The Changing Face of Science

Kelowna Secondary School

Kelowna, BC: Friday, October 19th, 2018

Proudly Sponsored by:

For more information about Catalyst 2018, please contact:

bcscta@jcmunro.com

Keynote Speaker: Dr. David G. Harper

Brave New World Realized? The Impact of Emerging Technologies in the Classroom and the Workplace

Technological change is accelerating and its impact grows exponentially. Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, data visualization, and pervasive, global interconnectedness will change our economies, our societies, and our personal lives in ways we are only beginning to understand and cannot fully predict. As science teachers, we need to prepare ourselves and our students to succeed in this new and ever-changing environment.

Science is the gatekeeper for these emerging technologies and we must develop them responsibly, for common good, to solve the great problems of the world whilst also guarding against their being co-opted for exploitation and manipulation.

In this talk, Dave will share his personal experience and eclectic career path in science, education, and business. He’ll discuss important emerging technologies and, specifically, the impact they will have in the science classroom and the “gig economy”.

Dr. David G. (Dave) Harper is a science educator, researcher, and technology CEO. Educated from K to Ph.D. in BC, he is an advocate for education, science and technology, diversity and inclusiveness, environmental sustainability, and is passionate about the importance of critical reasoning and healthy skepticism.

Dave is a graduate of Carson Graham High School in North Vancouver and holds a BSc. and Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia in mathematical biofluiddynamics, and completed post-doctoral fellowships at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole and the University of Cambridge in comparative physiology. He is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at the University of the Fraser Valley, where he teaches courses in Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, and Contemporary Health issues.

As a Visiting Scientist at the BC Cancer Research Centre, Terry Fox Lab, his current research focuses on the therapeutic benefits of ketogenic diets for women with metastatic breast cancer. He is on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Institute for Personalized Therapeutic Nutrition and has just completed a book about the new science of nutrition called BioDiet: What the Science Says.

Dave is also active in the science and business communities in BC. He is the CEO of the Discovery Foundation, whose mandate is to foster the development and sustainability of the technology sector in BC, with a particular focus on promoting diversity and inclusiveness. He is the President of Pacific BioVentures, a technology business consulting company, and author of the best-selling book, Investing in Biotech: How to Profit from the Biopharmaceutical Revolution.

For three years, Dave was the co-host of the radio program, Think for Yourself, a current-affairs show about healthy skepticism and critical reasoning.

Dave will draw on his personal journey to share how change creates opportunity that can benefit ourselves, our students, and our society.

Featured Speaker: Anita Chapman

Anita Chapman is a former science teacher who works as an educational consultant with educational jurisdictions, educational publishing companies, and non-profit organizations in Canada and abroad.  She is a former instructor in classroom assessment for the University of Victoria’s teacher education program, and a former BCTF staff person with responsibilities in curriculum, assessment, and education policy. She was part of the contract teams that developed the BC Performance Standards and the Core Competencies, and worked as a facilitator with the teacher teams who developed the new Science K-10 and Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies (ADST) K-12 curricula. She has an abiding curiosity about the natural world, and a passion for pedagogies that have students doing science, as well as learning about science.