As she describes it, Catherine took a sort of side door into the Engineering world. She graduated from her Bachelor’s program in Microbiology, and when the opportunity to do an interdisciplinary Masters (that transitioned into a PhD) through the Department of Biological Sciences and Chemical & Materials Engineering presented itself, Catherine saw a chance to continue her love for learning in more ways than she had initially thought possible. Her PhD project revolved around Industrial Microbiology, where she was able to apply more traditional biological techniques for industrial processes. One could argue however, that Catherine explains her research a lot better than I can; that’s why her current role is as a Research Communications Coordinator at Future Energy Systems, UAlberta! While she isn’t conducting her own research at the moment, Catherine has paved her own path in the world of Science Communication, where she helps researchers better present and communicate their work to the general public in a time where there is often high distrust of science in popular news and media.
Lifelong Learning
Catherine has always loved the feeling of learning something new, and is of the belief that it’s a sad day when you don’t get to experience something you didn’t know before. And when you think about it in that way, isn’t that exactly what research is? An opportunity to create something new, for yourself and for the world, that you develop, and others can build off of. For Catherine, a new chance for learning and growth came when she was able to take foundational knowledge about microbiology and apply it to processes to make microbiology efficient, affordable, and economical in industrial settings. Catherine’s work focused on using methane eating bacteria that would be able turn methane from industrial waste into biofuels and biodegradable plastics. It took an understanding of the physiology of bacteria, but also the process techniques that take place in industry. Research, she described, is like a black box. You feed things into the system, with the hopes of achieving certain outcomes as a result of it. When the outcome doesn’t match your prediction, you change the parameters and try again until what you expect to happen, does. With her background in science she explains, she was able to make informed inferences, rather than guesses by drawing on her knowledge of how the organisms work, and in turn, how the industrial process would respond to it. In this she realized how much opportunity there is in nature and in university to mesh unlike things together.
Science Communicated Well
Throughout her PhD, Catherine took up sometimes uncomfortable, but highly rewarding stages at conferences where she would compete in poster competitions and three-minute thesis to get people interested in the work that she was doing. This gave her the first glimpse into something she loved, and was incredibly passionate about: science communication and knowledge translation. Using the same methods that she used to get others excited about her own research, Catherine now works with other engineers and scientists to help interpret their research and data in ways that are palatable and understandable for someone completely unfamiliar with the field. As a researcher, she realized how different the language that researchers speak is, and how overwhelming and unhelpful science that is communicated poorly can be for the average person. So now, that’s exactly what Catherine works on. Taking the work done in the lab, and bringing it to the people.
A Path Less Chosen
Catherine recently defended her PhD, and there’s often a strong conception that the only path from that is into academia: a life of teaching and research. But for Catherine, that didn’t feel like the right fit, or life. Catherine knew that while she wanted to be involved in research in some way, she didn’t want to be the one conducting it. In the area of Science Communication, she found a hole and gap that she believed she could help address. It was only through extracurriculars that she pursued alongside her research and studies that she was able to discover this passion. She helped run a peer-to-peer communications help group within the Future Energy Systems group, and this was what led to the full-time position that she has now. In this, Catherine has a lesson to share with all of us: we all have passions, and sometimes these passions are related to the daily work we do, while others are not obviously so. If there is an area, or project that you are interested in, seek out opportunities to do that. Familiarize yourself with the world, and you will find opportunities presenting themselves to you because you put yourself out there and opened yourself up to new opportunities.
There is often a loneliness that accompanies not taking the same route that the people around you are taking. And sometimes, you might feel like you’re not really living up to your full potential. But know that it is absolutely okay to take time to realize what it is that you want to do. Not everyone has a sudden moment where they suddenly know their career path, and no time spent doing something you think is right in the moment, is time wasted. Through everything you do, and experience, you gain skills that will help you along the way.
Some Tidbits of Wisdom from Catherine:
If you’re feeling unsure about your career, that’s okay. It means you’re taking your life seriously.
As women, we tend to put little concessions at the beginning of our sentences. Small things like “I think” or “Well in my experience” when what we are trying to say is simple facts. Don’t doubt yourself, or limit yourself by qualifying yourself like that. Be confident in what you bring.
It’s normal to feel uncomfortable sometimes. With experience comes knowledge, and with knowledge, confidence will follow.
Be an advocate for yourself.
Catherine, thank you so much for sharing your story with us! We are so lucky to have you in our community.