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Category Archives: Managing an academic career
Do this before you say yes to anything
You just got asked to do something new. It might be to join an on-campus committee, or to talk at a fancy university. It might be a one-off request to review a paper, write a letter of recommendation, or serve … Continue reading
Do not fix the English when you review a manuscript for a journal
How easy it is to go into edit mode when you read a manuscript. After all, once you fix the English, the science is easier to understand. But then you might start wanting to move paragraphs around and get sucked … Continue reading
Posted in Helping others, Managing an academic career, Writing
Tagged copy editing, reviewing, time management
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Wissenschaftskolleg: It’s not just time to write, it is connections with fabulous novelists, thoughtful former politicians, historians, and scientists
Ever since I got to the Wissenschaftskolleg in Berlin, I have been trying to understand what I can offer it and what it can offer me. This is the script: I come here for 10 months, take no more than … Continue reading
Posted in Managing an academic career, New ideas, Sabbatical, Social interactions
Tagged culture, discovery, paradox, Wiko, Wissenschaftskolleg
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What does a professor or a postdoc do at an advanced study institute?
We are about to start 10 months at the renowned Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, a place where academics go to concentrate on their research and to find inspiration across the academy. You might think you have to be advanced yourself to … Continue reading
Posted in Managing an academic career, Sabbatical
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What is your anxiety telling you?
Megan Duffy had a thoughtful post on not inducing anxiety in others. She mentioned the specific case of reducing anxiety in others by being really clear. Instead of saying something like meet me Thursday, say why. I agree that getting … Continue reading
Posted in Managing an academic career, Mentoring, Social interactions, Undergraduates
Tagged anxiety, career choices, clarity, kindness, self honesty
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How many hours a week can you work on research?
What are my colleagues around the world doing on this Sunday, a brilliantly sunny February day too warm for a jacket in St. Louis? Are they out hiking, bird watching, or cooking a delicious meal? Are they playing with their … Continue reading
What to do if your research stops being fun for you?
Meghan Duffy wrote a really thoughtful piece on science with a baby. She had lots of good points about the challenges of getting enough sleep, of feeding a baby, and that you can’t really take off from running your lab … Continue reading
Posted in Managing an academic career
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Do you have time for recess?
Usually I read a novel, or listen to a book on tape or music on a flight. I listened to a bit of German for fun today, flying again to Washington D. C.. The flight is a bit long so … Continue reading
Why hard money is better than soft money – what are they anyway?
You might think that hard money is more difficult to get than soft money. But anyway, isn’t money just money? What are these terms in academia? Actually, it is quite simple. The terms are usually used for funding of salaries. … Continue reading
Posted in Managing an academic career
Tagged academia, hard money, job titles, soft money, start up
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What are your goals for fall?
Sometimes I think I could easily fritter all my time away if I don’t have a clear list of goals. If I don’t remember what I want to figure out, I might just do all the little tasks others throw … Continue reading
Posted in Managing an academic career, Organization of a scientist, Your lab group
Tagged goals, planning, reflection
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Sociobiology 