Introduction.. For those of you on the job market for the first time, you might be interested in the biology jobs wiki. This wiki page is available for you to communicate with other job seekers the status of positions as you find out. Search committee members typcically are not allowed reveal much about the progress of a search, and this leaves the applicants waiting for news before they make decisions for their next step. The Wiki page allows you and others to update the progress so that you are more informed. Obviously, in the past search committee members sometimes updated it too. It is generally useful, but hardly complete. I encourage you to look into the wiki page and contribute. Instructions and links are below.
History In 2002 I became aware of the Academic Jobs Wiki that was serviced by the Chronicle of Higher Education. At that time, there was a link for biology, but no one was using it. I and several others circulated the site around the life scieces to make people aware of its existence. I managed it through 2008 and then others took it over. In the past, the wiki page was on Wikia, but we moved it because of mischief and difficulties some had editing the site. We then moved it to a Google Spreadsheet. This worked well most of the time, but occassionally two people editing or sorting things at the same time would mess things up. Also, we regularly had problems with columns getting misaligned. However, the site remained popular and last year was probably the largest participation I can remember. New Wiki Page. In order to TRY to eliminate a lot of the problems with the previous wiki pages, and to make it more user friendly the wiki has been moved onto a Google Site. It is still linked from the Academia Wiki Page of the Chronicle. However, from this single site you can now link to all the previous years' pages for historical references (except for ones that were lost due to technical issues). There is a page for postdocs and non-academic jobs, and a page for academic faculty jobs. Currently, all academic biology jobs go on the same page. There are instructions for how to post, sort, etc. on the website. Further, if people feel inclined to discuss a position, those people can add a link to the master page and then place discussions on the link. There are also pages for general discussions, etc. like in the older versions. Contributors can also set the webpage to notify them when changes are made, so they will not find themselves sitting on the wiki for hours wasting time! :) The new wiki page was created with feedback from numerous people who were on the job search last year. Further ideas to improve it are welcomed. Accessing the new Wiki Page Anyone can view the content of the wiki page. However, Google has made it impossible to have open-editing on Google sites. To be added as an editor, send me an email with the email address you would like used. If you are concerned about anonymity, create an anonymous email address using Google or Yahoo or what-have-you and I can insert that one, I don't need to know who you really are! When you send me your email address, I will add it on giving you full editorial priveledges. Also, once you are added, you will be able to invite and add others to the system too. YOu are welcome to add your contact to the home page to assist others in gaining access. The new wiki and complete instructions on its use are located at: https://sites.google.com/site/wikibiologypostings/home Hopefully, the new site wil be as useful as the previous versions and will remain an important resource for those seeking employment in the biological sciences for a long time. If you have any questions or comments, please email them to me directly, unless they are intended to be directed at the entire listserv community. Have a nice day. -- Malcolm L. McCallum, PHD, REP Link to online CV and portfolio : https://www.visualcv.com/malcolm-mc-callum?access=18A9RYkDGxO “Nothing is more priceless and worthy of preservation than the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed. It is a many-faceted treasure, of value to scholars, scientists, and nature lovers alike, and it forms a vital part of the heritage we all share as Americans.” -President Richard Nixon upon signing the Endangered Species Act of 1973 into law. "Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive" - Allan Nation 1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea" W.S. Gilbert 1990's: Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss, and pollution. 2000: Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction MAY help restore populations. 2022: Soylent Green is People! The Seven Blunders of the World (Mohandas Gandhi) Wealth w/o work Pleasure w/o conscience Knowledge w/o character Commerce w/o morality Science w/o humanity Worship w/o sacrifice Politics w/o principle Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message.
