Departments, universities and advisors are massively failing the current moment of national crisis around Black Lives and police brutality. Too many remain silent, or issue vague, pitiful milquetoast messages repeating tired claims of support for … [Read more...] about Episode 23 – Gaslighting, Non-Apologies and Other White Nonsense

Karen and Kel interrupt regularly scheduled programming to amplify the Black writers, scholars, and activists they follow and learn from on a daily basis. Here is the list, with Twitter handles, in approximate order: Alishia McCullough (IG … [Read more...] about Episode 22 – #AmplifyingMelanatedVoices

The trouble with academia is, you set out to master a field but you end up demanding perfection of yourself, forgetting that perfection is not possible. Real mastery is not an outcome but a process, ie, embracing continual curiosity and being … [Read more...] about Episode 21 – Mastery vs. Perfection

You need to get away from those kids; Homemade pasta - Are you kidding me?; Men: get your fucking shit together; #NotAllHusbands is bullshit and gaslighting; Academic women: you're control freaks!; Journals: commit to no more than 50% of articles by … [Read more...] about Episode 20 – Get Out of the Fight: Home Life in a Pandemic

In the cataclysm of COVID19 and temporary or permanent closure of lines, programs, and whole institutions, academics at every stage, from grad school through tenure, are needing to suddenly consider new careers and income streams. But nobody can … [Read more...] about Episode 19 – Calming Vs. Numbing

Recorded prior to the COVID19 outbreak, this episode takes up the question of dishonesty in academia. From the temptation to pad your CV, to misrepresenting your research results, there are many places large and small where the potential to lie … [Read more...] about Episode 18 – Don’t Lie

Because of COVID19 and the economic fallout, 2020 academic hiring is dead in the water. Karen created a crowdsource list of hiring freezes in March, and it's up to about 350 right now, and that doesn't include all the campuses within state systems … [Read more...] about Episode 17 – Job Market Collapse

Karen and Kel talk about a way to look at productivity that focuses on managing energy, rather than time. Working from Physical Capacity through Emotional Capacity and Cognitive Capacity, and ending at Spiritual Capacity, the pyramid approach is good … [Read more...] about Episode 16 – Productivity Pyramid

Nothing is normal and you're angry, scared, exhausted...on repeat every day. Karen and Kel talk about our new emotional landscape and accepting where you are right now, in the face of so much suffering and fear. Whatever you're doing: it's enough. … [Read more...] about Episode 15 – Stop Fighting

Suddenly your entire professional life (and tbh most of your personal life) is online. When career stakes are high, like in an online campus visit or job talk, how do you ensure you're making the best possible impression on an online platform? Karen … [Read more...] about Episode 14 – Digital Primer