Science Advice Centre
Who is on the Science Advising team?
Karen Cooper
Karen Cooper is UFV's Science Educational Advisor. She completed her Master of Science in Biology at Simon Fraser University, during which she studied the effects of whole lake fertilization on production of zooplankton and juvenile sockeye salmon. Upon completion of her degree, Karen worked as a Fisheries Biologist in private industry for eight years. She then worked as a Co-op Education Coordinator at Simon Fraser University before moving south and settling in Eugene, Oregon, where she worked as an Academic Advisor at the University of Oregon for eight years. Karen’s hobbies and interests include walking, raising two girls, training Bailey ‘the crazy dog’ and learning to spell like a Canadian again!
Allan Arndt
Allan is a faculty science advisor and received a PhD in molecular biology from Simon Fraser University in 1996 with a focus in systematics and population genetics of Pacific sea cucumbers. After research positions in Belgium and Utah, he returned to Canada to teach Biology at Brandon University until coming to UFV in 2003. Allan’s areas of interest include using molecular approaches to examine the genetic structure and history of populations as well as conservation and restoration ecology. His other interests include hockey, cooking, and hiking with his partner and dogs. He also professes to be a Calgary Flames fan!
Cynthia Loten
Cynthia (Cindy) is also a faculty science advisor and has a PhD from SFU in math, where she studied an area of discrete math called graph theory (It was a graph theory question that was on the chalkboard in “Good Will Hunting’’!). While finishing her PhD, Cindy started working for UFV and became a permanent faculty member of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. Her areas of interest include graph theory and also relational structures and complexity theory (which problems have ‘nice’ algorithms to solve them and which ones don’t). She also likes hiking and computer games, but isn’t too fond of the Calgary Flames.
Ora Steyn
Ora is the CIS program head, and she also advises many of our international students. Her first degree was in languages, after which she spent some time teaching high school Latin. In 1984, she bought her first computer and was hooked! She returned to school and received an MScIS and says she can now be classified as a ‘nerd.’ Ora is very interested in why so few females choose careers in computing. She is also drawn to the role that computer games play in education. Ora admits that she loves programming … and incidentally, she also loves making pottery!
Corry Jensen
Corry has been the program advisor for the Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE) department for the last seven years, and her career at UFV expands nearly two decades! She started out as a part-time employee in Adult Basic Education before moving on to work in several different areas around UFV, gaining an wide breadth of knowledge and experience. Corry divides her spare time between volunteering at Hospice as a companion to palliative patients, as well as reading and gardening.
Rilla Apostolakis
Rilla has been the program advisor for CIS for more than four years and her experience at UFV also includes ECE/CYC program advisor and educational advisor for the BA in Adult Education degree. She received a BFA degree in Theatre (yes, a far cry from CIS!) from UVic and is currently pursuing her MSc in Academic Advising from Kansas State University. Rilla’s interests include beachcombing, baking, & theatre … and more recently, unpacking her brand new townhouse!
What do the advisors do?
- Make sure you are on track to graduate
- Do declarations for minors, majors and options
- Will refer you to the many services for students that UFV has if we cannot help.
- Provide you with a program plan so you can see exactly what courses you have left to take.
- Talk with new students about the options available in Science.
- Help you choose courses
How do I make an appointment?
Call or email us!
Where are you?
The Science Advice Centre is located on the Abbotsford campus in Room B249
Important dates
Check these important dates. |
