Post by McMaster Faculty of Science

Pat Chow-Fraser’s career is winding down the way it began 35 years ago. “I like doing what’s never been done before,” says Chow-Fraser, a biology professor, director of the Faculty of Science’s Office of Undergraduate Research and inveterate innovator. “I thrive on the challenge.” She got her first challenge on her first day at McMaster University. Chow-Fraser went for a walk with the chair of the biology department to the Cootes Paradise Nature Sanctuary. Standing at the water’s edge, the chair told Chow-Fraser to think of the 320-hectare marsh in McMaster’s backyard as her living lab. “Do whatever interests you and will have an impact” was Chow-Fraser’s research mandate. She did exactly that over the next decade with an ever-growing team of trainees. They launched research-backed ecological restoration projects with the sanctuary’s stewards at the Royal Botanical Gardens and a host of other partners and funders. Their work in Cootes Paradise led to research projects on a larger scale further from campus. The coastal marshes throughout the Laurentian Great Lakes – the largest freshwater ecosystem on Earth – became the new living lab for Chow-Fraser’s research group for the next 20 years, with new partners including First Nations communities. In 2023, Chow-Fraser was named the Faculty of Science Research Chair in Great Lakes Ecosystem Health Indicators. A year later, Chow-Fraser was appointed director of the Office for Undergraduate Research (OUR). She was given the same carte blanche mandate to innovate, this time from Rosa da Silva, the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies who oversees the office. “Pat’s a true legend within the McMaster Science community,” says da Silva. “Throughout her entire career, Pat’s inspired and mentored countless students, helping them discover their passion for research and providing opportunities that have shaped their academic and professional journeys. When we selected Pat as director, we knew her exceptional experiences as a researcher, educator and mentor made her uniquely qualified to elevate undergraduate research opportunities across the Faculty of Science. And we were right.” Launched in 2023 with funding from the Office of the Provost’s Strategic Alignment Fund, the OUR remains a first for McMaster and the only one of its kind among Faculties of Science at Canadian universities. With a mission to promote excellence in undergraduate student, and faculty-led, collaborative research and scholarship, the OUR’s launched workshops, forums, seminars, summer research experiences, a shadowing program and one-on-one advising. Scaling up those offerings while securing the OUR’s long-term sustainability became the final challenges of Chow-Fraser’s career – she plans to retire next summer. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/gXD-pS6N