People often ask me about the professional doctorate, what it’s about and whether it’s worth doing.  Here’s the beginning of an answer to that very big question… I need to come clean about my own prejudice about professional doctorates first of all. I think they are A Good Thing. You may have thought that I […] … learn more→

It’s pretty clear something’s up in the economy. The strip mining of our economic system has been going on for years. Only the tremendous wealth pouring in from the student loan scam has allowed the devastation which has hammered most every other job field to skip higher education. Now, if higher education were run by […] … learn more→

Young people today are constantly at risk of indoctrination – whether deliberate or inadvertent. This can be by advertisers, politicians, religious extremists or the media – and can make it hard for young people to get a handle on the world around them. But in this age of contradictory images and constant messages, I believe […] … learn more→

In a review of my 2009 book, The Beautiful Tree: A Personal Journey Into How the World’s Poorest People Are Educating Themselves, I’d been described as “a 21st-century Indiana Jones”, who travelled to “the remotest regions on Earth researching something many regard as mythical”. I liked that image of myself: an intrepid, adventurous academic. Indiana […] … learn more→

Is it possible to be political and nonpartisan simultaneously? It’s a question likely as old as the Republican and Democratic parties themselves. The short answer is yes. According to Merriam Webster, one definition of political is “of, relating to, involving, or involved in politics and especially party politics”. To be political is to be involved […] … learn more→

With student loan debt on the rise and more borrowers struggling to make their monthly payments, many people are anxiously awaiting the direction President Trump’s administration will take on student loans. Those hopeful for the new administration’s approach to student loan debt look to campaign promises demonstrating favorable repayment plans and student loan forgiveness.  Others […] … learn more→

  You may not have thought about applying spiritual principles or practices to your dissertation or thesis. I can hear you snorting: “What! Academics and religion/spirituality, like ice cream and boiled kidney, don’t mix!” This is your right, of course. But . . . as you wrestle with your Major Work, do you crave less […] … learn more→

Academic sentences are often lengthy. They make a point and then add multiple caveats and embellishments. Some people think there is an ideal sentence length. I have read for instance that the ideal newspaper sentence is somewhere around twenty words. Perhaps a little more, perhaps a little less. But around the twenty word mark. I’ve also read […] … learn more→

On April 22 scientists around the world are downing microscopes, pipettes and lasers and declaring it’s time take a public stand and be counted. Standing shoulder to shoulder with their scientific kindred, they’ll raise fists to the sky, united with one voice and shouting “science is… [insert message here]!” The question is: what is the […] … learn more→

“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.” “The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.” “The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master—that’s all.” –I’m quoting Lewis […] … learn more→