My Experience at the Live Work Well Research Centre by Erin Rodenburg
I am a public health PhD candidate in the Department of Population Medicine which falls under the Ontario Veterinary College here at the University of Guelph. As such, the majority of researchers in my department differ significantly in focus and methodology from myself, a scholar exploring lived experiences of people with disabilities living in Ontario. When I was preparing for my qualifying exam about a year ago, I set out on a mission to find an examiner who had a similar research focus, someone who could provide content feedback. I typed something along the lines of, “disability studies uog” into Google. One of the first hits was Deborah Stienstra, the director of the Live Work Well Centre. After scheduling a meeting, discussing research interests and learning more about the Centre, I wanted to be involved. It seemed like a perfect fit and a group of supportive collaborators. Through something close to luck, I was hired as a graduate research assistant for the Disabilities and Livelihoods in Canada project. I have learned, unlearned and been motivated to broaden my scope in this role. My science/health educational background did not introduce me to terms and approaches such as ‘intersectional’ and ‘livelihoods’. The interview for this position highlighted this gap in my knowledge well. I was asked to describe my understanding of intersectional research. I made something up only later to realize this was a theoretical approach that I should certainly be able to describe… Needless to say, I went home and read as much as I could about intersectionality. Despite this mishap, I have been presented with more opportunities than I thought possible in less than a year to work with accomplished scholars who continue to push my learning and who adhere to some of the most inclusive research practices I have been a part of.
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