Vitamin PhD Podcast
84 episodes - English - Latest episode: 8 months ago - ★★★★ - 9 ratingsVitamin PhD is a "supplement" to doctoral study produced at Boston University. Our podcast delivers career narratives and skills know-how through two formats. In Career Pathways episodes, we help you explore career options by interviewing people who have earned their doctorate and now work in a variety of sectors. In our Navigating Challenges episodes, we discuss issues that can present difficulties in graduate school, and we provide tips to help you succeed.
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Episodes
Episode 5: Academic Path From a PhD with Dr. Patricia Fabian
September 07, 2023 04:00 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MBOn the final episode of season 10, the hosts are talking with Dr. Patricia Fabian about taking an academic career path after getting a PhD. We hope you have enjoyed this season of Vitamin PhD on career development! Dr. Patricia Fabian's Links: Website: https://www.bu.edu/sph/profile/m-fabian/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/PatriciaFabianS @ PatriciaFabianS
Episode 4: Moving from Academia to a Non-Academic Position with Dr. Lindsey Butler
August 31, 2023 04:00 - 27 minutes - 19 MBOn this episode, our hosts speak with Dr. Lindsey Butler, Director of Climate and Health Resilience at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, about deciding to take a non-academic path after getting a PhD. Websites: https://coverage.bluecrossma.com/author/dr-lindsey-butler Twitter: https://twitter.com/drlindseybutler @drlindseybutler
Episode 3: Career development: Not A One-Size Fits All With Maria Erb
August 24, 2023 04:00 - 35 minutes - 24.6 MBWelcome to episode 3! Today, the hosts speak with Maria Erb, Director of the Newbury Center for First Generation students at Boston University, about supporting students, especially first generation students and students from underrepresented groups, in navigating career opportunities and education. Website: https://www.bu.edu/newbury-center/about/meet-the-staff/ Newbury Center at BU: https://www.bu.edu/newbury-center/
Episode 2: Decolonizing the Academy
August 17, 2023 04:00 - 28 minutes - 19.5 MBFor this episode, hosts Alexa and Adrianna speak with Dr. Autumn Asher BlackDeer, a queer decolonial scholar-activist from the Southern Cheyenne Nation who currently serves as an assistant professor in the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver. They discuss the idea of decolonizing the academy and considerations for professional development. You can find out more about Dr. BlackDeer on her website.
Episode 1: Career Development and Social Media
August 10, 2023 04:00 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MBIn this episode, our hosts speak with Dr. Gertrude Nonterah, the founder of The Bold PhD and speaker, expert panelist, and workshop facilitator. They discuss the meaning behind a personal brand and how to use social media to facilitate career development.
Transition Episode: Introducing Season 10
August 03, 2023 04:00 - 8 minutes - 5.57 MBWelcome to season 10 of Vitamin PhD! In this episode, we are introduced to this season's core capacity, career development, and we meet our new hosts: Adrianna Spindle and Alexa Friedman. We hope you enjoy listening! Stay tuned each Thursday for new episodes of this season.
Episode 6: Dr. Esther Jones on Self-Awareness in our Graduate and Professional Lives
May 04, 2023 04:00 - 33 minutes - 23.3 MBOn today's episode, our hosts speak with Dr. Esther Jones, Associate Professor of English and the E Franklin Fraser Chair of African American Literature, Theory and Culture at Clark University, on self-awareness and what it means to practice that core capacity in our graduate and professional lives. Links: Medicine and Ethics in Black Women's Speculative Fiction Dr. Esther Jones Twitter
Episode 5: Dr. Susanna Harris on Self-Awareness in Communication and Advocacy
April 27, 2023 04:00 - 48 minutes - 33.4 MBToday the hosts speak with Dr. Susanna Harris, founder of PhD Balance, on how we can use self-awareness to better practice communication and advocate for our mental health. Links: PhD Balance Dr. Susanna Harris's Twitter Dragonfly Mental Health
Episode 4: Dr. Hannah Čulík-Baird on Self-Awareness Within Academia and Long-Term Projects
April 20, 2023 04:00 - 49 minutes - 33.7 MBToday, the hosts are talking with Dr. Hannah Čulík-Baird on the importance of using self-awareness to navigate academia and work on long-term projects. Links: Cicero and the Early Latin Poets Dr. Hannah Cúlik-Baird's Twitter Haruki Murakami's What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
Episode 3: Dr. Emily Roberts and Self-Awareness in Finances PART 2
April 13, 2023 04:00 - 22 minutes - 15.2 MBWelcome back to Season 9 of Vitamin PhD! Today the hosts finish their conversation with Dr. Emily Roberts, Owner of Personal Finance for PhDs. This is part 2 of an episode discussing how we can use self-awareness to take control of our finances and set ourselves up for a fiscally sustainable and successful future. Links: Personal Finance for PhDs Money Scripts Quiz Erin Lowry's Broke Millennial Book Series PhD Stipend Survey NAB Budget Planner
Episode 2: Dr. Emily Roberts and Self-Awareness in Finances PART 1
April 06, 2023 04:00 - 20 minutes - 14.4 MBWelcome back to Season 9 of Vitamin PhD! Today the hosts are speaking to Dr. Emily Roberts, Owner of Personal Finance for PhDs. This is part 1 of an episode discussing how we can use self-awareness to take control of our finances and set ourselves up for a fiscally sustainable and successful future. Links: Personal Finance for PhDs Money Scripts Quiz Erin Lowry's Broke Millennial Book Series PhD Stipend Survey NAB Budget Planner
Episode 1: Maria Erb on Identity and Advocacy
March 30, 2023 04:00 - 39 minutes - 27.5 MBWelcome to our first official episode of Season 9: Self-Awareness. In this episode, our hosts speak with Maria Erb, Director of the Boston University Newbury Center for First-Generation Students, about using self-awareness to accept our various identities and advocate for ourselves as well. Check out the Newbury Center website and sign up for their newsletter for updates about upcoming events! Boston University Newbury Center
Introducing Your New Hosts for Season 9 - Tachira and Grace
March 23, 2023 04:00 - 23 minutes - 15.9 MBIn this episode, we will be meeting our new hosts for Season 9 of Vitamin PhD, Tachira Pichardo and Grace McGowan. They will be speaking with Aly and Emma, the season 8 hosts, about what their season about self awareness entails and who they will be speaking with. They also discuss their own PhD experiences in regards to how it pertains to self-awareness, along with management and leadership.
From PhD to Professional: Moving into the Workforce
December 08, 2022 18:00 - 39 minutes - 27.4 MBThis episode features a chorus of BU graduate school alumni who share how they leverage skills from graduate school to find success in their post-graduate careers. Guests represent sectors ranging from consulting to public history and from arts administration to science writing. They bring varied experience levels, ranging from newly-minted PhDs who recently entered the workforce to mid-career and recently retired professionals. In a culmination of our season’s focus on management and leader...
Learning to Lead: How Authenticity and Awareness Can Revolutionize Leadership
November 10, 2022 05:00 - 37 minutes - 25.8 MBIn this episode, the hosts talk with Dr. Joyce Wong about an approach to leadership, which foregrounds collaboration, power, critical self awareness, and relationships. How does identity intersect with approaches to leadership? Especially for minoritized groups such as women and BIPOC working in STEM? And, how is the pandemic affecting leadership in those spaces?
Group Dynamics: Power and Difference
November 03, 2022 18:00 - 53 minutes - 36.5 MBIn this episode, Aly and Emma explore power dynamics that affect learning and working in groups and institutions with Harvard Lecturer Houman Harouni. The conversation addresses topics including group dynamics, power, leadership, social change, self-awareness and relationships in a wide variety of countries and contexts.
Project Management 101: Problem Solving Across Disciplines
October 27, 2022 19:00 - 37 minutes - 25.9 MBIn today's episode, hosts Emma and Aly talk with independent global consultant Debra Wahlberg about project management. Everything from adaptability, interpersonal skills, problem solving, and leadership is discussed. Debra Wahlberg is an independent consultant who has provided strategic leadership on international development programs in culturally diverse and politically sensitive environments. She has managed teams across a range of technical areas, including administrative reform, taki...
Innovation and Interdisciplinarity: How Collaboration Fosters Creativity
October 20, 2022 19:00 - 40 minutes - 27.9 MBIn this week's episode, Emma and Aly speak with Joshua Finkelstein, Executive Director of the Boston University Biological Design Center. They speak with him about collaboration and creativity, identifying a gap, risk/reward, and more. They dive into some of the structural problems with innovation, and how these issues tie into leadership.
Thinking about Thinking: Harnessing Metacognition in Learning and Life
October 14, 2022 17:00 - 34 minutes - 23.7 MBIn this week's episode, Emma and Aly start off their season with a conversation with Dr. Shari Tishman. Dr. Tishman is a Senior Research Associate at Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her research focuses on the teaching of thinking, the role of close observation in learning, and learning in and through the arts. This week's episodes discusses how to utilize tools within the field of metacognition in teaching and leadership, along with how to continue your personal learning...
Introducing Your New Hosts for Season 8 - Alyssa and Emma
September 30, 2022 18:00 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MBIn this episode, we will be meeting our new hosts for Season 8 of Vitamin PhD, Alyssa Kreikemeier and Emma Bortz. They will be talking with Jenna and Shaunesse', the season 7 hosts, about their most rewarding teaching moments, along with who influences them within the teaching field. The hosts also discuss what the management season will bring for listeners.
Education Beyond Academia
April 15, 2022 19:00 - 26 minutes - 18.3 MBIn this episode, Jenna and Shaunesse’ are joined by guests LaNysha Adams, education consultant and owner of Edlinguist Solutions LLC, and Rhonda Caston, post-doctoral fellow at the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine. This episode, we reach beyond academia to gain insight into how we can use our teaching skills elsewhere. We learn about the challenges and rewards of engaging with learners who may not have experienced traditional education pathways and helping...
Conversations about Special Education
April 07, 2022 20:00 - 33 minutes - 23 MBToday our hosts interview guests for the Special Education episode Vitamin PhD, featuring Stephanie Cox Suárez, a previous associate professor in the Special and Elementary Education Department at BU, and Johny Daniel, an Assistant Professor at Durham University in the UK. Our guests hone in on the importance of not only being passionate about your teaching, but being well-informed for the sake of your students. We learn that special education is as much about caring deeply for your students...
Conversations about Online Education
March 31, 2022 19:00 - 34 minutes - 23.6 MBWe learn the skills behind Online Education in today’s episode of Vitamin PhD from guests John Rindy, Assistant Vice President for Career and Academic Progress, and Brian Danielson, Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, both at Slippery Rock University. We touch on the incredible challenge that comes along with educating students virtually, especially in the current era of COVID. Our guests educate us on the importance of developing a goal-oriented mindset to lead to success and...
Conversations about Graduate Education
March 24, 2022 21:00 - 38 minutes - 26.1 MBThis episode of Vitamin PhD’s Teaching season bring us to graduate education, in which we hear from guests Rachel Stumpf, Education Specialist at the UC Davis Center for Educational Effectiveness, and Steve Wolverton, professor in University of North Texas’ Department of Geography and the Environment. Our guests tell us what it is like to help students navigate the in’s and out’s of graduate school while helping them to succeed academically. We also hear about the different paths that can be...
Conversation about Undergraduate Education
March 17, 2022 16:00 - 24 minutes - 16.8 MBIn the second episode of Vitamin PhD’s Teaching season, we learn from Takeo Rivera, an assistant professor of English at Boston University, and Kathryn Spilios, the Director of Instructional Labs, Director of the Learning Assistant Program, and Master Lecturer in Biology at BU. Our guests help to educate us on the challenges and rewards of teaching in an undergraduate setting. We also learn how they came into their current positions and the experiences they gained along their journey to teac...
Conversation about Early Childhood and K-12 Education
March 10, 2022 20:00 - 34 minutes - 23.6 MBIn the first episode of Vitamin PhD’s 7th season, our new hosts Jenna and Shaunesse’ are joined by Stephanie M. Curenton, an associate professor at BU Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, and Jennifer Formichelli, a former English teacher at Boston University Academy. We hear from our guests about the importance of early childhood education and teaching in an effective manner that allows young minds to truly cultivate. We direct our listeners to https://www.buacademy.org/formic...
Introducing Your New Hosts for Season 7 - Jenna and Shaunesse'
March 03, 2022 20:00 - 22 minutes - 15.2 MBIn this episode, we meet our new hosts for Season 7 of VitaminPhD, Shaunesse' Jacobs from the School of Theology and Jenna Rindy from the Department of Biology, Jenna and Shaunesse' talk with Matt and Heather, the season 6 hosts, about how they got interested in hosting the podcast and share what excites them about digging into the skill of teaching.
Introduction
March 03, 2022 20:00 - 22 minutes - 15.2 MBIn this episode, we meet our new hosts for Season 7 of VitaminPhD, Shaunesse' Jacobs from the School of Theology and Jenna Rindy from the Department of Biology, Jenna and Shaunesse' talk with Matt and Heather, the season 6 hosts, about how they got interested in hosting the podcast and share what excites them about digging into the skill of teaching.
Introducing Your New Hosts for Season 7 - Jenna and Shaucesse'
March 03, 2022 20:00 - 22 minutes - 15.2 MBIn this episode, we meet our new hosts for Season 7 of VitaminPhD, Shaunesse' Jacobs from the School of Theology and Jenna Rindy from the Department of Biology, Jenna and Shaunesse' talk with Matt and Heather, the season 6 hosts, about how they got interested in hosting the podcast and share what excites them about digging into the skill of teaching.
Participant Roundtable: Tips and Tricks
February 04, 2022 16:00 - 32 minutes - 22.1 MBIn the final episode of the Research Skills Season, Heather and Matt put together their favorite “tips and tricks” that guests shared over the season, ranging from recommended readings and practical tips to general perspectives and reflections on their graduate training experience. This episode features nearly all of our previous guests, including Dr. Greg Wright (Episode 1 - What is Research?); Dr. Yasmine Dolreyes and Dr. Brad Johnson (Episode 4 - Mentoring); Dr. Eden Medina (Episode 5 ...
Participant Roundtable: Tips and Tricks
February 04, 2022 16:00 - 32 minutes - 22.1 MBIn the final episode of the Research Skills Season, Heather and Matt put together their favorite “tips and tricks” that guests shared over the season, ranging from recommended readings and practical tips to general perspectives and reflections on their graduate training experience. This episode features nearly all of our previous guests, including Dr. Greg Wright (Episode 1 - What is Research?); Dr. Yasmine Dolreyes and Dr. Brad Johnson (Episode 4 - Mentoring); Dr. Eden Medina (Episode 5 ...
Navigating Ethics and the Impact Research Has
February 01, 2022 22:00 - 38 minutes - 26.6 MBIn this episode, Heather and Matt talk about research ethics with Luis Rameriez, a PhD Candidate in Neuroscience at Boston University, and Dr. Reneé Spencer, the Associate Dean of Research in Boston University’s School of Social Work and Chair of the Charles River Institutional Review Board (IRB). Our guests explore our responsibilities as researchers--and people--during research design, data collection, analysis, and dissemination, even if our research does not directly include human subjec...
Navigating Broader Audiences Part II: Academics and the Media
January 13, 2022 16:00 - 27 minutes - 19.1 MBIn the second part of this two-part episode, Matt and Heather discuss disseminating research findings beyond the “ivory tower'' and explore how to reach a broader audience, especially as academics are now expected to be able to translate their findings to make their work meaningful to colleagues across disciplines and to the general public. Heather and Matt are joined by Kalpana Jain, Senior Religion and Ethics Editor at The Conversation, learning from her experiences as a researcher, journa...
Navigating Broader Audiences Part II: Academics and the Media
January 13, 2022 16:00 - 27 minutes - 19.1 MBIn the second part of this two-part episode, Matt and Heather discuss disseminating research findings beyond the “ivory tower'' and explore how to reach a broader audience, especially as academics are now expected to be able to translate their findings to make their work meaningful to colleagues across disciplines and to the general public. Heather and Matt are joined by Kalpana Jain, Senior Religion and Ethics Editor at The Conversation, learning from her experiences as a researcher, journa...
Navigating Broader Audiences: Community Relationships
January 06, 2022 15:00 - 28 minutes - 19.5 MBIn the first part of this two-part episode, Matt and Heather discuss disseminating research findings beyond the “ivory tower'' and explore how to reach a broader audience, especially as academics are now expected to be able to translate their findings to make their work meaningful to colleagues across disciplines and to the general public. Heather and Matt are joined by Dr. Vincent Smith, MD, MPH, the Division Chief of Newborn Medicine at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Professor of Pediatr...
Navigating Interdisciplinary Research
December 23, 2021 17:00 - 43 minutes - 29.6 MBIn this episode of Vitamin PhD, Heather and Matt talk about the rewards, challenges, and possibilities of interdisciplinary research, as well as how to cultivate successful interdisciplinary collaboration and research agendas. They are joined by Dr. Eden Medina, Associate Professor of Science, Technology, and Society at MIT. This episode features our Graduate Student panel, Amanda Ruiz from Brown University, Dana Ahern from University of California Santa Barbara, Kiara Lee from Brown Unive...
Navigating Mentoring
December 16, 2021 15:00 - 44 minutes - 30.5 MBIn this episode, Matt and Heather are joined by Dr. Yasmine Doleyres, Senior Engineer at BD, and Dr. Brad Johnson, psychologist and researcher on effective mentoring relationships to explore an important but under-discussed area of graduate training: mentorship. They discuss mentoring, and what mentor/mentee relationships can (and should) look like, what to expect in your mentoring relationships, and how to be an excellent mentee and mentor. This episode features our Graduate Student pane...
Roundtable on Publishing and Research Dissemination
December 09, 2021 15:00 - 26 minutes - 18 MBIn this episode of Vitamin PhD, Matt and Heather discuss many aspects of publishing and research dissemination, from the overall process to the challenges and rewards. This episode compiles insights and wisdom gleaned from nine different guests who will be featured in episodes throughout the season, including professors, working professionals, and graduate students across academic disciplines. They discuss why PhD students should publish, how to choose a publication venue, challenges you may...
Navigating Research Process and Design
December 02, 2021 15:00 - 42 minutes - 29.4 MBIn this episode, Heather and Matt discuss the research process and how to design research questions. They are joined by guest Michael Gennert, robotics engineering professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and member of the Education and Workforce Advisory Committee at the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute. . Given his work with the ARM Institute, they also ask Prof. Gennert how to effectively collaborate with industry as an academic. Our Graduate Student panel, Amanda...
Navigating What Research Is
November 24, 2021 15:00 - 21 minutes - 14.7 MBIn this episode of the Vitamin PhD podcast, co-hosts Matthew Boyd and Heather Mooney introduce themselves and the scope of the season before tackling the question, “what is research?” with Dr. Greg Wright, UC Merced Associate Professor and Fellow at the Brookings Institution in Global Economy and Development. Our Graduate Student panel, Amanda Ruiz, Brown University, Dana Ahern, UCSB, Kiara Lee, Brown University, and Kristin Tzok, Boston University, tell us what research means to them and...
Introducing Your Hosts for Season Six - Heather Mooney and Matt Boyd
November 18, 2021 16:00 - 25 minutes - 17.3 MBIn this episode, we meet our new hosts for Season 6 of VitaminPhD, Heather Mooney from the Sociology department and Matt Boyd from Computer Engineering. Heather and Matt share some information about their exciting new topic for this season, exploring the core capacity of research skills and how PhD/postdoc students can create more informed research projects!
Conversations on Advocacy and Career Paths - Part Two
October 07, 2021 14:00 - 32 minutes - 22.3 MBIn the final episode of season 5, Rohin and Jess are joined by Dr. Ritu Raman, a professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, and Iam Gaieck, an ORISE fellow at the US Department of Energy, about their career paths and the importance of good communication in a variety of life experiences. We talk about challenges in communication faced by international students, how to advocate for yourself and your research in a large crowd, and how their fellowship experiences shaped their career paths. All...
Conversations on Advocacy and Career Paths - Part One
September 30, 2021 15:00 - 37 minutes - 26 MBIn part one of the final episode of season 5, Rohin and Jess are joined by Dr. Ritu Raman, a professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, and Iam Gaieck, an ORISE fellow at the US Department of Energy, about their career paths and the importance of good communication in a variety of life experiences. We talk about challenges in communication faced by international students, how to advocate for yourself and your research in a large crowd, and how their fellowship experiences shaped their caree...
Navigating Communication for Broader Audiences
September 23, 2021 12:00 - 39 minutes - 26.8 MBIn this week’s episode, Jess and Rohin are joined by Professor Derek Turner, a science philosopher from Connecticut College, and PhD Candidate Meredith Schmehl, Public Engagement & Communications Chair for the National Science Policy Network. This week’s episode is about the tools needed to effectively communicate with a broad audience and how each of our speakers have evolved in the field of science communication. We cover topics from science policy to dinosaurs, with lots of helpful commun...
Navigating Social Media and Accessibility
September 09, 2021 15:00 - 29 minutes - 20.4 MBIn this episode of VitaminPhD, Jess and Rohin are joined by Rachel Petherbridge, a PhD student at Harvard University, and Deboki Chakravarti, a science writer and YouTuber. Throughout this exciting conversation, we learn from both of our speakers about the important role communication plays in the age of COVID-19, the role social media plays in transforming how we engage with science, and the importance of accessibility across diverse backgrounds. We learn from our speakers how to engage wit...
Roundtable on Speaking Up in Academia - Part Two
September 02, 2021 12:00 - 32 minutes - 22.1 MBIn the second installment of this two-part series, Rohin and Jess talk with an esteemed panel including Dr. Adrienne Hollis, senior climate justice and health scientist and Dr. Astrid Caldas, senior climate scientist, both from the Union of Concerned Scientists, and PhD student Rob Ulrich from UCLA about their work in speaking up! This two part series explores the balance between advocacy and credibility and speaks to the challenges of advocating as a graduate student. We discuss how communi...
Roundtable on Speaking Up in Academia - Part One
August 26, 2021 14:00 - 32 minutes - 22.4 MBIn this 2-part series, Rohin and Jess talk with an esteemed panel including Dr. Adrienne Hollis, senior climate justice and health scientist and Dr. Astrid Caldas, senior climate scientist, both from the Union of Concerned Scientists, and PhD student Rob Ulrich from UCLA about their work in speaking up! This two part series explores the balance between advocacy and credibility and speaks to the challenges of advocating as a graduate student. We discuss how communication has changed and conti...
Navigating Community Engagement and Outreach
August 19, 2021 15:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MBIn this episode, Rohin and Jess are joined by David Meshoulam, co-founder of Boston’s Speak for the Trees, and Daniel Zietlow, education designer at NCAR Education and Outreach. This episode, we talk all about community engagement and how to know if you’re reaching your target audience. We learn about the challenges and rewards of working directly with the community and debate, "is everyone a scientist?" Links to Share: From Daniel - Provare Media: https://www.provaremedia.com/ NCAR: http...
Conversations about Communication Platforms in Higher Education
August 12, 2021 15:00 - 30 minutes - 20.6 MBIn this episode of Vitamin PhD , Rohin and Jessica delve into platforms of communication along with promoting accessibility during COVID-19. They are joined by Dr. Lorena Medina Luna, Education Designer at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and co-founder of SOLESS - Society of Latinx/Hispanics in Earth and Space Sciences, along with Tara Miller, BU PhD candidate in the Biology department and URBAN trainee. Resources from Lorena - NCAR Education & Outreach Landing Page https://n...
Introducing Your Hosts for Season Five - Jessica Wright and Rohin Banerji
July 29, 2021 14:00 - 17 minutes - 12.3 MBIn this episode, we meet our new hosts for Season 5 of VitaminPhD, Jessica Wright from the Earth and Environment department and Rohin Banerji from the Biomedical Engineering. Jessica and Rohin share some information about their exciting new topic for this season, exploring the core capacity of communication skills and how PhD/postdoc students can strengthen or learn methods of communicating!