academia

An Open Letter to My Students

August 6, 2020

Dear Student, The fall 2020 term is now upon us. The world as we know it has turned upside-down over the last six months. We are living in a pandemic and are facing difficult (and necessary) personal and societal issues sparked by the Black Lives Matters movement. Your learning experience will be different this fall, […]

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5 Lessons for my Graduate Students

August 28, 2018
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ICMPC (the International Conference of Music Perception and Cognition meeting I attended in July) is most succinctly described as a music science conference. Although various fields are represented, including music psychology, music cognition, music theory, music therapy, and more, at its core it’s a science conference. And I find it fascinating to note the differences […]

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Pomp and Circumstance-inspired Musings

May 13, 2017
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I am fresh off the annual academic tradition of the commencement ceremony. With its academic regalia, inspirational speeches, decorated caps, air horns, and (of course) music, this event marks a concrete moment in life when one transitions into a new role—student to professional, student back to (law/medical/grad) student, student scholar to professional academic. I enjoy […]

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10 Truths Learned as a First-Year Novice University Professor

May 11, 2015
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As of the publishing of this post, I have submitted my grades for the spring 2015 term, thus ending my first year as a full-fledged university professor. I’ve come to view my transition into professor-ship this year a bit like what it means to become a parent or be a PhD student. No one can […]

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[Mommy Mondays] Three Big Truths: Reflections on Gender, Work Ethic, and Boundaries

March 6, 2015
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As a woman, a mother, a working mother, a working mother in academia, and a working-mother-in-academia-with-a-background-in-small business-and-“night job”-as-a-state-legislative-advocacy-and-policy-strategist…I am drawn towards articles and information that center on what it means to be a woman and, in particular, a strong woman in the workforce. I’ve read Sheryl Sanberg’s Lean In, Amy Poehler’s Yes Please, Tina Fey’s […]

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The Next Chapter: A Life of Academia

May 1, 2014
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The final transition of the graduate school experience may not be the passing of a thesis or dissertation defense, but rather figuring out what happens next. My conversations with fellow graduate students at this stage in their degree often centers around job possibilities, job interviews, and professional scuttlebutt about who is moving into what position. […]

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Research and the Ph.D.: My Third “Child”

October 17, 2013
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I am beginning to understanding that my Ph.D. will be my third child. There’s a surprising amount of shared experiences involved in bringing a human being into this world and adding three little letters behind your name. There is the emotional, mental, and physical fatigue. Feelings of needing to push (which is biological when giving […]

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Behind the Research Cake

October 3, 2013
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I don’t have any data to support this, but I’d venture to guess that most people interact with research when they read a journal article or hear a news-worthy soundbite. In essence, most people are seeing the final product, a perfectly frosted cake sitting prettily in the middle of the table. What they don’t see […]

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10 Strategies for Processing the Big Ideas

July 30, 2013
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It has officially been more than two weeks since I have last updated my blog! Yikes! It has been quite a productive two weeks, though. I’ve spent the majority of the time making progress on my scholarly work. This is an exciting stage for me—many of my ideas, readings, and writings are finally starting to […]

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