Changing Academic Life

Volkmar Pipek was a highly influential researcher from Uni of Siegen who sadly passed away in Jan 2024 after a long illness. This short episode draws from a written interview he gave to Mateusz Dolata on the occasion of his 2023 EUSSET-ISSI Lifetime Achievement Award. I read an extract where he shares his advice about becoming and being a researcher: Be curious. Be who you are. Be curious who you are. Wise advice for all of us.Read the full interview with Volkmar PipekInterview conducted by Mateusz Dolata, University of Zurich Text accompanying the EUSSET-ISSI Lifetime Achievement Award 2023 to Volkmar PipekEUSSET: European Society for Socially Embedded Technologies ISSI: Institute for Social Informatics Volkmar Pipek, University of Siegen and Volkmar’s publications

Liam Bannon is a Professor Emeritus and founder and director of the Interaction Design Centre at the University of Limerick in Ireland.Liam has been a hugely influential thinker writer and researcher since the 1980s, along with various collaborators, in shaping work around technology and design.   Recorded in-person in 2017, he reflects on his interdisciplinary journey and contributions, covering areas such as AI, HCI, CSCW, human-centered design, and collaboration. Liam’s experiences exemplify the challenges and rewards of crafting a unique academic career largely outside the box, grounded in interdisciplinary collaboration and a commitment to improving human-technology interactions, while also highlighting the importance of personal fulfilment and being able to think broadly.Related Links:Liam at the Interaction Design Centre, Uni of LimerickSome of the people & papers he mentions:George Miller Zenon Pylyshyn, (1973). What the mind's eye tells the mind's brain: A critique of mental imagery. Psychological Bulletin, 80(1), 1–24. H. Rudy Ramsey and Michael E Attwood (1979) Human Factors in Computer Systems: A Review of the Literature, Technical Report SAI-79-111DENJames Jenkins, Uni of MinnesotaDon Norman, Human Centered Design, UCSD. See also  https://jnd.orgKjeld Schmidt Lucy SuchmanRob Kling Center for Social Informatics Susanne Bødker, Aarhus Uni; see also our 2023 podcast conversationMike Cooley, Engineer Lucas AerospaceTerry Winograd and Fernando Flores, Understanding Computers and Cognition, A New Foundation for Design, 1987, Addison-Wesley.Bannon, L. & Bødker, S. (1991) Beyond the Interface: Encountering Artifacts in Use. Book Chapter in J.M. Carroll (Ed.) (1991) Designing Interaction: Psychology at the Human-Computer Interface, pp.227-253. (New York: Cambridge University Press) (See also an earlier version)Bud Mehan, UCSD  Pelle Ehn, Morten Kyng and Participatory Design e.g., see this paper Rank Xerox Cambridge EuroPARC e.g., see overview articles 'What is EuroPARC?' and 'Rank Xerox Cambridge EuroPARC'Liam J. Bannon (2006) Forgetting as a feature, not a bug: the duality of memory and implications for ubiquitous computing, CoDesign, 2:1, 3-15Liam J. Bannon (2012) InteractionsSchmidt, K., Bannon, L., Four characters in search of a contextSchmidt, K., Bannon, L. Taking CSCW seriously. Comput Supported Coop Work 1, 7–40 (1992). The Google Scholar listing of all of Liam’s publications

Jean Paul is a senior scientist at the Medical University of Innsbruck. In part 2 of our conversation, Jean discusses her experience leading an impact-led transcdisciplinary research project focused on supporting families with mental health issues. She highlights the challenges of stakeholder engagement, distributed team management, and transdisciplinary research. Jean emphasizes the importance of community engagement, virtual team collaboration, and fostering diversity in academia. She also reflects on the skills she brings to this role and the importance of investing in the team set up from the very beginning.Overview[00:29] Introducing Part 2[02:23] Recap from Part 1[07:27] Working with stakeholders[13:35] Leading a distributed international interdisciplinay project team[14:59] Learning leadership from diverse experiences[18:25] The transferrable skills – listening and learning[20:04] Supporting diverse career paths[25:16] Insights for parents in academia[29:22] Leadership, organisational design and virtual team management[34:33] Making virtual collaboration work[39:08] Future directions and reflections[41:57] EndRelated links:Ludwig Boltzmann Institute/GesellschaftThe sandpit-funded project – The Village ProjectThe Healthy Minds projectDr Ghislaine Caulat – consultant on virtual leadership development Simon Martin – consultant for their organisational design in a transdisciplinary project with stakeholder involvement Project Design principles:The design principles that came out of the oganisational design workshops:Effectively coordinate and involve a wide (but manageable!) network of stakeholdersBe clear on expectations, results and deliverables within the teamKeep momentum, trust and energy going across the project timeline for the core team and wider stakeholdersMake sure that the perspectives of people with lived experience are heard clearly throughout the project (capturing the voices of people impacted by perinatal mental illness and those who are treating and working with the affected person and their families)Enact high ethical standards in our research (especially when listening to personal stories of mental illness and challenges)Demonstrate the value of interdisciplinary research partnerships with stakeholders, and challenge the landscape of traditional research and methodsEffectively lobby and influence (local and national policy makers), and raise awareness in society / politics through making our topics and results visible.

Jean Paul, a Senior Scientist, shares insights on Sandpit funding, impact-focused research, and transdisciplinary collaboration. From her PhD journey to leading projects, she discusses innovative research funding models, stakeholder engagement, and the challenges of interdisciplinary work. Exploring mental health research design, transdisciplinary projects, and transitioning to social science research, Jean's podcast highlights the importance of impactful and collaborative research approaches.

This episode is an edited extract from a ‘Beyond Phrenology’ podcast episode where Dr Madhur Mangalam chatted with me about the impacts of research funding challenges on academic culture and individual well-being. The conversation addresses the need for a shift towards more supportive and diverse cultures, the complexities of academic career paths, and the importance of leadership, mentorship and job crafting. We also discuss the implications of international academic norms on individual career choices.Overview:[00:00:43] Research Funding Challenges and the Unsustainability of Current Models[00:04:57] Promoting Emotional Intelligence and Leadership in Academia[00:15:14] Navigating Career Paths Across Contexts[00:24:38] On Privileged Positions and Playing the Game[00:29:02] Wrapping up[00:30:53] EndRelated Links:Madhur Mangalam, University of Nebraska at OmahaBeyondPhrenology (YouTube)BeyondPhrenology (Spotify)Daniel Goleman – Emotional IntelligenceCAL99 episode: On research identity, meaningful work and fundingTEDx talk from 2016: The craziness of research funding. It costs us all.  Online Academic Leadership Development Course – sign up by March 7 2024!

Reflecting on the journey of the podcast, the hosts discuss their initial inspiration and the value of learning from challenges. They share their experience of overcoming technical challenges and finding and interviewing guests. The chapter reflects on diverse interviews and personal development in academic life. Expressing gratitude towards listeners, the hosts discuss the impact of the podcast in encouraging academics and increasing its reach. The speaker expresses gratitude towards the listeners and contributors, discusses the development of a new website, and celebrates the 100th episode.

This podcast explores the tensions between academic freedom and funding constraints. It discusses strategies for navigating research identity and finding meaningful work within these constraints. The episode also highlights the challenges of aligning research topics with funding opportunities and the trade-offs involved in pursuing passion projects outside of formal frameworks.

Dr Katta Spiel is an Assistant Professor at TU Wien, a recent ERC Starting Grant recipient, and a good colleague of mine. In part two of our conversation, Katta discusses being neurodivergent, and experiences with ADHD, and being an activist for change with an example of how gender is dealt with in research, and about 'epistemic plurality and the importance of making space for different ways of being and knowing. They conclude by advocating for respectful curiosity about individual experiences and allowing others space to perform their best work. They also argue for a lab culture where personal needs can be discussed and respected, suggesting this encourages more open dialogue and a supportive environment.This conversation picks up from Part one where Katta shared their experiences on topics like career uncertainty, proposal rejections, coming out as queer, chronic health issues, being successful, and notions of normativity. Overview:[00:00:00] Introduction[00:01:56] Personal Journey with Neurodivergence[00:06:42] Strategies for Navigating Neurodivergence[00:10:05] Dealing with a world not made for Neurodivergence[00:15:39] Creating a Supportive Environment for Neurodivergence[00:20:12] The Intersection of Neurodivergence and Activism[00:26:19] Embracing different ways of being and knowing[00:33:27] Final Thoughts on Neurodivergence and Inclusivity[00:35:44] My final reflections[00:38:06] EndRelated links:Katta's personal web page, TU Wien web page, LinkedIn page, and announcement about their ERC Starting GrantGender paper: Katta Spiel, Oliver L. Haimson, and Danielle Lottridge. 2019. How to do better with gender on surveys: a guide for HCI researchers. interactions 26, 4 (July-August 2019), 62–65. https://doi.org/10.1145/3338283Hanne de Jaegher https://hannedejaegher.net

In this short episode I reflect on the podcast season so far and on my own year of transitions. And I offer some prompt questions to help us reflect on what we have achieved and learnt this past year and encourage us to take some time to savour and celebrate it.Overview:00:05 Introduction01:32 Podcast highlights05:50 Transitioning to a new phase7:35 Reflection prompts10:17 Gratitude & looking forward13:26 End

Dr Katta Spiel is an Assistant Professor at TU Wien, a recent ERC Starting Grant recipient, and a good colleague of mine. In the first part of this two-part conversation Katta shares their experiences on a range of topics like career uncertainty, rejection of proposals, coming out as queer, having a formal gender change, dealing with chronic health issues, and being successful in receiving a prestigious research council grant. Dr. Spiel's struggles and successes reflect their unyielding effort to change academic life for the better. An emphasis is also placed on the importance of authenticity and uncompromised approach when applying for grants. Part two of the conversation with Katta will delve deeper into the topic of neurodivergence and their ADHD experiences.Overview:0:00 Introduction02:42 Navigating Identity and Academia07:06 Exploring Alternative Career Paths09:37 The Journey to Recognition and Success10:34 Challenges and Triumphs in Grant Applications23:07 Understanding the Difference Between Access and Accessibility25:48 Personal Journey of Gender Identity and Health33:58 Experiences with Chronic Health Issues38:10 The Impact of Body Shape on Medical Treatment40:16 The Role of Technology in Access and Inclusion43:23 EndRelated Links:Katta's personal web page, TU Wien web page, LinkedIn page, and announcement about their ERC Starting GrantPeople: Raja Kushalnager, Christian Vogler , Abraham Glasser