Dr. Tamara WesternÌý(she/her)
Role: Associate Professor, Biology
Email: tamara.western [at] mcgill.ca
Biography: TamaraÌýhasÌýalways loved reading, writing,Ìýand puzzles. Growing up,Ìýher focus wasÌýmystery novels, but laterÌýshifted toÌýtheÌýgenetics and development of organisms. ThisÌýinterestÌýled her to get a PhD inÌýplant developmental geneticsÌýfrom the University of British ColumbiaÌýin 1998.ÌýÌý
As a professor in the Æ»¹ûÒùÔº Biology DepartmentÌýstarting in 2003,ÌýTamaraÌýboth investigated the production, cell biology and biomechanics of plant cell walls, and taught genetics, development and molecular biology.ÌýThrough years of teaching and a brief sojourn as Associate Dean (Academic), sheÌýbecameÌýincreasingly interested in science undergraduate education.ÌýÌý
Now she investigates authentic learning experiences for science students both within and outside of classes as the leader of the Science Undergraduate Student Agency, Identity, and Learning (SUSAIL) research group,Ìýand seeks to foster her colleagues and students to work together to address higher education pedagogical challenges through the scholarship of teaching and learningÌýin herÌýresearch project course FSCI 396.Ìý
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