Alumni and Student Innovation Centre director Chris Fetterly shares his alumni perspective, photographed here in the new centre. Photo credit: John Ulan
I'm not sure if my winding path in science began with reading The Magic School Bus, watching Bill Nye, or ordering random gadgets from the back of comic books, but science and technology have been part of my core identity since childhood.
At age three, my mom made sure I always had my "makings bag": a cloth satchel full of pipe cleaners, glue, and other odds and ends for building things. I guess you could say this was my first exposure to the concept of rapid prototyping. I still walk around with the idea of a makings bag or "toolkit" in my head. The University of Alberta has added enormous value to my expanding toolkit and to my perspectives on life.
My tech and maker enthusiasm continued well into my undergrad, where I started to develop an interest in nanotechnology as it related to biomedical applications. The notion of applying massive amounts of genetic data towards personalized health seemed inevitable, so I thought about ways I could add nanotechnology to my toolkit. This drove my initial application to the UAlberta to study with Jillian Buriak, professor of chemistry and Canada Research Chair of Nanomaterials for Energy, for my PhD.
In my graduate studies, I was exposed to nanofabrication methods used in the semiconductor industry, cutting-edge cellular imaging systems, and selfassembly surface chemistry techniques. These experiences have helped to shape my outlook that lifelong learning is an essential skill in and of itself. As part of that continued learning and opportunity seeking,
I cultivated an interest in innovation and entrepreneurship as a means to advance societal progress beyond research.
When the opportunity to work in the Faculty of Science in the new Student Innovation Centre came up, it resonated deeply with me. We have world-class knowledge and equipment at our fingertips at UAlberta. I saw the potential to enable student creators as nearly limitless and thus applied to the position without hesitation. I never stop chasing what interests me and therefore helping students do the same was a natural fit.
I'm thrilled to be the inaugural director of the Student Innovation Centre at the Faculty of Science. Science is woven into every aspect of my life, including parenting, nutrition, and environmental responsibility. Through my experiences as a scientist and my continued education with peers, podcasts, and books, I adopted the personal mantra, "Strong opinions, loosely held."
This reflects a state of open-mindedness that, despite biases, holds conviction to the best available evidence. To me, postsecondary education is about building the prepared and open mind. This receptive state of being requires a foundational knowledge base: a toolkit. When stimuli from the world hit the prepared mind, new and interesting ideas emerge. I am now in a position to help students expand and build their own toolkits, a place I'm happy to be.