Have you met Virginia, Visual Communications Associate in the School of Public Health? Spend the next few minutes getting to know her a little better.
Where is your favourite place on campus?
During spring convocation when the lilacs are in bloom around campus, walking to my office in ECHA while the sun is rising is beautiful that time of year.
Tablet or paper?
Both. I always take my meeting notes on paper with my coloured pens, but I do illustrations on my tablet.
Name one thing you’ve brought to work from home.
There’s a lot of stuff — I like to make my office beautiful. But if I had to highlight one thing, it would be the pictures of my kids and family.
What is the one thing you can’t live without?
My phone — I know it’s bad, but I love my phone. It keeps me connected to people. My family all lives in Ontario, so it allows me to keep in touch with them.
If you won airfare to anywhere in the world, where would you go?
New Zealand — it’s a beautiful country, and I would love to visit the Lord of the Rings field.
You can invite anyone — alive or dead, real or fictional — to dinner. Who would it be?
Professionally: Paula Scher — she’s a well known graphic designer in New York. She’s inspirational, and I think she’s been revolutionary for graphic design. I think it would be interesting to sit down to talk to her and learn how her mind works.
Personally: Ryan Reynolds — I think that would be the best dinner party ever. He seems like a fun, down to earth guy who swears a lot — and I love that.
If you could switch jobs with someone else on campus for a week, what would you do?
I’d love to work in the printmaking area. I’ve always had this fascination with printmaking but have never really done it. I think it would be cool to work with people to create stuff together.
What does “uplifting the whole people” mean to you?
I told my colleague Rachel that my answer to this would have to do with her, but instead I’ll give a real answer.
For me it means providing a space for people of all levels of education and society to better themselves. The university’s role is to provide hubs for communities, young people, and researchers to come together and lift society up.
If you could solve any problem in the world, what would it be?
Gender equality. Even in my own field, there is definitely still inequality when it comes to how much women are paid next to men. I’d like to make sure that everyone is treated equally.
What 3 words best describe your U of A experience?
Energy — I love the excitement that comes with every new school year. The energy around campus of new students, keen and ready to take on the world, is always so inspiring and makes me proud to be a small part of something that can change the world.
Challenging — There are always new challenges, whether it be organizing new events, figuring out the best way to showcase an idea or story, or external factors that come with working at a university. I find my work challenging and I continue to grow both professionally and personally.
Friendship — Living so far away from family (we moved here from Ontario) means that I have to build my own crew of people here. The many friendships I have made over the years mean so much to me, and provide so much support and connection when I need it.
About Virginia Quist
Virginia has been the visual communications associate with the School of Public Health for over 10 years. She supports the School by developing visual marketing strategies, maintaining the School’s visual branding and School website, and designing marketing and promotional materials.
Or, as her colleagues say, she beautifies everything the School does.
Trained as a graphic designer, she also uses photography, videography, and illustration to tell the stories of faculty, staff, students, alumni and researchers. She loves to be creative and is often starting up new hobbies like embroidery, digital illustration, and napping…or finding new ways to entertain her two small(ish) children so that she can actually partake in said hobbies.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.