Before I started my PhD I worked as a complaint handler of various sorts, for almost 14 years. My last two years were spent overseeing student complaints and misconduct at UNSW, and prior to that I worked as a complaint investigator for a government oversight body (a job which included handling complaints about public universities). […] … learn more→

Question: I came to graduate school right from my bachelor\’s, and am in the third year of a biomedical Ph.D. program that I\’m not sure is right for me. I\’m interested in getting some experience with other career options but with my lab schedule it\’s hard to find the time to apply for, and do, […] … learn more→

Question: (from \”Clara\”): For years I\’ve taught faithfully in the \”Grand Theory\” department, in which I have tenure. I\’ve also taught one course a year in another department, \”Practical Community Studies.\” The balance between theory and practice has made me a better teacher, and no one\’s ever questioned lending me to another program. Sharing faculty […] … learn more→

According to a popular Chinese proverb “A book is like a garden carried in the pocket.” Even though people today do not read as many books as they used to 20-25 years ago, they still have an opportunity to put some knowledge in to their pocket, so to speak. Modern technologies have changed our concept […] … learn more→

So what does that mean? What digital skills, technologies, and tools should we develop while in graduate school? And how do we do that? I’ve put together a few suggestions and hope readers from a variety of disciplines will offer additional ideas in the comments section below. Social Media This is an important one, but […] … learn more→

The academic job market is an exercise in captivity, and I am still its prisoner. To some extent I\’ve ensured my place in this life by acceding to the terms of academe. I\’ve defended my dissertation, and so I\’ve unofficially transformed myself from Eunice Williams, Ph.D. candidate, to Dr. Williams. Even if I\’m befuddled by […] … learn more→

Rainfall extremes are increasing around the world, and the increase is linked to the warming of the atmosphere which has taken place since pre-industrial times. This is the conclusion of a recent study which investigated extreme rainfall trends using data from 8326 weather-recording stations globally, some of which have records spanning more than a hundred […] … learn more→

Any major sporting triumph without euphoric emotion or a serious opening of the floodgates would seem strange. Commentators tell us that tears show “passion”. Fans seem to demand them. It wasn’t always so. But why? When Newcastle United overcame Arsenal in the 1932 FA Cup Final, the winning team did as they still do today. […] … learn more→

“Mom, take a video of me and put it up on Facebook!” My five-year-old daughter is a (relative) wiz with technology. She was using my iPhone with ease before she was even 18 months old, playing memory games, shape puzzles, and phonic lessons. Both she and her younger brother have our old iPhones for when […] … learn more→

In early 1979, a cartoon series about giant robots, “Mobile Suit Gundam,” made its debut on Japanese television. It was not a hit. Scheduled to run for 12 months, the plug was about to be pulled after just 10 months. But then the show’s creators noticed something unexpected: it had a very loyal, if small, […] … learn more→