Santokh Singh

Professor of Teaching

Academic History

  • M.Sc. in Botany, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India (1981)
  • Ph.D. in Plant Cell Biology, Australian National University (1988)
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Saskatchewan (1989-92)

Contact Information

  • santokh.singh@botany.ubc.ca
  • Office Phone: 604-822-3330
  • Office Location: 2126 Bioscience Building
  • Lab Location: 2015 Bioscience Building

Teaching Interests

My teaching philosophy centers on an active learning approach as I engage my students in critical thinking, problem-solving, scientific communication and experiential learning. These learning outcomes appear to be fundamental to transformative education. I believe that an effective teacher provides a catalyst for students’ learning by being passionate and enthusiastic for teaching and learning. I strive to stimulate my students’ intellectual growth and higher learning by focusing on student-centered and research-based teaching and learning methods. I have introduced new methods and tools for student assessment. For example, I have developed and introduced a student assessment method using short presentations based on Three Minute Thesis (3MT®).

My research interests include: the physiology and biochemistry of cytokinin and abscisic acid; nitrogen recycling in phenylpropanoid metabolism; and developmental and environmental regulation of photosynthesis and transpiration. I am of the view that an effective laboratory is investigative and requires students to actively develop their own hypothesis and research questions. This approach focuses on promoting the process of experiential learning with an emphasis on students working as scientists in the laboratory.

Courses Taught/Teaching

BIOL 111 Introduction to Modern Biology.
BIOL 200 Cell Biology I
BIOL 201 Cell Biology II Introduction to Biochemistry
BIOL 260 Fundamentals of Physiology
BIOL 351/APBI 351/FRST 311 Plant Physiology I
BIOL 352 Plant Physiology II: Plant Development
BIOL 490A Student Directed Seminar
BIOL 448 Directed Studies in Biology