Managing an Academic Career

Dr. Michael Weisbach (Ohio State University) presents "Managing an Academic Career" at the 2021 FMA Annual Meeting.

There are a limited number of tenure-track positions in academia, so it is not possible for every entering doctoral student who wants an academic career to have one. To become a productive academic scholar, talent and a drive to succeed are necessary, but not sufficient. For the majority of young scholars who do not succeed in becoming successful academics, the problem is not a lack of ability or effort. Instead, the problem is that they do not go about their task as graduate students, and then as junior faculty, in the best way. Being a professional scholar is completely different from almost any other profession, and many people who want to become academics never figure out important aspects of the job.

This presentation will address how to best approach the task of managing an academic career, focusing on:

How to approach graduate school to improve your career options
The academic job market
Life as an assistant professor
Promotion and tenure