From a young age, Dr. Karen Kopciuk (MMath ’95, GCERT ‘01, PhD ’01) had a passion for learning and for medicine. Starting her career as a dental hygienist, she soon came to realize her interest in research extended deeper than she ever imagined. Making the decision to return to school as a mature student, Karen completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Calgary before coming to the University of Waterloo for her Master’s and PhD degrees in statistics.
“When I came to Waterloo, it just felt great,” said Karen on a recent visit to campus. “I had done my research and wanted to go somewhere with a good reputation. That was important to me, because I felt it would help open doors.”
Today, Karen is applying the knowledge she gained at Waterloo as an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Calgary in the Oncology, Mathematics and Statistics department, and a Research Scientist/Statistician in the Department of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research. Working in areas as diverse as translational research for early cancer detection and early treatment detection, to health policy, and academia, Karen has created a career that is unique, inspiring and meets all of her interests.
“I pursued a PhD because I really liked the autonomy and independent research you can do,” she explained. “You can set agendas and go after the ideas, questions and problems you want to work on.”
What Karen remembers most from her time at Waterloo was how community-minded her department was. It’s something that was instilled in her by example, and still influences her activities today.
“The leaders in our department were internationally recognized, but they also had a strong service mindset,” said Karen. “They felt it was important to give back to your organization. Now I do a lot of service work, and sit on many committees and boards.”
This drive to give back inspired Karen to lead a unique project – The M3 Rock Circle Project – to honour the people who made the building possible, and recognize those who are yet to come. The plan is to build a gathering space between the MC and M3 buildings, creating a beautiful outdoor garden with benches and plaques to recognize the amazing leaders in Statistics and Actuarial Sciences.
“Your career is possible because of what we have here,” explained Karen. “That’s how I really feel. The professors and researchers I worked with were incredibly professional and I still connect with my colleagues regularly. I feel that we owe a lot about our current situation to our past. This project is one way to make a difference.”
Taking action beyond ideas is what inspires our amazing alumni to turn passions into careers. A supportive learning environment makes all the difference. If you want to help bring the Rock Circle Project to life, consider making a gift online.
