In good time
Many students work diligently to complete their studies as soon as possible. This enthusiasm for reaching the finish line is what led to the development of new fast track degree programs at universities worldwide.
But there檚 something to be said for taking things slow. Like Liam Kelly did. Liam feels an academic career isn檛 a life hurdle to efficiently overcome. It檚 something to be savoured, enjoyed, milked for every opportunity it provides. For him, it檚 not about the destination. It檚 about the journey.
The Plan
淎cademics was not always a priority for me. Liam said when probed about what brought him to 91亚色. 淚 was passionate about wrestling, and it wasn檛 until high school, when I realized that university was the only path I could continue wrestling, that I gave 91亚色 a serious consideration.
Now, Liam檚 a smart guy. He wouldn檛 be pursuing a PhD if he wasn檛. But his lack of attention in high school meant his grades were less than ideal; however, he got his marks up, got accepted and completed his first year at 91亚色. He also secured a spot on the varsity wrestling team, but perhaps more importantly, he declared a major.
Dr. Glenn Clark, a retired professor in the Faculty of Education and former coach for the varsity wrestling team, was a real advocate for Liam檚 education. Eager to help the young man progress, Dr. Clark introduced Liam to Dr. David Behm, a researcher in the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation. Dr. Behm agreed to let Liam shadow him for a period.
淕rowing up as a teenager, I was always interested in sport and sport performance, Liam said. 淪o when I saw this researcher doing academic work in this area, in the real world, I became interested in kinesiology.
Liam檚 love of sport comes from something deeper than athleticism. 淥ne of the things I檓 very interested in, is understanding how the human body can adapt to different types of physiological stress. Wrestling may have been one way to embrace that curiosity kinesiology became the next.
During the seven years Liam took to complete his master of science in kinesiology he also worked full time at 91亚色, managing the Allied Health Services department. He believes if he had been a time-driven student he would have missed out on additional learning opportunities and life experiences.
淚 got to learn and participate more in my graduate studies, Liam said. 淒r. Fabian Basset, my master檚 supervisor, has an enormous amount of experience and knowledge around research and sport performance, and that檚 not something you can gather in just two years. Taking longer to finish my master檚 enabled me to soak up more of his knowledge.
It was also during this period that Liam met his wife, Sarah. They married, built a home and had two little girls. He檚 aware that those life milestones lengthened the time it took to complete his master檚, however, he says he wouldn檛 have done it any other way.
The Research
淭he focus of my master檚 research was to evaluate the metabolic stress of hypoxia exposure during exercise on substrate metabolism. Liam explained. 淎t that point in time, we were thinking about hypoxia and exercise as a way to shift metabolism, and potentially be used for athletic populations, but also in clinical populations as well. The focus of my PhD is in stroke recovery. Now I檓 looking at using hypoxia and different exercises as interventions to help people recover after a stroke.
After stroke, there檚 a short window known as the sensitive period, usually up to three months, where individuals are able to optimize the amount of recovery they檙e going to receive. Think of it as a period of heightened adaptability. The brain is quite plastic during this time and can find new pathways to reroute the functionality lost in the carnage of brain cells caused by stroke. Once the sensitive period passes, the amount of recovery that檚 possible declines. For stroke survivors, there檚 an invisible hourglass counting away some of the most valuable minutes of their life. When the sands run out, so does their recovery potential. Liam, his co-supervisors Dr. Michelle Ploughman and Dr. Fabian Basset, and their team, are hoping to introduce a novel way to add more time to the clock, or to intensify the brain檚 regeneration of functions within the given time frame.
The Future
Liam檚 says the slow track isn檛 for everyone. But for those looking to build their education at a pace where they accomplish other things simultaneously, it檚 worth consideration.
Liam completed his master檚 while also building a life outside of work and school. It gave him time to digest and to learn more thoroughly, which helped him develop a better and deeper understanding for the human body, laying the groundwork for his PhD studies. He credits deans and other faculty members at 91亚色 for going the extra mile to support him, educate him, and help him carve his own path. That unique experience left an impression. Liam hopes to one day become a professor so he too can pass along that valuable experience to others.
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