Welcome . . .
Academics Only is a how-to community that helps us share our best practices as PhD students, new professors, and independent scholars. It's aimed at helping us overcome the biggest challenges in academia.
My belief is that the biggest challenges in academia aren't about research or teaching. Anyone who was smart enough and motivated enough to get into a PhD program is smart enough and motivated enough to be successful as an academic. Our biggest challenges aren't external, they are internal. They're inside us. They're our habits, perceptions, judgments, and outlook. They're also our skills dealing with time, people, disappointments, and planning. These are challenges that we can collectively help each other solve.
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 change their habits to be healthier (such as eating better).
What I often loved most as a professor was being able to help new scholars get traction and succeed. That's why I started this website and it's what I hope this website grows to accomplish. I especially hope it serves those who are new to academia : 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.
My belief is that the biggest challenges in academia aren't about research or teaching. Anyone who was smart enough and motivated enough to get into a PhD program is smart enough and motivated enough to be successful as an academic. Our biggest challenges aren't external, they are internal. They're inside us. They're our habits, perceptions, judgments, and outlook. They're also our skills dealing with time, people, disappointments, and planning. These are challenges that we can collectively help each other solve.
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 change their habits to be healthier (such as eating better).
What I often loved most as a professor was being able to help new scholars get traction and succeed. That's why I started this website and it's what I hope this website grows to accomplish. I especially hope it serves those who are new to academia : 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 job offer at my second dream school). • Even as a senior professor, I had some amazing cool experiences, and I had some along with some huge disappointments (like having 7% of my articles retracted). |
"Yesterday I couldn't even spell perfessor, and today I are one."
My first grad course in my new perfessor suit (Hanover, NH 1990).
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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 started this website because 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 started this website because 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.
My Food and Brand Lab researchers (and my 3 daughters) at the drive-in theatre (Big Flats, NY).
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One of my 8:00 AM undergrad classes. The people on the ground are just waking up (Ithaca, NY).
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