Professerror

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This podcast is aimed at providing honest experiences about challenges, failures, and possibly a few success stories related to life in academia.

Steven K. Ayer and Bryan Franz


    • Jun 6, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 1h 1m AVG DURATION
    • 67 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Professerror

    Decoding Faculty Excuses

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2025 58:23


    Bryan and Steve discuss their experiences in receiving (and sometimes making) excuses related to working with others. When is a "yes" a "yes"? When is it really a "no"?

    Peer Review Problems

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2025 71:34


    Bryan and Steve discuss their concerns with the peer review process that research papers currently follow and offer some food-for-thought suggestions for changing the process (none of which are likely to actually happen). Despite their grouchy tone, they recognize the value that this process provides for research, so take their thoughts with a grain of salt. Hope you enjoy!

    Sharing Ideas: ♫You've got to know when to hold ‘em; know when to disclose ‘em♫

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2025 71:47


    Bryan and Steve discuss their thoughts on sharing research ideas or not. They talk about risks associated with both sharing and withholding ideas. Enjoy!

    "FOIA'd" with Denise Simmons

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2025 69:22


    Professor and Associate Dean Denise Simmons of the University of Florida joins us to discuss her experiences with being “FOIA'd” (Freedom of Information Act). This conversation is really eye opening about the processes and emotions that may follow a FOIA request related to a given study. Enjoy!

    Rebuilding new careers (and more) with Matt Morris

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2025 69:41


    Professor Matt Morris (University of Colorado Boulder) joins us to discuss his journey to academia via a first career in the military and second career in private industry. We haven't had the opportunity to talk much with teaching faculty, so his perspective is a nice change of pace from most of our prior focus areas. Enjoy!

    Can the professor come out and play???

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2024 60:07


    Bryan and Steve discuss the value of playfulness in academic discussions. They talk about the benefits they've observed in having playful conversations that are not aimed at specific objectives or outputs. They talk about how these discussions have led to rich collaborations despite the seemingly wasteful effort spent on discussing topics that are not immediately productive. Enjoy!

    Moving from a teaching-focused to research-focused institution

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2024 83:36


    Professor Vineeth Dharmapalan (Assistant Professor, University of Hawaii at Manoa) talks about his recent move from a mostly teaching-focused institution to one with more research focus. He also discusses some of the professional and personal reasons that guided his move, as well as some of the challenges experienced in the process. Enjoy!

    Cold Emails

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2024 67:53


    Bryan and Steve discuss their experiences in receiving and sending cold emails (emails to people you do not yet know). They discuss what works well and what strategies were not well received. Hopefully this helps you avoid some of the mistakes we've made. Enjoy!

    Kristen Parrish discusses writing P&T letters

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2024 64:57


    Professor Kristen Parrish (Arizona State University) joins us to talk about challenges with writing letters for other individuals' promotion and tenure (P&T) cases. She talks about challenges not only with writing these letters, but also challenges in considering how they'll be received by a different university audience. Enjoy!

    Research Projects: Finishing Strong

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2024 61:07


    Bryan and Steve discuss challenges and lessons learned when wrapping up research projects. They discuss what is often involved at the end of projects, things to consider when closing out a project, and some strategies they've employed to finish projects on a high note. Enjoy!

    Summer Summer Summertime

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2024 57:22


    Bryan and Steve discuss their plans for the upcoming summer and how their summer work experience differs from the rest of the academic year.

    Administration... Bryan goes to the Dark Side!

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2024 69:47


    Bryan discusses his new position as a PhD Program Director and challenges and lessons learned in this administration role. Enjoy!

    Publishing with AI and the future of research output

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2024 73:19


    Bryan and Steve discuss how generative AI is impacting processes for generating and reviewing research manuscripts. They also offer some food for thought for what a future might look like where academics remain relevant in a world with AI. Enjoy!

    Bryan and Steve struggle to teach new courses

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2024 64:32


    In this episode, Bryan and Steve discuss their experiences in teaching courses that are new to them. They talk about the moments that were especially challenging, the failures they experienced during the process, and a few lessons learned from surviving it. Enjoy!

    'Unfundable' with Fred Sherratt

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2024 74:28


    Fred Sherratt joins us to discuss her experiences in struggling to get academic funding and surviving as a qualitative researchers in a quantitative world. Enjoy!

    Risky Business with John Gambatese

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2024 73:05


    Professor John Gambatese (Oregon State University) joins us to discuss taking risks in academia and some that he took that worked out, and some that did not.

    Bryan's Sabbatical Reflection

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2024 55:15


    Bryan discusses his sabbatical and shares what went well and what could have been better. Enjoy!

    Working Abroad with guest Daniel Hall

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2023 60:44


    Professor Daniel Hall (TU Delft) joins Bryan and Steve to discuss his experience of growing up and studying in the US, but deciding to launch his academic career in Europe.

    Bryan cancels the pie chart

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2023 60:21


    Bryan and Steve discuss successes and failures in developing graphics in academia. An audio discussion about visual communication - maybe this wasn't our brightest move??

    Burcu Akinci - Imposter Sydrome

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2023 55:59


    Dr. Burcu Akinci, a full Professor and Department Head at Carnegie Mellon University, a National Academy of Construction member, and most recently a Peurifoy Construction Research Awardee, talks about how she still experiences imposter syndrome despite her many successes. Enjoy!

    Moving Institutions

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2023 53:59


    Steve's moving - and we're talking about it. We discuss what went well in the job application, interview, and moving processes and what didn't. Enjoy!

    The Daily Routine of an Academic

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2023 76:26


    Bryan and Steve discuss their typical days as academics. They talk about the fun and not-so-fun parts of their professional lives. Enjoy!

    Failure in leading

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2023 61:50


    Bryan and Steve discuss their struggles with serving in leadership positions - especially when leading individuals who do not directly report to them. Enjoy!

    Working in a National Lab with Dr. Kieren McCord

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2023 61:10


    Kieren McCord joins us to discuss her experience in transitioning from a PhD student to a full time researcher in a national lab. Enjoy!

    Shedding 'Leicht' on Sabbaticals with Rob Leicht

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2023 68:50


    Bryan, Steve, and guest Professor Rob Leicht (Penn State) discuss sabbatical do's and don't's. Hopefully you enjoy learning from Rob's experience as much as we did.

    Faculty "Tropes" in Academia

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2023 52:14


    Bryan and Steve discuss "tropes", or common patterns of behavior in pop culture storytelling, within academic settings. We talk about these patterns and also how faculty who fall into these patterns can be received by others. This was a fun discussion that may be followed up with a "part II" or more sometime in the future. Enjoy!

    Surviving the first year of teaching with Prof. Jennifer Lather

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2022 62:43


    Professor Jennifer Lather (University of Nebraska) stops by to discuss her experience in creating, delivering, and learning from a new course that she taught in her first year as a professor. Enjoy!

    Attracting Top PhD Students

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2022 57:14


    Bryan and Steve discuss their experiences and lessons learned in trying to attract top PhD students for their respective research groups.

    Academic Freedom

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2022 55:28


    Bryan and Steve discuss academic freedom and how various social and political shifts to impact this freedom can potentially impact students' educational experiences as well as our professional fulfillment as faculty.

    Teaching - Back to normal??

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2022 55:09


    Bryan and Steve discuss their experiences and struggles with helping students succeed in their courses now that most have returned to post-COVID modes of traditional in-person learning.

    Kasey Faust

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2022 62:10


    Prof. Kasey Faust (University of Texas, Austin) stops by to talk about finding balance between home life and work life. She offers several practical strategies that have helped her to find fulfillment personally and also professionally. Enjoy!

    Social Look-At-Media in Academia

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2022 58:30


    Bryan and Steve discuss their positive and negative experiences with social media in academia. Enjoy!

    Using your startup funding wisely

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2022 51:52


    Bryan and Steve discuss their experiences (and their hesitancy) with spending their startup funding when they began their faculty careers.

    Serving on a Faculty Search Committee

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2022 60:27


    Steve and Bryan discuss their experiences serving on faculty search committees. They share the types of concerns, debates, and challenges that may emerge when serving on a search committee. Hopefully this helps to offer insight if you find yourself on a committee, or perhaps it will offer insights on what may be discussed behind the scenes by search committees if you are currently applying for faculty positions.

    Tenured? How does it feel?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2022 72:21


    Dr. Masoud Gheisari and our own Dr. Bryan Franz discuss their experiences (and challenges) with pursuing and successfully achieving tenure.

    Robert LiKamWa

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2022 62:14


    Professor Robert LiKamWa (Arizona State University) discusses struggles related to mentoring students and facing rejections on the way to ultimately succeeding in building a large, externally-funded, research team.

    Transitioning from Engineering to Engineering Education with Professor Logan Perry

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2022 52:51


    Logan Perry (University of Nebraska) joins us to discuss his experience in shifting from a traditional Civil Engineering domain to Engineering Education and some of the lessons he learned related to conducting research in this field.

    Poor solutions to poorly structured problems

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2022 66:47


    Bryan and Steve discuss their failures, and occasional successes, with challenging their undergraduate students to address poorly structured problems. While these types of problems can support the kinds of learning necessary for the students' long-term success, they can also be a major challenge (and change) from what the students are used to, which leads to some unexpected difficulties in teaching.

    Becoming a Parent in Academia

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2022 50:13


    After a pause in podcasting, Steve discusses his (admittedly brief) experience with becoming a father during the break. He and Bryan discuss successes, failures, joys, and headaches experienced in his journey thus far.

    Returning to In-Person Conferences

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2022 56:46


    Bryan and Steve discuss their first major in-person conference since the pandemic began. They discuss various uncomfortable experiences, and how some may only be relevant in the short-term, while others may be around for much longer. Then they define a wish list for the conference of the future. Enjoy!

    Returning to academia to run a research group with Professor John Messner

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2022 55:40


    John Messner (Penn State) discusses his experience in working in the construction industry for seven years, pausing his research during this time, and then the challenges associated with returning to academia, shifting his research focus, and taking over an existing research group. Enjoy!

    Academia for non-academics

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2022 53:44


    Bryan and Steve discuss experiences and challenges in explaining their academic lives to those outside of academia. Hopefully what it lacks in practicality, it makes up for in relatability. Enjoy!

    Why papers get rejected

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2022 64:15


    Bryan and Steve talk about some of the reasons they have observed, and experienced through their own failures, that led to rejected journal papers. Enjoy!

    Why is networking not working?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2021 58:13


    Bryan and Steve discuss lessons learned related to building professional networks at conferences. Enjoy!

    Conference Presentations

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2021 58:52


    Bryan and Steve discuss what to expect during and after academic conference presentations. Hopefully it helps you avoid some of our mistakes for your first conference!

    Conference "Do's" and "Don't's"

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2021 66:13


    Bryan and Steve discuss academic conferences, what to expect, what to do, and what to avoid when attending. Enjoy!

    Imposter Syndrome

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2021 51:00


    Bryan and Steve discuss their experiences with Imposter Syndrome in academia and strategies for dealing with it.

    Building and Submitting Your Promotion & Tenure Package

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2021 61:06


    Bryan and Steve chat about the process of developing and submitting their promotion and tenure packages. They discuss what worked well and where they might have done things differently with the benefit of hindsight.

    Building and fostering industry collaborations with Dr. Sinem Mollaoglu

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2021 60:34


    Sinem Mollaoglu (Michigan State University) joins Bryan and Steve to discuss her experiences and challenges in building, sustaining, and growing industry collaborations to support her research.

    Work and Family Balance with Prof. Carrie Sturts Dossick

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2021 61:47


    Carrie Sturts Dossick (University of Washington) stops by to discuss lessons she learned when balancing family and work responsibilities.

    Life After Tenure with Professor Wei Wu

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2021 55:50


    Wei Wu (Fresno State University) talks about his experience in transitioning from an Associate Professor to Fresno's Construction Management Department Chair.

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