Category: Reflections on academic life
The Hardest Part of Doing Research: Formulating a Research Question
Honestly, the first good research question that occurred to me arrived during my third year of graduate school. Maybe that is because I’m not that bright. Or, maybe it is because of the way that we ... Read More
Curiosity is the Heart of Discovery
I have never been quite sure what to make of the Curious George children’s books. George is a chimpanzee taken from his jungle home by the Man in the Yellow Hat. George’s curiosity results in many... Read More
Why I Research
In a recent LA Times Op-Ed Naomi Riley bemoaned academic research in the California State University system. The CSU, she argued, is a “teaching university;” why is the CSU faculty engaging in res... Read More
A Reflection on Research Presentations
Twenty-six years ago–in April 1989–I attended and presented at my first professional conference. I was finishing my second year of graduate school. Much of my second year in graduate sch... Read More
The Exploitation Will Continue Until Morale Improves
A new study by the Coalition on the Academic Workforce (CAW) reports on the exploitation of contingent (lecturer) faculty across the country. In the CSU system less than half of faculty are full-time,... Read More
Putt’s Law: It’s not just a bad idea, it’s The Law
How can an organization be so completely and utterly ineffective? Working in the CSU it is a question that I ask myself on a regular basis. I have worked at several universities that evidenced various... Read More
