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June
2006
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| Photo credit: Linda
van der Zande, UNBC |
Job
title and general description
Canada Research
Chair in Forest Entomology and Chemical Ecology & Assistant
Professor at the University of Northern British Columbia.
http://web.unbc.ca/~huber
I am involved in
basic and applied research on topics related to the interactions
between forest trees and their insect herbivores. I train
graduate students and undergraduate research assistants, I
coordinate research activities in my lab, I publish research
results so that other scientists can use the research from
my lab, I give talks at scientific conferences, I interact
with people in the community who might be able to use my research
results, and develop and deliver undergraduate and graduate-level
courses at the university.
What
specific skills and qualities are needed to do your job?
My work requires
curiosity, good observational abilities, patience for when
results are difficult to obtain, and a good ability to communicate
with others through writing and speech.
What
do you like most about your work?
I love it when my
students and I are able to understand a new aspect of the
complex and interesting interactions between insects and plants.
I also enjoy finding ways to use what we've learned in our
research to develop new, more sustainable methods of pest
insect control.
What
don’t you like about your job?
Paperwork.
Where
do you see your career going from here?
I love working at
UNBC and living in Prince George. There are so many interesting
questions to study here in central and northern British Columbia.
I expect to continue to develop my career in this enjoyable
job.
What
is the range in salary that comes with your job?
$60,000 to $120,000
When
did you know you wanted to work in sciences?
As far back as I
can remember, I've always enjoyed finding out how things worked.
I also have always had a fascination for living things. During
my undergraduate degree, when I had the opportunity to work
in the research lab of Dr. Gerrit Voordouw at the University
of Calgary, I found out that I could take that fascination
and build an enjoyable career around it.
What
is your educational background? Degrees? Specific courses?
I have a B.Sc. in
Zoology from the University of Calgary and a Ph.D. in Biological
Sciences from Simon Fraser University.
What
was your favorite course(s) and why?
Invertebrate Zoology,
because the many ways that animals "make a living"
are very interesting to me
Organic chemistry,
because it was there that I developed my interest in the chemicals
that organisms use to interact with each other
Cell molecular physiology,
because it reveals the fine details of life that are so important
in the interactions between organisms.
What
other hobbies and interests do you have?
I enjoy things that
allow me to interact with nature. For instance, I like to
hike, fly fish, and work in my garden.
Do
you have any advice for young people thinking about getting
into your line of work?
Remain curious,
and use that curiosity to drive a desire to study very hard.
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