Academic Diaries

Episode Notes This episode is about persistence, identity, science, and the people who help carry us forward. How do you get through the hardest moments in life? What does it take to be both a mother and a scientist in a demanding field? And perhaps most importantly: how do you repair a hairdryer without making your parents call the repairperson? In this episode of "The Academic Diaries"...

Episode Notes How do you make hard decisions? How long should you take to decide whether to move to another country or get married? Is there a checklist,or even a “right” way, to decide big life questions? These are some of the questions Prof. Baessler and I explore in this episode of Academic Diaries. Prof. Baessler begins by sharing what university was like in Germany, including the famously int...

Episode Notes What do you do when a problem is unfamiliar and challenging, when you keep working on it and you’re unsure whether a solution even exists? That’s the journey Professor Pfister and I invite you to join us on. Threading into unknown waters, navigating uncertainty, and uncovering new possibilities. Professor Pfister begins by recalling how his academic path might have gone quite differe...

Episode Notes Have you ever wondered whether you’re really smart… or if your successes are just luck? In this episode, Professor Chris Neu discusses imposter syndrome, and how the right mentors made all the difference in helping him grow into the person he is today. He starts his story on a school morning listening to the radio, and forming a dream—to one day become a high energy physicist. He tal...

Episode Notes Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a professor? Now you can get an idea by listening to Prof. Cass Sackett’s story. He opens with his undergraduate journey at Harvey Mudd College and walks us through his path to becoming a Professor of Physics at the University of Virginia. Today, he’s a trusted supervisor, the Director of Undergraduate Studies, and a valued member of the Ph...