I completed my MA in Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies at Carleton in 2016. My research was rooted in writing and genre studies—specifically, academic writing in tertiary education and writing in blended and online learning environments.
I currently work as a research facilitator with the Department of Academic Family Medicine’s Research Division at the University of Saskatchewan. Our division supports the research efforts of AFM residents in rotation around Saskatchewan. I assist with the development and delivery of Clinical Research Methodology, an online course aimed at helping first-year AFM residents develop their clinical research skills. I consult on the course’s curriculum and work to adapt it into an effective and engaging OL environment on a continuing basis. I also write and revise research articles (abstracts and literature reviews, mostly) for other members of the division.
The ALDS program helped me to develop fundamental research skills and to refine my writing abilities, faculties that are essential in my day-to-day work. In pursuing writing studies, I’ve learned about what knowledge can look like and what function it can serve in both academic and non-academic communities. Understanding how different communities undertake, translate, and mobilize research has helped me to navigate the broad canon of clinical research for myself and for residents. Without ALDS and its professors, staff, and students, I would not have been able to occupy this role as confidently and as comfortably as I have.