By joining the Cell & Systems Biology (CSB) Second-Year Learning Community (SLC) you will be surrounded by a small community of second-year students who are learning to navigate their academic and co-curricular pathways to make the most of their experiences as a CSB student. The SLC program is designed to help you make the most out of your degree by engaging in various social, academic and professional development opportunities.
For more information about CSB, visit the Cell & Systems Biology website.
Apply to a Cell & Systems Biology SLC
Cell & systems biology applications open May 27, 2024.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the CSB SLC you must be a second-year student enrolled in any of the following CSB undergraduate programs:
- animal physiology major
- bioinformatics and computational biology specialist
- cell & molecular biology major
- cell & molecular biology specialist
- genome biology major
SLC Course Overview
Students in the Cell & Systems Biology SLC will meet at a welcome session during the week of September 9, 2024, and then every other week starting the week of September 16, 2024.
Time: Every other week on Mondays, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: TBA
Your SLC Team
Department: Cell and systems biology
Title: Assistant professor
Years worked for your current department and/or U of T: One year
Undergraduate major/specialist and institution: honors specialization in cell & developmental biology, The University of Western Ontario
Hometown: Forest, ON
Why you decided to serve as a faculty advisor: My second year was a rollercoaster. It was the worst year of my undergrad academically (I passed stats by the skin of my teeth), but also the year I made some great connections and the year I found my major. It’s an important time, but also one that can be overlooked as a transitionary period for many.
One piece of advice for a second-year student: Try to find your focus and determine your goals and explore new topics and interests, but also don’t despair too much if you struggle to find it right away.
Hobby or interest: Ice cream making (particularly experimental flavours), but I also dabble in sewing.
Department: Cell & systems biology
Title: Undergraduate coordinator
Years worked for your current department and/or U of T: three and a half years at cell & systems biology and 20 at U of T
Undergraduate major/specialist and institution: BEd in Adult Education, Brock University and MBA in Human Resources, University of Fredericton
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Why you decided to serve as a staff advisor: As the Undergraduate Coordinator at CSB, one of my responsibilities is to provide students with advising regarding the programs, courses and potential career pathways. I thoroughly enjoy this aspect of my job and I decided to be a SLC staff advisor to provide this support to students earlier on their programs.
One piece of advice for a second-year student: Take the time to network and explore different courses and programs in your undergraduate career. This is the time to learn more about areas that you've been curious about and also be exposed to areas that you might not have thought about before.
Hobby or interest: Biking
Program: Cell & molecular biology specialist, biochemistry major
Year: Three
College: Woodsworth College
Hometown: Zurich, Switzerland
An interesting fact: I love scuba diving and turtles are my favourite marine animal!
Studies: I really enjoy the laboratory component of many courses in my program. They are a fantastic opportunity to gain hands-on experience and apply knowledge learned in lecture.
Hobby or interest: I like to spend time with friends discovering new restaurants in Toronto and I recently started running and painting for fun!
Program: Cell & molecular biology major, ecology & evolutionary biology major
Year: Four
College: Victoria College
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
An interesting fact: I love to read! Classics, fantasy, anything in between and I enjoy talking to people about it.
Studies: I love how many electives Arts & Science offers! During my undergrad, I've taken a lot of courses that weren't directly related to my major and really enjoyed them. There are so many to choose from and I think that's one benefit of going to a large school like U of T.
Hobby or interest: I like to read, bike around the city, spend some time at local cafes and restaurants (especially ones with live music!)