My Work and Education
Dr. Karen Ho (she/her) is a Senior Laboratory Instructor in the Department of Chemistry and Physics at Mount Royal University. She has been teaching labs (and lectures) for various Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Education courses for over a decade. She teaches the lab components of first-year General Chemistry, second-year Analytical Chemistry, General Biochemistry, and Organic Chemistry, third-year Research Methods in Chemistry and Spectroscopy, and fourth-year Advanced Organic Synthesis. She also teaches the lecture on Experimental Science for Elementary Education, Behavior of Liquids, Gases, and Solids, Directed Readings, and Independent Projects. Her research interests focus on chemistry education in post-secondary settings. She took her MSc. in Chemistry under the supervision of Dr. Dave Palmer at the University of Saskatchewan and EdD. in Learning Sciences under the supervision of Dr. Douglas Clark at the University of Calgary Her current research project is to explore how reflection in the laboratory setting will deepen post-secondary students’ meaningful learning.
EDUCATION
EdD. Education (Learning Sciences), University of Calgary. (2023)
MSc. Chemistry, University of Saskatchewan. (2007)
BSc. Applied Chemistry, University of Calgary. (2001)
EdD. Education (Learning Sciences), University of Calgary. (2023)
MSc. Chemistry, University of Saskatchewan. (2007)
BSc. Applied Chemistry, University of Calgary. (2001)
Professional Experience and Service
General Chemistry I & II Lab Coordinator, Mount Royal University (2009 – present)
Coordinator for multi-section first year chemistry labs. Duties include design lab content, creating assessment, ensuring standardization and consistency among lab sections. Liaising among course coordinator, lab instructors, and lab technician, and instructor training. Additional duties include choosing appropriate lab simulation platform.
General Chemistry I & II Course Coordinator, Mount Royal University (2022-2023)
Coordinator for multi-section first year chemistry lecture. Duties include prepare course outline, facilitate semester-start meeting, and maintain similar quality of questions in assessments among different sections. Additional duties include choosing appropriate textbook.
External Committee Members
Member, Ad hoc Full-time Lab Instructor Advisory Committee, Mount Royal University (2022-present)
Member, Standing Full-Time Laboratory Instructor for Sociology & Anthropology, Mount Royal University (2024)
Member, Faculty Development Committee (2024 - present)
Internal Committee Members
Member, Lab Technician Hiring Committee, Mount Royal University (2021 - present)
Member, Awards and Nomination Committee, Mount Royal University (2016 - present)
Member, Community Outreach Committee, Mount Royal University (2020 - present)
Member, Standing Full-Time Laboratory Instructor for Chemistry & Physics, Mount Royal University (2015 - 2023)
Service to Department (2009 - present)
Support with outreach activities in the Department of Chemistry and Physics. Includes New Student Orientation, convocation, and public events such as Open House, Faculty of Science & Technology Research Day judge, and Women in Science & Technology Research Night.
Professional Training
WISE Planet Program, University of Calgary. (Jan 2024 to present) Mokakiiks Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Mount Royal University. (2018 to 2022) Ongoing Professional Development Participation, Mount Royal University. (2009 to present) Participation in professional development programs offered to faculty. Include sessions on TCPS2: CORE 2022, Tobii started program, Peer evaluation of teaching, Environmental health and safety program, EDI awareness and skills, Unconscious bias training, laboratory safety, ArcGIS online organization, science communication, and In-Class accommodation. |
AWARDS, RECOGNITION, & GRANTS
2024 FST Faculty Development Fund, Mount Royal University
2024 Mokakiiks Undergraduate SoTL Dissemination Fund (act as Principal Investigator)
2024 Marshall Family Foundation Literacy Grant, Mount Royal University
2023 Second Place Poster Presentation Award (Chemical Education Division), CCCE 2023
2023 FST Faculty Development Fund, Mount Royal University
2023 Undergraduate Research Dissemination Fund (act as Principal Investigator)
2022 Faculty Research and Scholarship Dissemination Fund
2022 Mokakiiks Undergraduate SoTL Dissemination Fund (act as Principal Investigator)
2022 First Place Poster Presentation Award (Chemical Education Division), CCCE 2022
2022 Essential SoTL Grant, Mount Royal University
2022 FST Faculty Development Fund, Mount Royal University
2022 Internal Research Grant Fund, Mount Royal University
2020 Essential SoTL Grant, Mount Royal University
2020 Academic Prize - Institute for Scholarship Teaching and Learning, Mount Royal University
2019 SoTL Special Topics Grant, Mount Royal University
2016 FST Faculty Development Fund, Mount Royal University
2012 FST Faculty Development Fund, Mount Royal University
2024 FST Faculty Development Fund, Mount Royal University
2024 Mokakiiks Undergraduate SoTL Dissemination Fund (act as Principal Investigator)
2024 Marshall Family Foundation Literacy Grant, Mount Royal University
2023 Second Place Poster Presentation Award (Chemical Education Division), CCCE 2023
2023 FST Faculty Development Fund, Mount Royal University
2023 Undergraduate Research Dissemination Fund (act as Principal Investigator)
2022 Faculty Research and Scholarship Dissemination Fund
2022 Mokakiiks Undergraduate SoTL Dissemination Fund (act as Principal Investigator)
2022 First Place Poster Presentation Award (Chemical Education Division), CCCE 2022
2022 Essential SoTL Grant, Mount Royal University
2022 FST Faculty Development Fund, Mount Royal University
2022 Internal Research Grant Fund, Mount Royal University
2020 Essential SoTL Grant, Mount Royal University
2020 Academic Prize - Institute for Scholarship Teaching and Learning, Mount Royal University
2019 SoTL Special Topics Grant, Mount Royal University
2016 FST Faculty Development Fund, Mount Royal University
2012 FST Faculty Development Fund, Mount Royal University
THESIS
Ho, K. (2023). The integration of community service learning and reflection in a post-secondary chemistry lab (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca/items/d6cfab39-4f53-4660-a3ef-5ea20779c512
Ho, K. (2007). Investigation of catalysis by MenD (Master thesis, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada).
Ho, K. (2023). The integration of community service learning and reflection in a post-secondary chemistry lab (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca/items/d6cfab39-4f53-4660-a3ef-5ea20779c512
Ho, K. (2007). Investigation of catalysis by MenD (Master thesis, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada).