New Associate Professor Glenn Aguilar

Glenn Aguilar was appointed as an Associate Professor in 2023. We asked him about his role and what he enjoys about teaching.

What courses are you teaching?

I teach in the Bachelor of Applied Science programme of the School of Environmental and Animal Sciences. I am the coordinator and sole lecturer in NSCI6743 Geographic Information Systems (GIS), NSCI7736 Applied GIS, NSCI6744 Practicum and NSCI7810 Internship. I also lecture in NSCI5730 Earth Process, NSCI6746 Ecological Risk and its Mitigation and NSCI7107 Biosecurity. The GIS courses are also being delivered at Northtec, Toi Ohomai and Eastern Institute of Technology as part of their offering of our Bachelor of Applied Science programme.

What motivated/inspired you to become a teacher?

I find satisfaction in showing how to solve problems related to the topics I teach and provide students with the inspiration to enjoy learning.

What in your career – such as research or experiences have you brought to your teaching practice?

I always say to my class that the best way to learn GIS is to make mistakes so that the process involved is etched into their long-term memory when methods, steps and appropriate tools are used repeatedly. I also provide as much practical learning as possible as GIS can only be learned through practice and has become very powerful and used in a wide range of applications.

What are some highlights of teaching?

It is greatly satisfying to see the final projects of students that are not only visually excellent and interactive but also presented with more than sufficient well-researched background on a relevant topic. Former students now working at different organisations as GIS analysts or in charge of the spatial requirements as part of their role is also a highlight in teaching these courses.

While at Unitec, what has particularly inspired you?

I work with a great and supportive team at the School of Environmental and Animal Sciences.