Career Paths Research Articles

Balancing early-career paths as pracademics: a collaborative autoethnography study in China

ABSTRACT Pracademics are professionals who combine two roles as scholars and practitioners. Despite pracademics’ unique contributions in connecting knowledge and practice for improved academic understanding and development outcomes, how they form their identities and balance their roles, particularly in early careers, remains underexplored. This study investigates how early-career pracademics balance career paths and form a pracademic identity within the Chinese nonprofit sector. Using collaborative autoethnography, this study analyses the two authors’ experiences of building a nonprofit while pursuing PhD degrees. Our findings reveal three sub-processes of pracademic identity formation: exposure, dissatisfaction and opportunities, and integration. We also identify strategies employed by pracademics at micro, meso, and macro levels to balance academic and practical roles. This study concludes that pracademics in developing contexts like China can effectively navigate their dual roles by aligning with policy orientations, identifying power relations, and leveraging research strengths.

Shabana Khan.

"A turning point in my career was working on silylene chemistry during my postdoctoral research, which provided a vision of utilizing low-valent compounds in different fields of science… I chose my current career path because of the freedom to explore scientific questions alongside young minds…" Find out more about Shabana Khan in her Introducing… Profile.

Positioning LIS Students for Career Success

There is an assumption that students enter graduate programs with a certain level of knowledge and awareness about the field they have chosen to study and their career plans post-graduation. However, the literature shows that even graduate students benefit from services and programming related to career exploration and preparation. This is especially true in the library and information science (LIS) field, which offers myriad career paths and settings for graduates. Despite resources such as the ALISE Statistical Report, San José State University iSchool’s Career Trends report, and research on the core knowledge and skills desired of information professionals, extant literature examining career services provided to and desired by LIS graduate students is lacking. This project examined career planning services and programming in LIS graduate programs using a descriptive research approach. Data was collected via surveys of current LIS program administrators and enrolled graduate students. As LIS job seekers report such long and frustrating job search experiences that they consider leaving the field entirely, insights from this research will inform the creation or improvement of career services for LIS students, advance discussion of career services for graduate students, and identify exemplars that can be used to guide programming efforts. This paper will share preliminary findings from surveys completed by 25 program administrators and 400 current students.

Cell scientist to watch – Gokul Upadhyayula

ABSTRACT Srigokul (Gokul) Upadhyayula is Scientific Director of the Advanced BioImaging Center (ABC) and an Assistant Professor in Residence of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology at the University of California (UC), Berkeley, USA. Gokul completed his PhD in the bioengineering department with Valentine Vullev at UC Riverside, where he built his first microscope. Inspired to apply his fascination with microscopy and image analysis to understanding biological phenomena, he subsequently joined the group of Tomas Kirchhausen at Harvard Medical School as a postdoc and collaborated with Eric Betzig at Janelia Research Campus on major advances in adaptive optical lattice light-sheet microscopy (LLSM) technology to study fundamental cellular processes such as clathrin-mediated endocytosis and nuclear pore reformation. In 2019, he moved to UC Berkeley to build the ABC together with Eric Betzig. The ABC aims to enhance the accessibility and adoption of data-heavy imaging technologies like LLSM. Gokul's team combines expertise in biology, chemistry, engineering, microscopy and computational science to provide resources and tools that allow biologists to extract meaningful insights from imaging data. We spoke with Gokul over Zoom to learn about his career path, the challenges that come with handling massive bioimaging datasets and the vision of the ABC for the future of bioimaging.

ADHD Behavior and Entrepreneurial Behavior: The Mediating Role of Entrepreneurial Intention

The fundamental objective of this research is to study the relationship between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) behavior and entrepreneurial behavior in Tunisian students. Based on the theory of person-environment adjustment (P-E), the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the analysis of data collected from 267 Tunisian students using a self-administered online questionnaire, the results of the present study showed no relationship between ADHD behavior and entrepreneurial action. However, entrepreneurial intention plays a mediating role in this relationship. These results constitute a theoretical contribution to the entrepreneurial field. Similarly, the results of the current study lend further support to the person-environment “P-E” theory, which posits that the functionality of a component of ADHD behavior depends on its fit with the environment. In particular, the uncertain and autonomous entrepreneurial environment could be an attractive career choice for people who display hyperactive/impulsive behavior. As for the theory of planned behavior “TPB,” the results of this study also show that intention is a fundamental antecedent of entrepreneurial behavior. This research has practical implications. Its results can be used by stakeholders in the entrepreneurial ecosystem (teachers, incubators, career coaches,… etc.) to detect future entrepreneurs and absorb the unemployment of Tunisian university graduates.

The crucial role of bioimage analysts in scientific research and publication.

Bioimage analysis (BIA), a crucial discipline in biological research, overcomes the limitations of subjective analysis in microscopy through the creation and application of quantitative and reproducible methods. The establishment of dedicated BIA support within academic institutions is vital to improving research quality and efficiency and can significantly advance scientific discovery. However, a lack of training resources, limited career paths and insufficient recognition of the contributions made by bioimage analysts prevent the full realization of this potential. This Perspective - the result of the recent The Company of Biologists Workshop 'Effectively Communicating Bioimage Analysis', which aimed to summarize the global BIA landscape, categorize obstacles and offer possible solutions - proposes strategies to bring about a cultural shift towards recognizing the value of BIA by standardizing tools, improving training and encouraging formal credit for contributions. We also advocate for increased funding, standardized practices and enhanced collaboration, and we conclude with a call to action for all stakeholders to join efforts in advancing BIA.

Assessing teachers' beliefs and practices regarding vocational rehabilitation services for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

This study investigates UAE teachers' beliefs and practices regarding vocational rehabilitation (VR) services for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The study used a descriptive survey methodology with a 30-item Likert scale questionnaire. The sample size consisted of 121 VR teachers in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The data was analyzed using Fisher's exact test and the Chi-square test. Male teachers (P<0.0063) and diploma in special education holders (P<0.0272) were significantly good at career counseling, while female teachers and bachelor's in education degree holders were good at vocational training (P<0.0039 and P<0.0001, respectively) and placement (P<0.0006 and P<0.001). Educators with 1-5 and 6-10 years of experience had more positive beliefs and practices than their more experienced counterparts in terms of VR services. VR instructors have an important role in improving the results and opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities, and their empowerment and professional development should be endorsed.

Exploring a Language-Based Interest Assessment: Predicting Vocational Interests on Social Media Using Natural Language Processing

For more than a century, self-report inventories have been the traditional method for assessing vocational interests. Little research has examined the use of machine learning techniques, such as natural language processing (NLP), in interest assessment. This paper explores the extent to which natural language on social media can be used to predict individuals’ self-ratings on eight basic interests representing the SETPOINT model: Agriculture, Engineering, Human Resources, Life Science, Management/Administration, Mechanics/Electronics, Media, and Social Science. Leveraging closed- (Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count; LIWC) and open-vocabulary NLP approaches (Latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic modeling), we analyzed 3.2 million Facebook posts from 2,834 participants who completed a 32-item basic interest measure. We found that the convergent validities of these NLP approaches for predicting vocational interest scores (LIWC: [Formula: see text] = 0.19; LDA topic modeling: [Formula: see text] = 0.24) are comparable to prior research on language-based personality assessments. Our study also revealed largely face-valid language markers that characterize different basic interests. Implications for developing language-based interest assessments for applied settings (e.g., career guidance and employee selection) and future research directions are discussed.

CARIA

The purpose of this research is to create a personalized system called CARIA that suggests career recommendations based on students' competencies and the required skills in each career. The focus of this study is on digital technology and digital media careers. The personalized career recommender system uses a novel similarity measure called modified Euclidean similarity to evaluate its performance and compare it with other similarity measures, machine learning, and GPT-4 techniques. The experimental results showed that modified Euclidean similarity achieved a precision@10 score of 0.83, which outperformed other techniques. The main objective of CARIA is to provide students with suitable career paths and conduct a competency gap analysis. This helps students choose a career path that fits their abilities. This research contributes to education in digital technology, digital media, and the workforce by providing employees with competencies that align with their needs.

A scoping review on what constitutes a good research culture

Background The crisis in research culture is well documented, covering issues such as a tendency for quantity over quality, unhealthy competitive environments, and assessment based on publications, journal prestige and funding. In response, research institutions need to assess their own practices to promote and advocate for change in the current research ecosystem. The purpose of the scoping review was to explore ‘What does the evidence say about the ‘problem’ with ‘poor’ research culture, what are the benefits of ‘good’ research culture, and what does ‘good’ look like?’ Aims To examine the peer-reviewed and grey literature to explore the interplay between research culture, open research, career paths, recognition and rewards, and equality, diversity, and inclusion, as part of a larger programme of activity for a research institution. Methods A scoping review was undertaken. Six databases were searched along with grey literature. Eligible literature had relevance to academic research institutions, addressed research culture, and were published between January 2017 to May 2022. Evidence was mapped and themed to specific categories. The search strategy, screening and analysis took place between April-May 2022. Results 1666 titles and abstracts, and 924 full text articles were assessed for eligibility. Of these, 253 articles met the eligibility criteria for inclusion. A purposive sampling of relevant websites was drawn from to complement the review, resulting in 102 records included in the review. Key areas for consideration were identified across the four themes of job security, wellbeing and equality of opportunity, teamwork and interdisciplinary, and research quality and accountability. Conclusions There are opportunities for research institutions to improve their own practice, however institutional solutions cannot act in isolation. Research institutions and research funders need to work together to build a more sustainable and inclusive research culture that is diverse in nature and supports individuals’ well-being, career progression and performance.

Exploring the consequences of automation in the post-pandemic era: hotel labor woes

PurposeThis study provides an overview of challenges and opportunities presented by the increasingly prevalent self-service technology adoption in the hotel industry, with a focus on the post-COVID-19 pandemic era and related workplace issues.Design/methodology/approachA review of relevant literature along with references to secondary data is provided to support the viewpoints presented by the authors. A brief critical interpretation of published works on automation, self-service and similar technology-supported services in the hospitality industry, particularly the hotel industry, is outlined.FindingsPotential near- and long-term workplace challenges, in the context of automation, for hotel employees and operators are summarized. Evidence based on published scholarly works and news reports indicates that there will be a period of difficulties in the hotel industry, and the hospitality industry in general, when it comes to the adoption of transformative technology solutions that support automation and self-service. However, the authors assert that a balanced and calculated approach to embracing such technologies could create new career paths as well as job security for hotel employees and stability for hotel operators.Originality/valueThe perspectives offered in this study focus on the difficulties as well as prospects of embracing technology-supported automation in the hotel industry in the context of a unique era and the accelerated adoption of various technology solutions following the COVID-19 pandemic. The documented challenges are also framed with aligned opportunities to offer a roadmap for both practitioners and scholars.

Discovering potential founders within academic institutions

AbstractTechnology transfer is central to the development of an iconic entrepreneurial university. To foster knowledge transfer, many universities undergo a scouting process by their innovation coaches. The goal is to find staff members and students, who have the knowledge, expertise, and the potential to found startups by transforming their research results into a product. Since there is no systematic approach to measure the innovation potential of university members based on their academic activities, the scouting process is typically subjective and relies heavily on the experience of the innovation coaches. In this paper, we study the discovery of potential founders to support the scouting process using a data-driven approach. We create a novel data set by integrating the founder profiles with the academic activities from 8 universities across 5 countries. We explain the process of data integration as well as feature engineering. By applying machine learning methods, we investigate the classification accuracy of founders based on their academic background. Our analysis shows that using a random forest (RF), it is possible to differentiate founders and non-founders with an average accuracy of 79%. This accuracy remains mostly stable when applying an RF trained on one university to another, suggesting the existence of a generic founder profile. The detailed analysis indicates a high significance of the career path as well as patent- and grant-related features among others. Furthermore, we show that using a RF, it is possible to exploit these features to predict the future founding probability up to 3 years in advance with an accuracy of 80%. Finally, by analyzing the academic disciplines of founders we show that the patent documents have more influence on the startup’s core orientation than the publications.

Impact of employee engagement on Organizational Productivity

This study aims at establishing the relationship between employee engagement and organizational performance with emphasis on communication, career growth and rewards. This research adopts a quantitative approach with data collected from one hundred workers across the organization departments. These tests indicated that the relationship between EE and actual performance is rather low, thus indicating that although engagement is a critical concept to consider, it cannot solely explain the performance of an organization. Some common factors such as communication and career management came out with a compromise to show that these factors are quite effective depending on how such factors are adopted or perceived by the employees. This paper proposes ways to increase employee participation, such as increasing communication clarity, providing equal opportunity for staff to receive recognition, and creating clear career paths. They are strategies which can assist the organizations in encouraging the employees and may ultimately increase productivity in the long run.

Implementation of pharmacogenomics: Experience at Ochsner Health.

Pharmacogenomics is the study of how individual responses to medication are influenced by genetics. As medication experts, pharmacists are uniquely suited to practicing this application of precision medicine. Fundamental operational aspects of developing a pharmacy clinical pharmacogenomics practice are described, and the specific experience of a multisite health system in developing a pharmacogenomics service is discussed. Considerations for the development of a clinical pharmacy-driven pharmacogenomics service include understanding testing selection, targeting the appropriate patient population, exploration of reimbursement, design of the practice, and education of the pharmacogenomics workforce. Testing can be preemptive or reactive, can occur in house or as a send-out service, and can be panel based or specific to a single gene. Pharmacogenomics is applicable to many medicine specialties, making deployment of services to strategic groups essential. Reimbursement for pharmacogenomics is variable and may pose a barrier to implementation. The demand for pharmacogenomics education for pharmacy students and as a formal postgraduate career path is growing. Pharmacogenomics service planning and implementation details for a multisite health system are described. The practice of pharmacogenomics presents a remarkable opportunity for clinical pharmacists and health systems to improve patient care outcomes and experiences.

Using open online courses on programming in organizing independent work of students

The article highlights the need to use online courses on programming, including automatic code checking, in organizing independent work of high school students. An overview of open online courses designed to study the Python programming language, implemented on different platforms, is provided. The capabilities of each online course for solving educational problems, such as general training of students in programming, preparation for state exams, developing skills in solving Olympiad problems, organizing project activities, and career guidance for schoolchildren are discussed. The technical capabilities of the platforms on which the courses are presented are analyzed from the point of view of their didactic potential. Forms of organizing independent work of students using online courses on programming are proposed. The general algorithm for solving programming problems is specified taking into account the specifics of using the automatic system for checking and evaluating the solution implemented in online courses.

Career Counseling and Wellness: Recommendations for School Counseling Practice

Amid the escalating concern about students’ mental health and overall well-being within the K–12 educational settings, the role of the school counselor has prompted the examination of fostering positive outcomes. Research has indicated that challenges to students’ mental well-being lead to adverse consequences impeding students’ long-term growth, impacting college and career readiness. Thus, addressing these challenges is crucial for long-term student wellness and success. With the increasing complexities faced by students today, there is a pressing need for school counselors to equip themselves with tools to effectively promote child and adolescent well-being and career readiness. This article emphasizes how intentional and well-implemented programs within a comprehensive school counseling program can cultivate students’ career readiness while fostering positive mental health. By highlighting the importance of college and career literature, this article outlines a method for implementing interventions for mental wellness and optimizing student/human functioning. School counselors are uniquely positioned to provide such services and interventions to support the well-being of students, and this article outlines recommendations for implementation to enhance comprehensive school counseling programs.

TRANSFORMATIVE PEDAGOGY IN THE DIGITAL AGE: UNRAVELING THE IMPACT OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ON HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a transformative force in education, significantly influencing students. This research explores AI's impact on learning experiences, academic performance, career guidance, motivation, self-reliance, social interaction, and AI dependency. Utilizing a descriptive-comparative design, 194 student respondents were chosen through stratified sampling. The results show that students generally perceive AI positively. Students agree that AI enhances personalized learning, engagement, and critical thinking, although practical hands-on learning experiences received less favorable feedback. Academically, students concur that AI helps them identify weaknesses, improve assignments, and track progress, despite some reservations about its efficacy in exam preparation. For career guidance, students agree that AI effectively matches skills with career options, recommends internships, and provides resources, though it is less effective for long-term planning. Students also believe AI boosts motivation through gamified learning and progress tracking and fosters self-reliance via self-directed learning and critical thinking support. Socially, students agree that AI facilitates collaboration, peer learning, and networking. Additionally, students demonstrate a reliance on AI for their learning processes. Notably, female students report a more significant impact on social interactions than male students. The type of device used (laptop vs. cellphone) significantly affects the learning experience, with laptop users reporting a more substantial impact. Differences in AI's impact are noted among various courses, particularly benefiting education students more than those in hospitality management and agriculture. However, age and family income do not significantly influence AI's overall impact. Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, descriptive-comparative, impact on learning, higher education

PubMed-indexed Research Productivity of Urology Applicants and Residents: Does Medical Student Research Productivity Predict Resident Research or Pursuit of an Academic Career?

ObjectivesTo assess the research output of urology residents at top programs and investigate the correlation between medical school research productivity (MRP), research during residency (RRP), and pursuit of academic practice. Further, to characterize trends in MRP before and after the transition to pass/fail scoring of USMLE Step 1. MethodsOur team previously reported on the PubMed-indexed research productivity of applicants matching into top 50 urology programs. Here, we used the same list of residents, recorded their publications during residency, and noted their career paths, including fellowships, academic roles, or private practice. We then highlight the relationship between MRP, RRP, and pursuit of an academic career. We also highlight trends in MRP of applicants matching to top residency programs before and after the transition to pass/fail Step 1 exams. ResultsWe collected data on 727 residents. On multivariate logistic regression, total medical school publications (OR 1.07, 95% CI 0.97, 1.19), total urology publications (OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.92, 1.21), and total first author publications (OR 1.10, 95% CI 0.91, 1.33) were not associated with academic appointment after residency. On the other hand, RRP was correlated with pursuit of academics (1.08, 95% 1.03,1.14). MRP was significantly higher amongst applicants who applied with a pass/fail exam compared to those who did not. ConclusionMRP is not predictive of pursuing an academic career, but RRP is. There is a significant increase in average MRP of those matching to top urology programs after the transition to a pass/fail scoring system for Step 1.

Challenge or Threat? Proposing and Testing a Career Shock Coping Model

Career shocks can significantly impact individuals’ career development. We propose that how a career shock affects career development depends on how people appraise it. Specifically, our Career Shock Coping (CSC) model proposes that, dependent on personal characteristics, individuals differ in the extent to which they appraise career shocks as challenging and/or threatening. Challenge and threat appraisals inspire approach- and avoidance-oriented career behaviors, respectively, which differentially relate to career-related outcomes. A two-wave study was conducted among medical students ( N = 279) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic as a career shock. Supporting our CSC model, core self-evaluation (CSE) related negatively to threat appraisal and threat appraisal related positively to avoidance-oriented career behavior. Avoidance-oriented career behavior related positively to career decision-making stress. The relations between CSE, challenge appraisal, approach-oriented career behavior, and career decision-making stress were not significant. The findings have implications for career shocks research and career counseling practice.

Choosing science and mathematics programs in college: practical and psychological arbiters in career-pathing

The objective of this exploratory qualitative research is to investigate the practical and psychological factors influencing students’ decisions to pursue science and mathematics-based courses for their career paths. The study will focus on a sample size of 25 second-year students in Calbayog City who have chosen to continue with their chosen course after completing one year of study. To collect data, the study will use one-on-one interviews, a qualitative research method. This method will allow for a thorough investigation of the participants’ experiences, viewpoints, and motives. Through one-on-one interviews, the researchers are able to acquire a thorough understanding of the factors that influence students’ decision-making processes. The findings of this study will provide important insights into the practical and psychological factors that impact students’ selections in science and mathematics courses. This information can be utilized to improve career advising programs and educational systems, as well as to guide students who are exploring comparable career options.