Higher Education News

How to Get an Academic Job

“The end of the graduate-school gauntlet is in sight. You’ve completed your coursework, passed your comprehensive exams, gotten your dissertation proposal approved, and already written several chapters. But now comes one more hurdle,…

Trust Me: It’s Transferable

“Graduate students often become immersed in a specialized way of thinking. A focus on honing expertise within a particular discipline is a fundamental aspect of graduate education, enabling graduate students to develop a…

Collaboration Over Control

“[A]s dissertation chairs, we have a lot of power over the futures of our students. Yet I continue to hear countless stories from current students and recent doctoral degree recipients about their experiences…

How immersion in a different culture made me a better researcher

“‘What have I gotten myself into?’ I wondered as I sat through a lengthy research symposium conducted entirely in Polish, unable to even read the x- and y-axis labels on the plots. I…

Translating Teaching Into Transferable Skills

“When you were a kid and they asked you what you want to be when you grow up, did you say you wanted to be a teacher? One of us, Jovana, did, and…

What to Actually Look for in a Mentor

“I have been mentoring students and postdocs in biomedical engineering and medical imaging for 25 years. My friends, some with even longer track records, have mentored aspiring writers, musicians, physicians and neuroscientists. You…

How to Get the Most Out of a Job Fair as a Ph.D.

“Talk with people and make connections. Don’t go in telling yourself that you need to come out with a job interview lined up. Even if you speak at length with a recruiter about…

Fighting the Mental-Health Crisis Narrative

“Crisis. Crisis. Crisis. Even before the pandemic, college counseling centers described being overwhelmed, not nearly able to meet students’ need for help handling mental-health challenges. Amid rising overall rates of anxiety and depression,…

In Search of Lost Time

“Where did the summer go? Time that expands endlessly in moments of boredom or obligation compresses inexplicably when we are given full autonomy over how to spend it. I know, although I hardly…

Rethinking Professional Development for Grad Students

[…] “When I began my career in higher education, the focus was almost entirely on preparing students for academic careers. But times have changed. Today, an increasing number of graduate students are exploring…

FAFSA Will Open by December 1 After ‘Phased Rollout’

“The U.S. Department of Education announced on Wednesday that it will make a fully functional Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, available by December 1, following a two-month “phased rollout,” during which…

Supporting Dissertation Writers Through the Silent Struggle

“[M]any doctoral students… may experience hardships in silence. The doctoral journey is an interesting experience during which students are provided structure through coursework and then, once they enter the dissertation phase, that structure…

STEM Trainees Must Master Writing Skills

“Mastering the art of writing is not just a desirable skill—it is, in fact, an absolute necessity, especially for trainees navigating the complex landscape of STEM disciplines. Proficiency in writing is not merely…