Episode 4: The path to a PhD with Dr. Robin Woywitka

His deep curiosity and a colleague’s off the cuff comment led him back to the classroom in 2012 and he has recently completed his PhD in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta. We talk about managing the psychological journey of a PhD, the importance of a great supervisor and embracing the questions as much as the answers.

We talk about....

• the adventures of being an archaeologist including encounters with Federales, lightning strikes and bear attacks 
• how the love of junk, dirt, going to the dump and avoiding calculus led to a career in archaeology 
• the Archaeological Survey of Alberta and its role in managing Alberta geography with respect to archaeological sites within Alberta
• what drove Robin back to school to do a PhD ( and why there is no such thing as low hanging fruit for a PhD!)
• the process of a PhD - the vital importance of having a good supervisor
• making it through the grueling candidacy interview (freaking out is normal)
• managing the psychology of the PhD process 
• formulating your research questions and designing your project
• being comfortable NOT (fully) answering your question

Learn more about the Archaeological Survey of Alberta.