Alexandra Rousseau
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?
I did a co-op during my undergrad at this really cool battery startup. I loved the work environment and how you get to "wear many hats" for that type of work. The senior members at the company all had PhDs, and I figured that if I wanted their job someday, then maybe grad school was a good place to start. It wasn't a clear decision - I had to talk to quite a few alumni to get some well-rounded advice - but I'm really happy with the choice I made.
Why did you decide to study at UBC?
In all honesty, I picked UBC because there was a professor that I really wanted to work with, but once I got here, their lab was not what I had expected. I ended up changing research groups a year and a half into my degree for something better suited to me. It was really difficult to let go of all the work I had already put in to my thesis and I felt like I just "wasted" a year and a half. Now in retrospect, I can see that I grew a lot academically and personally during that time and during my transition to a new group. What I think is important to share is that through the whole process, UBC and my department supported me and my decisions. I was really comforted by their ability to help you even when you feel like you're stuck.
What is it specifically, that your program offers, that attracted you?
Chemical and Biological Engineering (CHBE) is really neat in the way that the two normal programs (chemical engineering and biological engineering) are combined. The combo has lead to a lot more transdisciplinary work, which is so important for novel research. I work with electrochemistry and cellulose nanocrystals (weird combo, I know), but the way the department is structured allows for these really neat mashups.
What was the best surprise about UBC or life in Vancouver?
I wasn't entirely prepared for how much I would love Vancouver. There are very few places in the world where you have local mountains, a city with good public transport and the ocean. It really doesn't get much better than this.
What aspect of your graduate program do you enjoy the most or are looking forward to with the greatest curiosity?
I think that the opportunity to travel for your degree is one of the most appealing parts. You can see the world and learn so so much about science when you meet people with different backgrounds. I've actually had great luck with conferences and exchanges during my time at UBC and I've been to Atlanta, Tokyo and Honolulu for conferences, and did two six-week exchanges, one at the École Polytechnique in Paris and the other at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL). I would definitely recommend that if you're interested in travelling during your degree, start discussing it with your supervisor early on, because it takes a lot of planning and funding.
What aspects of your life or career before now have best prepared you for your UBC graduate program?
My past experience moving to different cities for work definitely helped me feel more comfortable moving to UBC on my own (my family lives out in Nova Scotia). I don't know that I could think of any other experience that helps you prepare for graduate school; because UBC welcomes students with such diverse backgrounds, the program is really structured to meet you where you're at. As long as you arrive with a readiness to learn, I think you're as prepared as you can be.
What advice do you have for new graduate students?
When doing graduate work, it's hard not to feel like your success is tied to your results in the lab, but if you can't control the outcome of a scientific experiment, then don't let it control you! I think it's probably a cliché to say, but a PhD really is a marathon not a sprint.
