Associated Departments
- UBC Vantage College, Principal
- Michael Smith Laboratories
- Advanced Molecular Biology Laboratory (AMBL)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Professional Biography
Joanne Fox is a science education and outreach academic based at the University of British Columbia. She is involved in innovative teaching and learning initiatives and educational leadership activities, with specific areas of expertise in the first year experience, international education, program evaluation, and scientific communication. She was past Director of the First Year Seminars program (SCIE113), as well as mentor for the UBC iGEM program. She is currently seconded from her role at the Advanced Molecular Biology Laboratory (AMBL) so that she can serve as the Principal of UBC Vantage College.
Dr. Fox has been teaching in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology and in the Faculty of Science’s First Year Seminars since 2005. In 2014, she was selected to be the first Academic Director of UBC Vantage College and is now Principal of the College, which offers an innovative first-year program for international students. Previous to this appointment, she spent a year working as the Faculty of Science academic lead for UBC Vantage College, working with the UBC Vantage College Science faculty to design learning experiences for the first cohort of Science-stream students. As the Principal, she now provides leadership and support to all UBC Vantage College’s faculty, working closely with the participating Faculties and Departments.
Dr. Fox’s exceptional teaching has been recognized with a UBC Killam Teaching Prize. She is also a highly regarded leader in interdisciplinary collaboration and initiatives that enrich student engagement, both critical elements of the UBC Vantage College program.
She has repeatedly played a leadership role in collaborative innovation at UBC: She was responsible for successful outreach programs that engage over 1500 students per year at the educational facilities of the Michael Smith Laboratories; she sits on the leadership team for the Terry Project, a cross-faculty program that promotes interdisciplinary dialogue about global issues between students of the social sciences and humanities and students of the physical and life sciences; and she was also a course designer, instructor and acted as Director of the First Year Seminars (2010-2013), an initiative that helps students successfully transition into first year university.
Dr. Fox has a PhD in Genetics, and has taught in the areas of Bioinformatics, Medical Genetics, Statistics, and Biology.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=oHlU0q0A3EY
Research Keywords
Science education, outreach, innovative teaching and learning initiatives
To learn more about the AMBL, please visit bioteach.ubc.ca.