For Dr. Dezene Huber, the ease at which he communicates means he is just as comfortable watching a hockey game with colleagues as he is with academic delivery. This natural ability to express ideas and strategies is part of the reason why Huber has been recognized with the Community Leadership Award from the BC Council on Admissions & Transfer.

Huber, a professor in the Ecosystem Science and Management and Forestry Program at the University of Northern British Columbia, has won the respect of his peers due to his dedicated work as a member of the of the Biology Articulation Committee for the past 10 years, including exemplary leadership as chair of the committee for the past four years. 

"It is a great honour to be recognized like this by my peers,” says Huber. “The BCCAT system has many articulation committees who are working hard to make it easier for B.C. students to complete their degrees as they move between post-secondary institutions within the province.”

“This efficient and integrated world-class system would be impossible without their dedicated work, and no articulation committee Chair could accomplish very much without a strong team working alongside them,” Huber says. “I have been fortunate to lead a great group of dedicated educators on the BCCAT Biology Articulation Committee over the past several years. It has been a pleasure to work together with them on a variety of initiatives meant to strengthen biology education across B.C."

Huber is actively involved in all things to do with biology articulation, according to Tara Stehelin, who submitted the nomination on his behalf. Stehelin, a biology instructor at Yukon College in Whitehorse, explains that as chair of the Biology Articulation Committee from 2014-2018, “Dezene provided an atmosphere of open and collegial discussion that has been instrumental in increased involvement between the K-12 curriculum changes and the post-secondary education system for the field of biology.”

Stehelin says this communication will lead to greater collaboration, and possibly students who are better prepared and engaged when entering post-secondary institutions.

“Dezene was instrumental in several other initiatives for the Biology Articulation Committee, he is also an advocate for science education for students of all ages, and a leader in forest and insect ecology research,” she said.

He gives back to the biology community in other ways too, Stehelin explains. He “mentors both graduate and undergraduate students, and is personal, approachable and humble, despite an impressive list of accomplishments. He also volunteers in scientific publishing and peer review and has published over 50 scientific papers or book chapters.”