First botanist at TAMIU: Dr. Joshua Stevenson

By Karina Moreno

 

“Botany is what brought me here and got me the job. The university didn't have a botanist before, and I am very happy to be part of the faculty here and teach plant biology. It is what I wanted to do all along,” said Dr. Joshua Stevenson, an assistant professor in the College of Arts and Sciences Texas A&M International University .

Originally from Victoria , British Columbia on Canada 's west coast, Stevenson was educated attended the University of Victoria for his undergraduate degree in plant biology and master's in forest biology. In his late 20s he began doctoral studies at the University of Texas at Austin .

“I had already been at Victoria to get my two degrees, so I decided I wanted something different. After reviewing the different Ph.D. programs I was accepted to, I decided Texas was the best opportunity for me,” he said.

“It was a drastic change since the part of Canada where I'm from is not so much snowy as it is gloomy and rainy, so I really like the climate here, especially the sunshine,” he said.

Botany was not Stevenson's first career. “I originally thought I wanted to be a biochemist, but then I realized I didn't like it that much, so I went into the biology field. Then I realized how I didn't like the idea of killing animals, and since my mother is a big gardener and I grew up near a lot of vegetation, I thought maybe working with plants was the way to go and I went into botany,” he said.

Stevenson is currently preparing the botany class that will be offered in the spring at TAMIU while teaching a general biology course and a survey of life sciences course.

“My experience on campus has been good so far. There's lots of work to do, a lot of lectures to write. I am looking further to the opening of the new science building since the department is currently sharing lab space. It is going to be very nice to have my own new lab to conduct further research,” he said.

Stevenson's teaching experience developed throughout the years he was at UT. “I was offered a faculty internship and was a teaching assistant the whole time I was at the university,” he said.

“The students here are very friendly, committed, and polite,” said Stevenson, “and the faculty have welcomed me with open arms. Our department is very unique in that there are several new faculty members -- around three or four. The fact that we are all in similar conditions helps us support one another.”

 

Stevenson's future plans include establishing himself on campus and developing a research program for the university, particularly focusing on the study of local flora.