The Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences is proud to congratulate PhD student Emma Betz on receiving the Outstanding Student Poster Award at the 2024 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Meeting. Her poster, titled "Novel Hominin Evolution Lab Activities for Upper-Level Paleontology Courses," was recognized for its innovative approach to paleontology education.

Her poster addresses challenges paleontology instructors face in finding well-designed, accessible, and up-to-date hominin evolution lab activities. Emma's research sought to fill these gaps by designing new lab activities that align with the Equitable and Effective Teaching in Undergraduate STEM Education principles.

The lab activities she developed incorporate key teaching strategies, such as Active Learning methods that engage students by relating lessons to real-world problems and reflecting on their experiences, encouraging collaboration through group work, and using inclusive language to help students envision themselves as scientists. Emma’s lab activities were implemented in EOSC 425 Paleontology courses in two lab sections of about 10 students each, but could be scaled for larger groups. Emma’s work provides instructors with adaptable, engaging tools to enhance student learning in hominin evolution courses.

The 2024 AGU Meeting, held this past December in Washington, DC, brought together thousands of scientists from around the world to share groundbreaking research in earth and space sciences. Emma’s recognition at such a high-profile event highlights both the significance of her work and the strength of UBC’s research community.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Emma Betz on this well-deserved achievement and look forward to seeing the continued impact of her research in geoscience education.