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The Office of Signature Learning Experiences welcomes , PhD, as the new academic director, work-integrated learning (WIL). This role will lead a university-wide strategy for WIL, championing the work that faculties do to support students in workplace learning environments.

Alongside , PhD, a professor in the , and , PhD, an associate professor (teaching) in the department, Karchewski will be part of an academic team directing signature learning experiences.

“From an early stage of my career experience, I’ve seen how much of an impact work-integrated experience makes on getting more out of education by seeing the real application prior to graduation,” he says. “It’s those key experiences that really differentiate students when they graduate.”

As an associate professor (teaching) in the ’s Earth, Energy and Environment department, and the program director for Geoscience, he brings a wealth of experience in applied science work experiences. Karchewski is keen to make connections between classroom learning and career, supporting students across the university as they embark on practica, internships, co-ops and other WIL experiences.

Karchewski looks forward to working with faculties and exploring what different WIL programs across campus can learn from each other, ultimately creating the best experiences for students at UCalgary.

“I've noticed over and over students that come back from something like a co-op, how much more motivated they are in the classroom, because they see that the things we're talking about in class are very much things that people care about when they embark on their careers,” he says.