Get to Know Our Creative Research Assistant, Yoona Charland
By Yoona Charland and Joe Humphries
Core to the AIRP-VABE Partnership’s work is its commitment to training the next generation of difference makers. Joining the Partnership is Yoona Charland, AIRP-VABE’s newest Creative Research Assistant. Yoona tells us about her journey, interests, and hopes for her new role.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and the journey that originally brought you to the AIRP-VABE Partnership.
I am a Communication major and Publishing minor at SFU. In the past, I enjoyed designing for non-profits and had an interest in research publications as an accessible form of learning. I found out about AIRP-VABE through a friend at 51ÉçÇøºÚÁÏwho sent me the LinkedIn page—which I will now be helping make content for as Creative Research Assistant!
What sparked your interest in working in Communications? 
Communications stood out to me due to its interdisciplinary nature. In my degree, I have the chance to learn theory, conduct research, and write essays while also creating hands-on media productions such as short films, social media pages, and journalistic articles. Working in Communications seems like a great balance of utilizing critical thinking and creative skills alongside business and marketing.
What are you looking forward to as you take on your new role as a Creative Research Assistant?
I am especially looking forward to the process of designing graphical abstracts for research articles at AIRP, as it seems like a great way to learn more about the research itself while making the knowledge accessible for wider audiences. Also, I am looking forward to learning about the back-end of social media and webpages. Lastly, I am excited to be joining a team of passionate and knowledgeable people across Canada working towards the same objective!