The PhD Life Raft Podcast

This week's episode focuses on how to look after your mental health and maintain balance and a sense of your own well-being when faced with a life-crisis during the PhD. My guest Lauren Graffin shares her experiences of negotiating her father's serious illness and the death of her much-loved supervisor while undertaking her doctoral study.   Lauren completed her Master's in Applied Drama at the Un...

Welcome back to the first episode of Season Two!   We are starting off with thinking about reciprocity and building a supportive and encouraging academic community.   Dr Dave Maslach is an Associate Professor in Innovation Strategy and Entrepreneurship at Florida State University.  In this episode we talk about his own journey through an undergrad in Chemical Engineering and Sociology into his doc...

It's the last episode of Season One and our Christmas special and we are celebrating with two guests!   Chloé Bradwell is a Drama practitioner and SWW DTP funded PhD candidate at the University of Exeter and Aberystwyth University. Chloé has held the positions of Activity Manager and Research Associate in care homes and continues working as a freelance Drama Practitioner in dementia care while und...

Feeling lonely is one of the most common difficulties for PhD students - particularly those studying overseas .   This week's podcast talks to Georgina Binnie who founded the 'Writing Back' project in 2014; the award-winning scheme matches home-based and international University of Leed students as pen pals with older correspondents recruited via engagement with 26 local charities.     You can fin...

Lynette Goddard is Professor of Black Theatre and Performance at Royal Holloway, University of London. Their research and teaching is focused in the area of the politics of contemporary Black British theatre and performance, including work on new writing by Black playwrights and contemporary Black productions of canonical plays.   In this episode of the podcast Lynette reflects on the experience o...

According to a study by The Council of Graduate Schools , 44% of doctoral students lose their motivation and do not complete their degree within 10 years .  Maintaining your passion and motivation for your PhD is a real challenge - especially in the times that we find ourselves in where just keeping going is a struggle.   Ciara Feely is a 2nd year PhD student with ML Labs in University College Dub...

From her extensive work in the field Valerie Young guesses that approximately 90% of PhD students experience imposter syndrome !  In this episode she offers some reflections on why academic culture may feed that anxiety of being found out as a fraud; as well as offering some advice on how to shift your perspective .   Dr Valerie Young is the author of the award-winning book The Secret Thoughts of...

A very important element of your PhD journey is your relationship with your supervisor.     In this episode I talk to Dr Chris Megson, Reader in Drama and Theatre and Director of Postgraduate Research Education, in the School of Performing and Digital Arts at Royal Holloway, University of London.  Chris has supervised many doctoral students and been awarded the inaugural Researcher Supervisor of t...

Alex Soojung-Kim Pang's book Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less is a book that I regularly recommend to PhD students.   Alex is a visiting scholar in History and Philosophy of Science and Technology at Stanford University.  He is also the founder of Strategy and Rest , a consultancy advising companies on how to implement 4-day weeks.  In this interview he shares his own journey negotia...

I am delighted to share this conversation with Mays Imad.   Mays serves as a Professor of Genetics, Biotechnology, and Bioethics at Pima Community College and is the founding coordinator of the Teaching and Learning Center.  Her current research focuses on stress, self-awareness, advocacy, and classroom community.   Through her teaching and research, Mays seeks to provide students with transformat...

My fabulous first guest is Chloe Lee a 3rd year History student undertaking a practice-as-research PhD.   Chloe talks about three key things that she wishes she had known more about when she was starting her PhD.   Shares how she structures her time and creates a manageable rhythm for working.  She talks about her own experience of part-time work as a helpful aspect in shaping her week and we touc...

Hello and welcome to The PhD Life Raft Podcast!