The diverse lived experiences of visible minority doctoral students influence how they make connections, negotiate educational structures, navigate systems, and develop their professional identities. While these experiences can shape how they engage with educational frameworks and systems, it remains unclear what similarities and differences exist across races.
This talk discusses the experiences of three internationally trained Black and Chinese academic scholars in a Canadian doctoral program and how their unique and nuanced complexities influenced their professional identity development. Through a trio-ethnography study, Dr. Ovie explores the narratives of these scholars as they navigated their doctoral experiences, highlighting both their similarities and differences. Recognizing that a post-graduate degree is both a process of becoming and of achieving, one’s identity as an educator or researcher is shaped by the intricate experiences and academic attainment of their doctoral journey. Dr. Ovie will introduce the Professional Identity Development for Minority Scholars Conceptual Model, which emerged from the study.
Bio
Dr. Glory Ovie is an assistant professor in Department of Educational Studies at UBC. She holds a PhD in Educational Research from the University of Calgary, specializing in leadership, policy, and governance. With 28 years of experience in education spanning K-12 to postsecondary, she has held positions such as assistant professor at King’s University, visiting scholar at the Universidad Nacional, Sede Regional Brunca in Costa Rica, postdoctoral associate and school principal.
Dr. Ovie is an accomplished scholar, and the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the Archival Publication Authors Workshop for Engineering Educators USA mini-grant, the Bell Let’s Talk Mental Health Grant, and the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International Award, USA. Her research interests encompass equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization, crisis management in educational institutions, and mental health and wellness. She has served on various committees including the Government of Alberta Ethnocultural Grant Program.
Dr. Ovie is a founding member of When African Women Talk Organization and a director of Sistawalk, a community organization established to provide a safe space for women of Colour in Edmonton.