Earning a professional degree has always been a dream of mine, fueled by my deep interest in forensic and clinical psychology. But my reasons for choosing to pursue a PhD are somewhat unorthodox. Why I Chose the PhD Path When I started my PhD, I wasn’t driven by an academic calling or a passion for … [Read more…]
If someone had asked me early in my academic journey where I saw myself in five years, I likely would have said working in the pharmaceutical industry. As a graduate student in organic chemistry, my plan seemed clear: complete my master’s degree, build on my years of experience as an R&D expert, and return to … [Read more…]
Interdisciplinary Research: What is it? Interdisciplinary research spans multiple academic fields and promotes collaboration between individuals and lab groups worldwide. Such research approaches expose students to a vast range of skills and points of view and are gaining popularity for their utility in investigating complex ideas. For example, up-and-coming degrees, like the Cognitive and Behavioural … [Read more…]
Territory Acknowledgement & Positionality I want to acknowledge that the lands on which I work, study, and live—within the St. John’s area—are situated in the traditional territories of diverse Indigenous groups, including the Beothuk [bee-oth-uck] and Mi’kmaq [mee-gum-maq] on the island of Newfoundland. Further, I acknowledge with respect the diverse histories and cultures in the … [Read more…]
Part Three: Past Arctic & Inuit Archaeological Cultures For this final post in my mini series, I will briefly discuss the Past Arctic Archaeological Cultures and Inuit Archaeological Cultures in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL). As noted previously, “Past Arctic” is a term I use to describe what many archaeologists call the “Paleo-Inuit” or “Paleo-Eskimo” Peoples. … [Read more…]
Part Two: First Nations Archaeological Cultures As the name implies, archaeologists believe these groups share similar ancestry to contemporary First Nations in the province today. However, as you will see below, some archaeologists believe in a separation between these groups and contemporary First Nations—though they would still consider these groups related as First Nations people—while … [Read more…]
Part One: Introduction Territory Acknowledgement & Positionality I want to acknowledge that the lands on which I work, study, and live—within the St. John’s area—are situated in the traditional territories of diverse Indigenous groups, including the Beothuk [bee-oth-uck] and Mi’kmaq [mee-gum-maq] on the island of Newfoundland. Further, I acknowledge with respect the diverse histories and … [Read more…]
Promoting accessibility and flexibility within the classroom can benefit more than just disabled students. Without knowing it, other students may have been subjected to and utilized various learning methods presented in the classroom by their instructors. These methods can range from videos (and live lectures) with closed captioning to lecture notes provided before or after class. Even … [Read more…]
As an undergrad, I idolized my professors and believed they were some of the smartest people I would ever meet. They were experts; they had spent years gaining highly specialized knowledge in their fields and had eloquent, complicated answers to any question thrown at them. I was constantly in awe of the academics around me, … [Read more…]
My first sight of a university without a gate was in 2022 when I landed in Canada and visited Memorial University for the first time. The aura and symbolic idea of a gate-less university contrasted sharply with my experience of a typical university in the Global South. For security, border demarcation, and ownership, a fence … [Read more…]