Wendy_Keenleyside

Wendy Keenleyside

Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology

University of Guelph

Guelph, ON

N1G 2W1

519-824-4120 x. 53813

Hats....

Course Instructor/Coordinator and Faculty Advisor (MICR, MICR:C, BIOT)

Robes....

BScH (Microbiology and Immunology) University of Western Ontario

MSc (University of Toronto)

PhD (University of Guelph)

Feathers...

I like birds....

What I do

I started teaching as a sessional instructor while I was a research associate in the previous Department of Microbiology at UofG. Although I truly loved my research, I unexpectedly found teaching even more rewarding and over the following few years, took on more and more teaching contracts while continuing my research, until I finally began teaching full-time. For the last ~10 years I've been part of the teaching team for UofG's first year biology course, teaching anywhere from 1800-2000 students in the fall semester. My primary role however is teaching in the Microbiology program and advising students in the different microbiology programs (including co-op) and the biotechnology minor. I teach a variety of courses within the MICR program, from our introductory courses to more senior courses in bacterial genetics and microbial ecology. Having assumed responsibility for this fourth year course on Microbial Ecology 4 years ago, and entirely revised the curriculum, I've switched hats from being a bacterial physiologist/geneticist to a microbial ecologist and now even serve on graduate advisory committees for microbial ecology grad students! So I guess I've come full circle with research, albeit now participating from the sidelines. I'm also involved in curriculum development for the microbiology program and have recently helped develop the first entirely new core for the program. This fall I was invited to join the Associate VP Academic's Council on Undergraduate Academic Advising. I enjoy meeting and sharing with like-minded teachers at conferences, including when time and funds allow, the annual American Society for Microbiology Conference on Undergraduate Teaching (ASMCUE). But my favourite is the oCUBE unconference!

Outside of my professional life, I have a cat who rules the household and a family cottage in Muskoka, handed down through generations, that keeps me sane from May-October. October to May is not a pretty sight!

Scholarship sampler

I was on the editorial advisory board for "Biology: Exploring The Diversity of Life", 1st Cdn Ed. (2010) by Russell, Wolfe, Hertz and Starr, Fenton, Addy, Maxwell, Haffie and Davey.

I'm one of three authors, along with two other oCUBErs, Colin Montpetit and Julie Smit, on the accompanying study guide.

I'm currently serving as editorial advisory board member for the second edition of this textbook.