Parker Muzzerall
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?
After working in the environmental non-profit sector for a few years, I was motivated to return to graduate school in order to better understand the complexity of environmental and climate problems, and to develop a broader range of research skills to tackle them.
Why did you decide to study at UBC?
UBC is a globally renowned institution for studying issues related to the environment and climate change, and the Sociology Department in particular has one of the strongest contingents of environmental sociologists in the world. These, paired with the unparalleled access to nature that life in Vancouver offers, made it an easy decision.
What is it specifically, that your program offers, that attracted you?
The PhD program in sociology offers a robust mix of both methodological and theoretical training that really helps prepare students for careers in and outside of academia. The department also has numerous opportunities for professional development through research projects, collaborating with faculty, and engaging with local communities in meaningful ways.
What was the best surprise about UBC or life in Vancouver?
The best surprise about UBC for me was just how beautiful the campus is. The AnSo building, where the sociology department is housed, is located just a few steps away from the beach buffered by amazing forest, with incredible gardens equally near in the other direction. I think one would be hard pressed to find a better place to a lunch break.
What aspect of your graduate program do you enjoy the most or are looking forward to with the greatest curiosity?
I most enjoy the challenge of making research findings actionable. Sociology is really good identifying and mapping complex problems, but has a bit of work to do in terms of solving them. Unfortunately, the climate crisis demands rather immediate solutions, and so I'm particularly excited about using my research to inform public policy in order to advance bold climate action across tiers of government.
What do you see as your biggest challenge(s) in your future career?
The blunt reality is that climate change will continue to be a central social and political problem for decades to come, and the decisions we do or do not make today hold increasingly consequence for what tomorrow will look like. Rising to the challenge of confronting the climate crisis is both daunting and inspiring at the same time.
How do you feel your program is preparing you for those challenges?
My program is equipping me for those challenges by providing me with broad and robust training in a range of vital skills ranging from critical thinking and computational data analysis, to research design and focus-group facilitation. Together, I feel confident I will build a tool-kit well suited to the task.
What aspects of your life or career before now have best prepared you for your UBC graduate program?
Growing up in a rural farming community in Nova Scotia, and then spending much of my adult life between Halifax, Toronto, and Vancouver, with brief stints in rural Alberta, Ontario, and New Brunswick, as well as working with and in several Indigenous communities, I feel I have developed a broad understanding of what it means to be Canadian, and how regional, ideological, socio-economic, and racial differences contour that experience. I also had a really outstanding undergraduate experience in the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and learned a tremendous amount during my time working for the organization Swim Drink Fish Canada in Toronto.
What do you like to do for fun or relaxation?
I love to cook, eat out at restaurants, explore BC by foot and on bike, go for a swim, and spend time laughing with friends and family.
What advice do you have for new graduate students?
My advice for new graduate students is quite simple, really - learn to relax and build a life outside of grad school. In other words, don't work on weekends, and don't be afraid to put the books down and go for a hike or a bike ride on a Tuesday afternoon. You'll be a better scholar for it.
