PhDivas

Would a Black physicist have called it "dark matter"? Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is the 63rd Black American woman to earn a PhD in physics and works on early universe cosmology and the dark matter problem. Xine and Liz talk to Chanda about the mysteries of the universe and the differing conundrums of being Black in the United States versus Canada. Literature emerges as a necessary form of education and survival -- shout out to the writings of Lawrence Hill and Langston Hughes! We discuss Star Trek, dissertation dedications, Janelle Monae, and the ambiguous worth of "diversity" in science and academia. What does it mean to decolonize science? Enjoy this special, extra-long episode!

Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein's work: http://www.cprescodweinstein.com/

Follow her for her wit, activism, and research on Twitter @IBJIYONGI

Decolonizing Science List: https://medium.com/@chanda/decolonising-science-reading-list-339fb773d51f#.om5w2ivfq

Lawrence Hill's The Book of Negroes: http://www.lawrencehill.com/the-book-of-negroes/

Blaming biased data and bad algorithms? Stop moral outsourcing to machines because data is a reflection of us! Liz and Xine interview Rumman Chowdhury, PhD candidate in political science and a full-time data scientist. We talk about how ethics, diversity, and social justice play an integral part in data, dubious robots, and the uneven development of data science through industry and academia. Beyond tin foil hats, we discuss everything from racist redlining in Chicago, philosopher Hannah Arendt's concept of the banality of evil, Netflix's Luke Cage, and menstruation apps. How can we approach data in a way that is not reductive? How can the quantitative not come at the cost of the qualitative?

Rumman works at Metis, an organization dedicated to data science training that has scholarships for women, people of color, veterans, and LGBTQ+ people. (www.thisismetis.com) Check out more about her work and for job postings in data scientist at www.rummanchowdhury.com and follow her on Twitter @ruchowdh

Nasty, sassy, bossy -- how do we criticize women? And how can we articulate valid criticisms without being accused of misogyny? In this pre-election conversation, Liz and Xine discuss Hillary Clinton, gender, and the politics of representation and, well, politics! Is it just about Hillary, or also a post-Obama moment that has transformed our ideas about hope and change? We talk political compromise, respectability, US imperialism, histories of suffrage and race, and the power of memes.

Since recording this conversation, we've been in a difficult place: trying to look after ourselves and others we care about on top of our usual work in academia. Love and solidarity to our listeners from the PhDivas!

Insecure, Broad City, and Girls: shows for and by women! These are shows that Liz and Xine watch as part of their lives as *serious* academics and researchers. What is the appeal? Well, we are still part of the much maligned Millennial generation. The PhDivas discuss how these female creators explore the trials and tribulations of work and love as Millennial women. What racial and gender barriers still exist despite the DIY innovations of Issa Rae, Lena Dunham, and Abbi and Ilana? We evaluate the first episode of Insecure, 5 seasons of Girls, and 3 seasons of Broad City -- talking about relatability, catharsis, humor, and ambivalence.

Hip hop artist and producer, video game heroine, PhD candidate -- how cool and brilliant can one person be? We talk to Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo who performs under the stage name Sammus, a reference to Samus Aran of Metroid who is the first woman game protagonist. She studies gender and music production through Science and Technology Studies and is also a noted nerdcore rapper who has performed at SXSW, Geek Girl Con, PAX East. We talk about Kanye West, Nintendo, questions of representation, in geekdom and the intersection of humanities and STEM. Sammus has also been a great champion for Black Lives Matter in Ithaca and an advocate for mental health. Pieces in Space, her new album is out October 28!

"I’m kind of scared of the academy/ I think my parents are proud of me/ I just wish I knew how to be comfortable here/ I never feel like I’m allowed to breathe/Rubbing shoulders with these old nerds/ Rockin’ sweater vests in they office hours/ Eating hors d’oeuvres while I soul search/ Tryna make some sense of the ivory tower" Sammus, "1080p"

Order: http://dongiovannirecords.11spot.com/sammus-pieces-in-space-pre-order.html

Sammus's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/sammusmusic/?fref=ts

L.J. Alonge's Blacktop series: https://www.amazon.ca/Justin-1-Blacktop-LJ-Alonge-ebook/dp/B015DLURQC/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1476986820&sr=1-3

Wait, isn't getting a PhD supposed to set you up with a cushy professor job? We talk to Dr. Shyla Saltzman about the increasing phenomenon of PhDs ending up in adjunct positions -- temporary, underpaid, underresourced teaching positions. This episode is about the stresses of the adjunct life, the corporatization of the university, as well as a unglamorous side of alt-ac jobs. After fun and laughter as we commiserate about shared experiences as people of color, Shyla gives us a deeply personal, honest account of her struggles after graduation. Together we discuss the conditions of precarity that threatens higher ed as well as the world around us, strikes and the #LIUlockout, and small victories.

How does one complete a doctorate? Xine and Liz dispel myths about individual "grit" and "productivity" to talk about structural and psychological barriers to finishing the degree. Lack of resources, social norms, and administrative pressures on time-to-degree can all exacerbate the final years as a graduate student -- and we can internalize these problems as personal failures. While it's true that the best dissertation is a done dissertation -- and there's no such thing as a perfect one -- we also discuss how much can depend on your adviser. It's about managing relationships, where committee members are in their careers, their experiences of the job market, and their personalities. And sometimes it isn't writer's block, sometimes it's depression: don't hesitate to ask for help! Make sure you are surrounded by people who can support you as you dissertate but also when you need to take breaks. We share tips but also criticize how idealized advice can come off as prescriptive and add its own stresses. It may also be that finishing the degree is not for you -- and that's fine as well. Doubt is healthy. Be kind to yourself!

Art meets science = promoting women in science! Sara MacSorley of Wesleyan University is the creator of Super Cool Scientists, a Kickstarter project to create a coloring book featuring a diverse group of current women scientists. (Our own Liz Wayne is one of them!) We talk with Sara about what it means to support science as a non-scientist as well as community engagement and outreach through higher education. We are also excited about Hidden Figures and other media promoting histories of women in science -- Super Cool Scientists is about supporting current women in science and the coloring book medium is geared to both children and adults alike.

We also talk about the personal trials of public promotion and supporting marginalized people in higher ed. What does it mean to address anxiety? How do we make safe spaces? How do we make our identities or allyship visible and effective? Sara takes us into her personal experience taking part in an It Gets Better campaign during her undergrad -- and that's how she met her wife! Support the Kickstarter! Get a chance to color in Liz!

Kickstarter campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/saramacsorley/super-cool-scientists-a-women-in-science-coloring

It's Postdoc Appreciation Week! But what are postdocs anyway and how do they differ between STEM and the humanities? What comes after the dissertation? Liz is now an NIH postdoc at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, while Xine is a SSHRC postdoc in Vancouver at the University of British Columbia. In this episode we talk about our new postdoc lives on different sides of the continent. We break down the differences between postdocs in different disciplines and the role that postdocs play in the current structure of academia. Increasingly, people are having to go through not just one, but two or more postdocs before getting to tenure-track professor positions. It can feel like we are in a strange liminal space between graduate student and faculty. How do we make the most of this time for our personal and professional lives?

Wait, getting your PhD is not enough?! From scientist to science policy -- Liz Wayne talks to Dr. Catharine Young about alt-ac from the STEM side, developing skills from a postdoc in biomedical sciences to her current position as the Science and Innovation Policy Adviser for the British Embassy. Our different experiences in academia open us to new possibilities and equally legitimate ways to love the subject we study. Turns out that having a PhD is not enough for a job in 2016, even after all we've accomplished! Through the American Association for the Advancement of Science fellowship, Dr. Young traveled internationally to work on addressing Ebola and other biological threats for the US and other countries. How do we put our work into broader context for the betterment of society? Grad students need to be exposed to more opportunities beyond academia during their degree. From science benchwork to science communication, Liz and Dr. Young chat about taking science out of the ivory tower.

You can get in touch with Catharine Young through LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catharine-young-25959148