ACADEMIC The thrill of learning for learning’s sake
It is the highest academic degree a person can achieve and, whatever the topic, it takes considerable commitment, focus, effort and time to complete a PhD. Nine College staff – Craig Aitken, Sarah Anticich, Neil de Joux, Mike Field, Tom Hawkins, Anna Johnston, Graham Swanson, Andrew Taylor and Briar Wait – have gone the distance and been awarded doctorates in their chosen field and, despite the challenges they faced, remember the experience as a valued part of their life. “I loved it. It was something I was doing for me, and I was very interested in the subject and learning more about it,” says Dr Mike Field. Mike was teaching an all-boys class in a co-ed school at the time he decided to embark on his PhD, which looks at education, masculinity and sport. “I’d noticed I was getting really good results academically and behaviourally from the boys in my class and wanted to find out more and incorporate the work I was doing into an academic framework. I learned a huge amount, gaining a deeper understanding of young men and the influence of sport in their lives. I’m still driven by the idea of being able to make positive change in the lives of young men.”
Top row: Craig Aitken, Sarah Anticich, Neil de Joux. Middle row: Mike Field, Tom Hawkins, Anna Johnston. Bottom row: Graeme Swanson, Andrew Taylor, Briar Wait
Dr Graeme Swanson says of his PhD in population genetics, “I loved the social aspect of connecting with lots of people across Scotland. As a city boy, it really made me appreciate a whole rural community I had previously had little to do with.” After leaving university, Graeme started Strath Caulaidh (pronounced “collie”), a business specialising in environmental
management, but when he and his family decided to emigrate, he turned to teaching. “I’d always loved teaching – at university and training at work – it gave me a lot of satisfaction. I enjoy learning and facilitating a passion for my subject, and I’m very lucky to teach biology, which is so relevant and personal.”
Christ’s College Canterbury
22
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