Image description: A photo of Owen Juan presenting. His presentation is on Equity Considerations in the Implementations of Active Transportation Interventions Across Canada.
Hello everyone, Bhavya here! For this graduate student spotlight, I chatted with Owen about his research, his favourite places around Queen’s, conference life, quick meals, and the advice he would give to other grad students.
Owen spent most of his childhood in Aurora. He moved to Kingston in 2021. Since then, Queen’s has become an important part of both his academic journey and his graduate school experience. If Owen had to explain his research during a quick elevator ride, he would put it like this: his work looks at how we can better coach persons with disabilities to exercise and stay active. More specifically, he is interested in finding the best ways to train exercise coaches so they can better support persons with disabilities. It is a simple idea with the potential to make exercise spaces more inclusive and supportive.
Owen’s secret to productivity might be his study environment. His most productive spot is a private office in his research lab. The catch? It has no windows.
Apparently, that makes it much easier to lose track of time and get completely absorbed in work. For a spot that everyone can access, he recommends the alcove in the medical building overlooking Summerhill. A quiet study space with a view is always a good combination. When he needs a break, Owen heads downtown to CRAVE Coffee House on Princess Street. His go-to order is an iced caramel latte, and he has very strong feelings about it. According to Owen, the texture of their lattes is “divine” and unlike anything else he has tried. Consider that your next coffee recommendation.
When it comes to food, Owen says he is not much of a snacker, but frozen mango is his choice when he wants something quick. For an easy meal during busy school days, he keeps things simple: rice topped with tuna mixed with mayonnaise, sliced cucumber, sriracha, and furikake. Basically, a five-minute mock poke bowl. Quick, filling, and very grad-school friendly.
When I asked Owen about the most rewarding part of graduate school so far, his answer was not about research or academics. It was the people. The friends and connections he made at Queen’s have become an important part of his support system, and he believes the people around you can really shape your graduate school experience. It is a good reminder that grad school is not just about what you accomplish academically. The community you build along the way matters just as much.
Owen also has a recommendation for finding conferences, journals, researchers, and other professional opportunities: LinkedIn. He admits this answer might get him “some flack,” but he has genuinely found the platform useful for discovering conferences, learning about journals, and connecting with scholars working in similar research areas. And, as Owen puts it, if you already enjoy doomscrolling, you might as well find a conference while you are doing it.
One thing Owen is especially excited about this year is returning to conferences he has attended before. Since it will be his second time at many of them, he is curious to see how the experience changes now that he feels more familiar with the conference community and more confident navigating it. He is also looking forward to seeing his “conference friends,” those people you somehow only ever see when everyone ends up at the same academic event.
Owen’s Grad School Advice
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Don’t be afraid to ask your supervisor questions.
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Don’t be afraid to ask your peers questions. Everyone is figuring things out too.
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Don’t be afraid to try something new.
That last one could mean joining an intramural team, getting involved in a student club, trying a new hobby, or simply saying yes to something outside your usual routine. Overall, chatting with Owen was a nice reminder that graduate school is not only about the research. It is also about the people you meet, the confidence you build, the opportunities you say yes to, and apparently, finding a good, iced caramel latte along the way.