Faculty

• BSc (University Montpellier II, France)
• MSc (Concordia University)
• PhD (McMaster University)

I have been working as a Biology Professor at UFV for several years now. In addition to first year, I mostly teach Ecology, Cellular Biology, Animal Physiology courses, Bird Biology, and some field courses (Tofino, Ecuador).  

I completed grad school in Quebec and Ontario but did my entire field work in the Caribbean (Puerto Rico) for over 16 months for my PhD. That ruined it for me in terms of weather and I quickly became a cold weather wimp. After my PhD, I taught for two years in the States (Nevada) before heading back to Canada and landing in BC.

I have always been interested in Birds and I have studied many species throughout my career (Sparrows, Seabirds, Warblers, Cuckoos, Flycatchers). I am currently working with students in Agassiz on the foraging behavior of House Sparrows. These birds overwinter in flocks in the Valley and we are trying to understand which environmental variables determine group size. I am still working on the species I focused on for my PhD (the Smooth-Billed Ani, see insert), also trying to figure out why some birds live in large groups, while others live in small ones. In these large groups, up to 12 individuals (6 males and 6 females) mate and females produce eggs in the same nest. Just like on the Maury Show, we use genetic markers to figure who are the fathers…..

With Debbie Wheeler, I teach a tropical ecology field course in Ecuador and follow the various behaviors of tropical birds (including Anis). Along with our BIO 409 and 499 research projects, these field courses provide a great opportunity for students to develop their own research ideas and develop their own experiments.