Get Rejected on a Regular Basis

As an interdisciplinary researcher and family demographer, I have been frustrated by the lack of data to answer some of what I believe are the more important research questions. As a tenure-track faculty member at a research intensive university, my (federal) grantsmanship expectations are high if I want to get promoted to full, or toContinue reading “Get Rejected on a Regular Basis”

How to Succeed in College

Dear students, The science of learning has identified many study strategies that can increase retention and comprehension, yet most college professors rarely talk about these strategies. Below I cover four topics: efficient study skills, accountability structures, distraction blockers, and additional tips. If you apply these strategies to every college course you take, and your lifeContinue reading “How to Succeed in College”

Accountability Group

As many of my readers know, and for that matter, anyone who talks to me knows, I am an avid consumer of productivity tips, from blog posts to books. As the mother of four boys ages 5 to 15, married to a full-time employed co-parent, I am super busy all the time. And, I alsoContinue reading “Accountability Group”

Dual-earner couples share the housework equally – until the first baby comes

Claire Kamp Dush, The Ohio State University As a tenured professor and mother of four young sons, I am constantly asked, “How do you do it?” What people mean is: “How can you have a full-time job and still manage child care and housework?” I usually respond, “High-quality husband and high-quality child care, in thatContinue reading “Dual-earner couples share the housework equally – until the first baby comes”

Where should I submit my paper?

When you are in an interdisciplinary department, deciding where to submit your paper is fun, and confusing. I already told you about the time my student and I rewrote a paper we had rejected from Demography for the Journal of Family Psychology (it was accepted). But, how do you decide which journal to submit to?Continue reading “Where should I submit my paper?”

Kill Your Darlings (or Kill Your “Research has found that”s)

When I took our university’s Course Design Institute [which I highly recommend], I learned to think about my teaching in a new way.  One of the first questions I was asked was “What do your student need to know to move from novice to expert?” As we reflected on this question, we were supposed toContinue reading “Kill Your Darlings (or Kill Your “Research has found that”s)”

Work and family and “one night a week”

I know there has been a lot written about academia and work-life balance – this recent post in Inside Higher Ed tries to get at why academics work so much. In general, the meme about academics working constantly doesn’t really resonate with me [I should also mention that the meme about professors never working alsoContinue reading “Work and family and “one night a week””

Writing Group

As the mother of four (2 sons born in grad school, 2 sons born on the tenure track), people are always asking me “how do you do it?”  [Note, my husband never gets asked this question, which is a whole other blog post on gender attitudes.] My go to answer is always “high quality husband,Continue reading “Writing Group”