In this episode of the Benjamin D. Fedoruk Podcast, I had a wonderfully insightful conversation with Ab Thaivallapil. I'm currently working under the supervision of Ab at the STEM Fellowship Journal. Ab is currently a PhD Candidate at the University of Guelph, with expected completion in 2023. In 2013, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Biotechnology from Wilfred Laurier University. Following this, in 2017, he completed his Bachelor of Applied Science in Occupational Health and Safety from Ryerson University, and then went on to receive his Master of Science in Epidemiology in 2019 from the University of Guelph. Ab has served as the Managing Editor of the STEM Fellowship Journal since January of 2019, and has a strong passion for the promotion of STEM research in youth (a goal shared by my podcast). I recall when I submitted an article to the STEM Fellowship Journal, I was greeted by immediate and in-depth comments by Ab, helping me to push my thinking. This conversation took some interesting turns, but I won't complain. Great conversations like the one I had with Ab are few and far between, and should be cherished. They are the tools which propel human understandings of the universe and our place therein. You can connect with Ab on LinkedIn using: / athaival

In this episode of the Benjamin D. Fedoruk Podcast, I was so excited to get to catch up with a friend from high school -- Jaimi Plater. This episode centered around some of the political science-based research which Jaimi has been conducting as of late, pertaining to optimal ways to help those with disabilities. She discusses a more social scientific style of research, which constrasts well with my typical scientific style. I think this episode will prove useful for anyone interested in conducting studies which directly impact human beings, and the policies which they live under.

Today, I have the pleasure of speaking with Joseph Pold. I met Joe through some common work we’re currently doing at the Journal for Medical Internet Research, or JMIR. Joe is the Head of Marketing Insights and Analysis at JMIR Publications, based out of Philadelphia. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Geology in 2016 from the University of Pittsburgh, and then began his career as an Editorial Intern at John Wiley and Sons. There, he worked for several years, eventually becoming the Editorial Program Coordinator. He also worked for Springer Nature as an Associate Editor, and then began his position at JMIR this year. Joe is very involved in the research community. A simple scroll through his LinkedIn posts showcases his passion. Today, we will be discussing some of Joe’s research during the pursuit of his undergraduate degree, specifically pertaining to sewage pipe service density in relation to demographic factors in Pittsburgh. With this, I hope that Joe can discuss some of the narrow-scoped research that may be optimal for those interested in making their first try at a research endeavour. You can connect with Joe on LinkedIn using: / joseph-pold-7a6567a7