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Sunday, July 27, 2014

5 Things You Should Never Say to a Jobless PhD (or an Employed Adjunct)

I'd better hurry up and post this because I won't be jobless for long!!

If you know a PhD who is not moving forward, for whatever reason, these are the questions/statements you should avoid:

1.  You can't get a job with a PhD?  

Actually, no. I've been trying for 2 years. Things just aren't working out for me right now. I'm either too qualified or I don't have enough experience, or they don't get back to me at all. Funny. These are the same problems I had when searching for a job after my bachelor's degree. Some things never change. If I had gotten a job after my B.S. and worked for the last 10 years, I would probably be much further along than I am now. Hind sight is 20/20 I suppose.

NSF_PhD_Emp_3.PNG

The Ph.D Bust: America's Awful Market for Young Scientists—in 7 Charts

Thank you PHDCOMICS for adding a little humor to a horrific reality.


2. Can I have your office?

Yes. With the power invested in me I bequeath my office, and all the belongings therein, unto you. May you use the space wisely by advancing knowledge and inspiring undergraduates. May the window, a rare commodity among graduate student offices, bring you joy, good fortune, and inspiration.

I have no power over anything, especially room assignments. I hope you can get this office, but be warned, there is bad mojo in here.


3. I don't care if I'm flipping burgers when I graduate, I just want to be finished.

Lies. 

Ignorance.

You will care. If you have spent this much time, effort, and money on your education, then you have an unspoken measure of success that you will hold yourself to. A minimum wage job that can be filled by a 16 year old will not be fulfilling. It's great to set one goal at a time (e.g. defending your dissertation), but don't expect those goals to end once you graduate. You'll always have a measure of success that you hold yourself to. Please don't belittle my experience.

4. I have so many post-doc opportunities, I don't know which one to choose!

Wow, thanks for that.

I'm happy that you aren't married, don't have kids, or any other situations that might tie you down. Fly like a bird. Conquer the world. Find Sasquatch.

I sincerely wish all my colleagues the best and I hope they succeed. I hold no ill-will toward them.  I just wish their enthusiasm could be tempered by empathy for someone who does not have as many opportunities. The lack of opportunities is not due to a lack of trying. If you only knew how many post-doc employers I called, asking (begging) them to consider me and let me work long distance, then you might think twice about bragging.


5. You'll get back into academia, it might just take a few years.

I'm glad you are a dreamer! I was once idealistic and naive like you. Please, never loose that quality. Once you learn that your future is largely impacted by who you know and what you can do to advance their careers, you'll loose that innocence. So, my response to you is, "Thank you for the encouragement. You're probably right. Some things just take time. My time will come."

Unfortunately, in the sciences, once you are out of academia for a time, you rarely have the chance to get back in. I have worked as an adjunct for a year. I've been told that not having a post-doc is equivalent to the black plague in academia. My academic career is dead. 

So, I'm moving on. It took some time, but I just accepted a great position working in an office with amazing people. I may not be "academic material" to some, but I'm going to make my mark on this world. I'm going to continue to work hard and eventually, I will reach my measure of success.


I had the American dream. I worked for it. Now I'm an adjunct.


America is the land of opportunity, where dreams are fulfilled and success is guaranteed as long as you work hard and persevere.


Our former president, Bill Clinton, said "The American Dream that we were all raised on is a simple but powerful one- if you work hard and play by the rules you should be given a chance to go as far as your God-given ability will take you" (Speech to Democratic Leadership Council, 1993).

Even our childhood classrooms were filled with posters that said something to the effect of "reach for the stars" or "never give up".


But, what happens when you work hard, reach for the stars, never give up, endure, persevere, and yet, you still have not obtained anything close to the American dream? You can't even get your foot in the door? In my particular case, you become an adjunct.

My Dream

I had the dream of being an academic. Living in a world of scholarship, teaching, and service. I began this dream 14 years ago as I entered higher education as a lively, idealistic student of biology. I loved math and science, I always had, and I knew I could mold that love into a passionate career. Granted, that dream began with me wanting to be a MD and teach at a medical school, but the basic foundation was always there. I was built for the academic life. I did everything right. I was diligent with my studies. I published papers (one was published two weeks after childbirth - yep, I'm awesome). I worked relentlessly (which I owe to my parent's amazing work ethic). I attended and presented at conferences. I made sure to have diverse experiences. I finished my PhD. Then.....nothing.

Before I proceed, I want to clear the air. I have two major limitations for an academic career: mobility and "freedom."

I am a trailing spouse and my significant other is not in academia. For those who don't know, a trailing spouse is one who follows their partner's career because they make more money, have more opportunities, whatever it may be. I'm the one who has to find a job AFTER my husband because he has a good career that allows us to live a comfortable life. Also, my spouse is not an academic (thank goodness), meaning that I do not have the pull or negotiating power for a spousal accommodation. Because of this, I am limited to where I can live, and therefore, work. Despite many efforts of myself, and my PhD adviser (who was and is amazing), I have not been able to find an academic job in the city where I finished my PhD. My mobility is limited, therefore my job opportunities are limited.

In addition to not being mobile, I do not have the freedom that many of my academic counterparts do. I am the primary care-taker of the young children in our family. This is a big responsibility that takes energy, time, and thoughtfulness. Since my husband has secure employment, my first priority is taking care of my family. I only know of a few women in the sciences, or academia in general, who are highly successful in their careers as well as motherhood. Usually, one of those is compromised, and for mothers with young children it tends to be their careers.

What is an Adjunct?

Without being too dramatic, I'd like to define an adjunct for you. An adjunct is a part-time employee of higher education institutions that is paid per class, hired by semester, and does not receive benefits (even though we pay into state retirement funds). The wages earned by adjuncts are far below the poverty line. Put bluntly, we are an out-sourced labor force for higher education.

We LOVE to teach. We LOVE to learn. We LOVE inspiring students. We are also idealistic. These are the very characteristics of our personalities that make us exploitable. We honestly believe that if we work hard enough, someone will notice and give us a "real" job doing what we love.  Our ability to endure, persevere, and work hard despite proper acknowledgement and compensation actually hold us back. People know that we will work for peanuts, all because we have to keep our CVs current in order to be competitive for faculty positions. It's sad, really. They use our finest qualities to keep us servants of the system.

In fact, the situation is so bad, that many adjuncts are going on welfare and living on food stamps. I don't know about you, but earning a Ph.D. and THEN living on food stamps is not my idea of the American Dream.

Many of you will probably say that you have to start at the bottom and then move up. Adjuncts are at the bottom, so you've got that part right. However, adjuncts rarely get the opportunity to move up and if they do, it's after YEARS of service. One of the reasons most adjuncts do not advance in their department is because their position is stigmatized. Being an adjunct is a shameful position and is typically looked-down upon by other professionals. You're seen as the person who didn't make it or couldn't cut it in academia. Once you are classified as an adjunct, it's a hard title to shake.

My Situation


First of all, I want to make it very clear that I am happy to have a job. The department does not owe me anything, and yet they choose to let me teach one of their largest classes. I appreciate the opportunity and I have enjoyed the experience. However, I see adjunct positions as temporary. I gave myself one year, and if I couldn't make anything from that experience then I would move on.

Well, it's been a year. Looks like I'm moving on.

I recently accepted an amazing administrative job in a department where I will grow and develop as a professional. It's still in the world of academia and I still get to teach, but not as a faculty member. Instead, I will be teaching the teachers in academia. I am very excited to be moving forward with my career and I'm elated about this particular opportunity.


Opportunity

Adjuncts are an excellent labor force, if someone can just find a way to tap into it. These individuals are highly educated, highly motivated, they have an incredible work ethic, and they are loyal to the end. If someone could come up with a business model that used an adjunct's skill set (teaching, scholarship, research, service) while also paying them a livable wage, they would have an inexhaustible source of highly qualified employees. Notice that I said LIVABLE WAGE. These people aren't expecting to be millionaires, or even upper-class, they just want to work hard and get a fair wage for their effort. That's what I would call the American Dream. Wouldn't you?



I've had to mourn the loss of my academic dream, but now I'm starting a new dream. Who knows where I'll go from here!


Sunday, July 6, 2014

World's Environmental Status - Environmental Literacy Can Help!

(This is an excerpt from the first chapter of my dissertation: Structural and Functional Properties of Environmental Education and Literacy in Texas: A Multi-Scaled Approach to Identifying Patterns among Organizations and Effects of Nature Experiences on Literacy Levels of Undergraduates. 2013. Jenny D. Lloyd-Strovas, Ph.D.) 


               Humans depend on healthy ecosystems to provide water, energy, and food so that we can have a high quality of life. Yet, we are changing the natural world at an unprecedented rate, and the prevalence of human disease and ecosystem degradation is increasing (Pimentel, 2007). Below are a few challenges that we face as a global community and how those challenges affect our well-being.
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These examples indicate a growing gap between the natural environment and society. This gap is environmental illiteracy and there are many approaches to address this issue. Government policy is a top-down approach that can be used at varying scales – local, regional, national, or international. For example, DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), a commonly used insecticide in the mid-twentieth century, was banned by the U.S. in 1972 (EPA, 1975) and internationally in 2004 (Stockholm Convention, 2008). Grassroots and humanitarian efforts are bottom-up approaches which start at a small scale but can grow into large, international efforts. For example, Earth Day is a grassroots initiative that was first celebrated in 1970 by a few U.S. cities and is now celebrated in more than 175 countries every year (Earth Day Network, 2013). 
Environmental initiatives were common in the 1970s and should have resulted in a society which understood the value of our natural resources. Yet, the U.S. population is largely ignorant and misinformed about the great number of impending environmental threats. American adults cannot pass a simple quiz on environmental issues (Coyle, 2005). Our country’s K-12 students rank far behind other countries in math and science (National Center for Education Statistics, 2007). Forty percent of Americans do not accept evolutionary theory, despite conclusive scientific evidence (Miller et al., 2006). As a society we need to understand ecological concepts, value our natural resources, and behave in a way that fosters stewardship and sustainability.
Environmental education offers a multi-faceted approach for bridging the gap between society and the natural environment (Hart, 2007). Environmental education is defined as a discipline which “teaches children and adults how to learn about and investigate their environment and to make intelligent, informed decisions about how they can take care of it” (Environmental Education and Training Partnership, EETAP, 2010; North American Association for Environmental Education, NAAEE, 2013). This discipline is implemented at many different scales, for example, geopolitical structures, formal or informal education, various age groups, and public or private institutions. The goal of environmental education is to increase environmental literacy which is defined as “the knowledge and understanding of a wide range of environmental concepts, problems, and issues, a set of cognitive and affective dispositions, a set of cognitive skills and abilities, and the appropriate behavioral strategies to apply such knowledge and understanding in order to make sound and effective decisions in a range of environmental contexts” (NAAEE, 2011).

Climate change, deforestation, an increasing human population, a decrease in sanitary water sources, excessive use of unsustainable energy sources, pollution, and a loss of biodiversity have an effect on human health, our economy, and our overall well-being. To address these concerns, we must have a well-educated society which understands environmental issues, cares about our natural resources, and is willing to work toward a sustainable future. Environmental education is a multi-faceted approach to creating environmentally literate citizens who have the knowledge and skills to develop solutions for anthropogenic environmental issues.


References
  • Burdette, Hillary L., M.D., M.S.; and Robert C. Whitaker, M.D, M.P.H. (2005). “Resurrecting Free Play in Young  Children: Looking Beyond Fitness and Fatness to Attention, Affiliation and Affect.” Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. 159(1):46-50. 
  • Carpenter, D.O., Arcaro, K.F., & Sprals, D.C. (2002). Understanding the human health effects of chemical mixtures. Environmental Health Perspectives. 110:25-42. 
  • Chivian, E. (2002). Biodiversity: its importance to human health. Center for Health and Global Environment. Harvard Medical School. Retrived March 14, 2013 from: http://env.chass.utoronto.ca/env200y/ESSAY04/Biodiversity.pdf. 
  • Coyle, K. (2005). Environmental Literacy in America. The National Environmental Education and Training Foundation: Washington, DC. 
  • Earth Day Network. (2013). Earth Day: the history of a movement. Earthday.org. Retrieved March 9, 2013 from: http://www.earthday.org/earth-day-history-movement. 
  • Environmental Education and Training Partnership. (2010). What is environmental education? Retrieved March 2, 2013 from: http://www.eetap.org/pages/dynamic/web.page.php?page_id=107&topology_id=21&eod=1. 
  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (1975). DDT: a review of scientific and economic aspects of the decision to ban its use as a pesticide. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Washington, DC.
  • Floriani, V., & Kennedy, C. (2008). “Promotion of physical activity in children.” Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 20(1):90-95. 
  • Food and Agriculture Organization. (2001). State of the world’s forests 2001. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Rome, Italy. Retrieved March 5, 2013 from: http://www.fao.org/forestry/sofo/en/. 
  • Hart, P. (2007). Environmental Education (Chapter 24). Handbook of Research on Science Education. Eds: Abell, S.K, & Lederman, N.G. Routledge: New York, NY. 
  • Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2007). IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007. Working Group II: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Retrieved March 5, 2013 from: http://ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg2/en/ch1s1-1-2.html.
  • Kaplan, R. (2001). The nature of the view from home: psychological benefits. Environment & Behavior. 33(4):507-542. 
  • Kellert, Stephen R. (2005). “Nature and Childhood Development.” In Building for Life: Designing and Understanding  the Human-Nature Connection. Washington, D.C.: Island Press. 
  • Lieberman, G.A., Hoody, L.L. (1998). Closing the achievement gap: using the environment as an integrating context for learning. State Education and Environment Roundtable. San Diego, CA. 
  • Maller, C., Townsend, M., St.Leger, L., Henderson-Wilson, C., Pryor, A., Prosser, L., and Moore, M. (2008). “The health benefits of contact with nature in a park context: A review of relevant literature.” Deakin  University and Parks Victoria. 
  • Miller, J.D., Scott, E.C., Okamoto, S. (2006). Public acceptance of evolution. Science. 313:765-766. 
  • National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). (2007). Highlights from PISA 2006: performance of U.S. 15 year olds in science and mathematics literacy in an international context. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved September 1, 2011 from: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2008016. 
  • North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE). (2011). Developing a Framework for Assessing Environmental Literacy.  Retrieved July 21, 2012 from: http://www.naaee.net/sites/default/files/framework/DevFramewkAssessEnvLitOnlineEd.pdf.
  • North American Association for Environmental Education. (2013). What is environmental education? Retrieved March 13, 2013 from: http://www.naaee.net/what-is-ee. 
  • Pimental, D., Wilson, C., McCullum, C., Huang, R., Dwen, P., Flack, J., Tran, Q., Saltman, T. Cliff, B. (1997). Economic and environmental benefits of biodiversity. BioScience. 47(11): 747-757. 
  • Pimentel, D., Cooperstein, S., Randell, H., Filiberto, D., Sorrentino, S., Kaye, B., Kicklin, C., Yagi, J., Brian, J., O’Hern, J., Habas, A., & Weinstein, C. (2007). Ecology of increasing diseases: population growth and environmental degradation. Human Ecology. 35:653-668. 
  • Stockholm Convention. (2008). Status of Ratifications. Retrieved March 9, 2013 from: http://chm.pops.int/Home/tabid/2121/Default.aspx. 
  • Thomas, C.D., Cameron, A., Green, R.E., Bakkenes, M., Beaumont, L.J., Collingham, Y.C., Erasmus, B.F.N., de Siqueira, M.F., Grainger, A., Hannah, L., Hughes, L., Huntley, B., van Jaarveld, A.S., Midgley, G.F., Miles, L., Ortega-Huerta, M.A., Peterson, A.T., Phillips, O.L., Williams, S.E. (2004). Extinction risk from climate change. Nature. 427:145-148. 
  • United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (2009). Population Newsletter. 87. Retrieved March 5, 2013 from: http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/popnews/Newsltr_87.pdf. 
  • United Nations Energy (2013). Energy Access. Retrieved March 14, 2013 from:  http://www.un-energy.org/cluster/energy_access. 
  • U.S. Energy Information Administration. (2013). Short-term energy outlook: global crude oil and liquid fuels. Retrieved March 14, 2013 from: http://www.eia.gov/forecasts/steo/report/global_oil.cfm. 
  • World Health Organization (WHO). (2012). Global analysis and assessment of sanitation and drinking-water: the challenge of extending and sustaining services. WHO Press. Switzerland. Retrieved March 5, 2013 from: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2012/9789241503365_eng.pdf.



Climate Change



In the last century, average global air temperature has increased by about 0.7°C (1.3°F). This increase in temperature is causing glaciers to recede on all continents, a major source of freshwater to millions of people, and extreme weather events to become more frequent and intense, for example, Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007). 

IPCC 2007


Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2007). IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007. Working Group II: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Retrieved March 5, 2013 from: http://ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg2/en/ch1s1-1-2.html
 

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