Rise with Clarity Podcast

Are you a new professor who is beginning your first year on the tenure track this fall? If so, then this episode is just for you!  In this encore episode of the Rise with Clarity Podcast, I reflect on the different components of the onboarding process for new faculty, and offer you 5 tips on how to manage some of the overwhelm that may come with this big transition.  Find the full written transcri...

What are your non-negotiables right now? In this moment of precarity and change in higher ed, faculty are being asked to rethink what they will and won’t compromise on. In Episode 58 of the Rise with Clarity Podcast , I address the shifting political pressures facing the academy, especially for women of color faculty. I share 10 reflective questions to help you get clarity on what your non-negotia...

In this 57th episode of the Rise with Clarity Podcast , I wanted to use this time to share with you a new program that I am launching later this summer as well as the reasons why I’m doing this.  The program is called “Writing Support for Faculty Caregivers,” and it’s a pilot group coaching program that I’m developing for faculty who are trying to make meaningful progress on a specific writing goa...

What happens when you finally give yourself space to reflect on full circle moments and milestones--both personal and academic? In this episode, I share a meaningful full circle moment (returning to Harvard as a keynote speaker nearly two decades after organizing the same conference as a graduate student), alongside the milestone of turning 50. In this 56th episode of the Rise with Clarity Podcast...

Mentoring and coaching aren’t mutually exclusive practices in the higher education environment. There’s actually a powerful middle space where they can overlap. In this 55th episode of the Rise with Clarity Podcast , I explore how academic mentoring and professional coaching can coexist, especially for faculty who seek both informed guidance and a nonjudgmental space to think, reflect, and plan th...

Do you need an academic mentor or a professional coach? Or both? Or asked another way, what kinds of support can you expect from a mentor vs. a coach when you are trying to reach your career goals? If you’re a little fuzzy on what some of the distinctions are between mentorship and coaching, then don’t worry, this episode is for you. In this 54th episode of the Rise with Clarity Podcast, I talk ab...

Are you in a toxic higher ed work environment? Should you stay or should you leave?  There’s no easy answer to these questions…especially if you have invested a lot of time and energy in landing a tenure track position in today’s higher ed job market.  Deciding whether to stay or leave entails a lot of reflection, some soul searching, the weighing of pros and cons, and if you do end up leaving--pl...

For those of you who are at the midpoint of your academic careers: who are your mentors right now? Have you mostly stayed connected with your mentors or advisor from earlier on in your academic career? Or have you had to continually seek out mentors throughout job transitions and different stages of your career? I raise these questions because lately I’ve heard from a few mid-career women faculty...

Professors: What kind of support systems do you have to lean on right now, in this current moment?  I think this is a really important question to ask yourself and to answer. In an earlier episode of the Rise with Clarity Podcast, I shared some ways that you can better identify your support systems within and beyond higher education.  In that episode—which was number 40—I take you through a kind o...

In this 50th episode of the Rise with Clarity Podcast , and the first one of 2026, I’m going to be reflecting on how I’m going to really try and lean into my word of the year, which is NOURISH.  There are a couple definitions for nourish : To provide with the food or nutrients that are necessary for life, health, well-being, and growth. To cherish or foster. To strengthen, build up, or promote. To...

2025 has been a year of peak disruption for faculty in higher ed. It’s not surprising, then, that this year has spurred some of you to begin to consider what a Plan B, Plan C, and Plan D could look like for you. This episode is for those of you who are facing some pretty big decisions on the horizon—like whether to stay at your current institution, apply for jobs in different states, start a side...

Does your research stop after you’ve left academia?  This is a question that I explore in the 48th episode of the Rise with Clarity Podcast . I offer some reflections on a few professional experiences that I've had this year as an author, a consultant, and as a speaker, and I think of the ways in which research has been embedded in these experiences even though I'm no longer in the acade...

Prior to starting your first job, how many of you were trained to lead an effective graduate seminar? Was your first experience with facilitating a graduate seminar during your first year on the tenure track? And do you remember how that went? In this encore broadcast of the Rise with Clarity Podcast, I’ll be talking about some of the challenges with leading graduate seminars for your first time....

How many requests to review article or book manuscripts do you receive on a regular basis?  And do you have a process for deciding what you’ll take on in a given semester or academic year? In this 46th episode of the Rise with Clarity Podcast I want to talk a little bit about the pros and cons entailed in doing peer reviews. I hope that by addressing some of these dimensions that aren’t talked abo...

What are your values when it comes to AI? And following up on that question, what are your pedagogical values when it comes to AI usage in the classroom? If you’re confused about how to navigate this new reality, it’s completely understandable! It’s also reasonable if you are feeling conflicted about whether you are even Team AI or not. In this 45th episode of the Rise with Clarity Podcast, I shar...

In this encore broadcast, I discuss the topic of amplifying the academic achievements of women of color faculty. I reflect on how it can sometimes be very challenging for women of color faculty to promote their own achievements. Lastly, I offer 6 tips on how to better ensure your academic accomplishments are acknowledged, documented, and amplified.   Find the full transcript for this episode at Ri...

Professors: What lights you up in your job? If you need to think about your response to this question, I invite you to linger a bit here. Because I think it’s important for you to have some clarity on this as you move forward in your academic career—whether you’re just starting out as a new professor or you’re well beyond tenure.  In this 43rd episode of the Rise with Clarity Podcast, I reflect on...

Conceptualizing and developing a course syllabus may be daunting if this is a first-time experience for you. You might feel compelled to devote the entire summer to crafting your syllabi. In this 42nd episode of the Rise with Clarity Podcast , which is a re-release of Episode 24, I share 6 tips on course and syllabus prep for those of you who are new to teaching. But I also bring into this discuss...

Are you a new professor who is beginning your first year on the tenure track this fall? If so, then this episode is just for you!  In this 41st episode of the Rise with Clarity Podcast, I reflect on the different components of the onboarding process for new faculty, and offer you 5 tips on how to manage some of the overwhelm that may come with this big transition.  Find the full written transcript...

In this 40th episode of the Rise with Clarity Podcast, I talk about identifying systems of support for you in and beyond higher ed as you move forward in the coming months. I demonstrate how you can use the GROW model to help you identify and articulate what systems of support you need to reach your goals by the end of the summer. You can find the full written transcript for this episode at Risewi...

How do you mentor PhD students on a career pathway that’s very different from your own? What advice would you give to your students who are looking to leave higher ed, especially if you have never worked outside of academia? For many faculty, this situation can seem pretty daunting.  In this 39th episode of the Rise with Clarity Podcast, I introduce you to a simple coaching tool called the GROW mo...

How do you help PhD students who want to pursue a non-academic career after graduation? Some programs or departments have the expectation that their graduates will choose careers in diverse fields like industry, healthcare, government, the non-profit sector, or primary education.  But there are lots of graduate programs out there that offer specific training for graduate students on how to enter t...

If someone were to ask you today about your core values, would you be able to articulate them out loud? Have you ever spent the time to think about your values, especially as they relate to your professional work? When I asked these questions to a former client of mine in our very first session, she was stumped. She was at a crossroads in her life, where she had essentially come to the decision to...

How do you want to show up as a scholar right now? For those of you who are based in the United States, this is a question that you are already facing now or will in the near future. No matter which way you turn, you are likely to be impacted by this administration’s repressive actions. At the very least, you will be affected by the recent austerity measures that many university administrators are...

Are you new to caring for an aging parent or parents? If so, I want you to let you know that I’m thinking of you and your loved one on this challenging journey. I started my own caregiving journey in quite an unexpected way, after my father had a serious and debilitating stroke over 2 years ago. For part of this time, I was a tenured faculty member, struggling to manage my professional duties with...