Dr Violeta Iosub
Dr Iosub is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Chemistry. She was born and raised in Romania and obtained her Ph.D. in organic synthesis from the University of Calgary. She has been teaching organic chemistry classes at UVic since 2018.
Dr. Iosub is curious about how learning works and evidence-based teaching practices which she brings into her classes to support active learning and student engagement. She is the recipient of the 2021 Teaching Excellence Award for the Faculty of Science.
What inspired you to become an organic chemist?
As a kid, I was always trying to find what I was good at. I started studying general chemistry in 7th grade in Romania and I really didn’t like it at first – it was all calculations and too many numbers! Because of this, I gave up on chemistry and tried exploring new subjects. My brother suggested physics, which we start in 6th grade, as it is necessary to have if you want to go to university. This still wasn’t the right fit as it was too abstract for me, making me doubt whether I would one day go to university. Despite this, I kept trying new subjects. When I reached high school, I heard that we would start studying organic chemistry in grade 10. This was my chance to find something that I liked! I put a lot of effort into learning the material and practicing and found that I really started to understand and enjoy the topic. From this point on, I decided organic chemistry was the field for me.
What was the educational pathway you took to become an organic chemist?
When I entered high school, we had to pass an entrance exam to get into the high school of our choice. At the time, Romania had some high schools which focused on practical skills and led straight into a profession, and other high schools that were theory-based and led to university. My older brother helped me choose a school, one of the best in the city, which had six hours of classes every day in topics like mathematics, physics, philology, and a combined chemistry-biology class. Before we started organic chemistry, I was really interested in biology and even knew all the Latin names for all sorts of plants and creatures.
By the time I graduated, I knew I wanted to pursue chemistry. There were many possibilities with a chemistry degree back home and I ended up working in industry for roughly ten years. Even with the many possibilities, the future didn’t look too promising for professionals in Romania at the time and I wasn’t feeling challenged by my job, so my husband and I felt it was time to move. I applied for grad school abroad and was accepted to do my PhD at Calgary.
Was there anyone who was particularly influential in your studies to become a scientist?
I would say my family were because they let me be myself. At the time, girls in our culture were expected to cook, clean, iron, and take care of the house. Growing up in a communist country, this was a time-consuming job as we didn’t have any vacuum cleaners or other gadgets to help. I wasn’t interested in any of that, instead preferring to spend my time reading. I remember overhearing my father tell my mother that he was worried for me since I didn’t have any practical skills, but my mom said “well, she’s always carrying books. No one else in this family is doing that, so just leave her to her books.” My family were always supportive and never stopped me from pursuing what I wanted. I should mention that I am a first-generation student, which makes my family’s support for something they understood little about even more noteworthy.
What does a typical workday look like for Dr. Iosub?
I start by checking emails in the morning. This takes at least one hour every day, but it was longer during COVID. Next, I prep for class by going through my notes and reviewing the plan in my head. I also teach every day. When class is done, I make notes on what needs to be addressed, then I go back to my administrative duties. If I have time, I read some papers since professors need to keep up with the literature. I have two fields that I look into, education and chemistry, which is sometimes hard to balance, but I like both equally.
How do you maintain your work-life balance?
My disconnecting strategy is to watch TV. I also try to go to the gym, not because I like it, but because I know how important it is to stay active. Exercise is vital for our mental health. Since COVID, I’ve started going for a hike every Sunday. The island has so many lovely hikes. I find that the views and the quietness of the forest is enough to remind you what’s important. My favourite hike so far is the Pacific Coast Trail in Sooke. I’ve even seen whales there before!
What made you interested specifically in teaching and chemistry education?
This happened to me during my PhD. I had originally planned to get my degree then work in industry. As a PhD student, we had to help teach undergraduate courses. I found I really liked sharing my enthusiasm for organic chemistry with the students. Also, a lot of students were scared of organic chemistry, and I wanted to help alleviate some of this fear. Over the years, I was told I was good at teaching – I even won a teaching award as a grad student – which made me start thinking of the possibility of teaching. When I finished my PhD, there was an opportunity to teach a lecture. This was terrifying the first time I did it! One thing led to another though, and I became a sessional instructor and eventually a full-time teaching professor.
Could you describe your current research interests?
I am very interested in how the brain works, especially when someone is learning. I want to use research coming from the cognitive sciences to make students less afraid of chemistry. My goal isn’t to make students chemists, but instead to make them problem solvers. To me, it is all about being able to look at a problem (either from organic chemistry or elsewhere) and being able to figure out a solution.
Nowadays, neuroscience is exploding with new information about how people learn. I try to apply some of that in my classes in order to make learning easier. This includes demystifying concepts like intelligence; it is not something you are born with, but something that you grow. Growing up, we were brought to believe that some people were simply smarter than others, but the reality is that people work very hard to be where they are. Learning can take many forms, so it is important to remember that everyone is their own person and can grow to be whatever they want to be. This is what excites me about my job! As a teacher, the choices we make for course design and the timing of those choices are fundamental to effective teaching. While I am more of a practitioner of teaching than a researcher, I am always interested in applying new knowledge from cognitive sciences, education, and leadership in the way I teach.
Where do you believe the future of your field is headed?
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention artificial intelligence. Although AI will be challenging for all of us to compete with, I am excited to see what changes it will bring with its ability to integrate knowledge. At the moment, AI like ChatGPT is largely language-based, so it is not a direct threat to chemistry, but it can still be a very useful tool. AI can save us a lot of time when it comes to organization and searching for information.
Also, I believe that the research coming from neuroscience, if applied correctly, will have a big impact on education. Although systemic change is very difficult, I hope that education will become more accessible in the future. We like to believe education is highly accessible already, but I think the expenses associated with it can still be prohibitive for many.
What advice do you have for young women interested in pursuing a similar career path to yourself?
In my experiences, it is important to keep an open mind. While it is good to have goals, you need to stay flexible. You don’t have to choose a path and stay on it forever! It is also very important to surround yourself with people who believe in you and are honest about your qualities and your faults. Even just one or two friends who you trust and can rely on can make a huge difference. When I moved to Calgary, I was lucky to work with a group of very supportive peers who put up with my questions about life in Canada (like “what is a scone?”). Everyone believed in me and reminded me that I had made it this far because I had worked hard to get here.
Five Fun Facts About Dr. Iosub:
Any interesting hobbies? My biggest hobby is reading. I have books everywhere! I tell myself that I have to read all of my books before I die, but I keep buying new books. I guess I will have to live forever!
Best book you’ve read recently? Currently, I am reading and really enjoying “How Emotions Are Made,” by neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett. She proposes that we create emotions based on the environment we grew up in. I really like how she brings in other cultures to talk about emotions from multiple perspectives.
Favourite cuisine? I love all food, so long as there isn’t any shellfish – I’m allergic!
Dream vacation? I would love to go to an island where I can just sit, relax, and listen to the water and nature without worrying about anything. It doesn’t even have to be hot, but it just has to be quiet.
Dogs or cats? I love all of them! I have two cats and I slightly prefer cats because they are more self-reliant, but I like all creatures, large and small.
Interview by Anna Dansereau
