Our conversation on the quest for a faculty position continues. Listen to our perspectives from both sides of the table. The fall season is time to look for faculty positions and universities are also getting ready to find the most suitable candidate(s) for their openings. This episode talks about some aspects of this search. Reference list: Music by RuthAnn Schallert-Wygal ( schallert.wygal@gmail.com ) Artwork is created using Canva ( canva.com ) An interesting read: https://www.insidehighered....
Nov 10, 2021•22 min•Ep. 21
The fall season is time to look for faculty positions and universities are also getting ready to find the most suitable candidate(s) for their openings. This episode talks about some aspects of this search. Reference list: Music by RuthAnn Schallert-Wygal ( schallert.wygal@gmail.com ) Artwork is created using Canva ( canva.com ) An interesting read: https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2016/06/10/how-write-effective-diversity-statement-essay Contact list: If you have any comments about our show...
Oct 27, 2021•25 min•Ep. 20
Do professors get their summers off? You’ll learn about how the three of us spent our summer. Research continues, administrative tasks pile up, and the summer is simply too short! Reference list: Music by RuthAnn Schallert-Wygal ( schallert.wygal@gmail.com ) Artwork is created using Canva ( canva.com ) An interesting read: https://www.higheredjobs.com/Articles/articleDisplay.cfm?ID=1711 Contact list: If you have any comments about our show or have suggestions for a future topic, please contact u...
Oct 13, 2021•22 min•Ep. 19
Academic and entrepreneurship are strongly linked in many ways as they work together in contributing to technology and economic developments in our society. Today, we’ll learn from an academic entrepreneur, Dr. Adam Ryason, The CEO and founder of “Intelligent Medicine Inc.” and learn how he started his exciting adventures. Intelligent Medicine Inc. is a software and simulation startup company based in upstate NY. Reference list: Music by RuthAnn Schallert-Wygal ( schallert.wygal@gmail.com ) Artw...
Sep 29, 2021•Ep. 18
Graduate school can be exciting and yet stressful for a graduate student. In this episode, we talk with a couple of Ph.D. students who are a married couple, Keawepono (Pono) and Priscilla Delgado Wong. Both Pono and Priscilla are currently biomedical engineering students at Georgia Tech. They share their journeys as graduate students. Reference list: Music by RuthAnn Schallert-Wygal (schallert.wygal@gmail.com) Artwork is created using Canva ( canva.com ) Contact list: If you have any comments ab...
Sep 15, 2021•24 min•Ep. 17
Have you ever wondered about doing undergraduate research? In this show, we learn about the benefit of doing undergraduate research from Prof. Cynthia Furse, a professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Utah. She has mentored more than 175 students throughout her career and in this show, she shares her thoughts about all aspects of undergraduate research. Reference list: Music by RuthAnn Schallert-Wygal ( schallert.wygal@gmail.com ) Artwork is created us...
Sep 01, 2021•31 min•Ep. 16
Have you heard of quantum education? In this show, we learn about it from Dr. Tina Brower-Thomas, a research professor in the graduate school at Howard University. She also holds a visiting faculty appointment at Harvard University. At the forefront of national quantum education, she shares with us how she got into this field and some initiatives she is currently leading. Reference list: Music by RuthAnn Schallert-Wygal ( schallert.wygal@gmail.com ) Artwork is created using Canva ( canva.com ) R...
Aug 18, 2021•23 min•Ep. 15
Mid-career development can be daunting and challenging in an academic career. With much emphasis on junior faculty, and also senior faculty who take leadership roles, mid-career development is often overlooked. A mid-career burnout resulting in a career slump can occur to many of us. As hard as we try to avoid admitting or even talking about struggles and challenges we face as mid-career, the reality is - it is real and if you experience it - you are not alone. In this show, we interview Prof. M...
Aug 04, 2021•24 min•Ep. 14
Episode Notes We all have heard the phrase “Publish or Perish”, but what does it really mean in our today’s academic life? In this show, we interview Prof. Stephane Bordas, Professor of Computational Mechanics at University of Luxemburg, to talk about Quality vs Quantity related to scientific publishing. He has published more than 200 journal articles and has served as the editor of a few journals. He will share some insights on which Q comes first when it comes to publishing scientific document...
Jul 21, 2021•Ep. 13
In this episode, we talk to Prof. Linda Schadler, the Dean of College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences at the University of Vermont, on the myths and realities of academic administration. She shares with us her path of becoming an administrator and then a dean of an engineering college. She spells out some myths about academic administration and the realities and surprises she faces at this position. Reference list: Music by RuthAnn Schallert-Wygal (schallert.wygal@gmail.com) Artwork is ...
Jul 07, 2021•31 min•Ep. 12
In this episode, we interview two school kids, Kingston (a 7th grader) and Phenix (a 4th grader), from Durham, NC. They ask us some great questions about how college works and what a professors’ life looks like, and the process to pursue a STEM career. Reference list: Music by RuthAnn Schallert-Wygal (schallert.wygal@gmail.com) Contact list: If you have any comments about our show or have suggestions for a future topic, please contact us at info@thisacademiclife.org. You can also find us on webp...
Jun 23, 2021•27 min•Ep. 11
In this episode, we discuss Jennifer Granholm’s visit to Howard University and the panel she had with Kim on it. Discussing topics ranging from promises to increase funding to Kim being quoted in a Washington Post article. Reference list: https://www.vuu.edu/Content/Uploads/vuu.edu/images/Pledge%20of%20Allegiance%20FINAL.pdf The Panel(Kim’s Section is around 17 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33iP7BzZoC4&t=1040 https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/05/03/howard-university-st...
Jun 09, 2021•20 min•Ep. 10
In this episode, we discuss the taboo topic of a professor’s salary and the importance of academic salary transparency. We also discuss how administrators can work with junior faculty and help them ease the salary negotiation process. Reference list: https://www.ccdaily.com/2021/04/a-look-at-faculty-presidents-salaries/ https://www.lifeofaprofessor.com/post/are-professors-rich The Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession, 2018-19 https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2014/07/02/327289...
May 26, 2021•26 min•Ep. 9
In this episode, we discuss some major differences between European and American educational systems with Dr. Christos Athanasiou, a postdoctoral research associate in the School of Engineering at Brown university. As someone who has personally experienced studying in both European and American institutes, he will share some insights into these two different educational systems. Reference list: Music by RuthAnn Schallert-Wygal (schallert.wygal@gmail.com) https://educationdata.org/international-s...
May 12, 2021•Ep. 8
In this episode, we discuss the importance of getting awards in academia and ways to get them with Dr. Debbie Kaminski, a professor emeritus in Mechanical Engineering. She will share with us the different types of awards faculty members can go after and why it is critical for the community as a whole to work together to promote each other’s work through nomination. References: Music by RuthAnn Schallert-Wygal ( schallert.wygal@gmail.com ) https://advance.washington.edu/resources/docs/Mabrouk-Eve...
Apr 28, 2021•28 min•Ep. 7
In this episode, we interview Angella, a high schooler, who wants to know more about what a professor does, how to find the passion in choosing his/her academic path, and what it takes to become one. Reference list: Music by RuthAnn Schallert-Wygal (schallert.wygal@gmail.com) Contact list: If you have any comments about our show or have suggestions for a future topic, please contact us at info@thisacademiclife.org . You can also find us on webpage https://thisacademiclife.org and on facebook gro...
Apr 14, 2021•25 min•Ep. 6
Although more women than men participate in higher education in the U.S., the same is not true when it comes to women pursuing careers in science and engineering. Despite the increased emphasis on gender equality, statistical evidence shows that the STEM gap keeps increasing. In this episode, Prof. Robin Selinger, a Professor of Physics from Kent State University and a Fellow of the American Physical Society, offers a wealth of her insights and experiences that are beneficial to all STEM women a...
Mar 31, 2021•Ep. 5
The h-index, or Hirsch index, measures the research impact and productivity of a particular scientist. Since its inception in 2005, it has become a standard way to somewhat objectively quantify an individual’s research impact. In this episode, you will learn what it is, what is expected of this H-index from researchers at different stages of their research careers, and ethical practices in increasing your H-index. We also raise concerns in the un-intended use of H-index for the academic world we...
Mar 17, 2021•21 min•Ep. 4
The early years of a faculty position can be an exciting and challenging experience. In this episode, we will provide 5 unspoken tips for early-career faculty. These tips are gathered from our own experiences, which can benefit those who are going through the early years of their academic life. Reference list : Music by RuthAnn Schallert-Wygal ( schallert.wygal@gmail.com ) References : https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00216-017-0817-5 https://tomprof.stanford.edu/posting/976 https://wh...
Mar 03, 2021•17 min•Ep. 3
Research is a major component of our academic enterprise. However, pandemic has significantly impacted the way we conduct research and lowered our overall research productivity, particularly in science and engineering disciplines. In this show, we interview Prof. Harold Park, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Boston University, to talk about pandemic impact on research productivity. He served as an Interim Dean during the onset of campus shutdown due to the pandemic in 2020. We discuss the ...
Feb 17, 2021•27 min•Ep. 2
We are 3 professors in engineering and sciences at different stages in our academic careers. This podcast is to discuss issues and challenges we all face as academics in STEM fields and to encourage and inspire one another as we explore This Academic Life. We hope this show will become a platform to facilitate a community where we can learn from each other and make an impact in STEM education and research. In this opening episode, we will introduce ourselves and about the show. Reference list: M...
Feb 03, 2021•Ep. 1
