Careers in Anthropology Speaker Series Well Attended on November 6, 2019. Five Guest Speakers talked about a variety of topics including:
1) Katherine Bishop talked about the diversity of the degree and how community engagement can translate to a variety of workplaces. She also talked about how important field school can be to developing the skills you need for life and career. Katherine also advocated for developing stronger relationships with faculty who can be very supportive of career development through the connections they can provide.
2) Samim Lambrecht talked about finding a positive support system before you begin graduate school and seeking help if you need it and that asking for help is a strength, not a weakness. Samim also talked about the importance of practicing empathy in the workplace and the importance of integrity and how this can contribute to a positive work environment and your reputation as a professional.
3) Nicole Asselin talked about the interview process and how asking questions is a skill you develop in anthropological studies and how asking questions makes you a more valuable candidate because you demonstrate your interest and fit in the position much better.
4) Ryan Lee talked about how a "dream job" takes more than the work that you do. You have to consider the fit, the people, the demands and the culture, not just the tasks at hand. He also talked about how curiosity can lead to job opportunities just by identifying where you can be most useful.
5) Simon Habegger talked about reinventing yourself when things don't go as planned and how researching graduate school, the projects and the professor is important before just jumping into further studies.
Guest Speaker Bios:
Simon Habegger graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and a Master of Arts in biological anthropology and has used both its biological and social-cultural aspects for work. He spent several years working at a rural nonprofit in Southeast Asia, and taught human anatomy in a nursing program in Micronesia. He went back to school to study public health, and has since worked in health promotion and program coordination for HIV Edmonton, Diabetes Canada, and Alberta Health Services. He currently works for the population health initiative Do Bugs Need Drugs?, which promotes community health education on appropriate antibiotic use.
Katherine Bishop graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Bioarcheological Anthropology from Western University. While studying she was a laboratory research assistant and began working as a field technician for an archaeological firm in Ontario. After graduation she continued working in archaeology and volunteered at field schools in Italy and Peru. Katherine returned to school to complete her Masters of Arts in Physical and Biological Anthropology where she gained valuable independent research, writing, and teaching skills. This resulted in Katherine working in various field, lab, and directorial positions at the archaeology firm and for the Ontario provincial government. Katherine returned to graduate studies at the UofA and continues to participate in numerous mentoring, teaching, and public outreach opportunities in Alberta communities including with the public libraries, public school board, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. This past summer Katherine was employed with the City of Edmonton as a public education and engagement specialist for their GoatWorks pilot program.
Nicole Asselin is a Senior Manager in the MNP Consulting practice based in Edmonton. She loves working collaboratively with her clients to understand and solve interesting business challenges. In her 11 years at MNP, and four at General Electric, she's learned the critical value relationships play in every day interactions - from building a strong team, to establishing long lasting client relationships, to meeting new people and expanding her network. She is always keen to meet someone new! Nicole graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Anthropology major, Sociology minor) in 1999 and followed that up with an MBA which was completed in 2004.
Samim Lambrecht makes her career through the intersection of space, place, people, and migration. Her UofA degree in cultural anthropology focused on the research of mining practices in the arctic and how they influenced Greenlandic cultural governance models. Later she focused on community liaising in Shanghai for a research project on the social determinants of change and the ways communities learned about composting. Then Simam decided to pursue a masters degree at Oxford, which she describes as very difficult. After recovering from that experience (again, super difficult), she found herself working for the University of Alberta International managing a grant, and then switched to working with the City of Edmonton on the Local Immigration Partnership Grant as its Coordinator.
Ryan Lee's journey has taken him full circle: after an unsuccessful attempt pursuing an education in engineering after high school, Ryan worked at a call centre while training to be a pilot, but a love of culture and history drew him back to university. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Classical Studies from the University of Alberta in 2007, and went on to do most of an MA in Nautical Archaeology at Texas A&M University. After leaving a seemingly "dream job" as an archaeologist working on ancient shipwrecks in Türkiye, he moved home to Edmonton, somewhat lost, and started volunteering at the Aviation Museum down the street from his house. His diverse experiences and interests have led him to combine his love of history, passion for aviation, and archaeological skills as an Assistant Curator at the Alberta Aviation Museum.
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