On July 1, Dr. Heather Zwicker became the new Vice-Provost and Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research (FGSR) at the University of Alberta. She comes to FGSR from the Faculty of Arts, where she is maintaining her standing.
Despite her continuing commitments as a graduate supervisor to two students, and acting as the Principal Investigator of the collaborative cultural studies research project Edmonton Pipelines, Dean Zwicker's first goal is to provide the best possible experience to the University's 7500+ graduate students. She's honoured and thrilled to have been appointed Interim Dean of graduate education at U of A.
"Being a part of a comprehensive university like this one is exciting," said Dr. Zwicker. "On any given day graduate students can hear talks by internationally recognized scholars, catch performances by world-class artists, collaborate with Canada's most dedicated scientists, and help create solutions that are solving our most pressing social and environmental challenges. Our graduate programs are fantastic -- but the real opportunity in being a grad student at U of A is the big intellectual picture."
A builder and a connector, Dr. Zwicker firmly believes in open dialogue and the power of working together. Within the first two months of her appointment at FGSR, she met with the Deans of every faculty that offers graduate programs at the University, the Graduate Students Association, and the heads of many central service units.
"In talking with the deans at other faculties, I'm seeing a lot of interest in cross-disciplinary research collaboration, and joint and dual degree programs with other institutions. As a result, in the next several years we're anticipating U of A will introduce many new interdisciplinary programs, and expanded opportunities to study internationally," said Dr. Zwicker. "And we're building new course-based Master's programs in areas of high student interest. It's a very exciting time to be pursuing graduate studies."
In addition to her solid relationships across the institution, Dr. Zwicker is also deeply connected to the wider Edmonton community. These connections will be essential to the success of an exciting new program she's leading, which provides professional development opportunities for graduate students.
"With so few tenure-track professorial positions available today, nearly 85 percent of U of A PhDs are headed for careers they can't even imagine. With assistance and advice from many of my colleagues at U of A as well as experts outside the University, FGSR is committed to helping build our graduate students' futures," said Dr. Zwicker.
Thanks to a substantial grant from the Government of Alberta, FGSR is developing a comprehensive program, which consists of three core elements graduate students can participate in: mentorship and entrepreneurship; internship placements in the government, industry and non-profit sectors; and professional skills development.
Part of the grant will also be put toward curricular change, so that students who choose not to pursue an academic post will have access to even more programs that prepare them to enter the job market.
The FGSR Team
Four Associate Deans help Dean Zwicker meet the needs of students. They are available to meet with and counsel students on academic matters, and work directly with faculty Associate Chairs and Associate Deans (Graduate). Each FGSR Associate Dean also leads one of four portfolios to promote the highest level of graduate education: program quality assurance; awards and scholarships; supervisor training and mentoring; and graduate student teaching.
Dr. Zwicker also leads a complement of 37 non-academic staff. In addition to supporting about 75 graduate departments and faculties on administrative matters, the FGSR admin team provides essential services to students, including recruitment, admissions, funding, awards and scholarships, program changes, academic progress, and teaching preparation.
"Some aspects of being in graduate school should be challenging -- the ideas, the experiments, the writing, the learning. But things like who to contact when you need help should be easy. FGSR aims to make the simple things seamless so that graduate students can concentrate on their studies and their future," said Dr. Zwicker.
Experiencing the first few weeks of a new academic year, some students may feel anxious about what lies ahead. Dr. Zwicker's advice to them is simple, whether they're just starting their graduate education or they've been here a few years: "Nobody ever has all the answers -- and that's a good thing. It's the beginning of knowledge, driven by your curiosity, and it just continues to expand. What a wonderful journey you're on."