women in academia | Persephone Magazine

You are browsing the archive for women in academia.

Women in Academia: What’s Enough?

November 9, 2011 at 6:00 pm in Work

Yesterday, I asked graduate students on Tumblr how many hours a week they worked, whether they felt that they were working enough, and if they had any work-life balance. I expect that you all can guess what the answers were, but let’s make it explicit: almost no one felt that they were working enough, and a really disheartening number of people responded to the work-life balance question with “hahaha.” Read the rest of this entry →

Tags: being good enough, health, stress, the lies we tell ourselves, women in academia, working enough 6 ♥

by Ailanthus-altissima

Women in Academia: On the Importance of Actually Going to Campus

November 2, 2011 at 6:00 pm in Work

Academia can be very isolating. Sure, there are opportunities for collaboration, workshops, classes to teach, lab meetings to attend, but overall, when someone embarks on a new research project, or a dissertation, the process can seem very overwhelming and lonely. The best way I’ve found to break through the isolation is to physically come to campus and come to campus often. Read the rest of this entry →

Tags: campus, collaboration, isolation, showing up, women in academia Comments Off

by Ailanthus-altissima

Women in Academia: Are You Prepared for the Job Market?

October 26, 2011 at 6:00 pm in Women In Academia

The job listings that get sent around through the departmental mailing list are picking up in full force now that the academic year is underway. While most listings are for post-doctoral and tenure-track positions at R1 universities, every once in a while, a teaching position at a primarily undergraduate institution gets sent around, and in that moment, the variety of academic jobs becomes obvious. The thing is: most students seem to be only prepared for the R1 track. Read the rest of this entry →

Tags: career counseling, jobs, professional development, the ivory tower, women in academia, workshop it! 8 ♥

by Ailanthus-altissima

Women in Academia: Tips on Handling Stress

October 19, 2011 at 6:00 pm in Work

Sometimes, “stress” and “academia” seem synonymous. I know it’s not the only job with that distinction, but it is the job that I have the most experience with, and well, stress is absolutely not a stranger to me. In fact, I know stress as well as I know the incredibly huge number of deadlines I have to face in the coming weeks. Read the rest of this entry →

Tags: stress, talking about stress...again, tips, women in academia 7 ♥

by Ailanthus-altissima

Getting Funding

October 12, 2011 at 6:00 pm in Work

A disclaimer first: my perspective is from the sciences, and I understand that many fields outside of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) do not have the funding opportunities and support that I have grown to love and be super grateful for. OK, disclaimer over. Funding is great! And it’s important for the CV! And jobs (both keeping and getting)! But as funding gets cut, how can we effectively compete for money? Read the rest of this entry →

Tags: applications, funding, money, women in academia, writing 1 ♥

by Ailanthus-altissima

Women in Academia: Michelle Obama, the National Science Foundation, and the Question of Perpetuating Gender Roles

October 5, 2011 at 6:00 pm in Work

Last week, the White House announced new policies and initiatives aimed at making the lives of people with families in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields a little bit easier. While the policies focus on balancing family and work, women’s issues are explicitly mentioned – and I find myself a little torn on that. Read the rest of this entry →

Tags: family-friendly, nsf, policy, STEM, white house, women in academia 2 ♥

by Ailanthus-altissima

Women in Academia: Incorporating Technology in the Classroom

September 28, 2011 at 6:00 pm in Work

Incorporating technology in the classroom seems like a great idea. There are all these cool new tools thanks to the internet and the advances in computers, tablets, smartphones, and it’d be a shame not to use them. The problem? Figuring out how to use these tools effectively is more difficult than anyone anticipated. Read the rest of this entry →

Tags: classroom, facebook is a force for good, teaching, technology, women in academia 3 ♥

by Ailanthus-altissima

Women in Academia: “No Duh” Advice

September 21, 2011 at 6:00 pm in Women In Academia

Some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten could be classified as “no duh” advice. You know, that advice that just makes so much sense and is so easy but for some reason, you’ve never actually done it. Like, “if you hang up your towels, then maybe your clothes won’t be damp” type of advice. My biggest “no duh” advice for graduate school is definitely “read your emails.” Read the rest of this entry →

Tags: miss manners of the ivory tower, no duh advice email, tell me what to do, women in academia 5 ♥

by Ailanthus-altissima

Women in Academia: Let’s Talk

September 14, 2011 at 6:00 pm in Work

Recently I was talking to a non-academic friend about life, the universe, and everything (tip of the hat to Douglas Adams), and as the conversation wound down its path, she brought up how often scientific experiments not directly related to human health are derided as big wastes of government money. Forgetting the fact that NSF and other science funding agencies make up a miniscule portion of total government spending, the fact that scientific programs are pointed at as hilarious wastes of money tells of a bigger problem. Read the rest of this entry →

Tags: communication, don't be a pretentious jerkward, funding, science, where is the money?, women in academia 7 ♥

by Ailanthus-altissima

The Elephant in the Room: Plagarism

September 7, 2011 at 6:00 pm in Work

I was reading the Chronicle of Higher Education, as is a general habit of mine, and I came across an interesting article by Rob Jenkins about his view of what is a “rational response to plagiarism.” The whole thing is a good read, but I have some (possibly nit-picky) issues with his post, and I’d love to hear what you all thought, too. Read the rest of this entry →

Tags: a response, academic honesty, I think I care too much about these things, plagiarism, women in academia 3 ♥

by Ailanthus-altissima

Women in Academia: Life Planning

August 31, 2011 at 6:00 pm in Work

This post doesn’t have any answers or suggestions or anything like that. It talks about a topic that’s been discussed time and time again. So why even bring it up? Because I wanted to know what you did. These waters are difficult to navigate, and it’s hard to get too much information.

In the summer, there’s an inevitable onslaught of weddings. Read the rest of this entry →

Tags: grad school, marriage, women in academia, work-life balance 3 ♥

by Ailanthus-altissima

Women in Academia: Gearing up for Conferences

August 24, 2011 at 6:00 pm in Work

I love going to conferences. They are totally overwhelming, but if you recognize that you can’t do everything all the time, they are completely reinvigorating. After some traumatic conference experiences, I have come up with a short list of tips on how to get the most fun and benefit from attending a conference.

Read the rest of this entry →

Tags: conferences, women in academia 4 ♥

by Ailanthus-altissima

Dear New Graduate Students

August 17, 2011 at 6:00 pm in Work

Welcome! I hope you’re settling in OK. Whether you’re sharing an office with a whole gaggle of fellow grad students, or you’re living in the lap of luxury, AKA a quiet place to call your own, get settled down. Put up some pictures. Get your chair angled just right. Find the best coffee place and if they give you a discount for bringing in your own mug, make ample use of it. You’re in it for the long haul and you’ll need the caffeine (and cash). Read the rest of this entry →

Tags: academia, graduate school, rah rah rah, starting new, women in academia 4 ♥

by Ailanthus-altissima

Women in Academia: When Your Significant Other Isn’t in Academia

August 10, 2011 at 6:30 pm in Work

Sometimes, you just need to talk to someone who understands what you’re going through. When your significant other/partner isn’t in graduate school, there can be some, well, some tension in and strain on the relationship. But having a significant other outside of academia can be a truly wonderful thing. Read the rest of this entry →

Tags: making it work, non-academics, relationships, significant others outside of academia, women in academia 7 ♥

by Ailanthus-altissima

Women in Academia: The Debt Deal and Graduate School

August 3, 2011 at 6:30 pm in Work

Part of the debt deal that’s been passed by the House includes specific language about cuts to loans for graduate education. Starting on July 1, 2012, graduate students (and this includes law and med students) will no longer have access to the subsidized loans once provided by the federal government. Read the rest of this entry →

Tags: cost of higher ed, debt deal, interest payment, pell grants, stafford loans, subsidized loan, women in academia 3 ♥