Travis Gordon, MPPA
Prior to joining the SPPA, I enjoyed a five year career working in and around politics including time on Parliament Hill and serving several Health Ministers. This work helped solidify my overall career outlook in terms of a desire to serve Canadians. I finished this section of my career as a Senior Policy Advisor to the federal Health Minister specializing in nutrition, environmental, chemicals/pesticides, and medical device regulation which was particularly interesting during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
I had already been living in Ottawa for some time, and Carleton was the natural choice. The curriculum looked well-rounded, funding was generous, and the faculty appeared to have a great diversity of research interests. The Co-op Program was also particularly attractive, as I had my eyes set on trying out a new policy area or two.
I have enjoyed being in the middle of a big group of people who are just as nerdy as I am! I have also appreciated targeted course offerings on regulation, which is a personal interest area of mine. The faculty is a mix of traditional academic researchers as well as policy professionals active in their careers, offering an important diversity of perspectives. Moving forward, I’m excited to continue building my skills through the SPPA to enhance my impact as a public servant and to leverage the broad network of alumni as I start a new career.