Simple Steps to Validating and Managing Others: A Bedtime Story

Julia Phillippi, PhD

You may be scoffing at finding time to read, but let’s face it, if you want to reach the next level you have to reach for it purposefully.

Seeing the Dark Side of #Worksmarter

Motivated Mentor

We cannot trap our staff and faculty in over commitment on a burnout treadmill and imply blame that they are not smart enough to do their work properly. Work smarter is starting to leave a bitter taste.

Managing a Budget as a New Investigator

Rebecca Helton, MA

Got your R and the realities of budget management sinking in? Want to prepare yourself financially to get to that R? Three newly independent investigators at Vanderbilt shared their wisdom with Newman Society members today.

Summer Reading: What's Popular in the Edge Library

The Edge for Scholars

Here's what's been flying off the shelves of our "analog library" of career development books.

Go Pee. Academic Management Lessons I Learned from Audie Cornish.

Fighty Squirrel, PhD, Awe.Some.

This is Audie Cornish. Audie is my 1-year old Shiba Inu/Rottweiler mix who never has to pee. This is odd, because most larger mammals have a pretty pressing need to pee a couple of times a day. But not Audie. She shuns the whimpering, sad-eyed looks of other pets and sits there happily doing whatever she’s […]

How to Interview the Hell Out of Academic Job Candidates

Fighty Squirrel, PhD, Awe.Some.

One of my favorite parts of being a faculty member is interviewing students, fellows and future faculty members. For reasons that elude my tiny Fighty Squirrel brain, folks think if you are a female and people liked you when they interviewed, it means you are nice. I’m not particularly nice. Ask my kids. What I […]

How to Manage People as a New Investigator

Rebecca Helton, MA

We recently hosted three newly independent investigators who run research teams humming with activity and people, who told us what it takes to manage a lab full of humans in all their idiosyncratic glory.  Here are their tips: Defining Expectations and Gathering Feedback Define your expectations of your team members and communicate them clearly and […]

Don't Miss the Deal Breakers: Nine Questions for New Lab Staff Hires

Fighty Squirrel, PhD, Awe.Some.

Hooray! You’ve set up a lab. You have a scale and everything. Now the applicants are pounding down your door looking forward to helping you get the Nobel Prize. Before you hire the most enthusiastic person with the best grades, be sure you include some questions that could be deal breakers even for the candidates […]

Productivity Tip #7: Reclaim Your Meeting

The Edge for Scholars

How often do you hear a colleague say, “I’m so excited to attend today’s group meeting,” or a student remark, “How is it possible that my group meetings are so stimulating and engaging?” What’s that? You’ve never heard anyone say those things? Me neither. I dread meetings for the same reason that everyone does: They’re […]

Not that Kind of Boss: Tales of Team Management and Mentorship

Pipette Protagonist, PhD

Spoiler: People are the most important and most challenging part of a research program