“There Are Many Reasons That People Succeed in Academia”

Abstract

In our interview with Jamie Hanson, he tells us how he progressed from graduate school to a tenure-track faculty position and some of the challenges he encountered along the way. Jamie highlights that academic positions involve many responsibilities beyond research and teaching, something many PhD students may not realize. Of particular importance, many academic positions involve a shift from focusing on doing the research yourself to being in a more mentorship role. Jamie also shares some insights from considering positions at several universities and considering what might be best as a family, especially in light of a two-body problem. Academia requires a high degree of resilience to rejection, but there are still many paths to success.