If you haven’t read this editorial about “What ‘good’ dads get away with,” please do. It’s about the the “Myth of Equal Partnership.”
The best (and worst) ways to respond to student anxiety
Someone measured the disregard that natural scientists hold for research in the social sciences. You can imagine how this article is being received by the people they studied. Continue reading
One hundred fifty. I’ve done this 150 times! How ’bout that, eh?
8 ways to teach climate change in almost any classroom
This review of a new book about Joy Division by Henry Rollins is not Everything, but it’s Quite A Lot. (And here’s a blog post about the science of the cover of Unknown Pleasures, which you’ve definitely seen in t-shirt form.)
A survey of female undergraduates in physics found that three quarters of them experience some form of sexual harassment, leaving them alienated from the field. Continue reading
It is stunning to learn that so many people think that we are paid to be sources for journalists. [update: I misread this. The piece reports that a majority of people think that sources pay journalists to be included in their stories. Which is perhaps even more outrageous?]
How getting 8 hours of sleep gave me the energy to overcommit again Continue reading
To groom better scientists, harness the power of narrative.
Applying for faculty jobs and don’t know what an institution means when they’re asking for you to “demonstrate interest and ability to advance diversity, equity and inclusion?” Apparently enough people asked UC Berkeley, so they decided to spell it out. Continue reading
“Lessons from a postdoc gone wrong” makes sense in other domains as well.
A year of being a science mama
How can I help to promote diversity without relinquishing any of my power? * chef kiss * Continue reading
That was a restful two weeks. Now, back to business.
Why do scientists reinvent wheels? (I think in ecology, a lot of concepts have a periodicity of about 30 years. And usually when an idea resurfaces, it’s not done with adequate awareness of the older literature.)
A few reality checks for internal candidates Continue reading
Cat Hicks reflects on years of volunteering to edit grad school application statements. Huge lessons to be learned from her.
NSF has removed PI caps on proposal submissions in BIO.
Alan Townsend describes why he left a top research university to help lead a small liberal arts college. Continue reading
Academia is a cult (I don’t agree with everything in here but there’s a lot of what people call food for thought)
I have traveled here from the present to warn you about global warming!
A good guideline for writing reviews.
Surprise, surprise – a study looking at tenure and promotion criteria didn’t find that there’s much value placed in community engagement. Continue reading
You might remember how I’ve said How People Learn is a supreme book that is foundational for evidence-based teaching practices, though it’s almost 20 years old and getting a dated?? Great news! The National Academies have now released How People Learn II. And you can download it for free!
This year’s crop of MacArthur Fellows just came out. As always, some amazing people and work are being supported. I was psyched to see developmental psychologist Kristina Olson (whose work was so spectacular, this year she managed to break the long drought of women recipients for NSF’s Waterman Award).
Why UC Merced is not the “dumb” university. I love this. I looooove this. Continue reading
The illusion of objectivity in the classroom
The 2004 lecture that convinced David Attenborough to make a big deal about climate change
When you prep a course, how many times would you like to teach it?
A beautiful essay about settling in to a faculty position for the long haul, and why we do what we do. Continue reading
A legal arbitrator decided that Ryerson University (in Canada) is not allowed to use Student Evaluations of Teaching in tenure and promotion cases because they can be “downright biased and unreliable.” Here is the document itself.
A guide to managing grief while in grad school Continue reading
This week, the National Academy of Sciences released a report on gender harassment and sexual misconduct in our profession. There are a number of findings that might surprise you. Here are selected reads related to this report.
Does your institution foster a culture of sexual harassment? Continue reading
This is a spectacular and moving essay: Our Houses Became Boats: Surviving Hurricane Maria and salvaging my career in its aftermath
One hundred twenty nine. I’ve been doing this, every other week, for a while now.
Students learn by doing, not from listening.
The extraordinary life and death of the world’s oldest spider.
A spectacular commencement address by George Saunders. Continue reading
(image: first Matilija poppy of the season)
Early luck in grant funding has massive long-term effects on future funding (and here’s the original paper)
Are fieldwork studies being relegated to second place in conservation science?
This is shameful to the extreme: How the University of Minnesota hides its professors’ sexual harassment Continue reading
Three guidelines and two workarounds for tackling makeup exam policies
A better way to make tenure decisions
A major feature in The Chronicle about What It’s Like to Be a Woman in the Academy. The second piece — “we’re not even close” is so on point. Continue reading
This case study of search committees demonstrates how downright sexist conduct is pervasive in academic job searches.
When it comes to time management in academia, here is some highly condensed wisdom.
It’s well established that student evaluations of teaching performance are gender biased. Based on that fact, then, here’s an intriguing question: Are they illegal? Continue reading
Why I stopped writing on my student’s papers.
Four very practical solutions to make conferences less difficult for scientists who are bringing babies and small children, brought to you by Rebecca Calisi and a Working Group of Mothers in Science. Are you part of an organizing committee? Please heed.
The case for inclusive teaching
The blog The Novice Professor has a lot of great stuff, it’s definitely one to watch. And the author routinely shares great stuff about learning and teaching on twitter. Continue reading
This is wonderful: NSF is now requiring awardee institutions to report findings of sexual harassment by personnel on NSF grants, and to report when individuals are placed on leave related to an investigation. And they are prepared to take serious measures in response. Here’s the NSF statement, and related stories published by Nature and The New Republic. (How bout rounding up a few PIs and your Title IX coordinator, and schedule a meeting with the person in charge of post-award at your university, to make specific plans for implementing this, including the reporting mechanisms and training that NSF expects.)
Intellectual property law 101 for academics Continue reading
Things that are useful to know when you’re teaching with active learning
What I’ve learned from my 4 year old (By the way, I’m psyched that Viet Thanh Nguyen is now a contributing opinion writer for the NYT, I’ll be keeping an eye out for his future pieces)
