Ruth is a passionate enthusiast of all things Antarctica, and her ultimate goal is to be involved in Antarctic education. She came to UC because of its Gateway Antarctica research centre where she is currently studying towards a master’s in Antarctic Studies.

‘Gateway Antarctica has high-quality lecturers who are experts in their fields, and their passion for Antarctica makes their teaching engaging and inspiring. If Gateway Antarctica wasn’t at the University of Canterbury, I wouldn’t be here,’ she says.

With a bachelor’s degree in Biological Science from Latrobe University in her home town of Melbourne, Australia, Ruth’s first qualification from UC was her Postgraduate Certificate in Antarctic Studies.

‘It’s a multidisciplinary course which gave me a broad understanding of Antarctic issues. I had the opportunity to meet the many Antarctic experts from various departments here at Canterbury and from other affiliated Antarctic organisations. This provided me with the opportunity to network, and the confidence to collaborate, and prepared me for what I’m doing now.’

‘As I am a biology teacher, I was keen to continue my master’s in Antarctic Studies with an educational focus, to help increase Antarctic education and outreach,’ she explains.

The overall aim of Ruth’s master’s research is to develop flexible learning options (FLOs) for Antarctic Studies. ‘With Antarctic studies being of increasing global interest , FLOs will enable more students to do structured learning with the convenience and flexibility to fit this in around their work or time zone differences,’ she explains.

‘Part of my research involves investigating best practice in online teaching and learning. My day-to-day work involves learning and understanding the latest exciting scientific research being carried out in Antarctica. I then create engaging educational resources for secondary school and tertiary level students. The other part of my thesis is a practical project which will involve developing, facilitating and evaluating a fully-online Antarctic course this summer, ANTA 101SU.’

Ruth likes studying at UC. ‘I really enjoy the campus environment with its gardens, trees and rivers which are such a joy to experience each day. There are lots of lovely riverside walks to do when you need to clear your head. And the support I get from the Learning Skills Centre is another reason I would always study at Canterbury.’

Ruth encourages anyone interested in Antarctica to consider the study options. ‘Come visit Gateway Antarctica or go to the Gateway link on the UC website to find out more about the exciting research and learning opportunities which are available at first and second-year levels, and also at master’s and PhD.’