Robin Stoodley Term 2, Section 211
Dr. Robin Stoodley is a senior instructor in the Department of Chemistry at UBC. There, he manages and teaches analytical chemistry laboratories for 2nd, 3rd and 4th year students as well as teaches a lecture section of Chem 211. His research background involved both chemistry and pharmaceutical sciences, specializing in a mixture of electrochemistry, models of drug action, spectroscopy and surface science. His teaching interests include complex problem-solving strategies and techniques for integration of clear communication with scientific content. He previously taught courses in chemistry, engineering chemistry, scientific writing, research proposal projects, and science and society at the University of Calgary. Prior to earning his Ph.D., he dabbled with various forms of gainful employment: in high-energy physics, in semiconductor physics, and in law enforcement.
Ed Kroc Term 2, Section 212
Dr. Edward Kroc is a sessional lecturer in the Department of Statistics. He was recently granted his PhD from the Department of Mathematics at UBC, where he studied problems in high-dimensional geometric measure theory. In the realm of statistics, his interests currently lie within the broad fields of causal inference, measurement error, and scientific methodology. Dr. Kroc also studies the ecology of resident and migratory birds around the Salish Sea, with a particular interest in how species interact with and adapt to urban environments. Recently, his attention has been focused on the nesting distribution and fledgling success rates of urban resident glaucous-winged gulls. Working as an independent statistical consultant has afforded him many opportunities to actively engage professionals with a variety of statistical and scientific concerns. These and other experiences have impressed him with a major appreciation for the necessity of effective and active communication between practitioners of science and consumers of it. In his remaining free time, he enjoys playing guitar, beach walking, and photography.
Bruce Dunham Term 2, Section 213
Dr. Bruce Dunham is a senior instructor in the Department of Statistics. Prior to arriving at UBC in 2005 he held positions at the universities of Nottingham and Derby in England, his native country. Dr. Dunham studied at the University of London for his PhD in probability theory. After several years pursuing a traditional research-oriented academic career, he decided his interests resided in education and pedagogy. He has taught over thirty different courses in the areas of mathematics and statistics, and is delighted to be contributing to the Communicating Science course. When not working, Bruce enjoys his time with his daughter and is also an avid follower of his home-town soccer club, Blackpool FC.
Reinhard Jetter Term 2, Course coordinator
I got my undergraduate training in chemistry at the University of Munich, Germany, finished with a diploma thesis on organic synthesis and the physical chemistry of antiaromatic compounds. I then obtained my Ph.D. at the Botany Department of the University of Kaiserslautern, Germany (1993), with studies on waxes of various Poppy species carried out under guidance of Markus Riederer. Next, I moved to the Institute of Biological Chemistry at Washington State University, where I worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow with Rod Croteau (1994-96). My work at the IBC focused on the cloning and characterization of enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of conifer resin diterpenoids. I then worked as a Research Associate and independent group leader in the Biology Department at the University of Wuerzburg, Germany (1996-2003), where I began my investigations into the polyketides and triterpenoids found in plant skins. Finally, I joined the University of British Columbia in 2003, where I am now full professor and Canada Research Chair in Plant Natural Products Chemistry, with a cross-appointment between the Departments of Botany and Chemistry. I am leading a group of chemists and biologists focusing on the various aspects of plant surfaces, using a wide range of techniques. My projects are highly interdisciplinary, ranging from molecular genetics over enzyme mechanism and chemical product identification to the physiology of water transport and the chemical ecology of plant-insect-interactions.
Rebecca Ko Term 2, Course Coordinator
Rebecca is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Psychiatry at UBC. She works in the MacVicar lab and uses different biochemical and imaging techniques to study neuron-astrocyte interactions in the brain.
Josh Robinson Term 2, Journalism TA
Josh Robinson is a second-year graduate student with UBC’s School of Journalism. After internships with The Star Phoenix (Saskatoon, SK) and The Vancouver Sun, he has become primarily interested in print and long-form journalism. With a diploma in audio engineering from The Recording Arts Institute of Saskatoon and an undergraduate degree in sociology in from the University of Saskatchewan, he is currently working on a series of podcasts focusing on the perceived ‘planned obsolescence’ of various technologies and the social and cultural forces that lead to their re-emergence.
Harlan Campbell Term 2, Statistics TA
Harlan Campbell is a PhD candidate in the Department of Statistics at UBC. Prior to arriving at UBC in 2014 he worked as a statistician in health research for EMMES, providing statistical services as a partner to clinicians and scientists in Canada and the United States. Harlan studied in Montreal at McGill University for his BSc in mathematics and at Simon Fraser University for his MSc in statistics. Prior to starting his doctorate in Vancouver, he lived on Saltspring Island and enjoyed sunny days of sailing through the gulf islands.
