Membership
Membership in the BGSS is automatically extended to all Biology Graduate Students at UBC Okanagan
There are currently no fees required to be a member*
*Certain events may require participation fee
Check out our Constitution if you are interested in how we operate!
Your BGSS Council for May 2023-May 2024
President: Brontë Shelton I am a Ph.D. student in the Hart Lab. My research focuses on the effects of grazing disturbance on soil microbial communities in the grasslands of British Columbia. I am originally from California, where I earned a B.Sc. in Microbiology and an M.Sc. in Marine Biology. Outside of academics, I also enjoy reading, painting, and paddle boarding. Email: [email protected] |
Vice President: Selina Spence I am an M.Sc. student in the Hart Lab studying the invasive potential of a fungal biofertilizer. I am from Penticton and moved to Kelowna to earn my B.Sc. (Hons) in microbiology here at UBCO. When I am not in the lab or greenhouse, I enjoy climbing and playing my guitar. Email: [email protected] |
Treasurer: Sophia Kast
I'm an MSc student in the Biodiversity and Landscape Ecology Research Facility, aka the Pither Lab. I study whether alpine ectomycorrhizal plants prime the landscape for the upward encroachment of elevational treelines. Prior to arriving at UBCO, I spent ~14 years working on vegetation and forest monitoring, mapping, and restoration projects with the US Forest Service and National Park Service. When my nose isn't buried in the books, I'm probably wandering around in the woods somewhere, mindlessly scrolling, or petting my cat, Helen. Email: [email protected] |
Student-Faculty Liaison: Diego Yusta Belsham
I am a first year M.Sc. student in the Hart lab of soil biology and conservation! I will be looking for bioindicators of soil health and assessing how land use has affected soil microbial communities for my thesis. I specialized in biotechnology for my undergrad at Queen's university in Kingston, Ontario where I was briefly the president of the "Queen's Squirrel Watching Club". I love to cook and in my free time I enjoy hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter. A few bucket list hobbies of mine: Bird watching, foraging, sewing. Email: [email protected] |
History
The Biology Graduate Student Society (B.G.S.S.) was formed by Oshowksi et al. in 2010 at the University of British Columbia (Okanagan) to advocate for graduate students and help to connect students with each other, the campus, and the community, in order to enhance student research, learning, and experience at UBCO.