Derek Applewhite is an Associate Professor in the Biology Department at Reed College in Portland, Oregon (USA), and a longstanding advocate for Black/Indigenous/People of Colour (BIPOC) in academia. He joined TIR writer Brooke Morriswood and our first interviewee and discussion leader, Calvin Tiengwe, to continue the conversation about the BLM protests, racism in academia, and positive contributions that individual scientists can make. Continue reading
The attempted student ban enacted by the Trump administration was wrong. Denying students their university places because they were not physically present misunderstood so much of what university membership really embodies. Continue reading
Donald Trump’s obsession with re-election illustrates the problems caused by metrics becoming targets. Continue reading
Nowadays it’s pretty standard for an academic paper to have a long list of authors – but who are those authors anyway? Continue reading
The Black Lives Matter protests have shone a light on the systemic racism present at all levels in developed countries, including in academia. TIR spoke to Dr. Calvin Tiengwe of Imperial College London to get his perspective on the protests, the problem, and possible solutions. Continue reading
A thought experiment: what if career security in academia was inverted, and the positions of junior and senior faculty were reversed? Continue reading
Academics always need a Plan B, because career longevity is never guaranteed. Continue reading
TIR offers a few pointers for young scientists on how to brush up their curriculum vitae… Continue reading
There are many different careers to be had in science, of which academia only encompasses a fraction. Here’s an overview of the whole spectrum. Continue reading
Starting a family is something that’s often presented as a risk in career terms. In fact, it may actually turn you into a better risk-taker. Continue reading
