Discovering a passion for analyzing public policy and politics

Education and Academia
Written By Stuart McNish

Guest: Roger Pielke, Jr. (political scientist professor)

For Roger Pielke, the best part of his job is having ears on the ground for public policy. His role as a professor was not surprising, coming from a family of academics. But his passion wasn’t discovered until a chance trip to Washington, DC, where he discovered how politics and policy can turn on a dime and require trust in order to function.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Stuart McNish
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Being in the room to shape public policy
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