Adam Thomas Ford
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?
I had been working in wildlife conservation for a few years before I realized that I was missing some critical tools in my skill set. I initially thought of graduate school as a means to access training in new analytical techniques such as statistics and GIS. However, two years into my PhD, I have seen myself open up to a new world of skills that I did not imagine learning, such as effective collaboration, grant development, personnel management, language training and critical thinking.
Why did you decide to study at UBC?
I choose UBC for access to world-class faculty that have worked with wildlife in East Africa. In this respect the University of British Columbia is has no peer within Canada. It would be extremely challenging for a graduate student to develop the contacts, study site, and research infrastructure necessary to do work overseas without the help of experienced faculty.
What was the best surprise about UBC or life in Vancouver?
The best surprise about graduate life was the ever increasing dissolution of the barriers between graduate and undergraduate, and between faculty and student. It is an exciting learning environment that I now find myself in. Because I now have some depth of experience in a very specific and targeted area, that experience informs some interesting conversations with world-class researchers. At the same time, I am close enough to the undergraduate learning experience that I can easily understand their concerns and appreciate their fine accomplishments.
What do you hope to accomplish with your research?
I would like to find ways for landowners to balance the economic gains derived from their land with wildlife conservation. Too often these values are seen as incompatible and either wildlife lose out, or economic use of the land is curtailed for the establishment of protected areas. In rural Kenya where humans and large, free roaming mammals have coexisted for millennia, there is still hope that we can balance these needs.
What has winning a major award meant to you?
My research occurs in rural Africa, so I don't have access to teaching assistantships when overseas. Consequently, this award has given me the opportunity to learn in a way that few students or even graduate students ever can. The benefits of spending time at my research site cannot be overstated. The field station, Mpala Research Center, where I conduct my research, hosts researchers and students from the top universities across the world, including UBC. My award has enabled me to increase my exposure to those experts, which in turn has facilitated productive collaborations between researchers spread across three continents, and from government, NGO and academic institutions. I am excited to bring the benefits of these new relationships to my colleagues at the University of British Columbia.
What advice do you have for new graduate students?
I would advise prospective students to be patient with the process for which they have signed up. It is not a degree, but a journey, and that takes time to complete properly. Some parts of the journey will be treacherous, and yet others will make you wonder why everyone in the world isn't clamouring to become a grad student!