hiking, and playing sports. I grew up playing soccer and basketball, and since moving to Vancouver I have become really involved in volleyball. Whether it\u2019s competitive leagues, recreational teams, or pickup games with friends, I enjoy sports in almost any capacity. Hiking has also become a really important part of my time in Vancouver, and there are still so many amazing views and trails I hope to explore. Living in a city like Vancouver, with such a great climate for year-round activity, has made it even easier to stay active whenever I can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi everyone, my name is Josh! I was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, but grew up mainly in Calgary, Alberta where my family currently lives. I have been at UBC for about six years, completing a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 2024 before beginning a Master\u2019s program in the Zoology Department as part of … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “TA Spotlight – Josh Abel-Nwachukwu”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66452,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4398934],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3456","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ta-spotlight","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/bionews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3456","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/bionews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/bionews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/bionews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66452"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/bionews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3456"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/bionews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3456\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3485,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/bionews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3456\/revisions\/3485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/bionews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/bionews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/bionews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}