Rising Stars
Dr. Krystal Nunes
Bouncing back from failure is a skill that is particularly important in science, where experiments fail frequently, hypotheses need revision, and research topics redirected.
Professor Krystal Nunes brings a focus on pedagogy, particularly in the realm of failure, to the Department of Chemistry and Biology, after a postdoctoral research position at the University of Toronto, Mississauga. With a PhD in biology and a background in ecology, her research extends beyond biology contexts with applications across disciplines. Since beginning her position at TMU, Nunes and her team have introduced failure-based interventions in undergraduate courses to foster resilience and learning after failure. The team has since expanded their research to include STEM graduate students, including a collaborative research project where grades in graduate-level courses are decentralized and qualitative feedback is emphasized instead.
Dr. Carina Rebello
Physics is often seen as a “weed-out class” – where few survive the leap from high school to university. Carina Rebello is on a mission to rethink this mindset and reimagine the potential of physics labs at TMU.
Professor Carina Rebello joins the Department of Physics with expertise in pedagogy. Having once found physics challenging herself only to enjoy it later on in her studies, her goal is to revitalize physics labs at TMU through undergraduate physics pedagogy research and professional development for teaching assistants. Her research will inform how to improve student attitudes, motivation, success and retention, train TAs to become better teachers, and allow students and educators to co-create courses with shared visions. Rebello earned her PhD in science education and previously served as an Assistant Professor of Practice at Purdue University, where she continues to serve as adjunct faculty and holds National Science Foundation (NSF) research grants.
Brooke Filsinger
“If we are missing Indigenous Knowledges, we are missing a big piece.”
After a sixteen-year research career for Cancer Care Ontario (now part of Ontario Health), Brooke Filsinger joins the Faculty of Science to focus on her passion – Indigenous science. In addition to being an advisor to the Dean, she is also an EnSciMan PhD student, where the overlap between her two roles share the objective of creating spaces for Indigenous students to apply traditional research methods and teachings in STEM. Since joining the faculty, Brooke has worked on cultivating relationships with Indigenous community members at TMU to integrate Indigenous representation within the curriculum while identifying systemic barriers preventing Indigenous students from pursuing education in STEM. Brooke’s first-hand experience as a Haudenosaunee Indigenous student and learnings from prior decolonization efforts are invaluable to the faculty’s efforts in reconciliation and knowledge sharing with Indigenous communities.
Learn more about our newest professors who are committed to innovative research and teaching at TMU: