This is a thank-you card I received from Trout Unlimited Canada in 2013 because of my engagement in the annual fish rescue. In the fall, irrigation channels are drained and the countless fish that entered these channels in the summer lose their water, and inevitably their lives if nothing is done to save them. As the president of the University of Calgary Biology Student’s Association, I organised student volunteers to help Trout Unlimited capture and rescue these fish to be released in nearby bodies of water. Besides rescuing thousands of fish, valuable data is collected regarding the species, size composition, and abundance of entrained fish. The Fish Rescue is also an excellent educational opportunity for the many volunteers and participants.
I received a second place award among all University of Calgary independent study Ecology students for my honours thesis presentation titled “Math and Biology: Promoting Quantitative Skills in Undergraduate Biology Students”. My presentation was based on the research I conducted throughout the year on students’ quantitative skills and how they can relate those skills to biological concepts. For my research, I used triangulation of data from statistical pre-instruction/post-instruction testing, students’ self-assessed non-cognitive traits, and a focus group which I conducted, to reach a conclusion about the pedagogy of incorporating mathematics in biology. This award shows my understanding of pedagogical research, statistical analysis, and my presentation skills. In the summer after the first year of my first undergraduate degree, I got the opportunity to work in a lab for an ecology professor, Dr. Jeremy Fox. I spent the summer perfecting my skills with a microscope while I analysed the predator-prey cycles of protists (free-swimming single-celled organisms). After a summer of research, I helped co-author this paper, presented here, which was published in the peer-reviewed journal, PLoS ONE. This publication demonstrates my knowledge in the field of ecology as well as my technical lab skills. |
Beyond the ClassroomThe purpose of this page is to demonstrate my growth as a professional as well as to document my accomplishments in my personal endeavours that I believe enhance who I am and what I believe as a teacher. KSA connections
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