The Academic Life

Welcome to The Academic Life. You are smart and capable, but you aren’t an island, and neither are we. So we reached across our mentor network to bring you podcasts on everything from how to finish that project, to how to take care of your beautiful mind. Wish we’d bring in an expert about something? Email us at cgessler@gmail.com or dr.danamalone@gmail.com. Find us on Twitter: The Academic Life @AcademicLifeNBN.In this episode you’ll hear about: the importance of listening to yourself—even if that means leaving one grad school program to enter one in a totally different field, the difference between meditation and mindfulness, why silent meditation can be so challenging, and how to develop a meditation practice that has enough flexibility to work for you. At the end of this episode, Lori leads us in a 10 minute guided meditation.Our guest is: Lori Snyder, a meditation and yoga teacher, and a professional writer who founded the Writers Happiness Movement. Lori lives with her husband and her cat near the beach outside LA, all of which she loves.Your host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, a historian of women, gender, and sexuality. Christina supports her work-life balance with long walks in nature, and taking meditation classes. She met Lori six years ago, when she won the All-Voices Fellowship to attend Lori’s Splendid Mola writing retreat. They’ve been friends [and been to many retreats together] ever since.Listeners to this episode might be interested in: Kindfulness, by Ajahn Brahm Peace is Every Step, by Thich That Hanh A Path with Heart: A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life, by Jack Kornfield Good Morning, I Love You: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Practices to Rewire Your Brain for Calm and Clarity, by Shauna Shapiro Links to Lori’s free online yoga and meditation classes are available through the Writers Happiness Movement. Meditation Apps, like this one: Liberate - Black-owned meditation app that is a safe space for BIPOC and features BIPOC teachers and topics Insight Timer The Spiritual Practice and Mindfulness Channel on New Books Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/academic-life

Welcome to The Academic Life. You are smart and capable, but you aren’t an island, and neither are we. So we reached across our mentor network to bring you podcasts on everything from how to finish that project, to how to take care of your beautiful mind. Wish we’d bring in an expert about something? Email us at dr.danamalone@gmail.com or cgessler@gmail.com. Find us on Twitter: The Academic Life @AcademicLifeNBN.In this episode you’ll hear: reflections on the shutdown, the weight and tension involved in decision-making during this time, mental and soul exhaustion, centering the humanity in higher education work, and thoughts on what we’re taking out of this pandemic as a field.Our guest is: Dr. James (Jim) D. Breslin, PhD a higher education scholar, practitioner, and consultant who specializes in student success, academic support and advising, assessment, institutional effectiveness, and leadership and administration. He currently serves as the Assistant Provost for Assessment, Accreditation, and Institutional Effectiveness at Bellarmine University.Dr. Breslin has presented more than 70 conference sessions and published several peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on a variety of topics. He is engaged currently with research teams that range from developing new conceptual and practical frameworks for assessment to exploring the relationships between higher education professionals and peer educators.Dr. Breslin participates as an active citizen in the field of higher education and has consulted with institutions and organizations across the US and beyond. He has served on editorial boards for several peer-reviewed publications and in leadership roles in professional organizations, including his current roles as Director-elect of Professional Development on the ACPA Governing Board and Chair of the ACPA Assessment Oversight Task Force. Dr. Breslin has been recognized for his contributions to the field of higher education and most recently was named a Diamond Honoree by the American College Personnel Association Foundation.Your host is: Dr. Dana Malone, a higher education scholar and practitioner. Dana first met Jim in graduate school in their “Theories of College Student Development” course. Over the years, a kindred professional relationship – and friendship – developed, which includes working, presenting, and writing together as well as sharing drinks over Facetime.Listeners to this episode might be interested in: Code Switch podcast. Throughline podcast. ACPA’s A Bold Vision Forward.  If anyone is interested in Dr. Breslin’s thoughts on pressing issues in higher ed just prior to COVID, check out Emerging Trends in Higher Education.  A recent read that stands out: Heavy: An American Memoir. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/academic-life

Welcome to The Academic Life. You are smart and capable, but you aren’t an island, and neither are we. So we reached across our mentor network to bring you podcasts on everything from how to finish that project, to how to take care of your beautiful mind. Wish we’d bring in an expert about something? Email us at cgessler@gmail.com or dr.danamalone@gmail.com. Find us on Twitter: The Academic Life @AcademicLifeNBN.In this episode you’ll hear about: acquiring manuscripts, what editors do, and how the peer review process works.Our guest is: Rachael Levay, the acquisitions editor at University Press of Colorado and Utah State University Press.Your host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, a historian of women, gender, and sexuality.Listeners to this episode might be interested in: The Business of Being a Writer by Jane Friedman From Dissertation to Book by William Germano Association of University Presses Subject Area Grid. These documents list every publishing subject area and which university presses have historically acquired in them and are still acquiring in them. It’s a fabulous research tool when thinking about which press to submit one’s work to. Platypus: The Blog of the Humanities Common Team. “Rethinking Scholarly Communication: Open Peer Review” details a 2019 Twitter chat about what open peer review looks like currently and could look like in the future. ASK UP: Authors Seeking Knowledge from University Presses. This Association of University Presses site offers answers to many common questions about finding a publisher, working through the process, and more. A discussion of stylish academic writing A discussion about university presses Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/academic-life

Welcome to The Academic Life. You are smart and capable, but you aren’t an island, and neither are we. So we reached across our mentor network to bring you podcasts on everything from how to finish that project, to how to take care of your beautiful mind. Wish we’d bring in an expert about something? Email us at dr.danamalone@gmail.com or cgessler@gmail.com. Find us on Twitter: The Academic Life @AcademicLifeNBN.In this episode you’ll hear: reflections on the shutdown, lessons learned, leading through change and ambiguity, impacts and challenges facing students, the future of higher education, and the distinctive nuances of a vocation versus a job.Our guest is: Dr. Zebulun Davenport, the Vice President for Student Affairs at West Chester University. He earned his Doctorate in Higher Education and Leadership from Nova Southeastern University, an M.Ed. in College Student Personnel Administration, and a B.S. in Communications/Public Relations from James Madison University. His contributions have advanced campus culture, organizational structure, and student success. Dr. Davenport has served as a Vice President for Student Affairs for three institutions and under his leadership, two of those divisions of student affairs have received Diverse Magazine’s the distinction of “Most Promising Places to Work.”His expertise includes student retention, outcomes assessment, strategic planning, and strategies for assisting first-generation college students. Dr. Davenport’s publications include co-authoring two books entitled First-Generation College Students – Understanding and Improving the Experience from Recruitment to Commencement; and Student Affairs Assessment, Evaluation, and Research: A Guidebook for Graduate Students and New Professionals, a chapter in an edited volume entitled The Student Success Conundrum, in B. Bontrager (Ed.), Strategic Enrollment Management: Transforming Higher Education; a chapter in an edited monograph entitled Creating Collaborative Conditions for Student Success in S. Whalen (Ed.), Proceedings of the 8th National Symposium on Student Retention 2012, and a chapter in the fourth edition of The Handbook of Student Affairs Administration in Jossey Bass 2016. He has presented at workshops for numerous public agencies; educational institutions; state, regional, and national conferences; as well as to thousands of college students and professionals throughout his career.Your host is: Dr. Dana Malone, a higher education scholar and practitioner with a background in student affairs. Dana has known Zeb for several years. His dynamic personality and ability to relate over what really matters in work and life sparked a kindred connection from their first meeting.Listeners to this episode might be interested in: Working with Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman  Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni  Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter by Liz Wiseman  Uncommon Candor: A Leader's Guide to Straight Talk by Nancy K. Eberhardt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/academic-life

Welcome to The Academic Life. You are smart and capable, but you aren’t an island, and neither are we. So we reached across our mentor network to bring you podcasts on everything from how to finish that project, to how to take care of your beautiful mind. Wish we’d bring in an expert about something? Email us at cgessler@gmail.com or dr.danamalone@gmail.com. Find us on Twitter: The Academic Life @AcademicLifeNBN.In this episode you’ll hear about: navigating academia, gender creative parenting, and a discussion of the book Raising Them.Our guest is: Dr. Kyl Myers, author of Raising Them: Our Adventure in Gender Creative Parenting. Kyl is a sociologist, parent, partner, professor, and advocate of gender creative parenting. Kyl’s work has been featured on social media, a TedX Talk, and in numerous articles. She can be found at raisingzoomer.com and at kylmyers.com.Your host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, a historian of women, gender, and sexuality.Listeners to this episode might be interested in: TheybyParenting.com Parenting Beyond Pink and Blue, by Christia Spears Brown Gender Revolution, Documentary from National Geographic Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon Raising Them: Our Adventure in Gender Creative Parenting by Kyl Myers Raising Baby Grey, video and story from The New Yorker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/academic-life

Welcome to The Academic Life. You are smart and capable, but you aren’t an island, and neither are we. So we reached across our mentor network to bring you podcasts on everything from how to finish that project, to how to take care of your beautiful mind. Wish we’d bring in an expert about something? Email us at cgessler@gmail.com or dr.danamalone@gmail.com. Find us on Twitter: The Academic Life @AcademicLifeNBN.In this episode you’ll hear about: the paid and unpaid workload required of adjuncts, Dawn’s personal pandemic perspective as she had to suddenly pivot from teaching on campus to teaching online, the effect of the pivot on her students, and her love of film studies and why she’s hopeful for the future.Our guest is: Dawn Fratini, who has nearly twenty years adjunct teaching experience at the community college and college level. She is currently an adjunct professor at Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts where she teaches courses in Film History, Animation History, the Walt Disney Company, the Horror Genre and more. She hold an MFA in Screenwriting and is a PhD candidate at UCLA’s School of Film, Television and Digital Media. She researches technical labor in Hollywood and is currently completing her PhD dissertation, The Genies in the System: The Motion Picture Research Council, 1947-1960.Our host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, a historian of women, gender, and sexuality. Christina and Dawn are members of the Friday Morning Molas, a writing group founded during the pandemic. Christina is the co-creator the Academic Life channel for NBN with Dr. Dana Malone, a channel they started during the pandemic.Listeners to this episode might be interested in: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Margaret Herrick Library, Digital Collections. UCLA Oral History Digital Collection. Media History Digital Archive. The Internet Archive. Aca-Media podcast of the Society of Cinema and Media Studies, which looks at a variety of issues in the field, including teaching during the pandemic. Teaching Media, which hosts an online journal on media pedagogy, and also serves as open source for sharing teaching ideas and resources. SCMS Precarious Labor Organization. "The Precarious Labor Organization provides community and advocacy for the Society’s members who are in positions without job security or a clear route to promotion and advancement."  SCMS. "The Society for Cinema and Media Studies is the leading scholarly organization in the United States dedicated to promoting a broad understanding of film, television, and related media through research and teaching grounded in the contemporary humanities tradition.”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/academic-life

Welcome to The Academic Life. You are smart and capable, but you aren’t an island, and neither are we. So we reached across our mentor network to bring you podcasts on everything from how to finish that project, to how to take care of your beautiful mind. Wish we’d bring in an expert about something? Email us at cgessler@gmail.com or dr.danamalone@gmail.com. Find us on Twitter: The Academic Life @AcademicLifeNBN.In this episode you’ll hear: what you need to know before you go, the talk you need to have with your family and friends before you leave for school, what to do when you get there, and a discussion of the book How to College.Our guest is: Lara Hope Schwartz, the co-author of How To College. She has served as a Faculty Fellow at American University’s Center for Teaching, Research, and Learning. She teaches at American University’s School of Public Affairs, and serves as Honors Program Director. Previously, Lara was Director of Strategic Engagement at the American Constitution Society for Law & Policy, Courts Matter director at Media Matters, Legal Director at the Human Rights Campaign, and Vice President of External Affairs at the American Association of People with Disabilities. She earned her Juris Doctor Cum Laude from Harvard Law School and her AB in English and American Literature Magna Cum Laude from Brown University.Our guest is: Andrea Malkin Brenner, PhD, the co-author of How To College. She was a faculty member in the Department of Sociology at American University for 20 years, and directed the University College program. She created the American University Experience (AUx) Program, a mandatory full-year course that serves as a college transition course, and a cross-cultural communication class. She holds a BA in Sociology from Brandeis University, an MA in Curriculum, Instruction and Administration in Higher Education from Boston College, and a PhD in Sociology from American University. She currently consults with colleges that wish to create their own first-year transitions courses.Your host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, a historian of women, gender, and sexuality. She specializes in decoding diaries written by rural women in 19th century America.Listeners to this episode might be interested in: How to College: What to Know Before You Go and When You’re There, by Andrea Malkin Brenner and Lara Hope Schwartz What Parents Should do to Help Students Prepare for The First Year of College https://www.pennlive.com/opini... Lara Schwartz and Andrea Brenner virtual interactive workshop focused on building college learning communities where open, respectful, and collaborative communication can flourish. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/academic-life

Welcome to The Academic Life. You are smart and capable, but you aren’t an island, and neither are we. So we reached across our mentor network to bring you podcasts on everything from how to finish that project, to how to take care of your beautiful mind. Wish we’d bring in an expert about something? Email us at cgessler@gmail.com or dr.danamalone@gmail.com. Find us on Twitter: The Academic Life @AcademicLifeNBN.In this episode you’ll hear about: the steps to creating a writing career after college; the children’s book market; the difference between a pitch, a hook, a logline, and a synopsis; the importance of building a support network; and a discussion of the book Premeditated Myrtle.Our guest is: Elizabeth C. Bunce, the author of the Myrtle Hardcastle mystery book series. Elizabeth’s books are inspired by real places and cultures of the past, often with otherworldly or magical elements. She has been writing for as long as she can remember, and has always been interested in literature, folklore, history, and culture. She studied English and anthropology in college. When she’s not writing, she’s usually making something—cosplay, needlework, historical costuming, quilting—but not cooking.Your host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, a historian of women, gender, and sexuality. She specializes in decoding diaries written by rural women in 19th century America. She belongs to a critique group for children’s book writers, and has been an active member of SCBWI for over a decade. When she’s not reading, writing, podcasting, or teaching, she can be spotted taking walks along the shore and working on her nature photography. She seldom cooks.Listeners to this episode might be interested in: Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth Bunce Wired for Story by Lisa Cron The Magic Words: Writing Great Books for Children and Young Adults by Cheryl Klein Book in a Month by Victoria Lynn Schmidt Stealing Hollywood: Screenwriting Tricks for Authors by Andrea Sokoloff The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators The Highlights Foundation The Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/academic-life

Welcome to The Academic Life. You are smart and capable, but you aren’t an island, and neither are we. So we reached across our mentor network to bring you podcasts on everything from how to finish that project, to how to take care of your beautiful mind. Wish we’d bring in an expert about something? Email us at cgessler@gmail.com or dr.danamalone@gmail.com. Find us on Twitter: The Academic Life @AcademicLifeNBN.In this episode you’ll hear: the different perspectives of three students sharing the same house in a small Oregon town during the pandemic, how all of their academic plans have been affected, why eliminating the SAT and standardized tests might increase college application rates, what’s helping them each get through the pandemic, and what gives them all hope for their futures.Our first guest is: Will Sumerfield, a junior at UC San Diego studying Cognitive Science and Computer Science, with a goal to achieve a Doctorate in Machine Learning. He is now taking classes remotely from his family’s home in Oregon, trying to decide if he’ll return to campus for his senior year of college, and what the pandemic means for his graduate school plans.Our next guest is: Branislav Petrovic, a water polo player from Serbia who came to Oregon as a foreign exchange student planning to spend his senior year at an in-person American high school, seeing how Americans really live, and applying to colleges, but has had to change nearly all of those plans.Our final guest is: Olivia Sumerfield, the president of her senior class, now taking her classes online, applying to colleges she’s never been able to visit, preparing for her future as a doctor, and wondering about the merits of taking a gap year.Your host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, a historian of women, gender, and sexuality. Christina supports her pandemic-life well-being by working on her photography, taking long walks in nature, and going to [online] meditation class. Will and Olivia are her cousins.Listeners to this episode might be interested in: Excelling in College: Strategies for Success and Reducing Stress by Jeffrey Kottler Failure to Disrupt: Why Technology Alone Can’t Transform Education by Justin Reich Learning Innovation and the Future of Higher Ed  What Students Really Think About Online Learning  Online Learning and the Pandemic Impact International Cultural Exchange Services The Geisel Library at UCSD Call of Cthulhu (Video Game) Cognitive Science at UCSD Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/academic-life

Welcome to The Academic Life. You are smart and capable, but you aren’t an island, and neither are we. So we reached across our mentor network to bring you podcasts on everything from how to finish that project, to how to take care of your beautiful mind. Wish we’d bring in an expert about something? Email us at cgessler@gmail.com or dr.danamalone@gmail.com. Find us on Twitter: The Academic Life @AcademicLifeNBN.In this episode you’ll hear: about Dr Bikman’s unconventional path to pursuing degrees in science, why scientists need to do a postdoc, what it means to have your own lab, the important role of insulin in the body, and a discussion of the book Why We Get Sick: The Hidden Epidemic at the Root of Most Chronic Disease--And How to Fight It (Benbella Books, 2020).Our guest is: Dr. Benjamin Bikman, associate professor of Physiology & Developmental Biology at BYU, where he has his own lab and is currently exploring the contrasting roles of insulin and ketones as key drivers of metabolic function. He frequently publishes his research in peer-reviewed journals and presents at international science meetings. He lives in Utah with his wife and children, and strongly believes in the importance of a work-life balance.Your host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, a historian of women, gender, and sexuality. She specializes in decoding diaries written by rural women in 19th-century America. She supports her work-life balance by taking long walks, and making time for her loved ones.Listeners to this episode might be interested in: Why We Get Sick by Benjamin Bikman Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz Getting the Most Out of Your Postdoc Determine Whether A STEM Major Is The Right Choice  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/academic-life