The past five years have been a whirlwind for Alexis Palmer-Fluevog.
She married, enrolled in a PhD program, and gave birth to two sons. Now, she is graduating with a PhD in population and public health from SFU’s Faculty of Health Sciences.
It’s a doctorate that, you could say, was a team effort between her family, colleagues and her two sons, Lucas and Jonah.
Palmer-Fluevog began her PhD program in September 2011 after marrying her husband, Adrian, over the summer. She was pregnant with Lucas as she was preparing for her comprehensive exam. Second son Jonah was born this past October, a few weeks after her thesis defence.
Reflecting on her experience, Palmer-Fluevog admits there were times when it was difficult and she wondered whether she would continue.
While studying she was also working 15 hours a week at the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and co-teaching a global HIV/AIDS course with SFU health sciences professor Cari Miller for a semester.
But the outpouring of support from her committee, colleagues, family and her husband, Adrian, made it possible.
“All moms work hard at juggling their roles and responsibilities,” she says. “I am lucky to have a supportive husband and extended family here in Vancouver. They helped a lot with Lucas so that I could focus on my work.