Author: Jennifer Polk
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Michael Ryan Hunsaker, Special Education Teacher, Transition Q&A
Michael Ryan Hunsaker earned his PhD in 2012 from University of California, Davis in neuroscience. His research was to develop behavioral methods to evaluate neurodevelopmental disease in rodent models as well as to evaluate neuropathological consequences of genetic disease. He’s now a 2nd-5th grade special education life skills teacher in Utah. Find him online at Why
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Tips for surviving the academic job search season
On Tuesday evening I spoke at an event on imposter syndrome organized by Grad Minds, a student group at the University of Toronto. One audience member asked about how to keep her spirits up at this time of year, when academic hiring is in full swing. Or, should I say, academic rejection is in full
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Reflect back to move forward
Instead of making New Year’s resolutions, I’m going to reflect back on what I did and didn’t do this past year, and explore how I feel about those things. Those reflections will highlight things that are important to me, and suggest future priorities and action steps. Here are some questions to help you do the
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The PhD is a passport
This wonderful phrase and metaphor for understanding what a doctoral degree is — a passport to many different career and life paths — comes from this wonderful TEDx talk by Nadia Jaber. She’s a PhD candidate in molecular and cellular biology at Stony Brook University in New York State. Nadia’s talk is entitled Reimagining the PhD.
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Are you hoping instead of acting?
This one goes out to all of us who’re shying away from exploring our options in hopes that our current activities will be enough to sustain us, long-term. (Does that make sense?) I recently realized I was hoping instead of acting. What about you? The other day I read a story of waiting and hoping.
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Melissa Dalgleish, Research Officer,Transition Q & A
About Melissa Dalgleish Melissa Dalgleish is the research officer in the faculty of graduate studies and a PhD candidate in English at York University. She researches Canadian literature and graduate education, professionalization, and reform. When she’s not working on her dissertation, you can find her writing for Hook & Eye and #Alt-Academy, where she’s the co-editor of Graduate Training
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This spreadsheet keeps me honest
My latest blog post for University Affairs is about how I track what I spend, and how knowing what’s going out motivates good spending habits. Here’s how it begins: Ten years ago, when I started my PhD at the University of Toronto, I began tracking every penny (R.I.P.) I spent. I can’t remember what motivated
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Recognizing your own good work is hard!
My latest blog post for University Affairs is a reflection on success, achievement, and our human tendency to focus on the negative. Here’s how the post begins: “How’s business?” I was asked this by a fellow panelist at an event I recently participated in. “Good!” I responded, and then added my usual caveat: “I’m not
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Kelly J. Baker, Freelance Writer, Transition Q&A
Kelly J. Baker earned her PhD in religion from Florida State University in 2008. Her scholarship has encompassed numerous topics in religion and popular culture, including religious hate groups, apocalypticism, religion and gender, and horror. Last year, she quit her job as a lecturer and moved back to Florida. She’s currently a freelance writer, who