Welcome . . .
Academics Only is a how-to community that helps us share our best practices as PhD students, new professors, and independent scholars. My name's Brian Wansink and I'm a "Pracademic." For 29 years I was a behavioral science professor at four wonderful schools, where my research focused on helping people eat better.
What I often loved most as a professor was being able to help new scholars get traction and succeed. That's what I hope this website gradually grows to accomplish. I especially hope it serves those who are struggling: PhD students who feel abandoned or lost; new professors who feel insecure or overwhelmed; independent scholars who will always be academic-minded even if they're in a different career. My heart goes out to all three groups because I've been in all of them.
What I often loved most as a professor was being able to help new scholars get traction and succeed. That's what I hope this website gradually grows to accomplish. I especially hope it serves those who are struggling: PhD students who feel abandoned or lost; new professors who feel insecure or overwhelmed; independent scholars who will always be academic-minded even if they're in a different career. My heart goes out to all three groups because I've been in all of them.
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• I was a horrible PhD student. I lost my funding, lost my advisor, and lived in a mobile home for two years. (But then a miracle occurred and I won a dissertation award and got hired by my dream school).
• I was a horrible assistant professor. I had my first 11 papers rejected and had the second-lowest teacher ratings in the school. After being turned down for promotion, the only job I could find was to wander Europe and the U.S. as a visiting professor for 3 years. (But then another miracle occurred and I got a tenured gig at my second dream school). • Even as a senior professor, I had some amazing cool experiences, and I had two horribly huge disappointments (including being asked to resign from my third dream school). |
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These sorts of "Wow, that didn't work out" experiences have also been useful to the graduate students and new professors I've worked with. Most advisors and academic idols look like they've led a perfectly charmed academic life: perfect schools, perfect papers, and perfect promotions. Hopefully this website will show that there's a lot of hope for the rest of us.
Academics can be incredibly rewarding -- for you, your students, and those influenced by your research and other projects. I hope the ideas and tools that we can collectively share here can help you speed down the road to more success, impact, and fun than you can imagine -- wherever you end up.
Let me know below what might help you most or if you have anything you'd like to share with the rest of the community.
Academics can be incredibly rewarding -- for you, your students, and those influenced by your research and other projects. I hope the ideas and tools that we can collectively share here can help you speed down the road to more success, impact, and fun than you can imagine -- wherever you end up.
Let me know below what might help you most or if you have anything you'd like to share with the rest of the community.
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