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NB-IRDT is proud to have had the opportunity to work with students on many projects and initiatives. Our student spotlight series will highlight some of the students we’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with. Meet Peter Ogunmodede, a Research Assistant at NB-IRDT. Peter started with NB-IRDT in May of 2022 as a summer co-op student and was hired as a Research Assistant in September.

Peter's anticipated graduation is in June 2023, so we caught up with him to see what his plans are.

Have your educational and/or career goals change at all because of your time at NB-IRDT?

Prior to joining NB-IRDT, I was very eager to enter the finance industry. However, through my time at the institute, I was exposed to a range of career possibilities outside such a career path. My time at the institute really opened my eyes to the various opportunities that exist within the realm of policy research and analysis

Looking back on what you’ve done so far at NB-IRDT, what is your largest accomplishment?

My greatest accomplishment would be actively contributing to the research coming out of New Brunswick. Working at NB-IRDT has given me the opportunity to work on a range of projects that impact the everyday lives of New Brunswickers, and this has been one of my greatest pleasures.

How has this position impacted you? What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned?

I think my biggest lesson so far would be the importance of prioritizing patience towards myself and others. When I initially started at the institute, I would sometimes get frustrated at my performance or certain regulations around projects. For instance, there was a project where the research team had to wait for over 2 months before approval for data-use was granted. During this time, I was uncomfortable and unnerved about the wait time as I had started to question my performance. However, through discussions with more experienced co-workers and gaining a much better understanding of the procedures involved in the background, I learned to become more comfortable with the work process.

Any advice you’d like to give to people reading this post? Whether that’s profs, employers, civil servants, or students?

My only advice towards others, myself included, would be to take advantage of the many resources available to you, especially within the university environment. This could be the people, online, or in-person resources.

And finally, is there anything else we can do to help you on your path to success? I.e., share your LinkedIn? Promote any work you’ve been doing lately? Help people know where to find you?

Thank you very much for including me in this process. Here is my LinkedIn and ResearchGate profile for anyone who would like to connect with me professionally.