Jordan Seider
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?
After spending a few years in the workforce, I decided to pursue my PhD to engage my love of learning and to apply my skills to better understand rapidly changing, sensitive ecosystems. I really appreciate the unique opportunity that graduate school provides to develop new skills and refine old ones. I hope to stay at the forefront of new technological advances in remote sensing, data analysis, and artificial intelligence so I am well positioned to be a leader in my field.
Why did you decide to study at UBC?
The University of British Columbia is an incredible school with an international reputation for quality teaching and high impact research. I liked the idea of working alongside other students and professors working on impactful research and solving some of the world's pressing problems. UBC also has such a vibrant campus in a beautiful city - which only helped make it a much easier decision to move to Vancouver!
What is it specifically, that your program offers, that attracted you?
My supervisor, Dr. Isla Myers-Smith, and the incredible lab that she has developed was a big attractant to the program. The staff and students in the department and the resources made available for me to conduct the research I am most interested in made my decision much easier.
What was the best surprise about UBC or life in Vancouver?
The UBC campus is much larger and busier than I expected! It is also very cool to be so close to the ocean and with lots of green space, I feel like I still have space to breathe.
What aspect of your graduate program do you enjoy the most or are looking forward to with the greatest curiosity?
I am so excited for my field work! I feel really privileged to have the opportunity to conduct research in the Arctic, working alongside really wonderful people from my lab and developing relationships with local communities and organizations. It's such a beautiful part of the country that so few people will ever experience and I remind myself of that every time I step foot on the tundra.
What do you see as your biggest challenge(s) in your future career?
I think the biggest challenge will be keeping up with the rapid pace of technological advances. New tools are constantly being developed and developing artificial intelligence platforms from generative AI to novel analytical techniques, I know there will be a lot to learn!
How do you feel your program is preparing you for those challenges?
In surrounding myself with really smart and capable individuals, I feel like I have the resources to help me when I get stuck. UBC Library also runs some very helpful workshops on all sorts of topics.
What aspects of your life or career before now have best prepared you for your UBC graduate program?
This isn't my first go at graduate school, having completed my MSc a few years ago. Having some background in academia and understanding how research and the broader scientific community functions has prepared me well to dive even deeper into my field of study.
What advice do you have for new graduate students?
Don't be afraid to speak up for yourself - you deserve to be here! Imposter syndrome affects us all, so spend some time early on talking with your peers to develop some tools to help when you are feeling most overwhelmed.
