Unconventional Voices - The PhD Podcast: Recent Episodes
Xngtan Cao and Carene Pierre Rene
Unconventional Voices is about demystifying the current academic landscape while exploring innovative approaches to thrive academically and professionally.
This week we are chatting with Dr. Thompson. She talks about her journey from academia to entrepreneurship.
Dr. Thompson is the owner of Michelle Dionne Thompson Coaching and Consulting, she is an Academic and Legal Coach. Dr. Thompson helps women in law and academia who struggle with exhaustion and imposter syndrome build sustainable careers with their expertise, community, & soul.
Website: https://www.resistantvision.com
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In this episode, we delve into our personal, career and academic goals for the year 2023. We share our plans for the coming year. So, tune in to find out more about our 2023 goals!
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Gift-giving season has officially arrived, and we have carefully curated a list of practical gifts for graduate students that are not cards and cash envelopes. We have gift ideas for grads in sciences, humanities, arts, math and more. Most items are under $100! The complete list of items will also be available in an upcoming blog post.
Listen until the end of the episode for details about the exciting giveaway. Good luck and happy holidays!
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This week we conclude our conversation with Dr. Chris Dietzel.
Christopher Dietzel, Ph.D. (he/him) is a research associate on t the iMPACTS Project and also works in the Sexual Health and Gender (SHaG) Lab. Dr Dietzel's research explores the intersections of gender, sexuality, health, safety, and technology. Recently, his interests have focused on issues of consent and sexual violence, particularly related to mobile apps and LGBTQ+ people.
Chris Dietzel’s contact information and academic profile
- christopher.dietzel@mcgill.ca
- www.mcgill.ca/definetheline/christopher-dietzel
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At the height of the pandemic, many singles turned to dating apps to seek relationships. This effectively changed the way people dated, but has the pandemic changed dating forever? What do mobile apps have to do with power relations? To help us answer these questions, we’re excited to welcome Chris Dietzel to the podcast, Chris conducts cutting edge in the realm of dating and technology that cater to men who have sex with men (MSM).
Christopher Dietzel, Ph.D. (he/him) is a research associate on the iMPACTS Project and also works in the Sexual Health and Gender (SHaG) Lab. Dr Dietzel's research explores the intersections of gender, sexuality, health, safety, and technology. Recently, his interests have focused on issues of consent and sexual violence, particularly related to mobile apps and LGBTQ+ people.
Chris Dietzel’s contact information and academic profile
- christopher.dietzel@mcgill.ca
- www.mcgill.ca/definetheline/christopher-dietzel
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Grad work can be time consuming and overwhelming. Late nights at the library leave little time for dating, let alone a relationship. There are plenty of mobile apps that help students connect with potential partners. In this episode, we share our experiences using dating apps while in grad school. We also discuss racism and racial fetishization on dating apps.
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In this week’s episode we conclude our conversation with Jordan, we discuss:
- Finding the motivation to workout
- Funding
- Developing a workout schedule
Jordan is the owner of Mighty Maestro Fitness in Ottawa, he is also a trainer, martial artists with three black belts, a physique competitor, a fitness model and he has won a mixed martial arts (MMA) title. He has been teaching different martial arts and fitness for 25 years (he taught his first class when he was 15 years old!) He helps adults and students find their gateway to enjoy fitness to consistently workout. Most importantly he is Xingtan’s personal trainer.
Follow the Jordan Rogers
- @Mightymaestrofitness
- @ maestro_jordan
- info@mightymaestrofitness.com
- https://mightymaestrofitness.com/
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Last week we teased this week’s topic and guest. Well, you’re in for a treat! This week we're talking about health and fitness. To help guide this conversation, we have the pleasure of welcoming Jordan Rogers a.k.a Mighty Maestro.
Jordan is the owner of Mighty Maestro Fitness in Ottawa, he is also a trainer, martial artists with three black belts, a physique competitor, a fitness model and he has won a mixed martial arts (MMA) title. He has been teaching different martial arts and fitness for 25 years (he taught his first class when he was 15 years old!) He helps adults and students find their gateway to enjoy fitness to consistently workout. Most importantly he is Xingtan’s personal trainer.
In this week’s episode we first get to know Jordan and his training philosophy, then we discuss how to:
- Priotizing health
- Making time for fitness
- Exercising v. being fit and healthy
Follow Jordan Rogers
@Mightymaestrofitness
@ maestro_jordan
https://mightymaestrofitness.com/
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You’re not getting along with a committee member or your thesis supervisor, is a poor leader, a poor communicator, a bully or simply missing in action? Do you feel a lack of support from your PhD supervisor or committee member? Are they just not the best fit for you style of learning and you’re not sure what to do?
In this week’s episode we discuss the difficult task of switching supervisors and switching committee members. Xingtan and I share our individual stories and we walk you through the steps we took to make the switch. The key takeaway from this week’s episode is that although switching PhD supervisors or committee member is not a taboo topic and happens more often than you may think. You do not have to accept unacceptable behaviour, this is your journey and you have to do what is best for you to ensure you complete your journey. Enjoy this week’s episode, it was a difficult but important conversation to be had. We hope this conversation helps some students facing similar challenges.
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Finding a thesis supervisor is no small feat. You must muster up the courage to approach a professor, ask to be supervised, ensure they are the best fit and in some cases be ready for some rejection. In this week’s episode Xingtan and I talk about the steps we took to find our respective thesis supervisors. If you are interested in doing graduate research, but you’re not sure where to start, who to ask or how to ask, this episode is for you!
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In this episode, Xingtan and I discuss strategies to help PhD students optimize their writing. I share some of the tips that helped me write efficiently and effectively and finish my PhD quickly. Xingtan shares some tricks he uses to help him write in English because it's not his first language.
Listen to the episode to hear how these tricks can help you write your Ph.D. thesis in record time!
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Ify is a PhD candidate who specializes in leadership education. She holds multiple degrees from various universities around the world.
In this episode, Ify shares some of the challenges she faces as an international student, a PhD student and a mother of five! She discusses how she balances motherhood and education. She also answers questions about what she wishes she had known before starting your PhD and her future goals.
GOOD READS!
- Read our blog post: 5 ways to reduce PhD related stress
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[Ep. 4] In last week’s episode we talked about Xingtan’s challenges as a current PhD student. This week’s episode explores Carène’s challenges as a PhD graduate. We discuss career development and the fact that tenure track positions are not granteed, we discuss what to do after a PhD.
GOOD READS!
- Read our blog post: 5 ways to reduce PhD related stress
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PhD Candidates face numerous challenges. In this week’s episode Xingtan talks about some of his challenges around some of the stresses he faced during the week and in the podcast episode we discuss multiple ways to reduce PhD related stress, including:
- Setting boundaries
- Preparing a standard response
- Celebrating milestones
- Avoiding social Media
- Understanding that a PhD is a marathon and not a race
Back to school is the period in which students prepare for the new school year after the summer holidays. But is this also true for PhD students? Most PhDs take advantage of the summer to work on their thesis or take on additional teaching or research gigs to gain academic experience. In this episode we examine what back to school really means for PhD students. We also discuss the importance of taking time off during a PhD.
In this episode we discuss the purpose of the Unconventional podcast. We first go over how we met and then we discuss what this podcast means to us and what you as the viewers can expect from the podcast upcoming episodes. This podcast was created for people who are thinking about doing a PhD, current PhD candidates and PhDs who are unsure what to do once they have completed their studies. We hope that many join us on this journey. Let’s get it started!
PhD Candidates face numerous challenges. In this week’s episode Xingtan talks about some of his challenges around some of the stresses he faced during the week and in the podcast episode we discuss multiple ways to reduce PhD related stress, including:
- Setting boundaries
- Preparing a standard response
- Celebrating milestones
- Avoiding social Media
- Understanding that a PhD is a marathon and not a race