While nearly all of us face challenges during our postdoctoral years, we often feel alone in our struggles. In this series, we hope to share encouraging and uplifting stories of how other scientists were able to turn their situation around and move forward, despite a non-ideal situation. Like snowflakes, fingerprints, and nightmares, every postdoctoral experience is unique, so today we share the Postdoc Story of another successful scientist.
My Postdoc Story: Junior Faculty Member
by
Is There Room for Non-Science Books in the Lab?
by
Dear Dora,
I’m an avid reader of both science and non-science-related books. Does it look bad to have non-science books out on my desk? I know it’s my personal space, but I don’t want my PI to get the wrong impression.
-RM, grad student
Forget Wireless Keyboards and Touch Your Plant Instead
by
This is one of those stories that I just couldn’t ignore. In a nutshell, it’s about using plants to interface with your computer. I know, weird, right?
The Marriage of Evolutionary Biology & Dharma Yoga
by
The acting world has their triple threat – 3 talents (acting, singing AND dancing) that are marks of greatness, and the science world has Dr. Holly Bik. She combines DNA lab work, computational biology, and science communications in the world of ocean science. (Personalized medicine and healthcare genomics, don’t be sad, but after 14 years of adoring you alone, now I also have a crush on Marine Biology.)
The Scientific Talk Report Card
by
Colleague: “Hey, can you come to my practice talk later? I’d really like your feedback.”
You: (In your head: “I’d rather count the number of salt granules required to make a liter of Tris buffer.”) Uh, sure.
And just like that, you’re signed up to listen to an unpolished talk and provide the critical feedback that will hopefully right the ship. Worse, your colleague invited that windbag from the lab down the hall who lives to hear the sound of their own voice. If only there was some way to provide structure to the feedback process. If only…
Managing Publication Jealousy in the Lab
by
Dear Dora,
I took over a nearly-completed project left behind by a grad student and my PI listed me as first author on the paper since I completed the project and wrote the manuscript. It is clear that several people in the lab resent the fact that I was given what they call an “easy paper” in my second year and now things are tense in lab. Is there anything I can do to ease the tension?
-Anonymous, grad student
Coitus Interruptus
by
You know what would be really upsetting? Getting eaten while copulating. And, were you to copulate in the vicinity of a mighty predator, out in the open, your risk of getting fatally jiggy might be pretty high. Us humans generally (though not exclusively) avoid this by having sex in a house or hotel room, and our natural predators are few and far between. But what about all the other creatures on the planet?
Proper Interview Attire: Are Jeans Acceptable?
by
Last week, FlyGirl made the case for how to dress for an interview using two fashion icons, Magnum PI and Don Draper, to illustrate the point. The take home message is that – yes, even in academia – selecting proper interview attire is important. Whether we like it or not, our outfit is busy communicating with our potential employer long before we open our mouth – so let’s make sure it’s not sabotaging our interview.
How to Dress for an Interview: Don Draper vs. Magnum PI
by
FlyGirl-
How do you dress for an interview without looking too overdressed or underdressed?
Cheers, Sam
My Postdoc Story: Start-Up Company Scientist, Anonymous
by
While nearly all of us face challenges during our postdoctoral years, we often feel alone in our struggles. In this series, we hope to share encouraging and uplifting stories of how other scientists were able to turn their situation around and move forward, despite a non-ideal situation. Like snowflakes, fingerprints, and nightmares, every postdoctoral experience is unique, so today we share the Postdoc Story of another successful scientist.
