AcaDames: Recent Episodes
Sarah Birken and Whitney Robinson
Is being a woman in academia a dream, game, or scam? AcaDames is a biweekly podcast that explores this question through interviews with a diverse range of women. Discussions cover career trajectories, finances, childbearing decisions, spirituality, the ever-present patriarchy and everything in between. Co-hosts Whitney Robinson and Sarah Birken open up to each other and their guests in intimate, frank, and often funny conversations. Along the way, they share insider knowledge about the “hidden curriculum” for professional advancement (and potential world domination). Episodes released every other Thursday during the semester.
Today Sarah interviews Katie Grogan, an interdisciplinary biologist working as a post-doc at Pennsylvania State University. Last year, Katie wrote an article outlining the many ways gender bias appears in academia. She discusses her experiences as a woman in STEM, the many factors that prompted her to speak out on this issue, and suggests actions everyone can take to make academia more equitable.
Click here to subscribe on iTunes!
Related readings and links: Katie’s article in Nature Katie’s Twitter Thread Postdoctoral Program at Emory University How Woman Can Combat Gender Bias University of Arizona Lawsuit Iris Bohnet: Gender Bias by Design
A transcript of the episode can be found here.
Recorded: December 31, 2018
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AcaDamesPodcast E-mail: acadamespodcast@gmail.com Voicemail #: (919) 666-7301 (Voice memos can also be emailed if you would like!)
Creative Director: Mara Buchbinder Music by: Grace Mesa — PremiumBeat.com Production, editing, and admin by: Tamara Huson, Molly Horak, and Jeremiah Murphy Artwork by Melissa Hudgens at Leafy Greens Designs Sibling podcast: The Effort Report
This journal club topic is near and dear to Sarah and Whitney’s hearts: task management. In a world where email is unavoidable, scheduling is more important than ever, and deadlines are all too real, how does one sift through the clutter to be as productive (and sane!) as possible? Whitney and Sarah share how they organize their lives, give advice on apps and programs to help function more efficiently, and commiserate over coming to realize that there aren’t simply enough hours in the day to fit everything in (and that’s probably for the best!).
Click here to subscribe on iTunes!
Related readings and links:
Conversation at 9:33 and 50:16 references Episode 111 Conversation at 17:19 references Episode 109 Conversation at 54:47 references Episode 100 Kelly Ann Rockquemore David Allen’s Getting Things Done Gretchen Rubin: Essential Habits Kanbanflow Trello Dropbox Adam Grant: “No, You Can’t Ignore Email. It’s Rude.” Scanner Pro
A transcript of the episode can be found here.
Recorded: July 11, 2019
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AcaDamesPodcast E-mail: acadamespodcast@gmail.com Voicemail #: (919) 666-7301 (Voice memos can also be emailed if you would like!)
Creative Director: Mara Buchbinder Music by: Grace Mesa — PremiumBeat.com Production, editing, and admin by: Tamara Huson, Molly Horak, and Jeremiah Murphy Artwork by Melissa Hudgens at Leafy Greens Designs Sibling podcast: The Effort Report
Today Sarah speaks with Dr. Ariana Vigil, a professor in the Women’s and Gender Studies department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Ariana researches Latinx culture and literature and shares her unconventional path to becoming a professor (hint: much of it was accidental!) and what it’s like to be a Latina academic in a predominantly white institution. Ariana also shares feelings of isolation throughout her career, how she balances being a single mother with her busy workload, and how getting tenure has impacted her work habits.
Click here to subscribe on iTunes!
Related readings and links:
Conversation at 55:05 refers to Episode 102
Carolina Postdoctoral Program for Faculty Diversity
University of Nebraska Institute for Ethnic Studies
UNC Latina/o Studies Program
Choosing Single Motherhood
A transcript of the episode can be found here.
Recorded: June 27, 2019
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AcaDamesPodcast E-mail: acadamespodcast@gmail.com Voicemail #: (919) 666-7301 (Voice memos can also be emailed if you would like!)
Creative Director: Mara Buchbinder Music by: Grace Mesa — PremiumBeat.com Production, editing, and admin by: Tamara Huson, Molly Horak, and Jeremiah Murphy Artwork by Melissa Hudgens at Leafy Greens Designs Sibling podcast: The Effort Report
In today’s journal club, Sarah and Whitney dive in to a topic that’s frequently seen as taboo: money. Sarah hates personal finance and rarely logs into her bank accounts; Whitney balances her checkbook for fun -- but the two agree that paying for grad school, negotiating salaries, and managing finances are important but can be difficult. They reflect on their own experiences to offer advice to AcaDames at multiple career stages.
Click here to subscribe on iTunes!
Related readings and links:
Conversation starting at 42:56 refers to Episode 101
Call Your Girlfriend: Millennial Money Episode
Refinery 29 Money Diary Article
Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholarship Postdoc
Why Don't Professors Make More Money?
Bad with Money with Gaby Dunn Podcast
Battle Tactics For Your Sexist Workplace Podcast
A transcript of the episode can be found here.
Recorded: August 23, 2018
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AcaDamesPodcast E-mail: acadamespodcast@gmail.com Voicemail #: (919) 666-7301 (Voice memos can also be emailed if you would like!)
Creative Director: Mara Buchbinder Music by: Grace Mesa — PremiumBeat.com Production, editing, and admin by: Tamara Huson, Molly Horak, and Jeremiah Murphy Artwork by Melissa Hudgens at Leafy Greens Designs Sibling podcast: The Effort Report
Today Whitney speaks with Dr. Ruth Pearce, a social researcher and feminist scholar based at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. Ruth discusses her current work with the Trans Pregnancy project, why gender equity schemes are so important in academia, and offers tips for resiliency when facing online harassment and political backlash. Along the way, she shares stories of her life as a trans woman, how academic institutions in the UK differ from those in the US, and the similarities between organizing a concert and organizing a conference.
Click here to subscribe on iTunes!
Related readings and links:
Conversation starting at 26:26 refers to Episode 108
Dr. Ruth Pearce
The Trans Pregnancy Project
Athena SWAN
Athena SWAN and Gender Equity Schemes
Trans Temporalities and Nonlinear Aging
The Origins of Intersectionality
Thomas Beatie
Recorded: June 26, 2019
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AcaDamesPodcast E-mail: acadamespodcast@gmail.com Voicemail #: (919) 666-7301 (Voice memos can also be emailed if you would like!)
Creative Director: Mara Buchbinder Music by: Grace Mesa — PremiumBeat.com Production, editing, and admin by: Tamara Huson, Molly Horak, and Jeremiah Murphy Artwork by Melissa Hudgens at Leafy Greens Designs Sibling podcast: The Effort Report
In our Season 2 opener, Sarah and Whitney reflect on the events of the last three months. Whitney transitioned back from maternity leave, Sarah wrapped up research overseas and wrote her first big grant -- and Sarah shares about her vacation and Whitney shares why she needs one! We’ll also read feedback from the summer bonus episodes, answer listener questions, and give a sneak peak of what to expect later in the season.
Click here to subscribe on iTunes!
Related readings and links:
Conversation starting around 28:32 refers to Episode 108
Conversation starting around 15:10 refers to Episode 103
The Importance of Vacation to Physical and Mental Health
Do Vacations Improve Your Creativity?
National Science Foundation’s TEAM ADVANCE Grants
Pros and Cons of the All-Inclusive Resort Vacation
Solo-Parenting Vacations at All-Inclusive Resorts
Happier with Gretchen Rubin: Creating a Standardized Vacation
The Miscarraige Penalty
Are Conferences Providing Enough Childcare?
Sarah’s Tweet: Evidence-Based Approaches to Applying Rules
Recorded: August 22, 2019
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AcaDamesPodcast E-mail: acadamespodcast@gmail.com Voicemail #: (919) 666-7301 (Voice memos can also be emailed if you would like!)
Creative Director: Mara Buchbinder Music by: Grace Mesa — PremiumBeat.com Production, editing, and admin by: Tamara Huson, Molly Horak, and Jeremiah Murphy Artwork by Melissa Hudgens at Leafy Greens Designs Sibling podcast: The Effort Report
AcaDames is back with a jam-packed second season! From task management to money, allyship to professional chemistry, co-hosts Whitney Robinson and Sarah Birken -- and a lineup of trailblazing guests! -- tackle difficult subjects through intimate conversations. This season you’ll hear from a wider range of guests, including our first AcaDame based outside the U.S., a post-doc, a humanities scholar, and a researcher working in a Think Tank. Along the way, they continue to share insider knowledge about the “hidden curriculum” for professional advancement (and potential world domination). Season Two coming August 29, 2019.
Recorded: August 12, 2019
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AcaDamesPodcast E-mail: acadamespodcast@gmail.com Voicemail #: (919) 666-7301 (Voice memos can also be emailed if you would like!)
Creative Director: Mara Buchbinder Music by: Grace Mesa — PremiumBeat.com Production, editing, and admin by: Cee Cee Huffman, Tamara Huson, Molly Horak, and Jeremiah Murphy Artwork by Melissa Hudgens at Leafy Greens Designs Sibling podcast: The Effort Report
In this bonus episode, Sarah reflects on her international professional travel. She describes why she brought her family to Sweden, how she managed her anxiety and work in the weeks leading up to it, and offers additional tips for networking as an introvert.
Discussed this week:
Lexapro antidepressant
Linköping University in Sweden
King's College London Implementation Science Masterclass in England
Recorded: July 27, 2019
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AcaDamesPodcast E-mail: acadamespodcast@gmail.com Voicemail #: (919) 666-7301 (Voice memos can also be emailed if you would like!)
Creative Director: Mara Buchbinder Music by: Grace Mesa — PremiumBeat.com Production, editing, and admin by: Cee Cee Huffman and Tamara Huson Artwork by Melissa Hudgens at Leafy Greens Designs Sibling podcast: The Effort Report
Here's a quick-turnaround bonus episode of Whitney reflecting on her recent conference travel. It's uncut and hot off the presses. Our co-host, Whitney, reflects on what she wore, plus-sized shopping, the power of freshly braided hair, the mental and economic load of just getting to a conference, and why she even bothered. At the end of the episode, Whitney talks about the logistical challenges of conferencing when you’re exclusively breastfeeding an infant. Also Donald Rumsfeld makes an appearance. And finally, #blackgirlmagic!
[Insert podcast audio file here]
Discussed this week: Previous AcaDames episodes mentioned in this episode: Bodies - re: clothes at conferences Whitney - re: Whitney’s older son who was preterm
Malcolm Barrett analysis of #SER2019 Twitter data
What is a drop-in daycare center?
Epistemology
Myers Briggs personality framework (see INFJ personality type here)
MSP (Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport) Family Services resources, including children’s play area, support for families with children with special needs, and breastmilk feeding accommodations
Twitter hashtags referenced:
SER2019
EpiTwitter
blackgirlmagic
BlackEpiMatters at @black_epi
Retailers or business mentioned in this episode (none are paid advertisers): Torrid, Kohl’s, Old Navy, Stitch Fix, Crocs, BabyGoGo, Ergobaby, BabyBjorn, Amazon
Recorded: June 24, 2019
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AcaDamesPodcast E-mail: acadamespodcast@gmail.com Voicemail #: (919) 666-7301 (Voice memos can also be emailed if you would like!)
Creative Director: Mara Buchbinder Music by: Grace Mesa — PremiumBeat.com Production, editing, and admin by: Cee Cee Huffman and Tamara Huson Artwork by Melissa Hudgens at Leafy Greens Designs Sibling podcast: The Effort Report
And that’s a wrap for Season 1 of AcaDames! In this final bonus episode of the season, Whitney and Sarah answer some great questions we’ve received from listeners and give a sneak peek of what you can expect for Season 2. We also discuss a twitter thread from listener @kemidoll, our mental health regimens, and the pros and cons of extreme productivity.
If you’re in the Raleigh-Durham area on Tuesday, May 16 at 5:30PM, we hope you’ll join us for happy hour at Tyler’s Taproom in Carrboro. We’ll talk about Season 1, reflect on what you liked and what you didn’t like. We’ll also give some Season 2 teasers and have fun celebrating the end of a great semester. Otherwise, we’ll be back with new episodes in August 2019!
Related readings and links:
CiteBlackWomen: https://www.citeblackwomencollective.org
Understanding the Extent of Gender Gap in Citations: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/08/16/new-research-shows-extent-gender-gap-citations
See acadamespodcast.com/episodes for more links and references from this episode.
Recorded: May 2, 2019
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AcaDamesPodcast E-mail: acadamespodcast@gmail.com Voicemail #: (919) 666-7301 (Voice memos can also be emailed if you would like!)
Music by: Grace Mesa — PremiumBeat.com Creative Director: Mara Buchbinder Production, editing, and admin by: Jonathon Young, Logan Castrodale, Tamara Huson, and Molly Horak. Artwork by Melissa Hudgens at Leafy Greens Designs
Today Sarah and Whitney speak with Dr. Rena Pasick, a Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Whitney reunites with the woman who created a training program in which she participated when she was a student. The program encouraged underrepresented people of color and LGBTQ people to pursue doctoral programs and careers in research. Rena discusses her journey from reluctant leader to trailblazer and imparts words of wisdom regarding research, mentorship, coping with stress, and more.
Related readings and links:
Dr. Rena Pasick bio: http://cancer.ucsf.edu/people/profiles/pasick_rena.3585
Minority Training Program in Cancer Control Research: http://cancer.ucsf.edu/research/training/minority-training-program-in-cancer-control-research/
See acadamespodcast.com/episodes for more links and references from this episode.
Recorded: June 14, 2018
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AcaDamesPodcast E-mail: acadamespodcast@gmail.com Voicemail #: (919) 666-7301 (Voice memos can also be emailed if you would like!)
Music by: Grace Mesa — PremiumBeat.com Creative Director: Mara Buchbinder Production, editing, and admin by: Jonathon Young, Logan Castrodale, Tamara Huson, and Molly Horak. Artwork by Melissa Hudgens at Leafy Greens Designs
In today’s journal club, Whitney and Sarah discuss the challenges of having a body as a woman in academia. Body perceptions, clothing choices, hairstyles, and general physical presence have all played a part. They discuss self-policing and how they can even use aspects of their physical presence to gain strategic advantages at work. NOTE: This episode makes a brief reference to eating disorders.
Discussed This Week: NPR’s Fresh Air: From Upspeak To Vocal Fry: Are We 'Policing' Young Women's Voices? https://www.npr.org/2015/07/23/425608745/from-upspeak-to-vocal-fry-are-we-policing-young-womens-voices
See acadamespodcast.com/episodes for more links and references from this episode.
Recorded: July 16, 2018
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AcaDamesPodcast E-mail: acadamespodcast@gmail.com Voicemail #: (919) 666-7301 (Voice memos can also be emailed if you would like!)
Music by: Grace Mesa — PremiumBeat.com Creative Director: Mara Buchbinder Production, editing, and admin by: Jonathon Young, Logan Castrodale, Tamara Huson, and Molly Horak. Artwork by Melissa Hudgens at Leafy Greens Designs
Today Sarah chats with Jessie Borelli, an Associate Professor of Psychology and Social Behavior at the University of California, Irvine. Jessie’s research focuses on the links between close relationships, emotions, health, and development. Jessie discusses her initial insecurities and struggles to find her career path under the constraints of being a military spouse, the sacrifices along the way, and her personal evolution to embrace her ambitions and goals.
Discussed This Week:
Invisibilia: The Personality Myth: https://www.npr.org/programs/invisibilia/482836315/the-personality-myth?showDate=2016-06-24
See acadamespodcast.com/episodes for more links and references from this episode.
Recorded: March 8, 2018
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AcaDamesPodcast E-mail: acadamespodcast@gmail.com Voicemail #: (919) 666-7301 (Voice memos can also be emailed if you would like!)
Music by: Grace Mesa — PremiumBeat.com Creative Director: Mara Buchbinder Production, editing, and admin by: Jonathon Young, Logan Castrodale, Tamara Huson, and Molly Horak. Artwork by Melissa Hudgens at Leafy Greens Designs
It’s time for AcaDames’ first bonus episode! In late February, Whitney gave birth to baby August. We answer a listener question about balancing all the identities that academic women have, and share with you Whitney’s birth story.
Listener note: Whitney’s maternity leave update begins at 13:18.
Discussed This Week:
Why Women Still Can’t Have it All: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/07/why-women-still-cant-have-it-all/309020/
See acadamespodcast.com/episodes for more links and references from this episode.
Recorded: March 16, 2019
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AcaDamesPodcast E-mail: acadamespodcast@gmail.com Voicemail #: (919) 666-7301 (Voice memos can also be emailed if you would like!)
Music by: Grace Mesa — PremiumBeat.com Creative Director: Mara Buchbinder Production, editing, and admin by: Jonathon Young, Logan Castrodale, Tamara Huson, and Molly Horak. Artwork by Melissa Hudgens at Leafy Greens Designs
Today on AcaDames, Sarah and Whitney discuss the joys and struggles of becoming a parent while working in academia. They discuss whether tenure makes taking family leave easier, how to maintain relationships with students while gone, and utilizing childcare to make the transition back to work easier. Is academia really the holy grail of work-life balance? How does the larger cultural environment shape university leave policies? Is there a perfect time for AcaDames to have children? Tune in to hear them answer these questions and more.
See acadamespodcast.com/episodes for more links and references from this episode.
Recorded: September 11, 2018
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AcaDamesPodcast E-mail: acadamespodcast@gmail.com Voicemail #: (919) 666-7301 (Voice memos can also be emailed if you would like!)
Music by: Grace Mesa — PremiumBeat.com Creative Director: Mara Buchbinder Production, editing, and admin by: Jonathon Young, Logan Castrodale, Tamara Huson, and Molly Horak. Artwork by Melissa Hudgens at Leafy Greens Designs
This week on AcaDames, Whitney discusses what it’s like to receive tenure, why she sets boundaries between her personal and professional life, and even a mathematical formula for choosing love. She also shares her experience being the only black tenure-track woman in her department, and why a home renovation was more stressful than her high-risk pregnancy.
Discussed this week:
Whitney's dating optimization strategy, Top Tip #2 (around 7:11) in Hannah Fry's TEDTalk: The Mathematics of Love (https://www.ted.com/talks/hannah_fry_the_mathematics_of_love/transcript?language=en)
This American Life: LaDonna (https://www.thisamericanlife.org/647/ladonna)
Whitney had major reservations about the ableist implications of how she described her first-born. Here's a corrective: “Let’s Stop Saying: ‘We Don’t Care, as Long as our Baby’s Healthy” by Sarah Sahagian (https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/sarah-sahagian/baby-healthy_b_6336822.html)
See acadamespodcast.com/episodes for more links and references from this episode.
Recorded: May 31, 2018
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AcaDamesPodcast E-mail: acadamespodcast@gmail.com Voicemail #: (919) 666-7301 (Voice memos can also be emailed if you would like!)
Music by: Grace Mesa — PremiumBeat.com Creative Director: Mara Buchbinder Production, editing, and admin by: Jonathon Young, Logan Castrodale, Tamara Huson, and Molly Horak. Artwork by Melissa Hudgens at Leafy Greens Designs
We discuss division of household and work labor as it relates to our lives as AcaDames. Jumping off from an article in Harper's Bazaar, we parse between the emotional labor associated with managing the feelings (of the men in our lives in particular) and the invisible labor associated with, for example, managing schedules of loved ones. We discuss our experiences in the context of academic institutions that were built with men in mind who have support systems comprised of women (e.g., a stay-at-home wives). We consider the implications of this conventional model of academic home-life for those who are in same-sex partnerships or single. Finally, we propose potential solutions (however problematic): outsourcing labor, changing norms around division of labor, and toeing the line between the efficiency of assuming household roles and the risks of being pigeonholed into them.
For extra reading related to this week's episode, see the AcaDames website at acadamespodcast.com.
Recorded: November, 23, 2018
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AcaDamesPodcast E-mail: acadamespodcast@gmail.com Voicemail #: (919) 666-7301 (Voice memos can also be emailed if you would like!)
Music by: Grace Mesa — PremiumBeat.com Creative Director: Mara Buchbinder Production, editing, and admin by: Jonathon Young, Logan Castrodale, Tamara Huson, and Molly Horak.
Artwork by Melissa Hudgens at Leafy Greens Designs
This week on AcaDames, it’s Sarah’s time for a little self-disclosure. Sarah tells the story behind her unconventional decision to start her academic career as a half-time assistant professor, and talks about everything from being homegrown, to withdrawing from a job search, to what it’s like to have kids in grad school. Recorded: April 2, 2018.
Website: acadamespodcast.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AcaDamesPodcast
E-mail: acadamespodcast@gmail.com
Music by: Grace Mesa — PremiumBeat.com
Creative Director: Mara Buchbinder
Production, editing, and admin by: Jonathon Young, Logan Castrodale, Tamara Huson, and Molly Horak.
Artwork by Melissa Hudgens at Leafy Greens Designs
In Episode 0, we’re giving you a raw, behind-the-scenes look at what AcaDames is and who we are. These voice memos left between AcaDames Sarah and Whitney give you a peek at how our podcast dreams came to fruition. Episode 1 coming Thursday, January 31.
Website: acadamespodcast.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/AcaDamesPodcast E-mail: acadamespodcast@gmail.com
Music by: Grace Mesa — PremiumBeat.com
Creative Director: Mara Buchbinder Production, editing, and admin by: Jonathon Young, Logan Castrodale, and Tamara Huson.
AcaDames is a biweekly podcast that explores whether being a woman in academia a dream, game, or scam through interviews with a diverse range of women. Discussions cover career trajectories, finances, childbearing decisions, spirituality, the ever-present patriarchy, and everything in between. Co-hosts Whitney Robinson and Sarah Birken open up to each other and their guests in intimate, frank, and often funny conversations. Along the way, they share insider knowledge about the “hidden curriculum” for professional advancement (and potential world domination). Season 1 coming Thursday, January 17.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AcaDamesPodcast E-mail: acadamespodcast@gmail.com
Music by: Grace Mesa — PremiumBeat.com Creative Director: Mara Buchbinder Production, editing, and admin by: Jonathon Young, Logan Castrodale, and Tamara Huson.