Are you a P.E.A.R.L.?
A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of serving on a career panel during the Stanford Microbiology and Immunology Department Annual Retreat. It was great to see old and new faces and share my experience as a scientist-educator at primarily undergraduate institutions.
I have been on many such panels; however, this one stayed with me. And here's why. My former mentor, John Boothroyd, asked, "What traits would you say make someone successful in your career?" I knew he was not looking for whole sentences. My fellow panelists mentioned good communication, listening, working with others, etc. Great traits to have for many careers. They also explained why these characteristics were necessary for careers in biotechnology, pharma, startups, research institutions, etc.
When it was my turn, I said: Empathy, Resilience, Leadership, Advocacy, and Patience. On my drive home, I had time to really think about it. So when I rearranged the first letters of each word, they formed P.E.A.R.L. Just came out of nowhere! In my humble opinion, you need to be or become a PEARL to thrive as a scientist-educator at a P.U.I.
My Chair, Christelle Sabatier, reminded me of how pearls are made when I shared my reflections with her. Pearls result from a protective response of oysters to a foreign object (grain of sand, parasite, or damage to their fragile tissues). Yes, these irritants mixed with intrinsic protective substances generate these beautiful objects that many of us use to ornate our necks, wrists, etc.
Similarly, my career is challenging and demanding. It is by far one of the most harrowing journeys I embarked on. Nonetheless, my mentors, friends, students, and wonderful husband have helped me make it fun and rewarding. Thus, you can take on the challenge of educating the next generation of scientists or citizens with a foundational knowledge of science. You need these five elements to be one of the beautiful pearls in higher education. So here we go:
P - Patience: You must be patient with students, colleagues, and yourself. Good pedagogy requires repetition; be patient as you watch your students learn. It takes patience to develop a good lecture and to grow into the teacher you want to be. It takes patience to train students in the lab. You will need patience to get publications and obtain funding for your work. Patience will get you through committee meetings and other service activities. Patience is a virtue.
E - Empathy: Students will come to you with various needs. Empathy will allow you to hear them, see them, and give them a shoulder to cry on and someone they could open up to. It will help you engage with colleagues going through hard times, whether professional or personal. Empathy will make it easier for you to put yourself in others' shoes and provide the support they need to thrive.
A - Advocacy: As a faculty, you will need to speak up for your students and for causes that you care about in academia. You have to become the voice of the voiceless. Demand equitable access to education, textbooks, and financial resources. You will need to advocate for more advisors, more student representation in the faculty, fewer courses, smaller classes, more funding for hands-on research, and internship opportunities for your students and colleagues. It would help if you stepped up when grants and performance reviewers forget how challenging it is to balance our personal and professional lives. Even if it does apply to you, you can advocate and show support for better work conditions (higher pay, childcare, etc.) for your colleagues. Ultimately, your advocacy should be geared toward improving student experience so they can thrive in their pursuit of knowledge.
R - Resilience: Most scientists know that resilience is a pre-requisite once you embark on a scientific endeavor. Being resilient will allow you to overcome the frustrations and pain from student evaluations, the disrespect and oversight of your peers and/or higher-ups, and the disappointments you will no doubt encounter. Your resilience will ensure that you manage the imposter syndrome, loneliness, and isolation that show up from time to time or consistently, depending on your institution. Additionally, you must be resilient to write another grant proposal after several rejections and propose a new course that others think is unnecessary. Resilience will allow you to persist in this career. It does not mean you remain in a toxic work environment. Instead, resilience reminds you of your strength and whatever goals you set for yourself.
L - Leadership: You must embrace being a leader in your class, lab, department, college, and institution. Leadership is not about being the loudest or know-it-all in the room. Instead, you want to lead by example, acknowledge when you are wrong, take initiatives that better the life of your students and colleagues, and speak up when needed. You will be called upon to defy the status quo, including but not limited to statements such as "change comes slowly in academia" or "wait until you're tenured to speak up." Being an educator already suggests that you are leading young minds toward knowledge. So, pick up your shepherd's crook and guide your students toward a better future.
I am a growing Black PEARL. What kind of pearl are you or will you be?
