Guest Post: Introduction to Terry

My name's Elysa and I'm a student, blogging for a living. Literally. I also do research in personal genomics, invite awesome speakers to the University of British Columbia (UBC), and plan a TEDx event that showcases student speakers. All this is possible because of a wonderful thing called the "Terry Project."

A long, long time ago at the UBC (2006), a professor from the humanities (Political Science and International Relations) and a professor from the sciences (Advanced Molecular Biology) came to the realization that both disciplines had much to contribute to the debates of various global issues. Concurrently, they both realized that neither felt comfortable dabbling in either's specialty. A common occurrence among those in opposing academic disciplines is similar to two acquaintances passing in a long hallway: briefly acknowledge the acquaintance, then quicken your pace.

Dr. Allen Sens and Dave Ng, my supervisors, decided on a different approach, which later became the Terry Project, or Terry, for short. Terry is an initiative that approaches global issues and current events — with a twist. By combining creativity, wit, and a perspective that bridges the humanities and sciences, Terry has a vast vision and mandate: to inspire students to develop and promote just and sustainable civil societies throughout the world. Terry's formal mandate is accompanied with a lovely little limerick:

Fits perfectly. Seeing how not much more is scarier than a humanities student approaching science and a science student approaching the humanities, Terry decided to confront this problem head on. So, Allen and Dave teach a second-year course entitled ASIC 200, which addresses topics like climate change and genetically modified organisms by bringing together 45 humanities students and 45 science students and combines methods from both disciplines.

Another aspect of the Terry Project is the annual Terry Global Speaker Series. It is focused on creating a synergistic forum that addresses topics related to worldwide climate and health concerns, all the while stressing the importance of multi-disciplinary learning.

Terry also hosts the only TEDx talk event that features student speakers. To participate in the "TEDx Terry talks" event, UBC students apply to give a 20-minute talk on something they are passionate about that affects the global community. The talks are recorded and available online for future viewing pleasure. All the application information can also be found on the blog.

And lastly, there is the Terry blog — it's the reason why I'm writing to all of you lovely people here at Student Voices. The site has become a central hub for students on the UBC campus to discuss global issues in an informal and approachable online environment. It's probably one of the few blogs where students can read a post about atmospheric geoengineering trials below a post entitled "Image of Poverty." We're a unique group here at Terry. Come check us out!

--Elysa Hogg