Helium – Details, episodes & analysis

In this final episode of the show we sat down with our advisor Mark Wiesner. Mark is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a long time Department Chair at Duke University. He also has directed of the Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology for 10+ years where he worked with Christine. Mark has shared insights about trust and building relationships throughout your career. This is the perfect capstone to the show. Please consider heading over to Patreon and supporting Helium Podcast so we can pay to keep the show online and on the podcast servers. 

Courtney joined us in episode 6 as she was driving across the country to her new position at Washington State University. She rejoined us so we could learn how things shaped up in her first year+ of teaching, advising and grant writing. There is lots of reality in this episode, but a bunch of hope for those hoping to land a faculty position someday or starting one soon. She did not hold back telling it like it is and we appreciate her candor. 

How do make space for the joy in your career? Early on it feels like you must say yes to anything and everything but as Dr. Emily Bernhardt explains in this interview it quickly shifts to having to make space. This is space for those things that will both define your career and bring you joy. One strategy she shares is putting both financial and time price tags on projects to determine if you want to invest. She also provides encouragement all PhDs (or almost PhDs) out there who want to blend life and career into a joyous mix. 

Is it possible that graduate school transformed you into a less human version of yourself? Are you prepared to handle all humans that will be in your care as an advisor to your students? Are you prepared to take care of yourself properly so you can help others maximize their potential? If you said maybe to any of these questions this episode is for you. Dr. Antes joined us to help us rehumanize ourselves and our relationships to our lab groups. It is not complicated but she lays out some key steps we all need to build into our weeks to be better at creating connections with others.

What are some ways that university researchers can build relationships for collaboration and funding at mission driven government agencies? Gayle Hagler of the US Environmental Protection Agency joined us to talk about how she has seen this work at the EPA. Much of this knowledge can apply further to other agencies that are also mission driven. Understanding the mindset and the priorities of the organization will make you more successful in finding funding.

Show notes: www.teamhelium.co/episode23

How do you have to step up your ability to be outgoing in certain situations when you are working in academia? You might not expect a person in the National Academies for Engineering and Science to say that self-doubt still resonates at times. But Professor Bruce Rittmann can still get in touch with that feeling and identifies himself as shy. Dr. Rittmann shared his processes for practicing the outgoing role when he identifies as an introverted person. We also discussed his approach to funding, including some creative approaches he has taken to “kissing the frog.” It was a privilege to have Dr. Rittmann on the show and we can all benefit from his seasoned approach to 45+ years in academia. www.teamhelium.co/episode22

Do you want to start working with undergraduates in your research group? Dr. Dannemiller shared her process on how to interview them for the job and design undergraduate-sized projects. She also details her process for onboarding them including the research expectations document she reviews, the type of proposal she has them all write, and the experiments they trial run before they start. This episode is perfect for anyone wanting to improve the way they mentor undergraduates for research.

As researchers we can spend a good part of the year traveling to and attending conferences. How do you step back and make the most of that time by making a strategy for the conferences you attend and how you divide your time during those conferences? Our guests from the AEESP conference share their strategies and approaches for success and we share ours in a roundtable format. Listen to this episode to make your next round of conferences the best yet.

Dr. Richard Huysmans joined the show to discuss how to develop and nurture relationships with industry. These relationships will lead to more well-rounded mentoring for your students, more research collaboration opportunities and possible sponsorship of you work. How do you start? Ask your senior mentors to introduce you to their industry collaborators. Develop a LinkedIn profile where you talk about what you are passionate about in your research life. Avoid jargon on social media platforms if you intent is to connect with members of industry. Project the type of collaborator that you want to work with onto those platforms.

Dr. Beth Calhoun joined the show to discuss when and how to navigate out of bad relationships with senior faculty. How to avoid the confidence traps she sees young faculty fall into. How to be flexible and not set in stone what your biosketch will look like in the future. How team science helped her early in her career and still helps her to this day. She also shares the advice she would have for her early career-self.