Kimberly is a graduate of the Cognitive Science Program at SFU. While an undergrad, she created the Cognitive Science Newsletter, the Students Association, and several other initiatives. She continued on to complete her PhD in Computer Science at SFU, and is currently a Lecturer at UBC.
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‘Know your degree. You must know what advantages you offer as a Cognitive Science student, and succinctly present those as a solution to whoever you’re talking to.’
Q. What made you get into Cognitive Science?
A. I graduated high school intending to do art school at Emily Carr Institute of Art & Design. I ended up going to SFU instead, but I couldn’t decide on a major. I started in Computer Science, then switched to Chemistry, then switched back to Computer Science with a joint major in Philosophy. I came across Cognitive Science when I took COGS200 in 1997 with Phil Hanson. I liked its diversity, and thought “this is awesome; this is totally what I’m doing.” I liked that could learn a variety of things and apply them to a variety of problems.
Q. Were your expectations met?
A. I didn’t have any expectations when I joined, I was just so into learning the material. It [Cognitive Science community at SFU] was small and close-knit when I joined. I started the Cognitive Science newsletter about a year later, and got the first student union started with some of the upper-level Cogs students. Then in 2000 I took COGS300 (the Chomsky course). I announced to the class that I was reinvigorating the union, and asked the whole class to come out to the pub to discuss ideas and initiatives. Everyone came. From regular meetings, and working with Rita, Veronica Dahl, Nancy Hedberg, Fred Popowich, and other professors, we increased the number of declared Cognitive Science Majors from 12 to 40, had t-shirts made, and started the Cognitive Science Undergraduate Journal. At one point we received an email from a quite famous professor in the United States, Zenon Pylyshyn, congratulating us on our accomplishments. It was very gratifying to get feedback like that.
Q. Did you have a clear idea of where you wanted to go with it when you started?
A. I always knew I’d get a PhD, but wasn’t 100% sure in what field. I knew I wanted to do research in Cognitive Science. I also knew I liked teaching, and the two complement each-other well. Cognitive Science contributes to the field of pedagogy through research in knowledge representation, learning, memory, and many other areas.
Q. Overall, how has your Cognitive Science BA fit into your career?
A. How hasn’t it? It has totally affected how I approach problem solving, because I see things from multiple perspectives. It changed my viewpoint on pedagogy in the classroom, because I can explain concepts to students in different ways. Having a cross-disciplined degree helps you face problems, it’s like having more tools in your tool belt. I went straight into my PhD [in Medical Informatics], so my BA, along with other extra-curricular activities, was a direct entrance to the PhD. Some students may have to do an extra qualifying year in their chosen discipline, but I already had a solid Computer Science background. Even then, I enjoy learning new things, so I wouldn’t have minded another year.
Q. Tell us about the job search process as a Cognitive Science graduate.
A. Because I knew I was going to graduate school from the beginning, this affected how I planned my career path. I completed my PhD in four years, and because I fast-tracked, I was just too busy at the end to look for a job before I finished. During that time I had done enough teaching as a TA and Sessional Instructor to know I was going to be a Professor. I was able to continue doing Sessional contracts until a few months later a full-time faculty position as a Lecturer opened up at UBC. At the interview I gave a demo, and did the usual interview type stuff. I had a lot of experience doing research and getting published as an undergrad and grad student. I was hired for that position, then a short while later I was head-hunted by recruiters at the University of Lethbridge. They had noticed me at a CCWestt (Canadian Coalition of Women in Engineering, Science, Trades and Technology) conference I presented at. They flew me in for interviews, but unfortunately the position never materialized.
Q. How have employers responded to your Cognitive Science degree?
A. Extremely positively, especially as a Professor. I am very good at teaching computer science to non-computer science people. Also, my ability to approach problems from multiple perspectives makes me an asset.
Q. Have you noticed your Cognitive Science skills translated into transferable job skills?
A. As a Lecturer, I use my Cognitive Science skills so frequently its hard to separate them from one part of my life. I apply Psychology when compiling lesson plans to come up with creative ways to encourage and educate each student. I use Linguistics and Computer Science in my research, for example working with Maite Taboada on extracting sentiment from text.
Q. Tell us about the conferences you’ve been to, why you went, and what you were looking to get out of it.
A. I’ve been to SCAR – the largest radiology conference in Austen, Texas. Also Canadian AI, Australian AI, the NLUCS Workshop, and Vancouver Studies in Cognitive Science several times. Attending and speaking at conferences has allowed me to travel quite a bit!
Q. Tell us about the professional organizations you belong to, why you joined, what you were looking to get out of it.
A. I’m a member of AAAI, and am going to join SIGCSE. Being part of these organizations helps me stay current with new research. They also publish lists of “who’s who” in a certain field, so not only can I broaden my connections, but also make my own name more visible.
Q. Any word on the street in your field about where cognitive science graduates are being hired, in what industries, who is interested in these skills, and what positions are suitable?
A. NASA has always advertised positions looking for Cognitive Science graduates. I think this wouldn’t be for Rocket Science, but probably developing excellent onboard and other User Interfaces for space travel. Also Electronic Arts hires Cognitive Science grads for User Interface Design. Another company is Google, which, like a lot of technology companies, likes Computer Science grads who also have a Psychology background. A good keyword phrase to look for is jobs requiring Human Computer Interface skills. Cognitive Science graduates are natural contenders for this type of work because of their understanding of psycho-social issues in technology.
Q. Looking back… what advice do you have for current students? What do you recommend for current students to do to apply their knowledge to a career?
A. Don’t be afraid to knock on doors, be a go-getter. Understand the system. For example, do a directed reading with a professor; you get to focus on a topic you’re interested in which isn't offered in the course calendar. You have to take initiative at every step. Ask Professors if you can RA [be a Research Assistant] with them. A lot of the time, Professors don’t know what you are capable of, especially in Cognitive Science. Because we’re not a department you need to explain how you can contribute to their research. Know the Cognitive Science-friendly profs. They’re out there, and they can help you integrate ideas from different disciplines. Think ahead; if you plan on going to Graduate school, you definitely want to be getting experience in labs. Ultimately you need to know your degree. There is no pre-fabricated pitch you can memorize. You must know what advantages you offer as a Cognitive Science student, and succinctly present those as a solution to whoever you’re talking to.
Q. You were a Cognitive Science Student Association President at SFU. Why should people get involved while in university?
A. It helps solidify your degree and put it in context. When you get involved, you know where you fit in and where Cognitive Science fits in to the bigger picture. Meeting and talking to other students builds community. Doing research and publishing papers as an undergrad sometimes allows you to travel. For example, my boyfriend, Chris, took some Philosophy and Cognitive Science courses while at SFU. One year, as an RA for Kathleen Akins, he went to a conference at Carleton University in Ottawa, and ended up going out for drinks with renowned philosophers Daniel Dennett, and Patricia Churchland. How cool is that?
Thanks Kim, for taking the time to talk to the Cognitive Science Program today.
The heart of the Cognitive Science Program lies in its ability to facilitate creative cross-discipline thinking. Cognitive Science at SFU is proud to be the home of many thoughtful students who have found imaginative approaches to connect their broad interests in ways that allow them to get the engaging education they want. Learn more about other Cognitive Science Program alumni.