The University of British Columbia has recognized Genevieve Bonnor from the School of Biomedical Engineering as a recipient of the Killam Graduate Teaching Assistant Award. This prestigious honour celebrates graduate students who demonstrate exceptional teaching, mentorship, and commitment to student success.
Below, Bonnor shares her reflections on receiving the award, her approach to mentorship, and her passion for teaching.
What does receiving the Graduate Killam Teaching Award mean to you personally and professionally?
I think ultimately the Killam GTA award is validation that my efforts are seen and appreciated by faculty, peers, and my students alike. In applying for this award, I was honored to receive reference letters from the people I have worked for and with, and their words of affirmation and support confirmed to me that I might be doing something right! I would love to be in a position to mentor and teach one day, and this shows me that I am on the right path.
How has your approach to mentorship shaped the way you support and inspire your students?
I truly believe that trust and relationship-building are the most important building blocks to supporting students. They put their trust in you as a TA and a mentor, and you have to honor that trust by showing up for them. I may not always have the right answer for them, but I do my absolute best at being there for students and giving my all during every lab, every tutorial, every studio, and every office hour. My time is the most valuable thing I have, and by showing them that I am willing to give them that time, I feel I earn a positive and strong relationship with students.
What teaching strategies have you found most effective for engaging students in complex fields like biomedical engineering?
The best strategy I’ve found is using real-world problems to educate! Students, just like anyone else, want to feel like they are contributing to something big, and that what they are learning will actually have an effect on the world. If you can integrate real-world problems, like prevalence of ACL injuries in children playing sports, into your curriculum, I think students actually take a much bigger interest in what you are saying.
What do you love the most about teaching and biomedical engineering?
I love the mentorship more than anything, and the community that we have built. I hear constantly from students that they feel supported here, and I am proud to be a part of that.