UBC/CANADA: MARK MACLEAN Professor, Mathematics, Faculty of Science

I was one of the founding faculty members and taught for 17 years with UBC's Science One Program , a first year course that provides a solid introduction to Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. This team-taught program in the Faculty of Science at UBC is in its twenty-second year and is a great experience for both the faculty and the students.

I am the Undergraduate Chair of Mathematics, and manage our undergraduate teaching mission with the help of the Undergraduate Committee and some key staff members in the department. We have close to 20 000 registrants in our MATH courses each year.

I am the Academic Director for UBC's First Year Student Initiatives, including the Jump Start Program, which is an academic transition program for new international and Aboriginal students, and Imagine UBC, which welcomes students to UBC on the first day of classes in September. We are also piloting Peer-Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) to help students be more successful in first year. 

I am involved in writing children's books to encourage interest in mathematics amongst Aboriginal children. This is a project with Veselin Jungic at SFU called Math Catcher: Mathematics Through Aboriginal Storytelling. There are some wonderful animations done from the illustrations for these books. There are versions in a number of First Nations languages, including Blackfoot, Cree, Squamish, and Halq'eméylem, Sliammon, Nisgaa, Heiltsuk, and Huu-ay-aht.

I am the President of the UBC Faculty Association.

I recently received the Adrien Pouliot Award for my work in mathematics education and outreach by the Canadian Mathematical Society.

UBC