It should be strongly recommended to all grad school applicants to learn about their potential advisors ahead of time by talking to grad students in that lab and in other labs. That way you can find out about the person's attitudes towards grad students having a life, having a family etc. and whether or not they demand 12-hour days and weekends etc. That way you know what you will be getting into and can make a more informed choice of advisor. There are many humane professors out there. I'd like to think that I have been one of them.
> OK, after a couple of days of thought, I'll take up the gauntlet. > Academia is extremely competitive. That's because there are a lot of > really smart people out there who want to do this work and not a lot of > positions available for them. That's a fact we can't get around. If you > want to survive in the ecology pond, you either need to be a big, > fast fish, or you need to be a fish that doesn't eat much. Or you leave, > and ecology becomes a hobby or side interest while you make a living doing > something else. > But in the pond, we can still be good to each other. During my time in > grad school, I had a life. I got married and started a family. It took me > 8 years to get my PhD. But at no time did anyone say I should be working > more instead of being with my family. And I did not work nights and > weekends. I always had the full support of my advisors, committee and > department. (Some of whom are on this list - you know who you are, and > thank you!) > I was on the verge of crawling out of the pond, but someone decided to > give me a chance, despite my unwillingness to commit to more than 40 hours > a week. I now have a (non-tenure track) faculty position, which is > perfect for me right now because I STILL don't work nights and weekends > (usually anyway). I am not a big fish, but I'm in the pond, well, a > neighboring pond. And now as I work with grad students, I support them > in pursuing their own research interests and in their desire to have a > life outside of school (sometimes I need to remind them). I can't change > the competitiveness of academia, but academia is made up of individuals. > As one individual in the system, I can affect my own little sphere of it, > and I don't think, based on other individuals that I know, that I'm > particularly unusual. Not every fish will be able to stay in the pond, but > I personally will do what I can to help the fish around me. > I wish the writer of the original blog every success in his new endeavor, > and I am happy he has found a supportive community. Hurray for beer! > Sarah > > > Sarah Jack Hinners, PhD > Assistant Professor - Research > Metropolitan Research Center > City and Metropolitan Planning > University of Utah > 375 S 1530 E rm 226 > Salt Lake City, UT 84112 > > > ________________________________ > From: Aaron T. Dossey <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2013 9:31 AM > Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] how we lose good scientists - silence? > > "Nature intended me for the tranquil pursuits of science, by rendering > them my supreme delight. But the enormities of the times in which I have > lived, have forced me to take a part in resisting them, and to commit > myself on the boisterous ocean of political passions." -- Thomas Jefferson > > âIn the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the > silence of our friends.â â Martin Luther King Jr. > "If you see something, SAY SOMETHING." -- <origin unknown> > > > On 2/13/2013 11:27 AM, malcolm McCallum wrote: >> If scientists and academia are not willing to stand up for themselves, >> who will? >> >> >> >> On Wed, Feb 13, 2013 at 9:52 AM, Aaron T. Dossey <[email protected]> >> wrote: >>> Complete silence. Could academia be feeling some shame here? ..... >>> nah.... >>> >>> The article has a few new comments on the article itself though, check >>> them >>> out! >>> >>> http://deepseanews.com/2013/02/19294/ >>> >>> https://www.facebook.com/notes/national-postdoc-union/ideas-for-expanding-opportunity-and-innovation-in-science-careers/279532325495663 >>> >>> >>> >>> On 2/11/2013 10:24 AM, Jarrett Byrnes wrote: >>>> Colleagues, >>>> >>>> I just read a piece that describes how one young bright and very >>>> talented >>>> scientist was lost to our profession. It's an open and honest >>>> discussion of >>>> one man's struggles with the way modern academia works, and how it can >>>> make >>>> use eat our young, as it were. I think it points out a lot of the >>>> hidden >>>> corners and the darker sides of how academic science currently works - >>>> things we make jokes about or shake our heads at, and sometimes, in >>>> moments >>>> of bravery, we confront and try to change. Heck, I'd like to think >>>> that we >>>> Ecologists are better than most other fields, but I know that to not >>>> always >>>> be the case. >>>> >>>> The post is at http://deepseanews.com/2013/02/19294/ >>>> >>>> I think there is a lot in this piece to unpack. I know a some on this >>>> list >>>> or out in academia who will think that the author _should_ leave >>>> science and >>>> does not deserve to be here. And I'm sure that there are other sides >>>> to the >>>> story being told, etc. etc. The specifics, though, are less >>>> important than >>>> the broad patterns and themes it evinces. >>>> >>>> Given the conversation is has spawned in comments, other blogs, and >>>> Twitter, it is clear this is not an isolated story. It dovetails >>>> with many >>>> issues that we traditionally relegate to 'leaky pipeline' discussions, >>>> but >>>> are true regardless of gender - indeed, gender, race, class, and lack >>>> privileged background often only amplify them. >>>> >>>> The piece is worth reading, and then asking, what effect does driving >>>> out >>>> voices like this have on science as a whole? Are we better or poorer >>>> for >>>> such losses? Is this acceptable? >>>> >>>> Food for thought. >>>> >>>> -Jarrett >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> ---------------------------------------- >>>> >>>> Jarrett Byrnes >>>> Assistant Professor >>>> Department of Biology >>>> University of Massachusetts Boston >>>> 100 Morrissey Blvd. >>>> Boston, MA 02125 >>>> 617-287-3145 >>>> >>>> http://jarrettbyrnes.info >>>> b: http://imachordata.com >>>> t: @jebyrnes >>>> g+: http://gplus.to/jebyrnes >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Aaron T. Dossey, Ph.D. >>> Biochemistry and Molecular Biology >>> Founder/Owner: All Things Bugs >>> Capitalizing on Low-Crawling Fruit from Insect-Based Innovation >>> http://allthingsbugs.com/about/people/ >>> http://www.facebook.com/Allthingsbugs >>> 1-352-281-3643 >> >> > > > -- > Aaron T. Dossey, Ph.D. > Biochemistry and Molecular Biology > Founder/Owner: All Things Bugs > Capitalizing on Low-Crawling Fruit from Insect-Based Innovation > http://allthingsbugs.com/about/people/ > http://www.facebook.com/Allthingsbugs > 1-352-281-3643 >
