Dr. Alison Lister is the Associate Dean, Student and Supervisor Support effective May 1 on a 3-year term. Alison is a Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, where in addition to being the graduate advisor (for the time being) she “smashes stuff together” at high energy to study the fundamental building blocks of nature and their interactions. Her favourite quark is the top quark and she a happy to bore you with lengthy explanations as to why that is.
Why did you want to become an associate dean at Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (G+PS)?
The mentoring and supervision of graduate students has been a highlight and cornerstone of my academic career since my early postdoc days. I’ve been involved in informal supervision of group members in my collaborative research, all the way through to more formal supervision of graduate students at UBC. More recently, I was asked to become the graduate advisor of the department of physics and astronomy where I strived to be as supportive and inclusive as possible of the students in our program and tried to make sure students didn’t slip through the cracks. I have an interest in both addressing individual issues and needs for supervisor-student pairs, but also in addressing the broader question of graduate student supervision university-wide. I’m thus very pleased to be given the opportunity to pursue this and advocate for excellence in graduate education.
What makes UBC an exciting place?
I think it truly embodies a diversity of culture but also of thinking, of approaches to teaching and learning, as well as research. As a large institution, UBC has both breadth and depth to offer our students and also to offer us as faculty members. There is (or should be) something for everyone at UBC.
What do you want graduate students to know about G+PS?
That we are here to help, to guide, to support you throughout your graduate and postdoctoral journeys. We offer many avenues to support you from day 1 through to your graduation.
What do you want faculty members to know about G+PS?
That we are here to help, to guide, to support you throughout your supervisory journey. There is an expectation that every new faculty member knows how to supervise graduate students and often little guidance is provided. We can help you set appropriate relationships with students and cultures within your groups to help your students and thus also your own research thrive.
What will be your main area of focus in your new role?
I will be focusing on graduate student supervision both in support of students and of faculty members. One of my key goals is to elevate graduate student supervision as a pedagogical format at UBC and will be working with a number of campus partners to develop and enhance supervision expectations across campus. Another key goal is to provide tools for students and supervisors to structure and clarify their relationships to avoid as many unfortunate outcomes as possible.
What are your priorities for the next six months?
My first priority will be to become acquainted with the wonderful work carried out by previous people in my role and all the staff at G+PS. I will need to become acquainted with the current processes. I will also be looking at re-vamping the student-supervisor agreement (as the culmination of the work from one of our working groups).
What is one crucial next step in advancing graduate education at UBC?
I think it really is to elevate the role and importance of successful graduate student supervision. There is a disparity in how the university (and thus many departments) view graduate vs undergraduate education. Graduate supervision excellence goes beyond simply the number of students supervised. Excellence should be better recognized.