Vitamin PhD Podcast

Send us a textIn this episode, Whitney and Ayantika meet with Dr. Tommy Vitolo, engineer and representative of the 15th Norfolk District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. In this episode, we discuss Dr. Vitolo's experiences navigating the harsh realities and triumphs of graduate school, and how a PhD in engineering eventually led Dr. Vitolo to a job in government. 

Send us a Text Message.In this episode, Whitney and Ayantika chat with Dr. William McKeen, author and Professor in journalism at Boston University. This episode explores the role of mentors throughout our PhD journey, navigating career changes, and the challenges of finding a work-life balance. Article: “AT UNIVERSITIES, THE TENURE TRACK GOES OFF THE RAILS”

Send us a Text Message.In this episode, Whitney and Ayantika speak with Dr. Kim Vanuytsel, stem cell biologist and Assistant Professor in medicine at Boston University. In this episode, we dive into conversations about the challenge of juggling busy careers and personal lives, dealing with imposter syndrome, and the importance of taking care of yourself. 

Send us a Text Message.In this episode, Whitney and Ayantika chat with Dr. Rhonda Harrison, bioinformatician and Founder and CEO of Biopharmix Consulting. In this episode, we discuss the importance of being proud of your successes, managing your time, and more! Task manager: Remember the Milk 

Send us a Text Message.In this episode, Whitney and Ayantika meet with Dr. Beverly Brown, biochemist, former first lady of Boston University, and Director of Development, Industry at the Boston University School of Public Health. In this episode, we discuss how Dr. Brown overcame challenges during her PhD program and explore the value of mentorship before, during, and after graduate school. 

Send us a Text Message.In this episode, Whitney and Ayantika talk with Dr. Joanna Davidson, cultural anthropologist and Associate Professor in anthropology at Boston University. This episode explores the importance of making time for self discovery during graduate school, navigating difficult career choices, and advice on dealing with imposter syndrome. 

Welcome to season 11 of Vitamin PhD! In this episode, we are introduced to our new hosts: Whitney Souery and Ayantika Saha. We hope you enjoy listening! Stay tuned each Thursday for new episodes of this season.

On 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

On 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-butlerTwitter:https://twitter.com/drlindseybutler@drlindseybutler

Welcome 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/

For 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. 

In 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. 

Welcome 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.

On 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 FictionDr. Esther Jones Twitter

Today 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 BalanceDr. Susanna Harris's TwitterDragonfly Mental Health

Today, 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 PoetsDr. Hannah Cúlik-Baird's TwitterHaruki Murakami's What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

Welcome 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 PhDsMoney Scripts QuizErin Lowry's Broke Millennial Book SeriesPhD Stipend SurveyNAB Budget Planner

Welcome 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 PhDsMoney Scripts QuizErin Lowry's Broke Millennial Book SeriesPhD Stipend SurveyNAB Budget Planner

Welcome 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 

In 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. 

This 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 leadership, they touch on management skills, transitions, and the qualities of good leadership. Guests include: Bridget Muckian, Marty Blatt, Chenguang Peng, Rebekah Beaulieu,Kelsey Gustin, Deboki Chakravarti 

In 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?

In 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.

In 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, taking market systems approaches to economic growth, strengthening civil society, youth development and more. Debra earned her MSc in Energy Management and Policy from the University of Pennsylvania. 

In 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.

In 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 and growth in the teaching field. Shari Tishman's Projects/Work:Arts as Civic CommonsOut of Eden LearnAgency by DesignVisible ThinkingArtful ThinkingSlow Looking: The Art and Practice of Learning Through Observation

In 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. 

In 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 them to navigate the mysteries behind job progress.  

Today 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' success as it is about finding and utilizing evidence-based practices. Engaging students at every turn of lessons and using all resources available are key practices encouraged in special education according to our hosts.

We 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 how to become marketable to a broad array of career options. Finally, our guests explain the skills it takes to be able to teach in an online classroom and ensure the success of their students, globally. 

This 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 taken to educate graduate students and the importance of developing yourself before you can help develop others.

In 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 teaching. 

In 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/formichelli/ where they can learn more about the life of Dr. Formichelli and donate to the causes she cared deeply about during her time on Earth. 

In 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.

In 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 - Interdisciplinary Research); Dr. Vincent Smith and Ms. Kalpana Jain (Episode 6A - Reaching a Broader Audience I: Community Relationships and Episode 6B - Reaching a Broader Audience II: Academics and Media); and Mr. Louis Rameriez and Dr. Renee Spencer (Episode 7 - Research Ethics).  We also highlight some recommended reading from our Graduate Student panelists Dana Ahern from University of California Santa Barbara and Kristin Tzok from Boston University.

In 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 subjects.This episode features our Graduate Student panel, Amanda Ruiz from Brown University, Dana Ahern from University of California Santa Barbara, Kiara Lee from Brown University, and Kristin Tzok from Boston University, reflecting on ethics in research in their respective fields of study.

In 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, journalist, and editor for an academically-focused and public-facing publication. 

In 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 Pediatrics at Boston University Medical School, to discuss communicating and collaborating with diverse populations within and outside of academia.This episode features our Graduate Student panel, Dana Ahern from University of California Santa Barbara, Kiara Lee from Brown University, and Kristin Tzok from Boston University, discussing their elevator pitches when speaking to a variety of different audiences.

In 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 University, and Kristin Tzok from Boston University, discussing transdisciplinary research.Dr. Medina's new book: https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/cybernetic-revolutionaries

In 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 panel, Amanda Ruiz from Brown University, Dana Ahern from University of California Santa Barbara, Kiara Lee from Brown University, and Kristin Tzok from Boston University, reflecting on mentorship experiences and best practices.

In 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 face along the way, and get some great tips and tricks.  

In 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 Ruiz from Brown University, Dana Ahern from University of California Santa Barbara, Kiara Lee from Brown University, and Kristin Tzok from Boston University, share something that they believed going into graduate school.that they now feel differently about.

In 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 answering our season-long challenge question, “in three to five words, finish this sentence: research is….”

In 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!

In 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 opinions and views expressed are our speakers own and do not reflect those of their fellowship and/or employers. Be sure not to miss the finale episode!Links to share: From Ritu-Website: https://rituraman.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrRituRaman?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5EauthorFrom Iam -NSPN: http://scipolnetwork.org/National Association of Science Writers: http://nasw.org/Internship and Fellowship opportunities with the US federal government: http://zintellect.com/Twitter: @WilliamGaieckMirzayan Fellowship: http://mirzayanfellow.nas.edu/ReclaimingSTEM: https://reclaimingstem.wardofcode.com/

In 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 career paths. All opinions and views expressed are our speakers own and do not reflect those of their fellowship and/or employers. Be sure not to miss the finale episode!Links to share:From Ritu-Website: https://rituraman.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrRituRaman?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5EauthorFrom Iam -NSPN: http://scipolnetwork.org/National Association of Science Writers: http://nasw.org/Internship and Fellowship opportunities with the US federal government: http://zintellect.com/Twitter: @WilliamGaieckMirzayan Fellowship: http://mirzayanfellow.nas.edu/ReclaimingSTEM: https://reclaimingstem.wardofcode.com/

In 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 communication tips throughout. Links to shareExtinct Blog - extinctblog.orgWebsite - https://www.derekdturner.com/National Science Policy Network: https://scipolnetwork.org/List of training resources compiled by my committee at NSPN: https://scipolnetwork.org/page/scipol-guideMassive Science Consortium: https://massivesci.com/consortium/?ref=meredithschmehlNPR Scicommers ("Joe's Big Idea"): https://www.npr.org/2017/08/24/537735624/friends-of-joes-big-idea-fojbisLifeology: https://lifeology.io/GISTA Slack Community (unfortunately I got the name wrong in the recording - it's the Guild for the Improvement of Science [and SciComm] Through Art): https://gista.slack.com/ComSciCon: https://comscicon.com/Science Communication Online Programme (SCOPE): https://ciera.northwestern.edu/programs/scope/Reclaiming STEM: https://reclaimingstem.wardofcode.com/Science Talk: https://www.sciencetalk.org/

In 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 with a wider audience and what they have learned through their experiences and career paths about the importance of accessible communication.Links to share -Deboki Website - https://www.debokic.com/Youtube Channel (Okidokiboki) - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwbLj_96SB25O7wwFq4fkqwJourney to the Microcosmos -- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBbnbBWJtwsf0jLGUwX5Q3gUS National Parks Service --https://www.instagram.com/nationalparkservice/Rachel LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelpetherbridge/

In 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 communication has changed and continues to evolve in the face of COVID-19 and climate change. We tackle fears associated with speaking up and communicating in politically charged situations. Our speakers stress the importance of the student voice and perspective and encourage us all to speak up!Links to Share -Union of Concerned Scientistshttps://www.ucsusa.org/about/people/astrid-caldasUCS Science Network - https://www.ucsusa.org/science-networkFrom Rob:Queer & Trans in STEM - https://twitter.com/queersinstemReclaiming STEM - https://reclaimingstem.wardofcode.com/Website - https://www.robertnulrich.com/Presale for his book The Hard Parts of Life - https://www.robertnulrich.com/the-hard-parts-presale

In 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 continues to evolve in the face of COVID-19 and climate change. We tackle fears associated with speaking up and communicating in politically charged situations. Our speakers stress the importance of the student voice and perspective and encourage us all to speak up!Links to Share -Union of Concerned Scientistshttps://www.ucsusa.org/about/people/astrid-caldasUCS Science Network - https://www.ucsusa.org/science-networkFrom Rob:Queer & Trans in STEM - https://twitter.com/queersinstemReclaiming STEM - https://reclaimingstem.wardofcode.com/Website - https://www.robertnulrich.com/Presale for his book The Hard Parts of Life - https://www.robertnulrich.com/the-hard-parts-presale

In 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: https://ncar.ucar.edu/what-we-offer/education-outreachFrom David -Speak for the Trees Boston: https://treeboston.org/