PhD Trekkers

What are the stories behind some of modern day American's Immigration experiences? As first generation children, we all at some point may have felt uncomfortable sharing our parent's stories because of the stigma and dirty names society gives us. But our parents fought valiantly to give us a chance in a world that had predestined us to have none. We come from those who are forgotten and stereotyped by this great nation, here we share the story of the ones that fought through muddy waters so that the life we have may be filled by opportunity, health, and happiness.

Be sure to tune in as we reflect on the old year and get ready to take in the new! Join us as we talk about our most proud accomplishments and biggest challenges in 2017, our thoughts on the various political movements this year (e.g. current political climate, political divisiveness & polarization, #MeToo, #MovingForwardTogether), and what we are excited and looking forward to do in 2018!

Gambling, Politics, and Fashion? Join us on the last leg of our adventure through London as we visit the famous Stonehenge, explore natural hot waters in the town of Bath, and are left in awe by the immense culture and love for theater in the area.

#Travel #Theater #London #Opera #Bath #Stonehenge

Sexual violence is an enduring problem in academia, and graduate student women are especially susceptible to this abuse. The Graduate Women In STEM (GWIS)at UMass have been fighting to change this atmosphere in academia, even before social media was taken up by the #metoo. They worked to put together a #SafeAtWork campaign as a call to arms encouraging graduate women to center their basic right which they deserve and which Title IX protects: the right to be safe at work. Join us as we chat with GWIS campaign managers on their work in putting together the #Makeitsafe Town Hall Meeting where they brought students and administration together to start a discussion on the ongoing epidemic of sexual violence in academia.

Campaign Page: https://www.gqmag.org/safeatworkcampaign

Quarterly Magazine: https://www.gqmag.org/

Join us as we continue our travels through London experiencing all the sights, smells, and tastes this place has to offer! Listen to how we lost each other in Westminster Abbey and how Yan make a big fuss over it! Tons of fun in London and more adventures to come!

Want to know what it's like to raise a family while trying to get tenure? Tune in this episode of PhD Trekkers where Yan interviews Prof. Ryan Shenvi in the Chemistry Department at the Scripps Research Institute. Ryan talks about his life and career while raising four children with his wife who's equally busy being a doctor in the midst of her residency. Ryan also discusses his career trajectory and how he discovered the unique similarities between science, chemistry, art, architecture, and creativity. Furthermore, Ryan talks about his experiences on getting tenure after his first paper and funding grant was rejected. Other topics include Ryan's teaching style and philosophy, research funding and collaborations, future of science/chemistry and AI, how to deal with failures and setbacks in research and academia, and his advice for younger scientists!

For more information on Prof. Shenvi's work:

https://www.shenvilab.org/

For a lecture from Prof. Shenvi on science and creativity:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEBLcEYN3mM&t=2s

Join the PhD Trekker's first literal trek in London! Tune in for general travel and planning tips, airline customer service ratings, the London Pass, our first impressions of London and its rich culture, and the secret hidden gems in London! Specifically, listen to Yan's 30sec Trump conversation with the British custom/border officer on Trump's travel bans, the importance of taking a break during your graduate career, our interactions with graffitti artists in the Leake Street tunnel, and how these interactions and experiences has served as inspirations for our personal growth!

For more information on the Leake Street Tunnel and the London Pass, please visit:

https://www.bordersofadventure.com/secret-london-hidden-street-art/

https://www.londonpass.com/

Are graduate students employees or students? Are PIs supervisors or mentors? Join the PhD Trekkers' discussion on this delicate issue central to our career development. Topics include the graduate student-PI relationships & power dynamics; the grey area where graduate school functions both like a startup company & like a traditional higher education program, and the various underlying graduate student health issues behind this establishment. We also discuss potential solutions from both the grad student and PI perspectives along with some of the historical progresses made in this area. Furthermore, Mari interviews the graduate student union (GEO-UAW) at UMass on their recent efforts and activism towards protecting graduate student rights and benefits.

To learn more about UMass graduate student union, please visit:

http://www.geouaw.org/

Tune in to listen to Mari's interview with Care @CareAboutSoils, a graduate student on their nonlinear path towards a #PhD in #science from Cellos to Soils. Getting a Ph.D. is never really a straight path as everyone makes it seem. Learn tips on how to navigate the #academic world, finding opportunities and your way through life despite what others may be telling you or think.

Have you experienced the quarter life crisis? And how did you pull through that? Tune in for Mari and Yan's heart touching stories on their quarter life crisis experiences. Topics include life goal/dream, career trajectory, communicating with parents and the generation gap, mental illness & depression, self reflection and evaluation, gap year opportunities, and advice for everyone who are going through this phase of their life. We even put in a Billy Joel song!