I’m in midst of a fantastic read by Navy Seal Eric Greitens called Resilience. If you want your philosophy in the form of a solid gut punch from someone who is trained to kill you about 300 different ways, this is the book for you. Early on in the book, Greitens warns against trying to bounce back … Continue reading “You’re Never Going to Bounce Back, So Stop Trying: Academic Version”
Recently, if you listened hard enough, you could hear the collective sob of well-read junior scientists as Science Careers posted a commentary from Eleftherios P. Diamandis. Dr. Diamandis attributed his success to decades of consistently working 16-17 hour days, every day. He goes on to say…. “How did I manage it? My wife—also a … Continue reading “The 125 Hour Work Week”
An assistant professor in the social sciences once described a group of tenure-track colleagues in his department as “the lamenting society.” Once a week they met for lunch to complain about, well, everything and everyone. At first, attendance at this conclave of the irate exhilarated him: He felt better knowing other people were as unhappy … Continue reading “Know the Vital Players in Your Career: Tenure-Track Peers”
My last meal with Susan Lindquist was almost a exactly year ago. She had just received one of my university’s highest prizes – The Vanderbilt Prize given annually to an outstanding female biomedical researcher. Susan was an expert in cell biology. She was a pioneer in thinking about how proteins acted in very ‘unprotein’ like ways. How proteins … Continue reading “Susan Lindquist Drops the Mic and Leaves the Room”
Have you ever received unsolicited, off-target advice? Some people just instinctually offer solutions when they see someone in need. But what if their understanding of what’s wrong is, quite frankly, wrong? Should you politely listen, or can you help them help you? From the Harvard Business Review: When the Help You Get Isn’t Helpful
Do you love going to events, but find yourself stranded during happy hour, tongue-tied and tucked in a corner? Initiating and maintaining conversations while networking is a necessary skill, and one you can easily improve with these simple tips. Mastering small talk will help you find common ground to create a mini-bond with new contacts. … Continue reading “Hate Small Talk? These 5 Questions Will Help You Work Any Room”
Eakins-Coward (left) and Sangji (right) A recent explosion at the University of Hawaii science lab resulted in a 29-year-old visiting postdoctoral fellow losing her arm. Thea Eakins-Coward was working with gas cylinders in a biosafety level 2 laboratory in the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute when a reagent ignited causing her to lose and arm and sustain … Continue reading “Safer Labs for Thea and Sheri: You Need a Lab Safety Reality Check”
Retraction. Its a word that for many scientists is synonymous with phrases like ‘failure’, ‘dishonesty’, and ‘career ending’. A recent Retraction Watch features an interview with Pamela Roland, a Professor from UC Davis, who retracted two high profile papers on plant immunity two years ago. Prior to her retractions, Roland was at a career high. She … Continue reading “Making Lemonade: A Retraction Watch Interview”
For academics, being courageous is part of the deal. You fight for your ideas and observations in clear, concise language. You lay out a problem, share your data and propose a model or a solution. The next person comes along, kicks at the base of your idea with their data, adds their thoughts, and this forces you to refine your … Continue reading “The Land of Monsters”