Meet Jessica Hoskins!
March 1, 2026
Tell us about your academic history
Fresh out of highschool, I left my hometown of Coniston, Ontario, to complete a diploma in Fish & Wildlife Technology at Sir Sandford Fleming College in Lindsay, Ontario in 2003. The program had an emphasis on hands-on work which interested me as I wanted to work with animals in the field. I ended up working 2 summer contracts as a Wildlife Technician for a PhD candidate whose research involved documenting Northern Goshawk nesting habitat in Ontario. Around this same time, I had worked or was working on forestry contracts. This forestry work included roadside delimbing surveys, timbercruising surveys, slash pile burning, and treeplanting jobs in Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia.
Upon realizing that I didn’t want to make Forestry my main career, I decided to go back to school in 2005 where I enrolled at the University of Victoria with the intent on majoring in Biology. That intent quickly changed after I had developed a keen interest in my Anthropology classes. In 2009, I graduated with a BA in Anthropology and in 2012, I graduated with a MA in Anthropology. My graduate studies had an archaeology focus; I had the privilege of being involved in Paleolithic archaeological sites in the middle eastern country of Jordan in 2008 and 2009.
Before coming to UBC, what kind of professional opportunities did you have?
After graduation in 2012, I secured a couple lab technician contracts in archaeology in Victoria, British Columbia and I was still working spring treeplanting forestry contracts to make ends meet. By 2014, I realized I wasn’t making much of a dent in my student loan debt ($58 000), so I was thinking up ways to pay off debt, while still living on the West Coast. That was when the answer and opportunity presented itself: a career in salmon aquaculture. I honestly don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner; the work was stable, year-round and offered hands-on work with fish in one of the most beautiful areas of the world. In 2014, I applied for an entry-level position (Husbandry Technician) with Cermaq Canada Ltd in their Saltwater Operations department where I was involved in growing Atlantic Salmon from smolt to harvest.
In the 8 years that I spent working in salmon aquaculture industry, 2014 – 2022, I quickly paid off my student loan debt, and moved up to the position of Assistant Manager. My farm, located in Ahousaht Territory, was involved in trialing the very first hydrolicer treatment in 2018. This is a non-chemical method of managing sea lice which uses water pressure to remove the lice. My farm was also involved in trialing the first semi-closed containment technology in North America in 2020. This technology uses a hybrid form of fish containment which incorporates elements of on-land, fully contained fish farming, and adapts it for use in the open ocean. The main advantages of this type of technology are that it reduces interactions of farmed fish with its surrounding environment, while simultaneously allowing for an increased capacity to control the environment that the farmed fish are raised in. Then, in November 2022, I began working at UBC Zoology as a Research Technician on a BCSRIF (British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund) funded project. This project investigated the physiology of different-sized Atlantic salmon smolts under different lighting and temperature conditions for applications relevant to the aquaculture industry.
Tell us about your current UBC position
In 2023, my fixed-term contract at UBC Zoology was wrapping up. I got lucky in that a permanent, full-time position at UBC Zoology just so happened to open up around the same time. I currently work as a Research Technician in the aquatics facility at UBC Zoology. This facility is officially known as InSEAS, the Initiative for the Study of the Environment and its Aquatic Systems, and it is where UBC Zoology researchers carry out their aquatic scientific experiments My job can be roughly divided into 2 main overarching areas: Animal Care & Maintenance. For Animal Care, my job is to ensure that all scientific research meets or exceeds standards of care as set out by our local Animal Care Committee ( ACC) and the national Canadian Council of Animal Care (CCAC). There are internal UBC policies which I must follow also. A typical day involves me checking all experiments and ensuring that researchers are doing their best in terms of husbandry, care and monitoring, and that they follow the ACC-approved procedures exactly as stated on their research protocols. I also aid researchers in many standard husbandry practices like feeding, handling and monitoring water quality. The maintenance part of my job involves the upkeep of facility, including recirculation systems and environmental chambers. On a typical day I am cleaning filters & pumps and doing a lot of checks. I regularly do a lot of cleaning and disinfecting of the recirculation systems.
Tell us about your favourite hobby
I cycle through so many different hobbies and interests, it is really hard for me to narrow it down to just one. I would say that my top 2 right now are wellness and reading. I love to exercise, and UBC has amazing recreational facilities that are conveniently located near where I work. I have been attending group fitness classes 2 or 3 times a week for several years now. My favourites are the strength and cardio classes. I also read a lot. I have been reading a lot about psychology and mental health, especially trauma-informed approaches to wellness. I also enjoy reading fiction, especially Stephen King but I also like reading about history, archaeology and different cultures too. The book I am reading right now is called “The Good and Evil Serpent: How a universal symbol became Christianized” by James Charlesworth. It is a book that explores the complex, often positive symbolism of snakes from 40000 BCE to the modern era.
Shirt: In 2023, UBC’s Athletics and Recreation department unveiled a new piece of artwork as part of its Thunderbirds story by Musqueam artist Deanne-Marie Point. The artwork was titled “Thunderbird Takes Flight”. I decided to wear this shirt today as a form of land acknowledgement and as a thank you to the Musqueam, whose land we are on, as well as to the kwakwaka wakw, who officially granted permission to UBC to use the Thunderbird name and emblem in 1948.