PhD Chemistry
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Kayla Snyder
Advice for Prospective Grad Students...
Choose a supervisor who makes you excited about your project. There will be times when your project does not go as planned and reminders of that enthusiasm and why you are doing the work are crucial to continuing through the hurtles.
Program
Why did you choose to complete your graduate studies in your program at the University of Guelph?
I choose to complete my graduate studies in chemistry at Guelph because of the chair of the department at the time. I met Prof. Rowntree at the graduate student preview day and his enthusiasm for his work made my decision to pursue my degree at Guelph. Prof. Rowntree also had an amazing lab space with equipment he designed and developed, and his ideas on what the equipment could do were very exciting.
About my path...
I completed my undergraduate degree and Master's at Lakehead University, at both the Orillia and Thunder Bay Campus. I was co-supervised at Lakehead by two Guelph Alumni and they encouraged me to check out the preview day at Guelph.
How will your work Improve Life?
The work I am doing will help increase the understanding of thin films, which are essential for current and future technology. It is a mixture of surface and analytical chemistry and I was drawn to the field by Prof. Rowntree's description of his work. Prof. Rowntree also had a very hands-on approach in his lab, which frequently involved fixing the equipment issues. As I really enjoy learning new things working through the multiple equipment failures was an exciting part of my work.
What do you plan to do after graduation? How has U of G helped you reach that goal?
Teach in post secondary education. Increased my experience and my research profile making my options larger.