Chris Campbell
Investigating the Enculturation Processes of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Learners in an Undergraduate Engineering Program
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?
I embarked on a PhD because I was interested in the possibility of uniting my dual background in chemical engineering and language education in an interesting way to keep me engaged in my work life. I see this research degree as an ideal way of combining my love of culture, teaching, curriculum and learning in order to make a contribution.
Why did you decide to study at UBC?
UBC is a powerhouse with a great reputation in an internationally acclaimed city. Having grown up internationally and having a young bicultural family (Japanese and Canadian), I really wanted to be in a place replete with diversity. My extended family is here in BC and so Vancouver was naturally a great place to take a mid-career pause and chart a new direction.
What was the best surprise about UBC or life in Vancouver?
I really like the student family housing arrangements at UBC: people from all over the world are placed in close proximity to one another in a space that encourages interaction, understanding and mutual support. The original vision of student family housing at UBC is wonderful and I remember my parents talking about their life here in the late 1960s. I'm hoping that future UBC development plans continue to encourage the type of community and engagement that UBC is known for.
What do you hope to accomplish with your research?
Canada's distinctive approach to multiculturalism challenges post-secondary institutions to address how our societies and communities can be transformed by diversity, not just how diverse individuals can be integrated, given equal access to professional communities and gain individual achievement. I'm interested in the underemphasized role that language, culture and identity have in the development of innovation and socially/environmentally sustainable global engineering competence. I hope this study will inform processes of curricular change by illuminating tensions, challenges and possibilities in engineering curricula.
What has winning a major award meant to you?
This award is not a signal that 'I've arrived', but that there is much to do. I'm happy, but when I look at people around me, I know many are as or more deserving than me. I see the paradox that while we rely on others for support, we are rewarded as individuals. So, while I recognize the honour I have been given, I'm conscious of both the need to give back to others and the pressure to make my research meaningful.
What advice do you have for new graduate students?
I think forming sustaining networks of people - personal and professional - is critical to success. Seek suitable mentors/guides where you can find them. Respect their time. Check and negotiate opportunities, possibilities, protocols, procedures and rules. Ask for permission and guidance. Navigating the personalities, culture, institution, and language of the academy is challenging, so seek help from more experienced people where you find them. Don't forget to enjoy yourself. When it gets too much, go to a mountaintop to get a perspective.
