Back in the groove

After a long silence, I’m back online. Interestingly, I have just gotten two completely independent notes from people who have read the blog and enjoyed it. So with that encouragement, I will be getting back into writing. There is so much to say! In making my way through academic life I have gained many  insights…

New blog home

We have just migrated the blog from the Technion website, where I have discovered why my (almost) pleas for comments were left unanswered. Technion online security protocols prevent commenting there. So! This is the blog’s new home, and I welcome positive and constructive comments!   You may be wondering about the blog’s name AcademistaLife. Well.…

Any comments?

I enjoy writing, it’s a creative outlet that I haven’t tried before. It’s also another way to open a discussion with colleagues and get to know new people with similar interests. I would love to read your comments and perhaps focus more on topics of interest to readers Feel free to comment (nice things only…

When should you submit your results for publication?

It’s really a matter of field, novelty, and personal style. In some fields you only publish papers that include years of research by several students, while in others, every small step is novel and critical and should be shared quickly. A common incentive for publication is not to get scooped, if you have something very…

Degree ceremonies – exciting every time

It is always an honor to participate in a degree ceremony. Especially in undergraduate ceremonies, you can see the student’s families just beaming with pride. The excitement in the air is shared. The families are of course also very proud of a masters and PhD recipients, but perhaps less ecstatic. In any case, it really…

Emails rule our life…

E-mails are simultaneously one of the best things that have happened to international communications and scientific collaborations as well as the bane of our existence. You can easily drown in virtual piles of emails and spend all day sorting through things, many of them pure junk or scientific junk (as in, someday they may send something…

Advising students: micromanage, total freedom, or a middle path

It’s sometimes hard especially, as young faculty, to understand how to advise and mentor students. Not every person requires the same level intervention in their work and the same amount of direction and instruction. Those requirements also change with time. A starting grad student is basically in shock from the transition, going from studying courses…

Israeli driving and drivers

Israeli drivers are special breed. We are a high energy and high stress level country, and it’s apparent on the roads. Drivers are very competitive, and part of the daily routine is trying to get ahead of others and not let anyone get in your way or get ahead of you (this is true not…

Exams – no fun for either side

Giving exams in undergrad courses is an interesting process. When you are just starting out, as a young TA or if you haven’t TA’d then as a first-time lecturer, you really take it personally. If a student asks you a question on something that you know you mentioned in class, you almost want to remind…

Scientific poetry and weather

Sometimes you really feel like you are writing (scientific) poetry. The question is, will the readers/reviewers/editors feel the same? Will they even follow your train of thought? As researchers, we typically reuse parts from our other grant submissions and from papers, being so proud of wording that we worked hard on. The funny thing is,…