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Our Team
Teachers
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Luc Arvisais |
A project where you can think outside of the box … I mean textbook – fantastical ! Twenty plus years of high school and I have never heard of Synthetic Biology before this one. We began our journey to experience the definition last December. At our small school nestled in the Canadian Rockies, “Jack of all Trades” is the name of the game. That is why a Math/Physics qualified teacher started an iGEM team. When I am not working at school, I double as a taxi driver to my two kids (say hello to my daughter below). There must always be time to play in the mountains too (awesome snow this March)! |
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Jessica Puurunen |
I'm a mother, biology/special education teacher, technology enthusiast, semi-pro (read: recreational) mountain biker, and a general grumpypants. iGEM is like no other teaching and learning opportunity I've come across in a decade of work as an educator. I studied genetics and microbiology a mere ten years ago... And my how it's changed! A, T, C, G is the same, but that's about it..... Glad I have the students below to walk me through everything. Go team! |
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Janell Toews |
I am one of the luckiest teachers on earth! I get to live in beautiful Canmore and work with amazing students at Our Lady of the Snows school. As a music teacher, I am not the first person you would think of when you mention synthetic biology. Luckily, all of my years of organizing band trips have made me a perfect fit for the logistics and PR portion of this team. I am learning more about science everyday and enjoying the journey. Who knows, I might switch my teaching assignment to science next year. Wouldn’t that be a scary thought! |
Student Team
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Alina Arvisais |
Science has always been interesting to me, and when I first heard of iGEM I was eager to participate. Since I am only in grade 9, when we first began working on this project I did not know much about the science involved. As our project progressed I learnt more about synthetic biology and lab work. I am particularly interested in working in the lab. My main interests outside of school and iGEM are rock climbing and reading. |
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Delaney Barth |
I am currently a grade 9 student attending Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Academy. I found iGEM to be a very unique opportunity, and did not want to miss the chance to join. By participating in this project, I have learned much about synthetic biology, and am still learning more. I believe that this project will provide opportunities for me in the future, and I am very interested in the lab work and human practices. Besides iGEM, I participate in extracurriculars such as debate and piano. |
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Carter Behm |
I am 17 years old, and soon to be finished Grade 11 at Our Lady of the Snows. The iGEM team is a unique opportunity for our school, and it has provided many aspects for me to get involved. My main role on the team is the creator/manager of the online website, which I had to learn to do from scratch. I am also quite interested in the lab work. As extracurricular activities I enjoy reading, sports, and playing either guitar or piano. |
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Frances Davies |
I am currently a grade 11 student at Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Academy. I have always been involved in sports my community and school. Injuries in sports have led me to a curiosity about the human body, which in turn led to a fascination with genetics. iGem presented me with the opportunity to learn about, and experiment with genetics. Though I am not interested in pursuing a post-secondary education in synthetic biology, opportunities such as iGem allow me to gain in depth knowledge pertaining to synthetic biology, lab protocols, and bioethics. I am involved in other groups within my community, such as student council and social justice. |
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Talia Dixon |
I am currently in grade 9, going to Our Lady of the Snows in Canmore, Alberta. I took an interest in iGEM because it sounded very interesting, educational, and can potentially open a lot of doors for me. It also allows me to try something new and gain experience in a different field. My interests include hockey and debating. |
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Jeremiah Ellis |
I am currently a grade eleven student attending Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Academy. I joined iGEM with the hopes of broadening my education and having an academic experience like no other within my high school life. I believe that iGEM is a great opportunity for us to interact with the academic community and pursue our scientific interests. For those of us who seek careers in science, iGEM opens a door to the scientific world and is a precursor to our post secondary education. Even if we are not continuing with sciences outside of high school, iGEM still provides an education for us that goes far beyond our curriculum. |
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Elisa Hall |
I am currently in twelfth grade at Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Academy. I have always been involved with sports and my community. Through volunteering at the Canmore hospital I have been able to experience the ethics behind medicine and what synthetic biology can do for us in the future. I hope that in the future I will be able to apply the knowledge that I have learned to law, or psychology. I have always been passionate about biology, law, English, and social issues. I believe that the future will propose a lot of opportunities for synthetic biology and am elated that the opportunity has been given to me to be a part of it now and hopefully in the future. |
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Steven Hughes |
I am currently in Grade 11 at Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Academy. I chose to involve myself in the iGEM team so that I can expand on what I already learnt throughout my education. Science is always something that I have enjoyed no matter what type, and iGEM added to the list. The iGem team stood out for me because it offers a certain level of education that the majority of high schools do not offer, so I saw this as an unbelievable opportunity for me and my classmates. |
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Rachel Kim |
I am a grade 9 student at Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Academy. I have attended the school for one year now—working on my second--and I love how many different projects and teams our students can participate in. Go student involvement! I am a part of the recently created badminton club, and, of course, iGEM. Outside of school, though, I enjoy yoga and karate, as well as being involved with Girl Guides of Canada. I think iGEM is fantastic; not only do students get to learn about synthetic biology, they get hands-on experience working in a lab and organizing their own project. There are so many opportunities that become available with this kind of work. Hoping my team does well, let’s go OLeSsence! |
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Matthew Marquez |
I am currently enrolled in grade 10 soon to be finished. I am a very curious teenager and I am constantly trying to explore new territories and science is one of the most vast areas of them all. Igem is a great way to connect with pears in my school along with having fun with science. I personally believe that by further exploring this it will satisfy my hunger for knowledge. On the team my main jobs are wetlab, ethics, fundraising, and human practices all of which intrigue me. |
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Nicole Melzer |
I am currently a grade eleven student at Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Academy. I was skeptical about the idea of synthetic biology due to the little knowledge I had beforehand of what it entails. However, the opportunity that was presented to me through iGEM was something that I could not pass up. Science has always fascinated me, and it is clear that there is great potential for synthetic biology in the future! I love a good challenge and iGEM has definitely challenged my ability for abstract thinking. I am very excited to be a part of the first ever OLS iGEM team and I hope to participate again in my grade twelve year. |
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Freya Morgan |
I am a grade 9 student attending OLS. I am fourteen years old. My favourite subject has always been science, because it is interesting and I enjoy learning about it. I have been to seven schools, and this is the most interesting science opportunity that I have come across. When I heard about iGEM I was really interested and I thought it sounded cool, but since then I have learned a lot about DNA and bioengineering and I am enjoying it lots. |
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Noah Nadal |
I am currently in grade 11 at Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Academy. With the participation in iGEM, I see great opportunities by committing my time to this project, and gaining the experience achieved from iGEM will give me experience in future opportunities in post-secondary and in choosing my career. My curiosity towards synthetic biology is what has driven me towards joining, and working with people as a team has always been something I love doing. |
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Matthew San Juan |
I am currently in Grade 11 attending Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Academy. I joined iGEM in order to pursue my interests within science. Although my greatest interest is mathematics, I still wanted to learn about synthetic biology and join iGEM for the scientific experience. Growing up in the Philippines, I had never even heard of an opportunity like this. For me, iGEM is something different and it gives me a glimpse of post secondary education. |
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Daniel Tully |
I am currently a grade 11 student at Our Lady of the Snows. My favourite science has always been biology. After I graduate from High school I plan on going to study Medicine or Bio-Medicine. I joined my school’s IGem team in order to further my experience in biology. I am enjoying the technical aspect of IGem and I am finding the Lab skills and practice very interesting. I believe that the lab skills learned from this project as well as furthering my knowledge of biology will directly relate to my post secondary studies. I am mainly working on the wet lab. My interests include skiing, kayaking, school sports, biology and science in the community. |
