Nadine’s interest in biology solidified in high school; she gravitated towards physiology during her B.Sc. in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (MBB). She took the scenic route through undergrad: bartending, travelling, finding her passions, and she didn’t always get it right on the first try! She finished her M.Sc. (MBB) at SFU and then spent four years in New England for her Ph.D. before circling back to UBC and Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology at SFU. She is married and lives on the North Shore with her spouse, daughter, and their puppy.

In 2021, Dr. Nadine Wicks was awarded with the SFU Excellence in Teaching Award. Nominated by faculty and students, the Excellence in Teaching Award recognizes the excellence and dedication of educators, and their ability to impart knowledge and stimulate learning. Dr. Nadine Wicks is recognized for her substantial and high quality contributions to teaching in BPK. Since the start of her continuing appointment in 2016, she has demonstrated excellence in teaching, mentorship, engagement, and pedagogy. As her nominator stated, “She has a particular skill at unpacking complex ideas and explaining them in a way that resonates with students, with real‐world examples and nuanced ideology”. This is echoed by her students, one of whom mentioned “that they did not understand a difficult physiology concept until Dr. Wicks clearly explained the concept in a way that everything made sense.”

Outside of Work She Enjoys:

Travel, dining and sports: playing fastpitch, hiking, surfing, skiing and watching hockey, football, basketball. Go Canucks 😊 Go Chiefs 😊

De-stress Strategies:

Family time. Nature. Exercise. Diversity. Cooking. Making crosswords. Breaks from social media. Zoom dates with family and friends.

Her Tips for Students:

I didn’t have a 4.33 as an undergrad and you probably don’t either. Figure out what you want to do and do it: don’t let perceived limitations constrain you. Find, make and pursue opportunities. Work hard, find your passion, and do what you want to do, rather than what someone else wants you to do!

This post was originally posted to the SFU BPK Instagram on February 10, 2021.