I'm teaching a sophomore class of 50+ students. At first, they seemed baffled at how to address me. I was addressed as Professor X, Dr. X, Ms. X., and Dr. "First Initial". All of these are cool with me except calling me Ms. It drives me nuts! If the students can address male professors as Dr., then why not the same for female professors? An informal survey around my department indicated that no male professors were called "Mr" and that female professors were sometimes called "Ms".
So now we've identified the problem here: students call female professors "Ms" at my particular university. I've cleared the problem up mostly for my course by the following actions. First, I sign every email as "Dr. X". Second, in class, I refer to myself in the third person as "Dr. X". Third, I tell the students "My last name is hard to pronounce, so you can pronounce my name as 'Dr.X'". I cleared up the problem in about a week without calling out a student for their misguiding addressing. Unfortunately, this problem will come up every semester that I teach, so I've got to cringe through the "Ms".
Other than that, I'm happy with teaching. It's fun and rewarding!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
End of Semester Frenzy
Everyone goes crazy at the end of the semester. Now it's my turn.
My husband has strep, my son has an ear infection, and I've got a proposal due tomorrow. I'm running a mini-hospital at home, and all the exertion has caused my joints to flare up. It's a day like today where I just want to give up. But, I know I'll muscle through it, turn the grant in, the family will get well, and I can take a week or two off.
I don't have kleenex in my office to wipe away the tears, but I guess I could tear open a maxi pad - they're pretty absorbent.
My husband has strep, my son has an ear infection, and I've got a proposal due tomorrow. I'm running a mini-hospital at home, and all the exertion has caused my joints to flare up. It's a day like today where I just want to give up. But, I know I'll muscle through it, turn the grant in, the family will get well, and I can take a week or two off.
I don't have kleenex in my office to wipe away the tears, but I guess I could tear open a maxi pad - they're pretty absorbent.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Does a disabled person have a shortened career?
Last week I heard a rumor about goings-on during my hiring at Big State U. The rumor goes like this:
I have a colleague at Big State U in my field, but not in my department. Let's call him Dr.M. When I was on the fence about switching universities last spring, I dined with him at a conference. He asked why I was wanting to move. I responded that I had a two-body problem and RA, so I needed to simplify my life.
Recently, I heard a rumor that during my hiring process Dr. M. had made inappropriate comments to members of my present department. He allegedly remarked that I shouldn't be hired because I have RA -therefore, my career would be shortened.
Upon hearing the rumor, I immediately sought out the head of the committee that hired me. The head told me that yes, Dr. M had told everyone that I had RA. But no, he did not remark on a shortened a career, nor did he say anything similarly inappropriate. The committee head went through all his emails and documents from Dr. M on the topic, and everything came out clean.
Dr. M is the same person who said inappropriate things you can read about here.
Rumors are rumors and can get out of hand. But in no way do I think my career would be shortened. To have twisted the rumor that direction, someone must have thought that way... I don't need to waste my time identifying the person. I just plug away and let my success speak for itself.
I have a colleague at Big State U in my field, but not in my department. Let's call him Dr.M. When I was on the fence about switching universities last spring, I dined with him at a conference. He asked why I was wanting to move. I responded that I had a two-body problem and RA, so I needed to simplify my life.
Recently, I heard a rumor that during my hiring process Dr. M. had made inappropriate comments to members of my present department. He allegedly remarked that I shouldn't be hired because I have RA -therefore, my career would be shortened.
Upon hearing the rumor, I immediately sought out the head of the committee that hired me. The head told me that yes, Dr. M had told everyone that I had RA. But no, he did not remark on a shortened a career, nor did he say anything similarly inappropriate. The committee head went through all his emails and documents from Dr. M on the topic, and everything came out clean.
Dr. M is the same person who said inappropriate things you can read about here.
Rumors are rumors and can get out of hand. But in no way do I think my career would be shortened. To have twisted the rumor that direction, someone must have thought that way... I don't need to waste my time identifying the person. I just plug away and let my success speak for itself.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Welcome Back, Sort Of
OK, I guess I'm back in some limited capacity. I'll post sometimes, just not a whole lot because my workload has exploded :)
@ the last person who commented - you sent me a website for a blog for someone with RA, but I accidentally deleted your comment! Please resend.
This semester has been full of proposal writing, travel, and setting up my lab from the move from Ivy League U to Big State School. I've never been happier. I wrote 8 proposals in 6 months, and got my NSF CAREER (unofficially). I gave a seminar at a top 10 school, and went to two conferences. I was elected to a leadership position in my area, and I was invited to write a review on my field in a respectable journal. I was invited by the founder of my field to give a talk at an invitation-only conference. I hired on another post-doc and two graduate students, bringing my lab up to 5 members. My lab was up and running within 4 months of the move.
I finally have the support network I've been needing. I'm living within 3 hours of my parents, 5 min of one cousin, and 90 min of my BFF cousin. My BFF labmate from graduate school also teaches at Big State School. There are many junior faculty to hang out with, and I can finally have a social life.
It's great here, and moving was one of the best decisions we ever made.
@ the last person who commented - you sent me a website for a blog for someone with RA, but I accidentally deleted your comment! Please resend.
This semester has been full of proposal writing, travel, and setting up my lab from the move from Ivy League U to Big State School. I've never been happier. I wrote 8 proposals in 6 months, and got my NSF CAREER (unofficially). I gave a seminar at a top 10 school, and went to two conferences. I was elected to a leadership position in my area, and I was invited to write a review on my field in a respectable journal. I was invited by the founder of my field to give a talk at an invitation-only conference. I hired on another post-doc and two graduate students, bringing my lab up to 5 members. My lab was up and running within 4 months of the move.
I finally have the support network I've been needing. I'm living within 3 hours of my parents, 5 min of one cousin, and 90 min of my BFF cousin. My BFF labmate from graduate school also teaches at Big State School. There are many junior faculty to hang out with, and I can finally have a social life.
It's great here, and moving was one of the best decisions we ever made.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
A Note From JP
I still don't know if I'm permanently coming back. Something happened today that reminded me of why I used to blog, and I'll share it with you.
A graduate student in my program just developed RA, and her advisor brought her to my office. I had never met another scientist with RA. I hugged her and cried. She was a first year graduate student and was worried she couldn't finish her doctorate because of RA. "You can! You can!" I said. "Once you get treatment, you'll be back in the lab. A little slower, but you can do it!" She and I talked for an hour about symptoms, meds, lifestyle changes, and everything else. This is really why I'm a professor now. I want to encourage and facilitate other scientists with disabilities to go after their dreams.
I have never felt so passionate about any cause before - people with RA can pursue their dreams, we just do it differently. We can do science just as good as anyone else. Don't let it get you down, don't let it stop you. Take care of your body first, and then go after what you want.
A graduate student in my program just developed RA, and her advisor brought her to my office. I had never met another scientist with RA. I hugged her and cried. She was a first year graduate student and was worried she couldn't finish her doctorate because of RA. "You can! You can!" I said. "Once you get treatment, you'll be back in the lab. A little slower, but you can do it!" She and I talked for an hour about symptoms, meds, lifestyle changes, and everything else. This is really why I'm a professor now. I want to encourage and facilitate other scientists with disabilities to go after their dreams.
I have never felt so passionate about any cause before - people with RA can pursue their dreams, we just do it differently. We can do science just as good as anyone else. Don't let it get you down, don't let it stop you. Take care of your body first, and then go after what you want.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Goodbye
I've decided to quit blogging. I'm tired of getting mean comments and I don't need that kind of "support".
The original goal of this blog was to connect with other people with bad PhD advisers, so I could make it through my PhD. I grew up, got a job, had a kid, got an autoimmune disease, and moved pre-tenure. I'm re-organizing my life and it's pretty awesome right now. Which is why I'd rather quit blogging so that I don't have to read all the shit that people send me. If I need support, I'll count on my friends. Not anonymous commentators with bad attitudes.
The original goal of this blog was to connect with other people with bad PhD advisers, so I could make it through my PhD. I grew up, got a job, had a kid, got an autoimmune disease, and moved pre-tenure. I'm re-organizing my life and it's pretty awesome right now. Which is why I'd rather quit blogging so that I don't have to read all the shit that people send me. If I need support, I'll count on my friends. Not anonymous commentators with bad attitudes.
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