Richard Howard

Public Policy master's student in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

I've always been interested in making a difference through my chosen career. I had originally hoped to work in green power engineering, and studied electrical engineering at the University of Waterloo for a few years before switching. I completed an undergraduate degree in Professional Communications at Ryerson University, with minors in Public Relations and Philosophy. Finally, after graduating into the Covid-19 pandemic, I decided to return to my original goal and pursue a graduate degree in public policy. I hope to use the skills I develop here to help tackle problems like the current housing crisis as well as climate change!

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO COME TO SFU?

I chose to come to SFU because the public policy program here is not only well regarded, but also provides opportunities to work on real issues through the BC Priorities project. The chance to escape Ontario and live in Vancouver for the first time didn't hurt either!

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR RESEARCH OR YOUR PROGRAM TO A FAMILY MEMBER?

In the public policy program we study the practice of policy analysis while developing our knowledge base in relevant areas such as economics and political science. We research and analyze material from a wide-variety of disciplines in order to develop policy recommendations for the problems we aim to address.

WHAT ARE YOU PARTICULARLY ENJOYING ABOUT YOUR STUDIES/RESEARCH AT SFU?

I love both the practical focus of the program as well as the emphasis on group work. My cohort is full of smart and passionate people, all of whom are a pleasure to work with. Being able to tackle real problems while learning from and working with people who have diverse perspectives and experiences has been very rewarding.

Contact : richard_howard@sfu.ca

Additional links 

• LinkedIn