What can we do, individually and collectively, to change academic life to be more sustainable, collaborative and effective? This podcast series offers long-form conversations with academics and thought leaders who share stories and insights, as well as bite-size musings on specific topics drawing on literature and personal experience. For more information go to https://changingacademiclife.com Also see https://geraldinefitzpatrick.com to leave a comment. NOTE: this is an interim site and mis ...
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CAL106 On STOP - the purposeful pause (solo)
13:59
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In this short solo episode a share a simple yet powerful technique, S.T.O.P., for taking a purposeful pause throughout your every day. Stop, Take a breath, Observe, Proceed. 00:29 Motivating STOP 01:50 What is STOP 04:37 Using STOP 11:19 Towards making STOP a habit 13:58 End This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartab…
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Remembering Volkmar Pipek - on being curious, being you
16:08
16:08
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Volkmar Pipek was a highly influential researcher from Uni of Siegen who sadly passed away in Jan 2024 after a long illness. This short episode draws from a written interview he gave to Mateusz Dolata on the occasion of his 2023 EUSSET-ISSI Lifetime Achievement Award. I read an extract where he shares his advice about becoming and being a researche…
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Liam Bannon (Part 1) on a career outside the box
1:07:09
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Liam Bannon is a Professor Emeritus and founder and director of the Interaction Design Centre at the University of Limerick in Ireland. Liam has been a hugely influential thinker writer and researcher since the 1980s, along with various collaborators, in shaping work around technology and design. Recorded in-person in 2017, he reflects on his inter…
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Jean Paul (Part 2) on leading virtual transdisciplinary teams and stakeholder engagement
41:57
41:57
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Jean Paul is a senior scientist at the Medical University of Innsbruck. In part 2 of our conversation, Jean discusses her experience leading an impact-led transcdisciplinary research project focused on supporting families with mental health issues. She highlights the challenges of stakeholder engagement, distributed team management, and transdiscip…
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Jean Paul (Part 1) on Sandpit funding & impact-focussed research
57:48
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Jean Paul is a Senior Scientist at the Medical University of Innsbruck in Austria. Jean discusses her involvement in a unique research funding process called a sandpit or an ideas factory. Having then taken on the leadership of the project, she provides insights into the challenges and benefits of transdisciplinary research, stakeholder engagement,…
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Funding & Research Culture (podcast extract)
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This episode is an edited extract from a ‘Beyond Phrenology’ podcast episode where Dr Madhur Mangalam chatted with me about the impacts of research funding challenges on academic culture and individual well-being. The conversation addresses the need for a shift towards more supportive and diverse cultures, the complexities of academic career paths,…
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Taking this time to celebrate CAL100 – the 100th episode for the Changing Academic Life podcast series (actually 109th episode if we count the nine related work episodes) and thanks to all the people who have been part of making it happen. To update and correct the information about Dr Paddy Barrett who inspired this podcast: His original podcast w…
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On research identity, meaningful work and funding (solo)
26:56
26:56
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Triggered by a comment from Katta Spiel in an earlier podcast, in this solo episode I explore the tensions between the autonomy and freedom we have to shape our research identities and do meaningful work, and the systemic constraints from funding and promotion opportunities. The tensions particularly arise when research interests don’t align well w…
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Katta Spiel (Part 2) on neurodivergence & different ways of being and knowing
38:06
38:06
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Dr Katta Spiel is an Assistant Professor at TU Wien, a recent ERC Starting Grant recipient, and a good colleague of mine. In part two of our conversation, Katta discusses being neurodivergent, and experiences with ADHD, and being an activist for change with an example of how gender is dealt with in research, and about 'epistemic plurality and the i…
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In this short episode I reflect on the podcast season so far and on my own year of transitions. And I offer some prompt questions to help us reflect on what we have achieved and learnt this past year and encourage us to take some time to savour and celebrate it. Overview: 00:05 Introduction 01:32 Podcast highlights 05:50 Transitioning to a new phas…
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Katta Spiel (Part 1) on career uncertainties, gender identity and health issues
43:24
43:24
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Dr Katta Spiel is an Assistant Professor at TU Wien, a recent ERC Starting Grant recipient, and a good colleague of mine. In the first part of this two-part conversation Katta shares their experiences on a range of topics like career uncertainty, rejection of proposals, coming out as queer, having a formal gender change, dealing with chronic health…
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There were some technical hiccups in Part 2 of my conversation with Irina Shklovski, making the original audio I released very choppy (a lesson in not relying on smart tools!). I’ve uploaded new audio version that is much easier to listen to and doesn't chop off words. So this is an encouragement to you to listen to this now as it is such an import…
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In this short episode I pick on the notion of self-compassion from the discussion with Mark Reed last week, and go back to Kristin Neff’s work and other related self-compassion researcher to unpack the three components of self-compassion and some practices for cultivating self-compassion and also point to some of the research evidence base for the …
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Mark Reed on mental health, love and impact
52:57
52:57
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Professor Mark Reed is an academic, author, podcaster, consultant, trainer, policy advisor among his many roles. His research area is on ecosystem markets and environmental governance, and he studies how researchers can generate and share their knowledge so they can change the world. Reflecting both of these strands, he is both an academic, co-dire…
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In this very short 7mins episode, I talk about choosing to go to the park instead of doing a longer episode as I had planned - making good enough choices and honouring other areas of my life. I also point to related older podcasts that talked about issues around burnout, obsessive vs harmonious passion, self care, planning: Jolanta Burke on burnout…
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Irina Shklovski (Part 2) on coming back from burnout, being enough, doing enough
59:04
59:04
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Professor Irina Shklovski, University of Copenhagen, continues her powerful story about her academic burn-out experiences, returning to work and learning the dance of how to be enough and do enough. She discusses the push-and-pull between professional expectations and personal health, the value of reflection and self-awareness, how to establish wor…
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Professor Irina Shklovski, University of Copenhagen, has a powerful story to tell about her burn-out experiences. In Part 1 she talks about how she got there, having an amazingly supportive department and colleagues, and how her body tells her when to stop. Implicated in this are issues such as being across two departments, defining her scholarship…
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Mobility, pensions and you, yes you! (solo)
19:24
19:24
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In this short solo episode, I reflect back on recent conversations around academic mobility, discuss some benefits, and also point to an EU initiative to improve support for mobility across sectors, countries and disciplines. I also discuss some of the costs and issues around mobility, and in particular pensions, something we don’t often think abou…
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Susanne Bødker on career, culture and choices
1:07:22
1:07:22
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Professor Susanne Bødker is a professor of Human Computer Interaction at Aarhus University in Denmark. She reflects on 40 years at Aarhus University (AU) touching on issues including mobility, changes over time, hiring practices, creating collegial culture, being active in university politics, transitioning to retirement, being a single parent, amo…
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Reforming research assessment top-down bottom-up middle-out (solo)
41:33
41:33
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Following the conversation with Dr Karen Stroobants on the EU CoARA agreement, I discuss some other top-down initiatives at international and national levels for reforming research assessment. I also share some of my own bottom-up experiences trying to put these principles to work eg in writing references and being part of evaluation panels. It is …
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In this short episode I reflect on my recurring life lesson about putting unrealistic pressures on myself, in this case to put out a full podcast this week. Especially when the platforms I am using are a work in progress. And accepting that I am also a work in progress. What are your recurring life lessons? Transcript [08:03 mins] [00:00:29] Geri: …
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Karen Stroobants on changing research culture and reforming research assessment
1:04:48
1:04:48
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We need to reform research evaluation because "It's not just which people are we excluding, which profiles are we excluding, which ideas are we excluding, but also whose problems are we not solving" says Dr Karen Stroobants. Karen is a researcher, policy adviser and consultant on research policy and strategy, with a focus on research culture. Her r…
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This is a short episode to kick off the new Season of the Changing Academic Life podcast series. Looking forward to bringing some great conversations coming on a range of topics fro reforming research assessment, burnout and neurodiversity. A new website will be coming very soon! You can access all the latest episodes via this link that will connec…
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End of Season Reflections and Transitions
18:58
18:58
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This is the end of the current season of episodes. I take the opportunity to shortly reflect on the themes we’ve heard - around listening, leadership, wellbeing, peer review, and research excellence and evaluation. I also invite you to share your feedback and suggestions, and I share some of the various transitions happening over the break, all lea…
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Sarah Davies (Part 2) on luck, disrupting excellence, and cultures of care
38:49
38:49
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Sarah Davies is a Professor of Technosciences, Materiality, & Digital Cultures at the Department of Science and Technology Studies at University of Vienna. Overall her work explores how science and society are co-produced, with the digital and digitisation being key aspects. Of particular interest for our discussions is her current research on the …
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Sarah Davies (Part 1) on mobility, precarity and notions of excellence
51:47
51:47
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Sarah Davies is a Professor of Technosciences, Materiality, & Digital Cultures at the Department of Science and Technology Studies at University of Vienna. Overall her work explores how science and society are co-produced, with the digital and digitisation being key aspects. Of particular interest is her current research on the conditions of academ…
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Elizabeth Churchill on creating culture, leading teams, loving challenges
1:06:05
1:06:05
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Dr Elizabeth Churchill is a Senior Director at Google. We recorded this interview while we were both at a conference, where she was awarded a SIGCHI Lifetime Service Award. In this conversation she shares insights and experiences around building good team cultures, managing diversity, onboarding for global teams, and some management frameworks that…
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Marta Cecchinato (part 2) on promoting wellbeing through leadership, EDI & self-care
47:11
47:11
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This is part 2 of my conversation with Dr Marta Cecchinato (Part 1 is here). Marta is an Assistant Professor (Senior Lecturer) in the Computer and Information Sciences Department at Northumbria University. Her research focuses on understanding the complexities of multiple technologies in everyday life and how digital experiences can be shaped to su…
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Marta Cecchinato (part 1) on digital wellbeing and microboundary strategies
38:53
38:53
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Dr Marta Cecchinato is an Assistant Professor (Senior Lecturer) in the Computer and Information Sciences Department at Northumbria University. Her research focuses on understanding the complexities of dealing with multiple technologies in everyday life and how digital experiences can be shaped to support wellbeing at work and in our personal lives.…
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James Wilsdon - Replay on metrics & responsible research evaluation
34:03
34:03
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This is a replay of a 2018 conversation with Professor James Wilsdon when he was a Professor of Research Policy in the Department of Politics at the University of Sheffield in the UK. He is now at UCL as a Professor of Research Policy in the Dept for Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP). James has been involved in many policy…
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Heike Winschiers-Theophilus on global south research, reviewer bias, abstract vs lived diversity, & pluriversality
1:09:54
1:09:54
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This conversation continues the reflections on our peer reviewing practices, this time bringing in the experiences of someone from the Global South. Here I am speaking with Prof Heike Winschiers-Theophilus. Heike is a Professor in the Faculty of Computing & Informatics, at Namibia University of Science & Technology. Heike shares the many challenges…
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Edward Lee on the toxic culture of peer review
1:07:39
1:07:39
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In the last episode from my own reviewing hall of shame, I mentioned the coincidence of attending a webinar where Edward Lee talked about the ‘toxic culture of rejection’, based on a blog post he write in 2022. In this episode we hear from Edward directly and discuss the culture of rejection, in CS especially, the problems with peer reviewing, the …
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A confession from my review hall of shame
19:44
19:44
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This short reflection follows on from the last episode, a replay of my 2017 conversation with Gloria Mark in honour of her just having published her book called “Attention span: a groundbreaking way to restore balance, happiness and productivity”. I make a confession here that comes from my reviewing hall of shame, about when I was a reviewer of on…
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Gloria Mark is a Chancellor’s Professor in the Department of Informatics at the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences at University of California Irvine. This is a replay of our conversation in 2017 in honour of her having just published her book called ‘Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Produc…
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Leadership development with Austen Rainer
50:39
50:39
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Austen Rainer and I love co-facilitating academic leadership development courses for Informatics Europe and sharing experiences with so many people who share a commitment to doing academia differently. In this conversation we reflect on how these courses came about and experiences running them so far. We also try to unpack the similarities and diff…
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In this short podcast [19:16 mins], I reflect on some of the themes from across the podcast discussions since Sept 2022 - themes around listening, leadership and stepping up to make a difference. I also conclude with a call to take some time now to reflect on and savour your 2022 and to think of your theme for 2023. Full transcript: [Also downloada…
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Aisling O’Kane on radical participatory decision making (Part 2)
43:43
43:43
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Dr. Aisling O’Kane is an Associate Professor of Human-Computer Interaction in Health at the University of Bristol in the UK. In Part 1 of our conversation, she talked about her very diverse background ad reflected on issues like the importance of mobility, the challenges being part of an academic couple with family, and the impact of COVID. In Part…
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Aisling O’Kane on mobility, interdisciplinary threads & family (Part 1)
33:19
33:19
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Dr. Aisling O’Kane is an Associate Professor of Human-Computer Interaction in Health at the University of Bristol in the UK. In Part 1 of our conversation, she talks about her very diverse background from engineering to human factors and working in industry, from margarine, beer and nuclear risk assessment, then to doing a PhD, and now being in a f…
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Stuart Reeves on effecting change – from the picket line to the Senate (Part 2)
38:43
38:43
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Dr. Stuart Reeves is an Associate Professor in the Mixed Reality Lab and Horizon Research Institute at Nottingham University in the UK. This conversation is in two parts. In Part 1 of our conversation, he reflected on the complexities of universities and the structural/managerial issues that contribute to this. In Part 2 here, Stuart goes on to des…
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Stuart Reeves on 'what are universities for' and management complexities (Part 1)
39:57
39:57
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Dr. Stuart Reeves is an Associate Professor in the Mixed Reality Lab in the School of Computer Science and Horizon Research Institute both at Nottingham University in the UK. This conversation is in two parts. In Part 1 here, he reflects on the conflict in defining one’s own research brand vs the importance of the collective and collegiality in aca…
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Darragh McCashin on imposter phenomenon and multi-level strategies (Part 2)
47:29
47:29
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Welcome to Part 2 of my discussion with Dr Darragh McCashin. In Part 1 Darragh discussed his PhD in Digital mental health and his path to being an Assistant Professor in the School of Psychology at Dublin City University during COVID. In part 2, we start off replaying what he was saying about the mental health challenges faced by PhD and early care…
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Darragh McCashin on interdisciplinarity, a new lecturership during COVID, and his imposter (Part 1)
32:46
32:46
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Dr Darragh McCashin started as an Assistant Professor in the School of Psychology at Dublin City University during COVID. In Part 1 of this conversation, he reflects on his experiences doing an interdisciplinary PhD in digital mental health, on the importance of interdisciplinary thinking, and on starting a lecturer position at a new university dur…
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Julie Kientz on leadership, impact, & being comfortable with being uncomfortable (Part 2)
44:56
44:56
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Dr. Julie Kientz is a professor and Chair of the department of Human Centered Design & Engineering at the University of Washington in the US. In part 1 of our conversation, Julie reflected on how she made her own way from a small town geeky outcast, to get through college, and then on to a PhD and a faculty position and parenthood. We continue here…
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Julie Kientz on making her way from small town geeky outcast to uni professor (Part 1)
41:25
41:25
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Dr. Julie Kientz is a professor and Chair of the department of Human Centered Design & Engineering at the University of Washington in the US. In part 1 of our conversation, Julie shares her fascinating journey from first wanting to be a vet to then getting into a small town college to do computer science and then eventually doing a PhD at Georgia T…
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Oscar Trimboli on how to listen deeply (Part 2)
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Oscar Trimboli is an author, host of the Apple award-winning podcast Deep Listening and a sought-after keynote speaker. Along with the Deep Listening Ambassador Community, he is on a quest to create 100 million deep listeners in the workplace. Oscar has experienced first-hand the transformational impact leaders can have when they listen beyond word…
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Oscar Trimboli on being better listeners (Part 1)
31:54
31:54
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Oscar Trimboli is an author, host of the Apple award-winning podcast Deep Listening and a sought-after keynote speaker. Along with the Deep Listening Ambassador Community, he is on a quest to create 100 million deep listeners in the workplace. Oscar has experienced first-hand the transformational impact leaders can have when they listen beyond word…
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A short preamble to kick start a new season for 2022 of Changing Academic Life podcasts. [6:56 mins] Links: Austen Rainer, Queens Uni Belfast Online Academic Leadership Development Course (Starting end Sept 2022) Residential Leadership Development Course (last held June 2022) Informatics Europe Transcript: (00:04) Welcome to changing academic life …
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This short related-work podcast replays part of a previous podcast conversation with Katherine Isbister about working 8-5, reflecting on productivity and praising yourself. I set this up against some discussions in a meeting this week about the struggles seeing progress, our negativity bias, and recent research on stress in academia. Following the …
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RW8 Asking good questions, empowering good people
16:27
16:27
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This short related-work podcast follows up on the last conversation with Michael Bungay-Stanier, to present the seven coach-like questions from his book ‘The Coaching Habit’ for helping us to stay curious longer, jump to advice a little more slowly. I also reflect on my experiences trying to apply this in my academic life where I see it as one of o…
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Michael Bungay Stanier on the power of curiosity and taming your advice monster
53:55
53:55
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Michael Bungay Stanier (MBS for short) is an internationally renowned author, company founder and thought leader in coaching. Michael is the founder of Box of Crayons, a learning and development company that helps organizations move from advice-driven to curiosity-led. He's the author of 6 books, the best known of which is The Coaching Habit which …
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