2020 Graduate Student Teaching Award Recipient: Flavio Preti

Flavio Preti, from Italy, is one of the Faculty of Graduate Research and Studies, Teaching Assistant Award recipients for 2020. He is in the pursuit of his Master's in Biological Sciences.

Why did you choose this area of study?

I have been passionate about biology for as long as I can remember. As a child, I used to go for hikes with my grandmother, who introduced me to the wonderful world of plants and insects. Since then, I developed an interest in multi-layer ecological networks. This passion has led me to leave my home country (Italy) to find better learning opportunities in the land of the green, Canada.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

That's the million-dollar question! How about we circle back to this in a few years? I think I would like to work in different fields of biology and truly understand what drives my passion before 'settling in'. As of now, there are too many variables that I can't even comprehend yet, and they will inevitably affect my life. If you asked me this question 5 years ago, I would have never imagined I'd be in Edmonton doing a master's degree.

Who are three of your heroes (living or historical) and why?

Finally an easy question! On a personal note, I would definitely say my parents, who pushed me to follow my dreams regardless of what they were. From a career perspective, I would say, Warren Buffett, not for his money nor fame, but for his work ethics. One of his quotes that impacted me the most is "One can best prepare themselves for the economic future by investing in your own education. If you study hard and learn at a young age, you will be in the best circumstances to secure your future." -Warren Buffett

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Although this may seem counter-intuitive to most, I would say confidence. Confidence makes you close-minded; question everything and you will actually understand how damaging this 'virtue' is. I'd like to share a quote by René Descartes, which I try to keep in mind before making any decision: "In order to determine whether there is anything we can know with certainty, first have to doubt everything"

Name a book that you would assign as recommended reading to students?

This is extremely dependent on one's studies and interests, therefore I wouldn't be able to advise people on this. But taking the question from a different angle, I would encourage students to read. It doesn't matter what book they pick, find something you like and burn through a few pages a day. It may not seem obvious, but reading allows us to discover ourselves.

What skill would you consider to be most essential for humanity?

Cooperation. We live in a dynamic world, filled with curve-balls and uncertainty. We need to be able to rely on each other and work together for a greater good. We don't have to look far to see an example: SARS‑CoV‑2.

Who or what on campus has made an impact on your UAlberta success?

I would have to say, my students. Their recognition of my efforts is what drove me to improve my teaching style and my work ethics. Therefore, I would like to thank all the students I had the privilege to meet during my degree.