About

Welcome to the UBEA Annual Conference 2025

May 1, 2025 - May 2, 2025

Hosted by the University of Alberta, Edmonton AB

Please see below for more details

The Undergraduate Biology Educators of Alberta (UBEA) is a vibrant community of passionate biology educators dedicated to advancing biology education. Our annual conference provides a unique opportunity for sharing innovative ideas, cutting-edge research, and best practices in undergraduate biology courses. This year, the University of Alberta will be hosting the event, bringing together biologists and educators from across the province to collaborate, inspire, and learn from one another.

Conference program overview

Full program details can be found here.

At a glance:

May 1 (Thursday) from 2:00 - 4:30 p.m. will be the Alberta Council on Admissions and Transfer meeting, followed by a social event at 4:30 - 7:00 p.m., both in the Pavillon Lacerte at Campus Saint-Jean.
May 2 (Friday) from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. will be the in-person and online presentations, workshops, and discussions, accompanied by lunch and coffee breaks with snacks, at the Grand Salon within Pavillon Lacerte at Campus Saint-Jean.

Paid parking is available at Campus Saint-Jean ($4.50/hour or $15.00/day). Free street parking is also available on the surrounding streets. Please refer to these maps for more details on important building and parking locations.

Registration and participation fees

You can now register for the conference using this form.

You can pay for your attendance (and membership renewal) using this link. The fees are as follow:

In-person attendance for non-students or non-post-doctoral fellows: $50* (or $80 total with UBEA membership renewal)
In-person student (undergraduate and graduate) and post-doctoral fellow attendance: $20
Virtual/online attendance: $15 (or $45 total with UBEA membership renewal)

Presentation formats and abstract submission details

The abstract submission deadline is now closed. You can view all abstracts and our full program here.

Accommodation recommendations

Here are a few affordable options for accommodations if you will be visiting us from out of town:

Four Points by Sheraton - located at 7230 Argyll Rd NW, Edmonton, AB T6C 4A6 and with a block rate available; you can make reservations directly with the hotel or click here to access the direct online booking link for our group block:
- Rate: $149 + tax (applicable taxes = 12.27%)
- Includes breakfast, free Wifi, free parking, and 24-hour access to the swimming pool and fitness facility
- Block rate bookings are available for Thursday, May 1, through to Saturday, May 3
- The last day to book is April 15
- The cancellation policy is 24 hours.
Metterra Hotel on Whyte - located at 10454 82 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T6E 2A2 and with prices starting at $197
Varscona Hotel on Whyte - located at 8208 106 St, Edmonton, AB T6E 6R9 and with prices starting at $340

Interested in sponsoring us?

Please scroll to the bottom of this page to find out more about our available sponsorship levels and benefits, as well as details regarding our current sponsors.

Need more information?

If you have any questions or concerns that have not yet been addressed, please do not hesitate to contact Manon Lepage (UBEA Communications) at info@ubea.ca. More information will also be added to this website as it becomes available, so check back regularly!

KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Dr. Nancy Bray
Associate Lecturer, Faculty of Arts, University of Alberta

Dr Bray is an Associate Lecturer in the Faculty of Arts (Department of English and Film Studies / Writing Studies) specializing in writing and communication. In addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in the Faculty of Arts, she is an Editor-In-Chief of Writing Across the University of Alberta, a peer-reviewed journal that publishes undergraduate and graduate student writing from courses focused on writing studies practices and scholarship at the University of Alberta. As a recipient of the University of Alberta Community Service-Learning Teaching Award, she inspires students to recognize the power of writing and how it shapes the world around them. Her teaching pedagogy challenges students to engage in professional communication and explore the real-world impact of their words, fostering connections that extend beyond the classroom.

Keynote presentation: The Courage to be Human: Teaching (Writing) in the Age of Generative AI

Abstract: The introduction of ChatGPT 3.5 in 2022 changed education forever. Now, questions about (human) writing—questions that scholars in writing studies have long explored—are at the centre of debates about how we should use Large Language Models (LLMs). Collectively, we are asking ourselves: What makes writing human? What is the value of learning to write? What will humans lose if they use LLMs to write? What might they gain?

As a writing studies scholar and writing instructor, I have acutely felt the impact of this new writing technology. The winds of change have upturned my classroom, and I have had to dismantle and rebuild many of my approaches to teaching writing. While I cannot offer a panacea for the disruptions caused by this technology in our classrooms (there is none), I will share some of the strategies I have found helpful. These strategies range from exploring the fundamental and essential questions about the importance of (human) writing to addressing the issue of assessing correctness in writing in a world where machines write more correctly than many humans. Using these strategies and insights from the field of writing studies, we will work together to explore ways to address the challenges you face teaching writing to future biologists.

Speakers

Current sponsors

The Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta
Campus Saint-Jean, University of Alberta
More sponsorship information will be provided once details have been finalized

GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS

GIFT-LEVEL SPONSORS

Sponsorship levels and benefits

If you are interested in sponsoring the UBEA 2025 conference, various levels with different benefits are currently available, as listed below. Once you have selected a level, please make your payment by using the PayPal link under the "How to Sponsor us!" section at the bottom of this UBEA webpage.

1. Platinum - $3,000+

Conference registration and food for 2 people
Display booth with prominent placement
Social media recognition of platinum sponsorship
Prominent logo featured on website
Prominent logo placement in program
Brochures and contact cards in conference bag
Official keynote sponsor
Official keynote sponsor recognition, with your name and website link featured in the conference survey email sent to all members
Opportunity to speak or show promotional video (up to 10 minutes)

2. Gold - $2,000-2,999

Conference registration and food for 2 people
Display booth
Social media recognition of gold sponsorship
Large logo featured on website
Logo placement in program
Brochures and contact cards in conference bag
Official breakout session sponsor

3. Silver - $1,000-1,999

Conference registration and food for 2 people
Display booth
Social media recognition of silver sponsorship
Medium logo featured on website
Logo placement in program
Brochures and contact cards in conference bag

4. Bronze - $500-999

Conference registration and food for 2 people
Display booth
Social media recognition of bronze sponsorship
Logo featured on website
Logo placement in program

5. Custom package - flexible