David Begg
What would you tell your class if this was your last-ever lecture?
David Begg, professor in the Division of Anatomy, is facing this question head on as one of three finalists for the Last Lecture Series.
UAlberta Alumni Relations invited students to nominate their favourite professor for a chance to speak at the inaugural lecture of this series which will take place on April 9, 2014, in room 1-430 of the Centennual Centre for Interdisciplinary Science (CCIS). Finalists were chosen based on the number of nominations they received. In addition to Begg, finalists include Linda Kerr from the Department of History (Faculty of Arts) and Robert Burch from the Department of Philosophy (Faculty of Arts).
In his lecture entitled, "How to get there from here," Begg will recount some important life lessons he's learned over the course of his education and career. He hopes his life lessons will give students insight as they plot the course of their professional and personal lives.
"I've spent most of my career wondering how you bring normal life into the classroom and I've decided the way to do that is to just be yourself," said Begg. "I tell [the class] about my dysfunctional family and I tell them stories about myself and I tell them jokes. I try to break down the barrier between professor and student."
Begg has been teaching anatomy and cell biology at the University of Alberta for 22 years and he is no stranger to bringing his own life into the lecture hall. By providing a glimpse into his life, he tries to eliminate the distant professor persona to better connect with his students. He believes this kind of vulnerability is one of the most valuable things an educator can bring to class.
A story from Begg's early teaching career inspired not only his Last Lecture, but also a talk that many of his students call inspirational. At the end of each semester, he devotes the final lecture of each class to discussing tips to help students navigate their careers.
"My answer is really simple: figure out what you love and do that. If you don't, you'll be unhappy. If you [know what makes you happy], no matter what you do, you put a little bit of love in the world and that's the best thing you can do," he said. "Never underestimate the power of serendipity."
The final vote to determine the speaker is open from February 24 to Mach 12 on the Alumni Relations Last Lecture Series webpage. Vote now.