Takuro Ishikawa, Senior Behavioural Scientist with the BC Behavioural Insights Group (BC BIG).

Takuro Ishikawa has made a career of applying BI to different challenges. We zero in on public health and discuss how behaviour is at the root of many health challenges, whether in prevention or treatment. Tak shares case studies, highlights, challenges, and ethical considerations for applying BI to public health, all with the larger goal of working to reduce health inequalities.

Kirstin Appelt, Research Director of UBC Decision Insights for Business & Society (UBC-DIBS).

In this episode with guest host Dave Hardisty, we mix things up and Kirstin Appelt is the interviewee rather than the interviewer. Kirstin talks about her BI journey, the DIBS origin story, how BIG Difference BC got its start, and how the Advanced Professional Certificate in Behavioural Insights developed. She also reflects on the growing BI community in BC and what she’s excited about for BI in BC going forward.

Cassandra Bernard, Senior Specialist, Innovation with the Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation.

Cassandra Bernard is a Senior Specialist in Innovation with the Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation as well as a graduate of UBC’s Advanced Professional Certificate in Behavioural Insights. In recounting her journey from her first exposure to BI to using her BI knowledge and skills in her work today, Cassandra shares helpful tips for program students, considers how BI fits into the innovation toolkit, and tells us about an exciting new project combining the topics of BI, inclusion, and housing.

Sharilynn Wardrop, Knowledge Translation Strategist with the BC Behavioural Insights Group (BC BIG).

Sharilynn Wardrop is on a temporary assignment as Knowledge Translation Strategist with BC BIG. Sharilynn shares her BI journey and how she plans to use BI towards conservation when she returns to her regular role with BC Parks. Sharilynn and I also talk about how BC BIG and UBC-DIBS work separately and together to communicate BI ideas and build a diverse, thriving BI community. We talk about recent developments, from the BI Principles to the BIG Difference Advisory Board, and what we’re excited about for the future.

Ekin Ok, PhD student in UBC Sauder’s Marketing and Behavioural Science Division.

Ekin Ok is a current PhD student in UBC Sauder’s Marketing and Behavioural Science division and a graduate of two different Master’s programs. Ekin and I compare and contrast Master’s and PhD programs in fields related to BI. We cover their different purposes, application processes, structures, and student experiences. Ekin also tells us about her own research and how she stays organized and on task.

Greg Lockwood, Partnership Strategist with UBC’s Equity & Inclusion Office.

Greg Lockwood is a Partnership Strategist with UBC’s Equity & Inclusion Office, in addition to being a graduate of UBC’s Advanced Professional Certificate in Behavioural Insights. Greg shares what he’s learned in his journey from electrical engineering to economics to Behavioural Insights. We also discuss how Behavioural Insights solutions and experiments can help advance equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and, simultaneously, how EDI can improve BI solutions.

Lindsay Miles-Pickup, Methods Specialist with the BC Behavioural Insights Group (BC BIG).

After graduating from UBC’s Advanced Professional Certificate in Behavioural Insights, Lindsay Miles-Pickup has seamlessly transitioned into the Methods Specialist role with BC BIG. Lindsay discusses how Behavioural Insights complements and strengthens the other tools in her toolkit for behaviour change. She also shares key lessons from her first few Behavioural Insights projects, including the value of both scoping and exploratory research.

Alexis Gordon, Behavioural Insights Specialist with the BC Residential Tenancy Branch.

As the inaugural BI Specialist in the BC Public Service, Alexis Gordon is rightly excited about the future of BI in BC and beyond. Alexis shares insightful highlights from her experience in UBC’s Advanced Professional Certificate in Behavioural Insights, including the crucial importance of thoroughly investigating the problem space during scoping and consulting with project partners early and often. Alexis also talks about how much you learn with every RIDE, whether your results are expected or unexpected.

Carl Jensen, Acting Head of the BC Behavioural Insights Group (BC BIG).

Carl Jensen is another wonderful graduate of UBC’s Advanced Professional Certificate in Behavioural Insights. After serving as BC BIG’s project director, he is now acting head of the unit. In a bit of a meta twist, Carl shares how he thought the certificate program itself used Behavioural Insights and evidence to create a positive experience for students, even for trickier topics like statistics. Carl also shares how he hopes to use BI not only in the re-design of programs and products, but in the initial design of them as well.

Rachel Yang, Market Research Analyst and Behavioural Scientist with Technical Safety BC.

A graduate of UBC’s Advanced Professional Certificate in Behavioural Insights, Rachel Yang recently started a new role as a Market Research Analyst and Behavioural Scientist with Technical Safety BC. Rachel shares her journey from Marketing to Market Research to Behavioural Insights. In chatting about how Rachel is applying her growing BI knowledge and skills to her new role as well as to everyday life, we talk about how, the more you know about BI, the more you see it, even in unexpected places.