Building a life by exchanging ideas and dialogue

Education and Academia
Written By Stuart McNish

Guest: Shauna Sylvester (Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, Simon Fraser University)

Dialogue is a tricky thing. It’s not just the exchanging of words: it is the sharing of ideas. On the surface, that sounds straightforward – until you realize it is a complex interplay of thoughts, agendas, emotions and competing interests, to name but a few.

Then add in the demands of running a program at Simon Fraser University complete with intelligent staff and associates. But don’t stop there: be a professor too. Then take a break from the job and run for mayor of Vancouver.

What does this career look like and how do you ever plot a course to it? In this episode of Careers That Matter, Shauna Sylvester takes us inside her world and her career.

Watch more episodes
Knowledge translation in creating documentaries
Knowledge translation in creating documentaries

What does Maureen Palmer do? Having many roles, it was hard to answer that question, until her daughter came up with an apt description – “knowledge translation.” And as a creator of documentaries which take time to make, that knowledge translation has to anticipate what the public wants to talk about months from now. To her, this is key to being successful and a big reason to keep her eyes and ears open.

Read More →
Researching cancer and making use of discoveries
Researching cancer and making use of discoveries

Dr. Sam Aparicio of BC Cancer, studying medicine was always the plan, but research became his passion. Unbeknownst to him, research also involves many skills that didn’t expect, such as grant-writing, which he had to learn along the way. This led him down other side pathways, such as starting a biotech company to commercialize some of the findings in the genomics field.

Read More →
From geology to public affairs: Shifting a career
From geology to public affairs: Shifting a career

Every day is different for Allison Macfarlane – and she would have it no other way. Despite her position as a director of a public policy affairs faculty, her journey didn’t start there – in fact, her education moved her to places like the Himalayas, Ecuador, Greece, and more. Her decision to change fields from science led to a chance meeting, which fuelled a shift towards public policy; she hasn’t looked back since.

Read More →
Discovering the importance of mindful cancer care
Discovering the importance of mindful cancer care

Cancer is a complicated topic involving different scopes – Dr. Linda Carlson knows that well. As a researcher, she focuses on all aspects of cancer care. This goes beyond traditional approaches, but also psychological aspects and using mind wellness as cancer care. Her findings are vital for a more holistic understanding of patient care.

Read More →
Stuart McNish
Previous

Leading the charge to ensure the survival of salmon
Next

Becoming a world leader in genomic research