"I find patience to be a great asset and, in research, it is the key to progress."
Ahmad Rahmzadeh
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Grad year: 2020
- Program:
- Campus: Okanagan
I am a PhD student in the Structural Engineering program at the UBC’s Okanagan campus. I obtained my bachelor's and master’s degrees in Iran and joined UBC Okanagan in September 2016, knowing there would be opportunities to satisfy my curiosity in research. For the past four years, I have been working on an innovative earthquake resistant bridge column. The journey has been fruitful so far, with lots of ups and downs that helped me develop a wide range of skills that I was lacking before.
What has made your time at UBC memorable?
I had the opportunity to work as a teaching assistant for first-year engineering courses. Throughout this experience, I’ve been challenged by the undergraduate students’ curious minds, learned along and established good relationships with them. In particular, having my efforts appreciated by the students was very satisfying and memorable.
How are you applying the skills you learned through your studies at UBC?
The best skill I have developed throughout my PhD studies at university is the capability of doing several tasks simultaneously. In many cases, I’ve had to find a balance between my research workload, teaching responsibilities and extracurricular activities. I learned how to prioritize my work, allocate time efficiently and run tasks in parallel without compromising quality.
Where do you find your inspiration?
Everyone; everyone is good at something, talented in a way.
But in research, I would say my supervisors are the source of my inspiration. I am trying to learn how to be patient from them. I find patience to be a great asset and, in research, it is the key to progress.
