Grad Student Q&A: Genievieve Borg

We spoke with Genievieve Borg (she/her), a PhD student in the University of Guelph’s Department of Chemistry, about her decade-long journey at U of G from undergraduate to graduate studies. Borg first came to U of G for a Bachelor of Science in 2014. For her graduate thesis, she is studying inorganic chemistry in Dr. Kathryn Preuss’ research group.

What is your favorite thing about the university and what is something that has really stood out to you during your time here?

My favourite part about U of G and the City of Guelph in general is the amount of greenery we have here. The fact that we have a forest on campus and in the middle of the city is incredible. I also love the sense of community on campus and within the city. I’ve always found the people of Guelph incredibly kind and that is something that has stood out to me over the years.

Back when you started school at U of G, did you find it difficult to get settled and used to go out? And what was the hardest part and what helped you the most?

I don't remember having any issues. I was so excited to leave home and come to university. What helped me the most to adjust was that I found a great group of friends. I met one student at the O-Week event, “INROADS”. I had accidentally gone to the biochemistry one, but there I met my friend Neil, who connected my entire friend group. He lived in Lambton and was always getting everyone together from their floor. In first year, we were all inseparable, and I am still friends with them to this day. So, I think it was the community I found within my first two days of being on campus that helped me the most.

OK, different subject: What's your favorite dish or food, and do you make it yourself?

I really like to cook. In the summers I really like anything on the grill. I'm really into kebabs right now. I like pork or chicken, marinated kebabs and vegetables. I think that's my current favorite dish.

Follow up question, what's your favorite marinade?

There was one I did recently that was great. It had pineapple juice, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, and some other spices. It made the pork taste sweet and spicy, which was really good.

Tell us about your research interests and your thesis.

My thesis focuses on the development of molecule-based magnetic materials. If you look at every technological age throughout human history, the era is named after the materials used to make the tools of the time. For instance, during the Stone Age, tools were made of stone, and during the Bronze Age, tools were made of bronze. You could argue that we are currently in the Silicon Age, as silicon is used in modern computing.

One possible avenue for the next technological advancement could be quantum computing, but we do not yet have a material to bring quantum computing to life. When I say my research focuses on molecule-based materials, it means we are designing and synthesizing individual molecules with technologically relevant properties. Specifically, we focus on magnetism and molecules that demonstrate magnetic memory. If you place them in a magnetic field, they become magnetized. With some molecules, when you remove the magnetic field, they remain magnetized.

We have one compound in particular that can switch between two different states based on changes in temperature which is a memory effect. We are not looking to create the next material that will be used to bring quantum computing to life. Rather, we are focused on developing building blocks and contributing to the fundamental knowledge in this field.  

Another area of interest for my thesis is Indigenizing STEM education. I am currently working on developing a laboratory experiment to be implemented in one of the upper-year chemistry labs. I aim to educate students on Indigenous issues, such as water-boil advisories in Indigenous communities. I’m gathering water samples from Indigenous communities across Ontario. The plan is for students to analyze the mineral and heavy metal content in these water samples and compare them to local samples from Guelph. This laboratory exercise will offer a valuable opportunity for students to see the data firsthand and understand the discrepancy between water quality in Indigenous communities and non-Indigenous communities while exercising their laboratory skills and chemical knowledge. 

You have written about your feelings, journey and experiences as an Indigenous woman in academia, in the ACS Journal of Inorganic Chemistry. There, you say that at some point you didn't feel “Indigenous enough”. At the same time you said you didn't quite feel like you fit in on the academic environment either, feeling not to exactly belong in either side. Can you tell us how those feelings surfaced?

I grew up off reserve in Brantford, ON. Growing up, I knew I was Indigenous, but I didn’t really know what that meant. I knew what a dream catcher was, and I was familiar with pow wows and beadwork, but that was about it. Growing up semi-removed from my culture meant my perception of Indigenous people was shaped by stereotypes from media and movies, which didn’t reflect who I was.

When I arrived at the University of Guelph, I knew about the Indigenous Student Centre (ISC) on campus but didn’t use its resources until my last semester of undergrad because I didn’t feel “Native enough” to go there. I believe this is a common experience amongst Indigenous students. However, when I finally visited the ISC, I found many students there were just like me, beginning their reconnecting journeys. The ISC has been a safe space where I can explore my identity alongside other Indigenous students. 

In academia, I felt out of place due to the scarcity of Indigenous students in the physical sciences. Over my 10 years at U of G, I’ve only met a handful of students enrolled in physics, engineering, and chemistry. This feeling was exacerbated while I watched my peers excelling in grades, awards, and publications, which seemed to come much easier to them. Finally, it occurred to me that they don’t have all this other stuff going on in the background. They weren’t dealing with the intergenerational trauma that I was dealing with. They weren’t sitting through class having panic attacks. They were learning. They also don’t have the pressure on them to learn their language or culture because they kind of already have.

It took me a very long time to acknowledge that I need to give myself more credit for my efforts, but it's hard because our system doesn’t encourage that. Our system pressures students to achieve high grades and secure scholarships to stand out. I wasn’t standing out. Once I realized this, I began to find other avenues to put my name out there. Although I'm feeling better about it now, there are still moments when I feel like I don’t fit into the science community because it is predominantly non-Indigenous and discriminatory.

I think the system must learn to gauge you on how far you have travelled rather than where you are. You have come a long way, and I'm glad you're here!

Thank you!

If you could give one piece of advice to your earlier self just after you started grad school at U of G, what would that be?

My advice would be to stop being so hard on yourself and have faith that it will all work out. When I started grad school, I was often preoccupied with trying to measure up to where others were. For instance, one of my friends was nearing the end of their Ph.D. and I felt anxious because I didn't know as much as they did. In hindsight, it is clear that I hadn't even started grad school yet, of course I won’t know as much as they do. My advice would be to ease up on yourself and trust the process – you will end up where you are meant to be. 

Great! Now the opposite of the last question: What's a piece of advice or a note, something that you may forget, that you want to leave for your future self, based on your experience in grad school at this moment.

My note to my future self is that I hope you're doing things that make you happy. While I don't have a specific dream job, I do have goals. Over the past six years, I’ve noticed that many opportunities have arisen unexpectedly, often just from conversations with others. What I hope for myself is that I will have the means to support myself financially, live a stable life, and have a home. But really, I just hope I'm happy. 

Has your network and community at the University been a key player in your academic journey? If so, how? If not, why?

Yes! My success, in my eyes, started when we had a representative from NSERC, Leeway, come to visit U of G. He was interested in learning about Indigenous Research Initiatives at U of G and UWaterloo. For the visit, Cara Wehkamp (Assistant Vice-President, Indigenous Initiatives) invited me to join. We met with Leeway at the site for Nokom’s House in the Arboretum. At the end of the visit, Leeway asked what NSERC can do better to support Indigenous students and see an increase in Indigenous student applications. I gave Leeway honest feedback. I pointed out that while NSERC claims to support Indigenous students, their scholarships are not very accessible to Indigenous students. We face numerous challenges that impact NSERC’s award criteria, such as grades, awards/scholarships, and publications, making it difficult to standout compared to non-Indigenous peers. The NSERC application is very time consuming, and given our limited chances of success, it often feels like a waste of effort that could be better spent advancing our research. 

Further, at the time of the visit, the news had recently been filled with reports of mass graves at former residential schools. During this time, I was struggling to function and making any valuable progress toward my degree was incredibly difficult. None of my peers had to deal with these issues. I told Leeway this and suggested that NSERC should have separate awards for Indigenous students, similar to what Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS) already does. This conversation led to Leeway providing me a platform to talk to NSERC and representatives from other agencies (MITACS and the Canadian Space Agency) about how they can better support Indigenous students. This opportunity eventually led to my involvement with MITACS and Indigenous Services Canada, where I was one of 20 Indigenous people from across Canada to develop and discuss an Indigenous Innovation Framework Policy. Later, MITACS invited me to join their panel at the 15th Canadian Science Policy Conference in Ottawa. Each of these experiences offered valuable networking opportunities. Without these moments, I wouldn’t have the confidence I have today, and I don’t think I would have achieved all the things I have.

Do you have any interest or passion beyond your research that you have pursued throughout your studies?

Indigenization efforts. In the past few years, I’ve had some really cool opportunities. I had the honor of drumming at the installations of both the President and the Vice Chancellor. I also recently participated in a field course called “Conversations with the Sámi”, which took us to Sweden and Norway for three weeks. This cultural exchange involved connecting our students with the Sámi, the Indigenous people of Scandinavia. The field course was an incredible opportunity to connect with the Indigenous students in my class and engage with Indigenous communities on another continent. 

Do you think you're striking a good work-life balance, and do you think your school and lab environment help you with that?

I do not have a good work-life balance. For marginalized groups, I think we have a harder time achieving a work life balance because we are constantly fighting for better spaces and opportunities for our communities. I don’t get enough sleep. However, I do a lot of things that fulfill my spirit. I’m incredibly grateful that I have an advisor that supports my work outside of her lab. She has been encouraging of my efforts to Indigenize both campus and the sciences, to the extent that she has encouraged me to incorporate these initiatives into my thesis!

Looking back, what was a significant skill or knowledge you gained during your graduate studies that you have achieved that you didn't expect to learn?

I wasn't expecting to get as good at presenting as I have. I still remember one of the first presentations I gave in my third year of undergrad. It was atrocious. Definitely the worst presentation I've ever given in my life. Public speaking was never my strong suit. Going from that experience, where I was reading off a script, stuttering, and terrified, to now presenting at conferences and on National Truth and Reconciliation Day, was unexpected for me.

Do you have a saying, quote, or philosophy that you would like to share, that's something that you refer to or you really enjoy repeating to yourself?

“Mean what you say and say what you mean”.

Do you have any advice for early career researchers and graduate students?

My advice is similar to what I’d give my past self: don't be so hard on yourself and don't be afraid to ask for help. If you don't seek assistance when needed, you might struggle to figure things out, and it could snowball into bigger issues. It took me a long time to overcome the barrier of asking for help.