HOW TO REACH YOUR ACADEMIC NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS: GET YOUR RESEARCH MOVING, PUBLISH YOUR DISSERTATION, FIND A TENURE-TRACK JOB, AND LAND A PROMOTION

As we look forward to a new year, Graduate Center scholars share the lessons they have learned to help you reach your academic goals in 2022. 

1. Land a Tenure-Track Job 

João Marinotti (M.Phil. ’21, Linguistics; M.A. ’17, Linguistics), who took a less-traveled path to his faculty position at Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law, shares two key pieces of advice for others looking for tenure-track jobs.

2. Stand Out from All the Other Applicants for That Tenure-Track Position 

José R. Chávarry (Ph.D. ’19, Latin American, Iberian, and Latino Cultures), who is now at the College of Charleston as an assistant professor of Hispanic Studies, explains how teaching at CUNY made him stand out in the interview process.

3. Hone Your Interview Strategies to Land a Job 

Raj Korpan (Ph.D. ’21, Computer Science), who started a new role as a tenure-track assistant professor at Iona College, explains how resources at the Graduate Center can help you prepare for job interviews.

4. Find Fierce Mentors and a Supportive Community

Allison Guess (Ph.D. ’21, Earth and Environmental Sciences) landed a tenure-track position as an assistant professor of Africana Studies at Williams College, despite a challenging academic market. She explains how she overcame the challenges of being a working-class Black woman community scholar and how to find mentors. 

5. Advocate for Yourself and Get a Promotion

“When you're somebody who doesn't come from a privileged background, sometimes people just have to tell you what the possibilities are,” says Distinguished Professor Kevin Nadal (GC/John Jay, Psychology). He explains how he applied for and got a promotion, making him one of the youngest distinguished professors at CUNY, and how you can advocate for yourself, too.

6. Reach a Broader Audience by Starting a Podcast 

Baruch Professor Rojo Robles Mejias and Adjunct Assistant Professor Rebecca L. Salois, both alumni of the Graduate Center’s Latin American, Iberian, and Latino Culture Ph.D. program, explain how they launched the Latinx Visions podcast to bring their research to new listeners.

7. Publish Your Work in The New York Times

Master's student Stéphanie Thomson (Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences) explains how a class she took with Professor Janet Gornick on women in work and women in the labor market led directly to a feature article she published in The New York Times. 

Colin Jerolmack (Ph.D. ’09, Sociology) tried to get published in the Times several times before succeeding with his gripping and insightful article on attitudes about fracking in rural Pennsylvania. He shares this tip with others who want to see their name in the old gray lady. 
 

8. Communicate Your Science in an Op-Ed 

In this science communication workshop, learn how to write a compelling opinion piece that informs and helps the public take action to ensure that science improves their lives and the planet.

9. Overcome Obstacles to Complete Your Research 

Ph.D. candidate Iris Strangmann (Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences) was preparing to collect data for her dissertation on how bilingual people switch between languages, or code-switch, when the pandemic foiled her plans. She shares what she learned about overcoming obstacles – even if it means temporarily leaving the country.
 

10. Get Started Smarter in Your Research

Maureen Coyle (Ph.D. ’21, Psychology), whose research topics include ghosting and emojis, shares the one piece of advice she wishes she could have given her younger self about getting started in research.

11. Publish Your Research Before You Graduate 

Mason Youngblood (Ph.D. ’21, Psychology) published research on music sampling, far-right radicalization, and methods of monitoring house finch behavior all before graduating this year. He offers this advice to others looking to do the same.