tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post115388871813436811..comments2024-03-25T02:33:41.590-05:00Comments on FemaleScienceProfessor: 2 BodyFemale Science Professorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15288567883197987690noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-76536054801345972602007-05-28T23:26:00.000-05:002007-05-28T23:26:00.000-05:00Thanks for your response. My husband is a postdoc ...Thanks for your response. <BR/>My husband is a postdoc too, and we are in the same institution, same department. Our funding for next year is running out, unless our proposals get funded. And there is no other offer to use as leverage. So.... I am not going to turn down this offer. We just need to figure out a second position for my husband, even if it is just temporary. Hopefully, something will come up for him (i am trying not to lose hope already, but it's not easy after seeing how the chair reacted to my request). <BR/><BR/>And yes, who knows what will happen within the next two years? <BR/><BR/>Thanks for your blog!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-74474848808645557752007-05-28T13:56:00.000-05:002007-05-28T13:56:00.000-05:00I sympathize greatly with your situation, but you ...I sympathize greatly with your situation, but you don't say what your husband's position is. Does he have a faculty position elsewhere, at a place that may or may not hire you? If so, maybe you can leverage your offer. If he doesn't have a faculty position, would he really want you turn down your offer? If you accept it and he does the glorified postdoc for a year or 2, maybe something better will turn up for both of you in the meantime.Female Science Professorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15288567883197987690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-58544208720368481112007-05-28T13:40:00.000-05:002007-05-28T13:40:00.000-05:00I just discovered your blog and the two-body post ...I just discovered your blog and the two-body post is already quite old, but perhaps you still read the comments sent to you. <BR/><BR/>I am also a woman scientist, in the physical sciences, and I have recently been offered a faculty position at a large university. This is my first offer after 3 years of postdoc and it is a really great opportunity, a place I loved when I ineterviewed and potential great colleagues. The perfect job...if I was not a two-body problem. They *might* find my husband a 2 year position, a glorified postdoc, but it's not even sure. He is not a nobody. He got his PhD from a prestigious university, wrote his 1st proposal and got it funded while still a grad student, and the place where i got an offer has all the facilities he needs for his research. And yet, I have the feeling they are not going to do much (if at all) for him/us. It is too early for him to give up his career, which would not work anyway. He has wanted to do what his does since he was a kid. <BR/><BR/>The difference with you is that we are not willing to live apart. We know we'd be unhappy and I know that being unhappy does not go well with scientific productivity for me. sigh. It is a stressful time of my life. After the ecstasy of getting offered a great position, reality hit me and it looks like it is not going to be easy. <BR/><BR/>Any extra advice would be greatle appreciated.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-30268289851964660882007-02-19T04:32:00.000-06:002007-02-19T04:32:00.000-06:00http://seotools0dacvolo.blogspot.com|http://www.bl...http://seotools0dacvolo.blogspot.com|http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogid=1461197454777040321&postid=2951920571541168555http://search-engine-marketing1mvux4jb.blogspot.com|http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogid=3306842658741622311&postid=6566713222518338030http://seotools0dacvolo.blogspot.com|http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogid=1461197454777040321&postid=8631378261975581956http://seo-toolsw1ttxzjj.blogspot.com|http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogid=3008154164318246276&postid=2460519522984219320http://seotools8uuf2pee.blogspot.com|http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogid=7040527758894336106&postid=5602515049214287072http://seo-informationttubmwah.blogspot.com|http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogid=204202574240027865&postid=498010972180215192http://search-engine-marketing1mvux4jb.blogspot.com|http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogid=3306842658741622311&postid=6250776273520734390http://seotoolsn4s66mya.blogspot.com|http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogid=6250010495662135038&postid=1491276108293621713http://seotools0dacvolo.blogspot.com|http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogid=1461197454777040321&postid=8833478275511255415http://seo-toolsw1ttxzjj.blogspot.com|http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogid=3008154164318246276&postid=8980526487394805225http://seotools0dacvolo.blogspot.com|http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogid=1461197454777040321&postid=9005175640814128314http://seo-toolsw1ttxzjj.blogspot.com|http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogid=3008154164318246276&postid=6979580022542005568http://seo-informationqpmvr6sm.blogspot.com|http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogid=3795445609872889614&postid=4523196811643581481http://seo-marketing4m3p3zuh.blogspot.com|http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogid=3223722398912188740&postid=5037934578509629330http://search-engine-marketing398hm4ad.blogspot.com|http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogid=1680503811472398517&postid=296416791199128386http://seotools0dacvolo.blogspot.com|http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogid=1461197454777040321&postid=5266436371300540884http://seo-toolsw1ttxzjj.blogspot.com|http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogid=3008154164318246276&postid=7013116943462105469http://seotools8uuf2pee.blogspot.com|http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogid=7040527758894336106&postid=207688380485722486http://search-engine-marketing1mvux4jb.blogspot.com|http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogid=3306842658741622311&postid=2728177565115908730http://seotools0dacvolo.blogspot.com|http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogid=1461197454777040321&postid=1449963027778791745http://seotoolsn4s66mya.blogspot.com|http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogid=6250010495662135038&postid=1101737549103954115http://seo-informationqpmvr6sm.blogspot.com|http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogid=3795445609872889614&postid=2145456488582375457Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-1157859486162696792006-09-09T22:38:00.000-05:002006-09-09T22:38:00.000-05:00I am not Superwoman! And I did not get tenure in 2...I am not Superwoman! And I did not get tenure in 2 years. I was an Assistant Professor at University #1 for 4 years (accepted job at Univ #2 after 3, but stayed another year to finish teaching/advising commitments and have a baby before moving). I got tenure after 2 years at Univ #2, which only gave me credit for 3 years at Univ #1. However, Univ #2 promoted me to full professor a year early, to make up for my 'lost' year, so it all worked out in the end.Female Science Professorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15288567883197987690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-1157859173999906802006-09-09T22:32:00.000-05:002006-09-09T22:32:00.000-05:00Okay, I'm convinced you're SuperWoman. Not only di...Okay, I'm convinced you're SuperWoman. Not only did you do long-distance for YEARS, which seems an inhuman feat, but you got tenure in 2 YEARS??? Good god. Here I had been reading your blog thinking you were a great role model for me... but I could never live up to that. <BR/><BR/>If that's what it takes, I should either dump my boyfriend, or quit science. I fear one or other will happen eventually if I try to have both. <BR/><BR/>Also, I noticed you never reply to people's comments with another comment. What's up with that?Ms.PhDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11050354864577547294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-1154638293766515682006-08-03T15:51:00.000-05:002006-08-03T15:51:00.000-05:00What a great story!!! Thanks so much for sharing ...What a great story!!! Thanks so much for sharing an actual success story. There are very few of these out there for people considering the professor/researcher route but not sure that would allow for a life.avocadoinparadisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07710348855305184932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-1154193188054700122006-07-29T12:13:00.000-05:002006-07-29T12:13:00.000-05:00Thank you for this post. I am an assistant prof, s...Thank you for this post. I am an assistant prof, spouse just landed a postdoc on the other side of the continent which may lead to a permanent position. So maybe it is time to look around.<BR/><BR/>When you began to search for a new job while in your tenure track position, did you keep it a secret or not? I am afraid that if I began to look around but had to stay, my department might figure there's no sense in giving me tenure. Also, in your most recent search, did you lay the cards on the table (about two-body issue) at the start of your interviews?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-1154096105452642612006-07-28T09:15:00.000-05:002006-07-28T09:15:00.000-05:00Thanks for sharing your story. This two-body probl...Thanks for sharing your story. This two-body problem seems beyond even Poincare'. My wife and I are an the midst of our own two-body woes. We both managed to get really good post-docs in the same city after our Ph.Ds. But getting a tenure-track job in the same town is another matter entirely. I was a year ahead of her and got a position at a very good department. However, while my chairman tried in all good faith to drum up interest in my wife, her research interests weren't compatible (and she didn't have a "glossy" publication at that time, to grease the wheels). Anyway, she went on the job market the following year and managed to get several offers, the best one being the closest one to my university, a manageable 300 miles. So now she is getting set to join her position. Hopefully we will be able to do well enough in our current positions despite all the stress and challenges and find two positions in the same university or at least the same city.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-1154072185874714032006-07-28T02:36:00.000-05:002006-07-28T02:36:00.000-05:00Wow, thats a lot of long distance. I admire you f...Wow, thats a lot of long distance. I admire you for doing it, but I don't think it would work for me. My bf is away for a four month internship, and two months in, its killing me.<BR/><BR/>I guess we're in a slightly different situation, not really committed to the academic path. We met as we both started our PhDs, and figured we'd have 4 years together here, then finish at the same time and find somewhere we could both work (probably him in industry, me more in research). <BR/><BR/>Two years in we're both thinking of abandoning the PhDs and going to work in the IT industry. So there's a good chance we're about to emabark on the two-bodies-in-IT problem, which I think will be easier to negotiate than academia but I'm still not looking forward to it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-1154058020259571052006-07-27T22:40:00.000-05:002006-07-27T22:40:00.000-05:00I too am an academic who married an academic. I w...I too am an academic who married an academic. I was 2 years ahead of him having established my first assistant professorship while he was finishing a postdoc. We decided early on that it would be difficult to find two positions in the same place given our different fields. So it was decided that his career would be the priority. Why did I decide this? In part because me first marriage didn't survive the challenges of two academic careers and a long distance relationship.<BR/><BR/>Although I don't regret that decision, I have had to make more sacrifices in my career than I had imagined. Sometimes I think I gave up too much. I spend a lot of time fighting the "wife of the recruit" syndrome, having to work extremely hard to be accepted as a "real" scientist. Having done this three times now, and having survived each as well as maintained some level of indpendent funding, I often wonder how successful I could have been had we followed my career.<BR/><BR/>I commend you for having a successful long distance relationship and a successful career. I too wish universities would wake up and realize what an assest it can be to have a married couple in their departments.SciMomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07178603657127663870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-1154045341465212402006-07-27T19:09:00.000-05:002006-07-27T19:09:00.000-05:00I've been reading your blog for about a week now, ...I've been reading your blog for about a week now, and enjoy it very much. Thank you so much for telling this story. It is quite encouraging. I'm in the fourth year of my PhD and my boyfriend is about to go postdoc in less than a year. We live on oposite sides of the country and have been doing the long-distance thing for two years now. We know that someday we'll get married, and I've been thinking about the two-body problem a lot lately. He's applying to postdocs in my geographical area so that we can be together, but not long after that (a year? two?) I'll be going the postdoc way and we'll probably be long-distance again, which is quite painful and sad to think about. Reading your story gives me hope that it *is* possible to deal with the two-body problem and have a "happy ending", like you said.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-1154034586332647412006-07-27T16:09:00.000-05:002006-07-27T16:09:00.000-05:00Great story. Especially in the absence of systema...Great story. Especially in the absence of systematic efforts on the parts of most universities to encourage dual-career academic couples, it's really important and helpful for people to hear about what has worked for others. Congratulations on making it work!<BR/><BR/>When you get around to answering all these questions... :) I'm interested in the reasons why you (unexpectedly) found you didn't want to stay at a small liberal-arts college.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-1154028209939760592006-07-27T14:23:00.000-05:002006-07-27T14:23:00.000-05:00Thanks for sharing your story. Am I right in readi...Thanks for sharing your story. Am I right in reading that you had your baby while your husband was long-distance? How ever did you manage?ScienceWomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17144262447487095454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-1154022831450384272006-07-27T12:53:00.000-05:002006-07-27T12:53:00.000-05:00Besides the fact that asking details about marital...Besides the fact that asking details about marital status is illegal, what are your thoughts on these questions? If a university wants to actively work to find places for a double academic couple, what do they need to ask and what should a candidate tell them? What types of questions did you feel were really improper?<BR/><BR/>I've been lurking here for a couple of weeks and I'm enjoying reading and learning from your posts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-1154022223146515522006-07-27T12:43:00.000-05:002006-07-27T12:43:00.000-05:00thanks for sharing your story, it was interesting ...thanks for sharing your story, it was interesting and encouraging! I imagine such a long long-distance-relationship to be quite hard, but your description doesn't sound too bad. Nevertheless I'm very glad that my husband-to-be will start his PhD here where I am next year -- we still have a loong way to go for anything like tenure positions.Ameliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10483756694695666215noreply@blogger.com