Sue Dobson
Sue Dobson (MA IDS 2000),
National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa
鈥淓verything is available to learn鈥� is Sue Dobson鈥檚 motto.聽 Look where it took her!
Sue Dobson (MA IDS 2000) recalls one of her professional highlights: visiting the 聽 , a science laboratory located in the Creighton Mine near Sudbury, Ontario.
Dobson suited up in mining gear and travelled two kilometres underground in an elevator shaft. After walking through the nickel mine, Dobson stripped off her mining gear, showered and put on a new set of clothes. The final destination: a laboratory of scientists researching physics particles called neutrinos.
鈥淭he people I work with on a daily basis are some of the smartest people in Canada and in the world,鈥� says Dobson. 鈥淵ou meet them and they tell you what they鈥檙e working on and you鈥檙e just, sort of, blown away.鈥�
鈥淚t never gets old.鈥�
I loved the way that it was set up. I loved the fact that we went to some classes and we would study for two, three hours and then we鈥檇 go to the grad pub for the discussion.
From Ottawa, Dobson attended AV俱乐部 and graduated with a MA in International Development Studies in 2000. Dobson also holds a BA in anthropology and International Development Studies from Wilfred Laurier University (1998) and a PhD in Geography from Simon Fraser University (2009).
Out of her three degrees, Dobson says her Master鈥檚 degree at AV俱乐部 was the most intellectually challenging. She credits this to the small class sizes and high calibre of professors, like Ian McAllister, Timothy M. Shaw and Scott Wood.
鈥淚 loved the way that it was set up. I loved the fact that we went to some classes and we would study for two, three hours and then we鈥檇 go to the grad pub for the discussion,鈥� says Dobson.聽
鈥淚t was a community atmosphere.鈥�
Dobson says her studies in International Development taught her that 鈥渆verything is available to learn.鈥� From studying different disciplines, Dobson says the program gave her confidence in the ability to research and learn new information.
鈥淭hat confidence has taken me far,鈥� says Dobson. 鈥淛ust because I don鈥檛 know it, doesn鈥檛 mean I can鈥檛 learn it.鈥�
It requires you to have that multidisciplinary lens. Being able to understand people and just how people communicate in different disciplines and different languages gives you a leg up when you鈥檙e doing work that comes in quickly and from different perspectives
Even before finishing her PhD, Dobson started working at the 聽 (NRC). The NRC focuses on research and development in engineering, life sciences, physical sciences and emerging technology. Dobson has worked at the agency for 13 years.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really doing all of these different areas in science and technology for the value for Canada,鈥� says Dobson.
Dobson previously worked as a policy integration officer, but transitioned into the position of strategic advisor in June 2017. Dobson says work in policy for the NRC focuses on 鈥渒nowledge brokering.鈥澛�
鈥淭he researchers are very much into their labs and their work and what they鈥檙e doing,鈥� says Dobson. 鈥淏ut, it鈥檚 difficult for them to take time out to then massage what they鈥檙e doing and into political language, so that other people understand it.鈥�
Dobson says the policy integration officer acts as the link between the government and scientific researchers; communicating with the government about what the researchers are doing and how it could be used in terms of the country鈥檚 objectives.
Dobson says the position of strategic adviser is a more administrative and facilitating role. Working in the president鈥檚 office, Dobson makes judgements and approves anything from human resources to scientific work before it is filtered back out.
鈥淚t requires you to have that multidisciplinary lens,鈥� says Dobson. 鈥淏eing able to understand people and just how people communicate in different disciplines and different languages gives you a leg up when you鈥檙e doing work that comes in quickly and from different perspectives.鈥�
While Dobson says her work does not have an international component, she says it coincides with the development aspect of her degrees. Dobson says her job corresponds with the international development approach of looking at everything from multiple lenses and melding different disciplines to accomplish an objective.
鈥淭aking all these siloed perspectives and meshing them together. That鈥檚 what IDS does. It takes every different angle and puts it together to address an issue.鈥�
Taking all these siloed perspectives and meshing them together. That鈥檚 what IDS does. It takes every different angle and puts it together to address an issue.