Faculty of Science Inclusive Teaching Initiative
I was invited by the Faculty of Science to form part of a group of four faculty and staff members to spearhead a pilot project to support instructors in implementing McGill’s Action Plan to Address Anti-Black Racism (ABR Plan) and Strategic Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Plan 2020-2025 (EDI Plan). For our initial group of seven instructors in Winter 2022, I facilitated discussions and activities surrounding how to improve the student experience, centered on the concept of culturally-relevant pedagogy. This initiative, given its initial success, is continuing for the upcoming academic year.
Canadian Society of Ecology and Evolution (CSEE)
I was elected across all higher-education institutions in Canada to serve as the graduate student councilor for the CSEE. Within this role, the goal to not only represent student interests, but also provide resources and improve the research landscape for graduate students. To this end, alongside the postdoctoral councilor, we share research and outreach opportunities with graduate students across the country, organize funding panels with representatives from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), support the yearly conference's student and postdoctoral mixer, and run a Twitter page. Of note, we are currently spearheading an initiative to improve EDI within CSEE awards, by not only facilitating implicit bias training, but also fomenting discussions concerning data collection practices.
Canadian Institute of Ecology and Evolution (CIEE), “Data Bites in Ecology and Evolution”
I was one of twelve graduate students across all of Canadian higher education institutions selected to participate in a one-week initiative centered on data science, literacy, and pedagogy training, with the goal to create tutorials in R to teach undergraduates core concepts in ecology and evolution.
Alongside Maxime Fraser Franco (PhD candidate, Université du Québec à Montréal), we created an interactive R tutorial on pest-predator interactions, using historical data from Anticosti Island, Quebec (1973), highlighting ways historical data can inform modern conservation initiatives. The tutorial can be accessed here, where my illustrations are included throughout to illustrate the relevant biological concepts. Our tutorial is likewise highlighted in the manuscript we just submitted to Ecology & Evolution's special issue, "Open science challenges, innovations, & future directions." |
Punta Culebra Nature Center
I co-created with local scientists and artists an aquarium exhibit that highlights both the diversity and threats to Panamanian marine ecosystems. The exhibit opened to the public on 1 April 2022, and has been visited by over 500 Panamanian and non-Panamanian youth to date.
I also delivered a public talk for Panama's Ocean Month on my coral reef conservation research in Panama, and highlighted ways we can protect these critical ecosystems.
I also delivered a public talk for Panama's Ocean Month on my coral reef conservation research in Panama, and highlighted ways we can protect these critical ecosystems.
Redpath Museum public programming
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As the Redpath Museum's graduate student Public Programming Representative, I curated a monthly student research spotlight series. Through the exhibit, I am particularly highlighting the voices of under-represented groups within STEMM, by providing them a space to discuss their academic trajectories. For this project, I worked closely with Ms. Marie-Eve Leclerc, the museum's Public Programming administrative coordinator. For the exhibit, I crafted the permanent text, worked with the museum’s six research groups in creating lab blurbs, and translated all materials into French. The online exhibit can be accessed here.
I also led the creation of an outreach video featuring eleven graduate students from all six of the Redpath Museum’s research groups, where I asked participants to briefly share how they became interested in STEMM and have overcome obstacles throughout their educational and personal trajectories, with the goal to showcase to youth that scientists and science can take many forms. |
Science Education Fellow - Office of Science Education (OSE)
I am one of 10 fellows across all STEMM departments at McGill University tasked to conduct research to improve science education on campus, and to provide free workshops to enhance graduate and postdoctoral fellows’ teaching techniques. I am the lead fellow for McGill's Tomlinson Engagement Award for Mentoring (TEAM) program, a >900 student program each year, which provides a 1.5 hour workshop on instructional strategies for new undergraduate peer mentors. I have further forged a collaboration with the Faculty of Science’s SciLearn program to provide a tailored mentorship training session for the undergraduate students working on supporting healthy habits and academic achievement in first-year students.
In 2021, I was invited to help co-designing McGill University’s first undergraduate course focusing solely on climate change, highlighting the intersection of indigenous and Western knowledge on our environment. The course, FSCI 198: Climate Crisis and Climate Actions, launched in Fall 2022 with a total of 53 students, and has since grown. I also facilitated a focus group for our first cohort to learn about ways the course met expectations and could be further expanded upon.
To learn more about the work we do in the Office of Science Education, please visit our website.
In 2021, I was invited to help co-designing McGill University’s first undergraduate course focusing solely on climate change, highlighting the intersection of indigenous and Western knowledge on our environment. The course, FSCI 198: Climate Crisis and Climate Actions, launched in Fall 2022 with a total of 53 students, and has since grown. I also facilitated a focus group for our first cohort to learn about ways the course met expectations and could be further expanded upon.
To learn more about the work we do in the Office of Science Education, please visit our website.