Tag Archives: mentoring

What can you give others at a scientific meeting?

Posted on June 19, 2017 by

My undergraduate advisor, Richard Alexander of the University of Michigan once told me that there was nothing I could do better for my career than to give a great talk at a national meeting. Unfortunately, the converse was also true, … Continue reading →

Posted in Scientific meetings, Undergraduates | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Bring on your questions! I’ll answer.

Posted on March 22, 2014 by

Some of my readers in ticklish academic dilemmas have emailed me with questions. I answer these questions, privately first, and sometimes I then address the topic with a general blog on it. I do this later and without giving any … Continue reading →

Posted in Mentoring | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Is tenure failure a social failure, not an individual failure?

Posted on March 16, 2014 by

A great piece by Cin-Ty Lee in his blog, Down to earth questions, makes the wise point that tenure denied is a problem from many levels other than the individual. It could be a hiring problem, a mentoring problem, an … Continue reading →

Posted in Tenure | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Metaphors for mentoring: lids and rims

Posted on August 11, 2013 by

Is a mentor like training wheels on a bicycle? Do the brave not need them, staying up with a gentle shove and a good sense of balance? Is a mentor like staking a sapling until its roots can support it? … Continue reading →

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Communication up is better than communication down

Posted on May 7, 2013 by

A research lab group is a complex mix of partly independent individuals of varying research levels attempting to do something new. There is usually a power and information inequity because the laboratory leader controls much of the funding, has more … Continue reading →

Posted in Collaborating, Experimental design, Group leadership | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment