When she first started looking for a job in research administration after receiving her PhD in Physics from the University of Saskatchewan, Dr. Sanjukta Choudhury ‘20 struggled to land a paid position. “I had been applying but wasn’t getting a job so I thought, ‘let me do something that will give me more credibility,’” recalls Dr. Choudhury.

To do that, she turned to the Continuing Education (CE) courses offered through Mohawk College. Dr. Choudhury had a goal to work in research administration so, naturally, she became a student in the Research Administration Certificate program. “I knew how to do research, but when it came to research administration, I didn’t know much,” she says. “This certificate helped me learn the different things involved in research administration and all of its different branches.”

One of the concerns for Dr. Choudhury during her time as a student was achieving a healthy work-life balance. Her CE courses helped with this. “I liked that we could do things on our own when there was time available because I had a full-time job as a post doctoral fellow as well as other commitments,” says Dr. Choudhury.

Dr. Sanjukta Choudhury has been working with the University of Saskatchewan as a Research Facilitator, a position her Mohawk studies helped her to secure. “I know when I mentioned in my interview that I was enrolled into this Research Administration Certificate program, it showed my enthusiasm about research administration,” she recalls. “That was really helpful to get the job.”

“This certificate helped me learn the different things involved in research administration and all of its different branches.”– Dr. Sanjukta Choudhury ‘20

Dr. Choudhury provides operational and strategic research development support to achieve growth of research grants and cross-disciplinary partnerships, to facilitate advancement in research at the College of Education, University of Saskatchewan. “Working within the Office of the Associate Dean of Research at the College of Education, I collaborate with the Office of the Vice President Research, funding agencies, and partners external to the university to position researchers and research groups for success,” she shares.

Now that she is working in her position, Dr. Choudhury is thankful for what Mohawk taught her. “I think the course is very well designed in terms of materials and scheduling. I liked the online forum where students frequently interacted with each other to discuss and share perspectives on various topics.”

Dr. Choudhury has some words of wisdom for current students, “Reach out if you have questions. Ask peers and professors. Ask whoever you think might have the answer. Just don’t be afraid to ask questions.”

No matter what stage you are at in life, education is always valuable and can change your life. Dr. Choudhury’s story is an important reminder that with hard work and perseverance you can achieve your goals.

By Emmett Steele – 3rd year Journalism student.

This story originally appeared in the Fall 2021 issue of InTouch magazine.