Meet Claire McPhee, a Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs student in her second year of study. In getting to know Claire, we learned about her background in project management and how she developed a passion for policy design, as well as what the highlights of her first year in the program are.
Introduce yourself! What is your background?
I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada and completed my undergraduate degree at McGill University, where I received an Honours Bachelor of Arts and Science in Environment, with a minor in Economics. After that, I worked at a wonderful national non-profit, called Evergreen. If you have visited Toronto, you may be familiar with their headquarters, Evergreen Brick Works in the Don River Valley – an industrial quarry turned park! There, I worked on environmental education programs for kids and youth and supported a project that created Canada’s first climate-resilient school ground. Through this worked I learned a lot about project management and program design – two skills that I hope to bring forward with me in my career.
What made you want to pursue studies in policy and global affairs?
It was my work at Evergreen that inspired me to return to school to study public policy. I saw the incredible work that is done at the project scale, and began to wonder how this action might be scaled – for example, how might we ensure that all school grounds are resilient to climate impacts? In considering questions like this, I realized that it is government policies that shape the way our societies operate. I therefore became interested in better understanding policy, to eventually help create more progressive and equitable climate and environmental policies.
What initially attracted you to the MPPGA program at UBC?
I was attracted to the MPPGA program at UBC for two main reasons. First, I loved that UBC offers the Resources, Energy and Sustainability stream; I knew I wanted to focus on environmental/climate policy in my studies and future career so the fact that I could specialize in this area in second year was very exciting to me, and not something that other schools necessarily offered. Second, the fact that the program combines public policy AND global affairs is quite unique and something that really appealed to me. Realistically, I will likely spend most of my career in Canada, so having a firm grasp of the domestic policy context is important, but I’m also motivated to learn about policy in an international context. In particular, a regional focus of my undergraduate research was on Latin America, and I was excited to be able to continue this research through the MPPGA program. I’m especially privileged to be travelling to Ecuador in November as part of the MPPGA’s Global Policy Project, which will further enrich my learning on the region.
What are some of the highlights from your first year in the program?
The people are by far the best part of the MPPGA program. The way the program is structured in first year with the core courses, you really get to know your cohort which is great! I have truly met some of the most kind-hearted and dedicated people I’ve ever met, which makes me feel very hopeful for the future of public policy. The professors and the MPPGA staff are also wonderful; very accessible and willing to help.
Related to the people in the program, another highlight from first year were some of the events that the student council hosts, and other events affiliated with the SPPGA (for example, the Lunar New Year celebration hosted by the IAR). These events were a great opportunity to connect with classmates, second year students and professors, outside the classroom.
Finally, not directly related to the program itself but worth mentioning, a highlight of first year was getting to study on such a beautiful campus. I love walking past the Rose Garden with the view of the mountains every morning and taking walks through the Nitobe Garden after class.
What was your co-op position and how was the experience?
Over the summer, I worked with Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (formerly Infrastructure Canada). The team I worked with was in the process of launching a new program, intended to support municipalities across the country in integrating climate change considerations into their infrastructure projects. It was a great experience as I got a taste of working for the federal government and also got to apply many of the skills I acquired in the first year core courses of the MPPGA program (conducting jurisdictional scans and stakeholder mapping, writing policy briefs etc.). I also learned a lot about myself and how I work best, which will be useful when considering different opportunities post-graduation.
Do you have any advice for prospective MPPGA students?
If you are looking to make the leap back into academia, like a fast-paced but supportive environment, and are interested in acquiring practical policy skills, the MPPGA is a great option! You’ll work hard in this program, but you’ll also get to learn from and alongside fantastic classmates and professors. There’s lots of room to be curious and explore the policy topics that you care about most; don’t be afraid to ask questions and pursue your interests!
