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It took several phone calls for UVic science
dean Tom Pederson to track down Anna
Burianova, who is spending the summer
working for the National Research
Council in Ottawa, and to convince her
that she really is the top science graduate
for 2006.
“When he said it was the dean calling,
I almost didn’t believe him,” says a delighted
Burianova, who will return home
to Victoria for convocation to receive her
Jubilee Medal in Science and her honours
BSc in microbiology.
It will be a fleeting visit as Burianova
is thoroughly absorbed in research work,
which involves several projects such as developing
agricultural vaccines. Her free time
is crammed with dragon-boating, playing
ultimate Frisbee and softball, and visiting all
the museums and galleries in the capital.
Burianova has been soaking up all the
experiences she can ever since she arrived in
Canada from Slovakia at age 11. The family
came to B.C. for her microbiologist father’s
research. Growing up, Burianova spent
happy hours helping in labs and says it felt
natural to follow in his footsteps.
“I love lab work,” says Burianova, who
is pondering a career as a human geneticist. “I like the idea of combining science
and people, identifying genes that cause
disease and hopefully making discoveries
that will help people in the future.”
Burianova also enjoys working with
people. While studying for her degree, she
volunteered in the emergency room and
a genetic clinic at Victoria General Hospital,
tutored math and science, worked
one-on-one with brain injury patients,
and coached volleyball.
At the end of high school, Burianova,
who competed internationally for Canada’s
youth volleyball team, was recruited
to play varsity volleyball in Toronto. But
for Burianova it was a slam-dunk. “I
couldn’t do both at the highest level so
my education won out. Science is my
future,” she says.
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