EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AWARDS
“Every topic in biological sciences is exciting to me”

by Valerie Shore

Whenever Dr. Francis Choy needs to reaffirm his commitment to teaching he thinks back to his undergraduate years as a foreign student fresh off the plane from Hong Kong. He and his friends had a lot to deal with, such as culture shock, the language barrier and financial worries. The last thing they needed was a bad teacher.
But, sometimes, that’s what they got.

“Nothing could be worse than a teacher who doesn’t give a damn about teaching,” says Choy. “I had a few of those, so I made a vow that if I became a teacher I would never make that mistake. And I still have to remind myself of that from time to time.”

He’s obviously succeeded. Choy is this year’s winner of the faculty of science’s Excellence in Teaching award.

“I feel very honoured and privileged to win this,” says Choy, who is the first biology professor to receive the award in its eight-year history. Choy holds a master’s in medical microbiology and PhD in biochemistry from the University of North Dakota, and joined UVic’s biology department in 1992.

In his research, Choy studies the molecular basis of genetic conditions such as Gaucher disease, an inherited enzyme deficiency that causes a range of serious medical problems. In the classroom, he teaches cell biology, molecular biology and genetics, and biotechnology. He tackles both sides of his job with an infectious enthusiasm.

“Every topic in biological sciences is exciting to me,” he says. “It’s about unravelling the mystery of life, from the level of DNA all the way to cells, organisms and populations. The whole discipline is very dynamic, and I love sharing this with my students.”

Choy believes the key to good teaching is to be prepared and present the material in a logical and compelling way. “The goal is to get students interested enough in the topic to explore it further on their own,” he says. Even better is seeing some of them develop into talented career scientists. “Nothing pleases me more,” he grins.