Episode 5: Researching recreation in "retirement" with Jane Hurly

Imagine working on a PhD for recreation that's also focused on the topic of recreation. That's exactly what Jane Hurly is doing. At the age of 67, she's in the final stages of a PhD in leisure studies with the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport and Recreation at the University of Alberta.
Her research centres around how leisure, particularly being in nature, can help with resettlement for new immigrants. Jane shares her own immigration story that took her from the UK to South Africa to Canada, why she decided to pursue her PhD and how we are redefining what it means to be retired.

We talk about...

  • Leaving apartheid South Africa to raise a family and build a life in Canada
  • Jane’s storied career in TV, feature films and then communications strategy
  • Returning to university at the age of 60 to get a master’s degree at Royal Roads which led to doing some coursework at the University of Alberta.
  • How unanswered questions from a master’s class in global politics and the massive migrations starting to take place in 2012 turned into the desire to do a PhD
  • Researching leisure and its role in resettlement
  • The process and demands of doing a PhD
  • Finding the right supervisor
  • Challenges with ageism in the educational system
  • The amazing richness of resources in post-secondary libraries
I’m proud to be a member of the Alberta Podcast Network, powered by ATB Financial. Special thanks to our sponsors NorQuest College. 
2018