Dr. Lee Gass / Zoology Professor, Co-Director, Coordinated Sciences Program / Director, Integrated Sciences Program

www.science.ubc.ca

Innovation changes the way we learn.

Zoology professor Lee Gass has helped to change the way thousands of UBC students learn. A nationally recognized 3M Teaching Fellow, he was instrumental in establishing three integrated and interactive UBC programs: Science One and the Coordinated and Integrated Sciences programs. These programs bring different disciplines together, exposing students to a broader understanding of various subjects. "For example, with assistance from a chemist, a physicist and a mathematician, a biologist can teach students about photosynthesis at a much deeper level," explains Gass. "These kinds of programs also provide communities in which students feel comfortable asking questions and learning. When students embrace this kind of learning, it can be life changing."

Where do you get your inspiration?

The root of inspiration is to breathe, which implies that it is about feeling. It is a felt sense. What else can I say?

What is the first thing you tell students in your class?

That the course will change their lives forever.

What is the highest compliment a student can pay you?

To become an independent learner while still with me.

What is your favourite activity?

I don't do superlatives, but sculpting, making and eating ice cream, and digging dirt are high on my list.

Credo:

I make them up and remember them as I go.