Success In Academia Research Articles

Stress, Survival, and Success in Academia 2.0: Lessons from Working Inside and Outside of the Academy

As graduate students writing our dissertations between 2009 and 2010 at the University of California Irvine, we began to feel the first ripples of a shrinking job market for tenuretrack academic positions in anthropology. There were questions, in hushed whispers as well as anxious and frantic outbursts, about how long the recession would last, whether we should "wait and see" before graduating, or apply now and just cast a wider net in terms of schools and searches. The 2009 Anthropology Faculty Job Market Report opens up with, "AAA has been increasingly concerned with the academic job market. Anecdotal evidence suggests that faculty lines are being lost and searches cancelled" (Terry-Sharp 2009). Given uncertainty, we both chose the latter option and had the good fortune to find employment in academic institutions— Cortney Hughes Rinker at the Arlington Innovation Center for Health Research (Virginia Tech) and Sheena Nahm at the Norman Lear Center (University of California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism). Interestingly enough, neither of us entered these institutions through the traditional route of the tenure-track position. Although our jobs were quite unique and different from each other, they both were in research centers focused on contracts and grants and were not solely situated in the realm of cultural anthropology, the field in which we are trained. Since then, we both went on to publish, teach, work in applied fields, and often engage with academic and nonacademic interlocutors.

“I ain't changing anything”: A case-study of successful generation 1.5 immigrant college students' writing

The purpose of this case-study was to understand the relationship between success in college and L2 academic writing of three Generation 1.5 Russian-speaking middle-class college students and to describe the factors that could have contributed to the levels of academic literacy that these students developed. The following research questions were posed: What English academic writing skills do three successful G1.5 college students have and could these students' success in college be attributed to their (strong) academic writing skills? If it could, how did these students develop their academic writing skills in English? If it could not, how did these students succeed in college without strong academic writing skills in English? The study found that despite some serious problems uncovered in these college students' writing, they were able to earn a high academic reputation by enacting behaviors indicative of success in academia. These behaviors included assertiveness, self-confidence and ambition. It is argued in this paper that the successful academic socialization skills that these students were inculcated with as part of their cultural capital, made it possible for them to enjoy the level of success in higher education that may be considered incongruent with the quality of their written academic work.

Success in academia: Tips for balancing clinical and faculty roles

Despite the recent transition from a candidate-driven market to an employer-driven market in light of the economy and increasing numbers of graduating pharmacists, significant growth is expected in pharmacy education. Data obtained from an American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) survey conservatively estimate the number of FTE faculty members to increase by 13% between 2010 and 2015, which indicates that there may be additional opportunities for pharmacy clinicians with academic appointments. While positions such as these offer many advantages and opportunities, they can also be associated with significant workload and high turnover rates.

The ABC of a PhD: A few tips for success in academia

The ABC of a PhD: A few tips for success in academia

The original biochemical engineer: An interview with Michael Shuler of Cornell University

The original biochemical engineer: An interview with Michael Shuler of Cornell University

Reflective Teaching in Social Work Education: Findings from a Participatory Action Research Study

This article describes a feminist-informed reflective teaching project enacted by a group of social work faculty at Texas State University–San Marcos. Utilizing Schon's notion of reflection-in-action, faculty formed a participatory action research group to implement reflective techniques to further their professional development as new teachers and better prepare social work students for practice in the social work profession. This project guided the participants in establishing academic identity through the creation of a supportive academic setting and peer collegiality. The group met monthly to share reflective teaching journals (RTJs), participate in intergroup dialogue, and engage in contemplative practices, such as meditation and visualization. Methods of data collection and analysis included content analysis of the intergroup dialogue sessions. Findings from the project reinforced Kolb's experiential learning cycle, in which new insights gained from reflection were integrated back into the classroom. This article presents these important insights and suggests replication of this project to promote reflective teaching in social work education and to help prepare new social work faculty for success in academia.

Stop the Clock Policies and Career Success in Academia

Stop the Clock Policies and Career Success in Academia by Colleen Flaherty Manchester, Lisa M. Leslie and Amit Kramer. Published in volume 100, issue 2, pages 219-23 of American Economic Review, May 2010

Promoting Digital Literacy Skills: Examples from the Literature and Implications for Academic Librarians

This paper explores the numerous definitions of digital literacy, discusses its relationship to information literacy, and describes applications of digital literacy instruction in institutions of higher education. It also offers opportunities for academic librarians, and especially those in junior and community colleges, to enhance students’ digital literacy skills through novel educational techniques. For example, librarians could develop tools to support students’ interaction in course management systems and virtual worlds, assist faculty in the creation of course curriculum, as well as moderate online book discussions. Promoting the development of a variety of literacies among students enables librarians to demonstrate their flexibility as well as their role in contributing to individuals’ success in academia and beyond.

Side-stepping the valley of death in New York City

Five years ago, I had never heard of the "valley of death." But recently it appears all around me, lying in wait for any misstep. As a research professor in biomedical engineering, I spend a great amount of time carefully shepherding seemingly successful technologies from falling into this valley of oblivion. Typically, one enters the valley of death when you have developed a working medical instrument in academia for proof-of-concept, but there are no viable commercial applications on the horizon. Academic projects are often started to improve medical care while reducing costs to society, but those goals must change to the singular goal of profit when a technology goes to industry. Thus, many technologies are never licensed to industry after success in academia, thereby falling into this valley of death. Reasons may be the lack of protection of intellectual property, that the new technology cannot be manufactured at a low enough cost, or withstand the rigors of the hospital environment. Review from federal government agencies may be seen as too costly a hurdle, although the National Institutes of Health are shifting their attention to tackle this problem.

What keeps science spiralling? Unravelling the critical success factors of knowledge creation in university research

Based on Nonaka’s knowledge spiral, this paper examines how processes of knowledge creation contribute to success in academia. It presents the outcomes of an in-depth exploration of the workings of the knowledge spiral in a university research institute. The research shows the outstanding but undervalued importance of socialization processes. It also shows that, while research success is typically defined at the interplay of the individual, group and institutional levels, in the institute that was examined none of the four knowledge creation processes (socialization, externalization, combination and internalization) appears to run smoothly at the institutional level.

Analysis of Japanese undergraduate students' information behavior during academic tasks in a Canadian university

AbstractThis poster session will report preliminary results from doctoral research that investigates how Japanese students, as a sample of international students in Canadian universities, perform their academic tasks and to what extent they are information literate.The number of international students, particular from non‐North American and non‐European countries, has greatly increased in recent decades in North American post‐secondary academic institutions. Although their intellectual and financial contributions are significant, their experience after enrolment is often neglected, which leads to dissatisfaction. Thus, it is important for academic institutions to improve international students' experience to facilitate their academic success. Among various potential solutions, improvement of information literacy skills is especially important for students' academic success in today's information intense environment.However, academic libraries struggle to answer the question of how they can provide support for international students with diverse needs, experiences, and expectations. Before planning strategies to improve their skills, it is critical for academic institutions to understand how students conduct research and to what extent they are information literate. Using multiple qualitative methodologies, Japanese undergraduate students' information behavior will be investigated and assessed using information behavior models (how students behaved) and information literacy standards (how well the behavior was conducted).This research will generate knowledge of how they perform their research and the extent to which their behaviors during their research tasks are information literate. An understanding of how various factors affect their behavior will deepen understanding of why students are or are not information literate. The research findings will contribute to the capacity of North American academic libraries to facilitate international students' success in academia.

Editor's Foreword: Protecting Academic Integrity

Editor's ForewordProtecting Academic Integrity Philip Oxhorn, Editor in Chief Although there have never been as many alternatives for publishing in the humanities and social sciences as there are today, the pressures to publish have never been more intense. Even though the common refrain "publish or perish" has become almost a cliché, the fact is that one's success in academia increasingly depends on a stronger publication record than was the case in the not-so-distant past. Whether it be to build a strong CV to get a tenure-track position in the first place, to keep one's position at the time of renewal, or ultimately to earn tenure, the pressures to publish start early in graduate school and continue to grow in parallel with the stakes involved until one, finally, has the privilege of job security. And with increasing numbers of people looking for academic positions, the competition can be quite intense. Life after tenure also includes its own anxieties regarding the need to publish, as future promotions and merit increases keep the pressure on, albeit at a lower level. For many, there is also the undeniable pride of academic purpose in making the grade by having one's work pass the peer-review process and, presumably, by adding to the accumulation of knowledge. Under such circumstances, the temptation to cut corners or, even worse, commit the scholarly equivalent of grand larceny by taking the work and ideas of others and presenting them as one's own is likely to be difficult for some to resist. It is important to emphasize that not only the direct victims of plagiarism suffer when this happens; the professional integrity of all of us and of journals such as Latin American Research Review that publish our work also are undermined. The widely publicized examples of plagiarism, while still relatively few in number, should be of concern to all serious academics. For this reason, it seems only a matter of prudence for any respected academic journal like LARR to establish an official policy regarding the handling of allegations of plagiarism to ensure that they are dealt with in an appropriate and fair manner, almost as a kind of insurance policy—just in case such allegations are ever lodged. To be most effective, that policy also needs to be made public. For this reason, as of August 2008, the LARR Editorial Committee has adopted the following plagiarism policy (http://lasa.international.pitt.edu/LARR/index.asp): 1. Allegations of plagiarism involving manuscripts submitted to and/or published in LARR should be submitted to the editor in chief and must be accompanied by documentation indicating specific examples of the unattributed use of another scholar's written work, ideas, or arguments. 2. Following the Oxford English Dictionary, plagiarism is defined as "the action or practice of taking someone else's work, idea, etc., and passing [End Page 3] it off as one's own; literary theft" (http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50180576?single=1&query_type=word&queryword=plagiarism& first=1&max_to_show=10). 3. Upon the receipt of an allegation of plagiarism, the editor in chief will ask for a written response from the author of the manuscript. The editor in chief or designate from the Editorial Committee, along with an independent academic with recognized expertise in the subject area of the disputed submission who shall remain anonymous, will independently evaluate both the allegation and the author's response. If they do not reach an agreement on the merits of the allegation, a second independent academic will be selected after consultation with the LARR Editorial Committee. 4. Upon demonstration that the author has submitted another person's work as his or her own, the LARR Editorial Committee will determine the appropriate remedial action to be taken. This will include a public statement confirming the nature of the plagiarism that has been substantiated. When one thinks of plagiarism, the first thing that comes to mind is the deliberate cutting and pasting of material off the Web or otherwise copying word for word the work of others without appropriate attribution. If only things were always so straightforward! In many cases, allegations of plagiarism reflect someone presenting...

Orange Blossoms and Razor Wire: A Geographer’s Prison-teaching Memorate

Geography graduate students intent on achieving tenure-track positions in academia might also consider diverse teaching opportunities, both full-time and part-time, beyond their expectations and even those outside their comfort zones. Biographies in geographic teaching reveal that not a few geography teachers willingly or reluctantly have joined the contingent workforce at one time or another, and yet have succeeded to achieve satisfying and ever-prosperous lifetime careers. Geographers do what they have to do in order to survive: they learn from their experiences, and their lessons learned help them to become better teachers. This paper is a memorate of my own unexpected part-time geography teaching experience during 1986 in a California Youth Authority (CYA) facility. My students were all wards of the State of California, incarcerated at the secured rural educational facility I introduce here as “Verdanta School.” I adopt a “memorate” style of self-narrative as appropriate to capturing the unusual essence of a semester-long paranormal experience. I have reduced that experience to “Ten Lessons Learned,” all of which later contributed to my career success in academia, and to my satisfaction with life.

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Young scholars in academia often seek to work in collaboration with top researchers in their field in pursuit of a successful career. While success in academia can be defined differently, everyone agrees that training with a well-known researcher can help lead to an efficacious career. This study aims to investigate whether collaborating with established scientists does, in fact, improve junior scholars’ chances of success. If not, what makes young scientists soar in their academic careers? We investigate this question by analyzing the effect of collaboration with a known-star on success of a young scholar. The results suggest that working with leading experts can lead to a successful career, but that it is not the only way. Researchers who were not fortunate enough to start their career with an elite researcher could still succeed through hard work and passion. These findings emerged from analyses of two discrete sets of well-known scholars on the career of newcomers, suggesting their strength and validity.

Marina de Vasconcellos e as ciências sociais cariocas: a perspectiva dos círculos sociais

An investigation of the career of one of the "founding mothers" of the social sciences in Rio de Janeiro, Marina de Vasconcellos, successor of Arthur Ramos, is one way of understanding how anthropology was established in Rio de Janeiro. Conflicts and alliances, continuities and discontinuities, lie behind the pioneering Brazilian Society of Anthropology and Ethnology and the Institute of Social Sciences, both at Faculdade Nacional de Filosofia. Marina de Vasconcellos' professional life bore the marks of the clash between different schools of thought regarding anthropology at a time when university courses were being introduced. As a professor, she was committed to educating new professionals, and in 1968, she was steadfast in the struggle for university autonomy. The study leads to a reflection upon the criteria for success in academia, countering the view that this depends entirely on the publication of books and articles.

A Career in Academic Pharmacy: Opportunities, Challenges, and Rewards

Recruitment, retention, and development of faculty members have been important concerns of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) in recent years as the faculty shortage has become increasingly acute. As part of these efforts, the AACP has sponsored a 2-hour program at the Midyear Clinical Meeting of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) every year since 2000 (Table ​(Table1).1). This symposium is designed to provide useful information to professional students, post-PharmD residents, and practicing pharmacists about careers in academia. The program has consisted of 3 speakers followed by a panel discussion with audience questions and answers. The first speaker is generally the current President of AACP, who provides an overview of pharmacy education today and outlines future trends in academic pharmacy. The second speaker is a department chair or other academic administrator in a college or school of pharmacy who provides a perspective on what is required for practitioner/educators to achieve success in academia. The third speaker is a practitioner-educator who describes his/her approach to successfully integrating teaching and practice responsibilities with faculty role expectations. All 3 speakers provide their personal perspectives on the benefits and challenges of life in academia. This paper is a compilation of 3 presentations given at a symposium presented at the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear Clinical Meeting in December 2004 entitled, “The Top Ten Reasons to Consider a Career in Academia.” A panel discussion involving all 3 presenters is provided in Appendix 1. Table 1 Examples of Previous AACP Symposia on Careers in Academia Held at ASHP Midyear Clinical Meetings

Against the Odds: Does Geography make a difference?

In this article, the author examines her experiences in one geography department, as a black scholar and mother from a working class background, to ponder whether geography has helped or hurt her odds of success in academia. The odds against the author are briefly reviewed through a consideration of work relevant to the success of mothers and women of color graduate students and faculty members. The retelling of the author's experiences reveals a general lack of sensitivity to and acceptance of difference on the part of some geographers attributable to issues of visibility and cultural goodness of fit. Though geography has not made a difference in assisting her in beating the odds of success in academia, the author concludes that doing so is achievable and begins with a sense of respect for difference, making the discipline relevant to a broader cross-section of the population, and improving relationships within and between disaffected groups, such as women of color scholars, inside and outside the discipline. ¿Contra las probabilidades: Hace un diferencia la geografía? En este artículo el autor, como erudita negra y madre de la clase obrera, examina sus experiencias en un departamento de geografía y reflexiona si la geografía las ayudó o las dañó a sus oportunidades de éxito in la academia. Las posibilidades contra el autor se revistan a través de una consideración de trabajo relevante al éxito de madres y de mujeres de color como estudiantes graduados y miembros de la facultad. El re-contando de las experiencias del autor revela una falta generalmente de sensitividad y aceptación de la diferencia de la parte de algunos geógrafos y que se atribulan de cuestiones de visibilidad y “bondad de apropiado” cultural. Aunque geografía no ha hecho una diferencia en ayudando el autor para superar a las probabilidades de éxito en academia, el autor concluyó que la posibilidad de superarlas existe y se empieza con un sentido de respeto de la diferencia, haciéndose la disciplina relevante para una porción más extenso de la población, y mejorando las relaciones dentro y entre grupos desafecto como las eruditas que son mujeres de color, adentro y afuera de la disciplina.

Having Our Say: African American Women, Diversity, and Counseling

African American female counseling professionals contribute greatly to the multicultural growth of the counseling profession by spurring the profession's evolution and defining new paradigms and counseling activities. Despite their contributions, they face serious organizational, intrapersonal, and interpersonal challenges to their success in academia. This article seeks to elucidate the challenges to African American female counseling professionals and offers systemic and personal strategies that will facilitate the profession's evolution to culturally competent, ethical, and intentional helping orientations and worldviews.

The Challenges Experienced by Pretenured Faculty Members in Counselor Education: A Wellness Perspective

Pretenured faculty members experience unique challenges as they respond to the demands and opportunities of an academic appointment (A. E. Austin & R. E. Rice, 1998; M. D. Sorcinelli, 1994). Given the emphasis on wellness within the counseling framework, it is imperative to identify and address the experiences of pretenured counselor educators. This article offers an overview of some of the challenges that pretenured faculty members encounter and provides recommendations for promoting their wellness and success in academia.

ON THE TENURE TRACK IN GERONTOLOGY: I WISH I HAD KNOWN THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW

With the emergence of gerontology as an academic discipline, the need for formalized training to address early career issues has increased. This paper offers personal experiences and advice regarding some of the challenges new faculty are likely to face when on the “tenure track.” Some of the challenges include whether to pursue a career in academia, the potential value of a post-doctoral research position, grant writing, academic duty, preparing for the job interview, negotiating, and achieving success in academia. In addition to offering personal perspectives on each of these challenges, a number of resources are provided to help those who seek additional insight or advice on early career management. Implications for creating formalized graduate training to assist those students struggling with early career challenges are discussed.