My Interview Subjects

I emailed seven people asking to get interviews to understand what it is like to publish within the Environmental community. Unfortunately, five of them are off in impoverished an environmentally damaged countries at the time and cannot sit down for an hour interview. But that only means more content for them to publish for further research in the field. Never the less, I needed two interview subjects, and soon. Thankfully, two individuals from the School of Geography and Development here at the University of Arizona were willing to dedicate some time to me.

Sophia Borgias, M.A. in Geography/ Graduate Research Assistant

Who are they?

• Sophia Borgias

Who do they work for?

• She is a research assistant at the Udall Center of Public Policy as well as for QUASEC Center for Excellence in Water Security.

What is their education level?

• Sophia Borgias graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelors in both International Studies and Spanish. She is currently a second year master student in Geography at the University of Arizona.

How long have they worked in the field?

• Borgias has been employed at the Udall Center and the QUASEC center for a few years, however, her undergraduate research took her to the Maipo River Basin in Central Chile, where she explored the development of the Patagonia Sin Represias movement against dam building in the basin. Her undergraduate thesis was focused on this issue, and she plans to have her graduate thesis expound upon her previous findings.

When is the interview?

• I plan to interview Ms. Borgias this Friday, February 26th, in the ENR2 building at 9 am. I am very excited to see what she has to say about the publication process, especially since she is in the midst of publishing her first two papers in the field. 

What are the questions you are going to ask?

• Have you found that a specific type of source is more prevalent in an educational setting?
• Have you noticed, specifically as a fairly recent undergraduate, an increase in any type of genre as research material?
• In your research for your undergraduate thesis, did you use any genres more often than not? Did you notice yourself turning to a specific publication more than others, such as a specific journal or study?
• Would you say that certain types of publications are more reliable than others, such as primary versus secondary research?
• The publication you had on your informational page, Patagonia Without Dams, is your undergraduate thesis? Since it was published by the University of Oregon, would you say that it was easier or more difficult than going through other publication sources?
• Do you feel that it was because it was a paper, rather than a different type of genre?
• What are your current projects that are undergoing publication?
• Have you found that publishing these have been more difficult here at the University of Arizona than at your previous university?
• As a graduate research assistant, do you find yourself handling many different genres of research?
• Which have been the most valuable to your work?

Professor Sapana Doshi, PhD from Department of Geography, University of California, Berkley

Who are they?

• Professor Sapana Doshi

What is their education level?

• Dr. Doshi received her undergraduate degree in 1997 in Economics from Columbia University. She then received her doctorate degree from the University of California, Berkley, in 2011. Her studies focused on Geography and Gender Women's studies as well. 

How long have they worked in the field?

• Professor Doshi, before becoming a professor at the University of Arizona, worked in the field in Brazil, Nepal and the US, where she worked as a "development practitioner" on various issues and policies. She dedicated her time and and work to micro-finance, gender-based empowerment, rural drought relief, urban housing and sustainability. She has also worked in South Asian-African communities on LGBQT+ issues and gender issues.

When is the interview?

• The interview is scheduled for Tuesday, March 1st, in the ENR2 Building.

What questions are you going to ask?

• In your long career in education, both as a student and an educator, have you noticed a significant pattern in what genres are most used to teach students about geopolitics and gender issues?
• Can you say with definitive certainty that professors and researchers alike are beginning to turn to a specific genre for teaching and publishing findings?
• Do you yourself prefer a certain genre when teaching? What about for publishing your findings?
• Is there are specific publication, such as a journal or book, that you find yourself turning to more often than others? Why do you feel that this publication makes a significant difference in a student's understanding of geopolitics and the issues related to it?
• You yourself have published in many different genres from journals to books to just chapters. Do you find that one genre is easier to write in? What about to publish in?
• Can you describe the process for publishing in these genres? What would you say is the most difficult part of the process? The easiest?
• Have you ever published a paper through a university, such as for a graduate or undergraduate thesis?
• Would you say that the publishing process has become more difficult since your undergraduate career? Would you say that it depends on the type of genre?