The Social Academic with Jennifer van Alstyne | Online Presence for Professors

Research lab directors, program directors, and future research leaders listen up. This episode is for you (especially if you're an overcommitted researcher). I talk about leadership and management skills for researchers with Dr. Stefanie Robel of GLIA Leadership. Let's talk about research leadership mastery.This is The Social Academic, a podcast about online presence for faculty, researchers, and graduate students.Hi, I’m Jennifer van Alstyne (@HigherEdPR). I help academics like you feel confident when you show up online. You have agency in creating a stronger online presence for yourself. Let's build a strong digital footprint through your academic website, social media, and bio writing.https://theacademicdesigner.comStrategize 2026 Bootcamp (January 5-9) https://leadership.stefanierobel.com/I_Strategize_2026_BootcampStefanie Robel is a tenured professor of neuroscience, research team builder, and leadership educator. Originally from Berlin, she earned her Ph.D. in Munich before moving to the United States, where she launched an independent research program that has secured more than $10 million in funding and developed a high-performing, resilient team over the last 10 years.She has guided her laboratory through significant challenges—including the COVID-19 shutdown and a major institutional move—while maintaining productivity and cohesion. Several of her former trainees have since established successful research programs of their own.Her interest in leadership began during her postdoctoral years, first as a way to strengthen her competitiveness and later as a means to create a sustainable career and lab culture. Stefanie is a multi-certified life coach and has integrated leadership development into her own academic journey, combining scientific excellence with personal fulfillment.In 2019, she founded what is now GLIA-Leadership, bringing together coaching expertise and academic experience to support researchers in leading with clarity, building strong teams, and sustaining joy in their work. Her mission is to help change academic culture by showing that success does not need to come at the expense of personal well-being.Stefanie's linksGLIA Leadership Website https://www.glia-leadership.com/Stefanie's website https://www.stefanierobel.com/LinkedIn Profile http://www.linkedin.com/in/stefanie-robelLinkedIn Page https://www.linkedin.com/company/glia-leadership/Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/stefanierobel.bsky.socialBluesky for GLIA https://bsky.app/profile/glia-leadership.bsky.socialFacebook https://www.facebook.com/people/GLIA-Leadership/100089534645058/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/glia_leadership/The Social Academic blog https://TheSocialAcademic.com/blog/Thank you for watching! Please subscribe for more videos for your online presence in academia.Want to support The Social Academic? Buy Jennifer a matcha or tea 🍵: https://buymeacoffee.com/higheredpr-----------------------------------------Schedule your no pressure Zoom call with Jennifer to talk about working together on your online presence for academics 🌟https://higheredpr.as.me/meet-with-jenniferHere's how we can work together, view services https://theacademicdesigner.com/services/Let’s connect on social mediaLinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/jennifervanalstyne/Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/jenvanalstyne.bsky.socialInstagram https://instagram.com/HigherEdPRX https://x.com/HigherEdPRFacebook https://facebook.com/higheredprThreads https://www.threads.net/@higheredpr

What happens with your online presence when you leave academia? Whether you're in academia for the long haul or looking for an exit ramp for you or your grad students, how we shape our stories matters. Career coach, Dr. Jen Polk, and academic editor, Dr. Paulina Cossette, join me to talk about how their own stories shifted after leaving academia. They also work with lots of folks who've made an academic exit. I'm excited to share their perspectives with you.This is The Social Academic, a podcast about online presence for faculty, researchers, and graduate students.Hi, I’m Jennifer van Alstyne (@HigherEdPR). I help academics like you feel confident when you show up online. You have agency in creating a stronger online presence for yourself. Let's build a strong digital footprint through your academic website, social media, and bio writing.https://TheAcademicDesigner.comJennifer Polk, PhD, is a career coach, educator, and recognized expert in PhD careers. She regularly facilitates professional development workshops and delivers keynote presentations at institutions across the US, Canada, and internationally. Jen created her PhD Career Clarity Program to help PhDs navigate their career paths with confidence.Jen’s writing is published in University Affairs, Inside Higher Ed, the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Globe and Mail, Academic Matters, and in three books. More recently, she was an expert panelist for the 2021 Canadian Council of Academies report, Degrees of Success, on the challenges PhDs face transitioning to employment. Jen served on the board of directors for the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies, and was part of the management committee for a multi-year transborder project about PhD career paths. She earned her PhD in history from the University of Toronto. Find Jen online at From PhD to Life.Visit Jen's website https://FromPhDToLife.com/Free webinar https://FromPhDToLife.com/phd-job-search-help/Join Jen's program, Career Clarity for PhDs https://FromPhDToLife.com/join-the-program/Paulina S. Cossette, PhD, has 15+ years of experience as an educator, researcher, and writer. As a copy editor, she has revised over 70 books and countless research papers and dissertations. Her areas of expertise are in the social sciences and statistics, and she previously worked as a political science professor, focusing on US politics, Congress, elections and campaigns, and qualitative and quantitative research methods.Paulina specializes in academic editing. Her experience includes revising and formatting research articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals, dissertations and theses, and book manuscripts. She primarily works with scholars in the social sciences, humanities, and education. Paulina also enjoys coaching scholars in how to get published faster, how to leave the academy and become and academic editor, and how to achieve work-life balance.In 2024, Paulina launched her online course and group coaching program, Becoming an Academic Editor (BAE). Over 60 academics enrolled in the first year, and the program continues to grow quickly. In BAE, members discover how to use their existing skills and experience to build a profitable and rewarding academic editing or coaching business that brings them true flexibility and joy. If you’re burned out in academia, know this: You DO have options. If you’re unhappy in academia, the issue isn’t that you’re not good enough, it’s that you are meant for more.Visit Paulina's website https://AcadiaEditing.com/The Academic Entrepreneurs Studio https://AcadiaEditing.com/studio/Becoming an Academic Editor https://AcadiaEditing.com/BecomeAnEditor/The Social Academic blog https://TheSocialAcademic.com/blog/Thank you! I'm Jennifer van Alstyne of The Academic Designer LLC. Please subscribe for more videos for your online presence in academia.Ways we can work together on your online presence for academics, view services https://TheAcademicDesigner.com/services/

Art and illustration can enhance how you share your research. That’s the topic of this episode with Dr. Tetine Sentell of the Public Health Resonance Project and folks from her team who support their digital presence online. Esme Yokooji, a graduate assistant and masters student at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is the Social Media Coordinator. Sunnu Rebecca Choi is an award-winning illustrator and printmaker who creates original art that helps share the story of their research.When your team has the support of creative professionals who can collaborate together, there's unlimited possibility to help people connect with what you care about. I was proud to support this team to design and create the Public Health Resonance Project website. This is the 1st time we’re all coming together. It feels special to share this conversation with you.About the Public Health Resonance Project’s research https://PHResonance.com/research/Hi, I’m Jennifer van Alstyne. This is The Social Academic, my podcast about online presence for faculty, researchers, and graduate students.Since 2018, I’ve helped academics like you feel confident when you show up online. You have agency in creating a stronger online presence for yourself. Let's build a strong digital footprint through your academic website, social media, and bio writing together.https://TheAcademicDesigner.comTetine Sentell is an internationally recognized health equity scholar and health services researcher. She’s a Professor of Public Health at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and the Chin Sik & Hyun Sook Chung Endowed Chair in Public Health Studies.Dr. Sentell brings 25+ years experience understanding and addressing health inequities. She wants to better understand and address these problems at the individual, family, and community-level with a strengths-based perspective. Dr. Sentell has executive and managerial leadership in academic units, programs, and extramurally-funded projects. She also has extensive experience supervising multidisciplinary teams in local, national, and global collaborations and innovative academic programming with cross-disciplinary community, clinical, and academic partners.Visit the Public Health Resonance Project website https://PHResonance.com/Visit Tetine's website https://TetineSentell.com/YouTube @PublicHealthResonanceProjectSunnu Rebecca Choi is an award-winning Korean/Canadian illustrator and printmaker based in London, UK. She specialises in visual narratives, including editorials and books for children to adults. Sunnu received a BFA in fashion design from Parsons School of Design in NY and an MA in illustration from Kingston University in London.Her work has won or been shortlisted for multiple awards, including the Bologna Children’s Book Fair and World Illustration Awards. Her works were selected to be exhibited at various exhibitions, including the Royal Academy of Art Summer Exhibition and the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers Gallery.Visit her website https://www.BySunnu.com/Instagram @by_sunnuAbout the PH Resonance Project logo https://phresonance.com/about-our-logo/Esme Yokooji is a graduate assistant with the Public Health Resonance Project and current student in the Masters of Public Health program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Esme’s specialization is in Native Hawaiian and Indigenous health. She is currently studying indigenous food systems and culturally relevant interventions for health. Esme splits her time between her work with the Public Health Resonance Project and an internship at Papahana Kuaola where she helps to steward the aina of Waipo, Heʻeia through the cultivation of Hawaiian varieties of kalo. Esme’s favorite physical activities are climbing, fishing, and all things related to growing food. You are most likely to find her in your nearest fruiting tree or loʻi kalo.Schedule your Zoom call with Jennifer to talk about working together 🌟 https://higheredpr.as.me/meet-with-jennifer

Are you a faculty, scientist, or grad student who wants to connect with the communities your research supports? Dr. Shereen Naser joins me to talk about academic and community partnerships.Have you ever thought about partnering with an organization or group in your community? I'm excited to share this episode of The Social Academic podcast with you.Hi, I'm Jennifer van Alstyne. I help faculty get connected with their scholarly communities online. Many faculty who come to me engage with organizations and communities outside of academia in meaningful ways. When people find their research doesn't just benefit from engaging with the community, it's necessary? How those people find you online becomes part of how you tell your story.Shereen Naser, PhD creates transformative frameworks and programs for schools that challenge dominant narratives in Psychology and prioritize human dignity and collective healing toward systemic change. She’s an Associate Professor of Psychology at Cleveland State University.Her research focuses on how marginalized students, especially queer and Arab youth, experience school settings. Using resource mapping and participatory program development and implementation models, Dr. Naser facilitates initiatives and interventions that support the social, emotional, behavioral and academic needs of marginalized youth at the individual and whole school level.Shereen is part of the THRiVE Research Collaborative and director of the Cleveland Child and Adolescent Research in Education (CARE) Lab.https://ShereenNaser.com/P.S. Jennifer designed Shereen's website!This is The Social Academic, a podcast about online presence for faculty, researchers, and graduate students. I’m Jennifer van Alstyne (@HigherEdPR). I help academics like you feel confident when you show up online. You have agency in creating a stronger online presence for yourself. Let's build a strong digital footprint through your academic website, social media, and bio writing.https://TheAcademicDesigner.comThe Social Academic blog https://TheSocialAcademic.com/blog/Thank you! Please subscribe for more videos for your online presence in academia.Want to support The Social Academic? Buy Jennifer a matcha or tea 🍵: https://buymeacoffee.com/higheredpr-----------------------------------------Schedule your no pressure Zoom call with Jennifer to talk about working together on your online presence for academics 🌟https://higheredpr.as.me/meet-with-jenniferHere's how we can work together, view services https://TheAcademicDesigner.com/services/Let’s connect on social mediaLinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/jennifervanalstyne/Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/jenvanalstyne.bsky.socialInstagram https://instagram.com/HigherEdPRTwitter https://x.com/HigherEdPRFacebook https://facebook.com/higheredprThreads https://www.threads.net/@higheredpr

Lisa Munro, a historian and writing coach, discusses the contrasts between public and academic writing. She shares her journey from academic burnout to successful public essays, emphasizing the importance of argument in both styles. Lisa offers practical tips for crafting compelling titles and highlights resources for submitting public scholarship. She also dives into her insights on adoption politics and encourages persistence in the face of rejection, reminding scholars that every setback could be a step toward a better opportunity.

This year, I joined an Association for Higher Education Consultants and Coaches (AHECC). It's been such a warm community, I wanted to share it with you too. Meet co-founder, Claire Brady.AHECC is a place "to build a community where higher education consultants and coaches can thrive together...Whether you're an independent practitioner, part of a consulting firm, or supporting client success behind the scenes, AHECC is here to connect you with peers who understand your work, your challenges, and your ambitions."Visit the AHECC website https://www.ahecc.org/Dr. Claire Brady is a successful higher education consultant and nationally recognized leader in artificial intelligence, organizational strategy, and student success. As President of Glass Half Full Consulting, she helps colleges and universities harness the power of AI to strengthen leadership, streamline operations, and create more human-centered institutions.Claire is also one of four co-founders of the Association for Higher Education Consulting and Coaching (AHECC)—the only professional association dedicated to higher education consultants and coaches. AHECC was founded with one powerful idea: to build a community where consultants and coaches can thrive together. Through this work, Claire helps shape a national network of professionals committed to connection, collaboration, and excellence in serving higher education.With over 25 years of experience as a vice president, faculty member, and executive leader, Claire has guided institutions through cultural change and digital transformation with clarity, care, and a bias toward action. Her national report, The Transformative Potential of AI: Recommendations for Student Affairs Leaders (NASPA & Strada Education Foundation), and her upcoming book on responsible AI in higher ed reflect her passion for aligning technology with mission and meaning. Claire lives in Orlando with her husband, Ben, and their son.Visit Claire's website https://www.DrClaireBrady.com/This is The Social Academic, a podcast about online presence for faculty, researchers, and graduate students. I’m Jennifer van Alstyne (@HigherEdPR). I help academics like you feel confident when you show up online. You have agency in creating a stronger online presence for yourself. Let's build a strong digital footprint through your academic website, social media, and bio writing.https://theacademicdesigner.comThe Social Academic blog https://TheSocialAcademic.com/blog/Thank you for watching! Please subscribe for more videos for your online presence in academia.Want to support The Social Academic? Buy Jennifer a matcha or tea 🍵: https://buymeacoffee.com/higheredpr-----------------------------------------Schedule your no pressure Zoom call with Jennifer to talk about working together on your online presence for academics 🌟https://higheredpr.as.me/meet-with-jenniferHere's how we can work together, view services https://theacademicdesigner.com/services/Let’s connect on social mediaLinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/jennifervanalstyne/Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/jenvanalstyne.bsky.socialInstagram https://instagram.com/HigherEdPRX https://x.com/HigherEdPRFacebook https://facebook.com/higheredprThreads https://www.threads.net/@higheredpr

Carole Chabries, PhD is a coach for leaders in Higher Education after a long-time being an academic leader herself. We met through our friend (and fellow podcast guest here on The Social Academic), Dr. Jennifer Askey.When Carole shared she was appearing on video on her local tv station in Milwake? I thought, how fun would that be to chat about here on the podcast?We'll talk about leadership in Higher Education, her journey from campus leadership roles to coach and consultant at Third Rail Leadership. And, ways she supports leaders at colleges and universities.Visit Carole's website https://thirdrailleadership.com/Connect on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolechabries/Subscribe to her newsletter https://thirdrailleadership.com/subscribeAbout 10 1/2 Lessons for Leaders https://thirdrailleadership.com/lessons#HigherEducation #LeadershipThis is The Social Academic, a podcast about online presence for faculty, researchers, and graduate students. I’m Jennifer van Alstyne (@HigherEdPR). I help academics like you feel confident when you show up online. You have agency in creating a stronger online presence for yourself. Let's build a strong digital footprint through your academic website, social media, and bio writing.Visit my website https://theacademicdesigner.comThe Social Academic blog https://TheSocialAcademic.com/blog/Thank you for watching! Please subscribe for more videos for your online presence in academia.Want to support The Social Academic? Buy Jennifer a matcha or tea 🍵: https://buymeacoffee.com/higheredpr-----------------------------------------Schedule your no pressure Zoom call with Jennifer to talk about working together on your online presence for academics 🌟https://higheredpr.as.me/meet-with-jenniferHere's how we can work together, view services https://theacademicdesigner.com/services/Let’s connect on social mediaLinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/jennifervanalstyne/Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/jenvanalstyne.bsky.socialInstagram https://instagram.com/HigherEdPRX https://x.com/HigherEdPRFacebook https://facebook.com/higheredprThreads https://www.threads.net/@higheredpr

Trigger warning: Sexual violenceThis episode of The Social Academic Podcast features Dr. Lena Ziegler to talk about her new book, A Revisionist History of Loving Men. A thoughtful conversation on what it means to write, revise, (and share) your story.Book: A Revisionist History of Loving Men (Autofocus Books)by Lena Ziegler, PhDhttps://autofocusbooks.com/store/p/revisionist-historyLena Ziegler holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Western Kentucky University and a PhD in Rhetoric and Writing Studies from Bowling Green State University where she researched gender, sexuality, and the rhetorics of sexual violence and consent. From 2021-2025 she served as an Assistant Professor of English at Albright College in Pennsylvania where she taught composition and creative writing. She currently serves as an educational and program coordinator for a nonprofit.From 2017-2023, Lena was the editor/co-founder of the literary and arts journal The Hunger. Her first book, A Revisionist History of Loving Men, was recently published with Autofocus Books. Additionally, she is the author of the fiction chapbook MASH (The A3 Press) and her writing has been published in Indiana Review, Split Lip Magazine, Duende, Dream Pop Press, Miracle Monocle, Literary Orphans, and others. She is the creator and host of the podcast Reading Michael Jackson - a project aimed at exploring the King of Pop through a deep analysis of his written work. She loves music, being cozy, and is an avid fan of all things dark and humorously angsty. She believes in forgiveness, magic, the transformative power of language, and resilience of the human heart.Lena Ziegler's website https://www.LenaZiegler.com/Connect with Lena on social mediaInstagram http://instagram.com/sadeyedlady723LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/lena-ziegler-b886This is The Social Academic, a podcast about online presence for faculty, researchers, and graduate students. I’m Jennifer van Alstyne (@HigherEdPR). I help academics like you feel confident when you show up online. You have agency in creating a stronger online presence for yourself. Let's build a strong digital footprint through your academic website, social media, and bio writing.https://TheAcademicDesigner.comThe Social Academic blog https://TheSocialAcademic.com/blog/Thank you for watching! Please subscribe for more videos for your online presence in academia.Want to support The Social Academic? Buy Jennifer a matcha or tea 🍵: https://buymeacoffee.com/higheredpr-----------------------------------------Schedule your no pressure Zoom call with Jennifer to talk about working together on your online presence for academics 🌟https://higheredpr.as.me/meet-with-jenniferHere's how we can work together, view services https://theacademicdesigner.com/services/Let’s connect on social mediaLinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/jennifervanalstyne/Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/jenvanalstyne.bsky.socialInstagram https://instagram.com/HigherEdPRX https://x.com/HigherEdPRFacebook https://facebook.com/higheredprThreads https://www.threads.net/@higheredpr

The research funding landscape has changed in 2025. Dr. Julia Barzyk of Wise Investigator returns to The Social Academic Podcast to talk about the state of funding in America and building a system of support for yourself as an academic.What funding recommendations or approaches have shifted? What has stayed the same? Find out in How to Get Research Funding with Dr. Julia Barzyk on The Social Academic podcast with Jennifer van Alstyne.Julia Barzyk is a former program manager at a major federal funding organization and the founder of Wise Investigator, where she and her team of coaches help early-career faculty win single-investigator awards. Through individualized, one-on-one coaching that demystifies the “hidden curriculum” of the funding process, their clients have secured $6M+ in federal, state, and foundation support in just over two years. Seventy-five percent are funded within 18 months, with an average award of $365K. Julia’s insider perspective, combined with her team’s breadth and depth of expertise and hands-on support, drives the program’s results.Website http://www.wiseinvestigator.com/LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-barzyk/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@wiseinvestigatorFree newsletter on university research funding https://wiseinvestigator.beehiiv.com/This is The Social Academic, a podcast about online presence for faculty, researchers, and graduate students. I’m your host, Jennifer van Alstyne (@HigherEdPR). I help academics like you feel confident when you show up online. You have agency in creating a stronger online presence for yourself. Let's build a strong digital footprint through your academic website, social media, and bio writing.https://TheAcademicDesigner.comThe Social Academic blog https://TheSocialAcademic.com/blog/Thank you for watching! Please subscribe for more videos for your online presence in academia.Want to support The Social Academic? Buy Jennifer a matcha or tea 🍵: https://buymeacoffee.com/higheredpr-----------------------------------------Schedule your no pressure Zoom call with Jennifer to talk about working together on your online presence for academics 🌟https://higheredpr.as.me/meet-with-jenniferHere's how we can work together, view services https://TheAcademicDesigner.com/services/_Let’s connect on social mediaLinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/jennifervanalstyne/Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/jenvanalstyne.bsky.socialInstagram https://instagram.com/HigherEdPRX https://x.com/HigherEdPRFacebook https://facebook.com/higheredprThreads https://www.threads.net/@higheredpr

November is Academic Writing Month (AcWriMo). Dr. Katy Peplin joins me on The Social Academic podcast. We're flipping the script on this one. Katy will ask me questions about my top advice for faculty sharing your academic writing online.You have agency in how you show up online. Hi, I’m Jennifer van Alstyne (@HigherEdPR). This is The Social Academic, a podcast about online presence for faculty, researchers, and graduate students. You can create a stronger online presence for yourself. Let's build a strong digital footprint through your academic website, social media, and bio writing.https://TheAcademicDesigner.com/Thank you.This FAQ for Academic Writers is about having an authentic digital presence. It doesn't have to happen all at once. Any small change you make to improve how people find you online can make a difference.Resources for youHow faculty online presence can help your students https://theacademicdesigner.com/2025/how-faculty-online-presence-can-help-your-students/What to share on your personal academic website https://theacademicdesigner.com/2025/35-page-ideas-for-your-academic-personal-website/What to share on your research lab website https://theacademicdesigner.com/2024/research-lab-websites/Free LinkedIn Profile course for academics https://higheredpr.teachable.com/p/linkedin-challenge (the videos will be moving here to YouTube in the coming months)Here's how we can work together, view services https://theacademicdesigner.com/services/Happy writing! Katy Peplin is hosting a month of free resources called AcWriMo.Sign up for free academic writing resources https://tinyurl.com/AcWriMo2025Dr. Katy Peplin is the founder of Thrive PhD, a business born out of her own journey through the PhD, and the joys and challenges of being a grad student and a human at the same time. She earned her doctorate at the University of Michigan, with a dissertation centered on animals on film and media. Throughout her degree, she also worked as a teaching consultant at the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching, practiced yoga regularly, and lived with chronic illness and anxiety. These days, she's super into knitting, colorful water bottles, and helping graduate students around the world treat graduate school like part of their career and life, and not just the holding period before the real stuff begins.Visit the Thrive PhD Website http://thrive-phd.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thrivephd/Threads https://www.threads.com/@thrivephdThe Social Academic blog https://TheSocialAcademic.com/blog/Thank you! Please subscribe for more videos for your online presence in academia.Want to support The Social Academic? Buy Jennifer a matcha or tea 🍵: https://buymeacoffee.com/higheredpr-----------------------------------------Schedule your no pressure Zoom call with Jennifer to talk about working together on your online presence for academics 🌟https://higheredpr.as.me/meet-with-jenniferLet’s connect on social mediaLinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/jennifervanalstyne/Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/jenvanalstyne.bsky.socialInstagram https://instagram.com/HigherEdPRX https://x.com/HigherEdPRFacebook https://facebook.com/higheredprThreads https://www.threads.net/@higheredprYouTube https://youtube.com/@higheredpr