In this episode, we invited Dr. Girum Urgessa to the show to talk about ABET and discussing its significance in ensuring quality education in engineering and technology programs. In this episode we will also learn about the accreditation process, its impact on curriculum development, and how it benefits both institutions and students.

Contact list: If you have any comments about our show or have suggestions for a future topic, please contact us at info@thisacademiclife.org. You can also find us on the webpage https://thisacademiclife.org and on Facebook group “This Academic Life”.

Cast list:

Guest:

• Dr. Girum Urgessa is a Professor of Structural Engineering and Director of Student Leadership and Success in the College of Engineering and Computing at George Mason University. He is a Fellow of the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Before joining George Mason, Dr. Urgessa was a structural engineer at Weidlinger Associates (now Thornton Tomasetti) and Dekker/Perich/Sabatini. A passionate and award-winning teacher, he is the author of the popular FE-Civil Exam Practice Book. Dr. Urgessa is an ABET Civil Engineering Program Evaluator and a corresponding member of ASCE’s Committee on Accreditation. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Maryland.
• https://civil.gmu.edu/profiles/gurgessa
• https://www.amazon.com/FE-Civil-Practice-Questions-Detailed-Solutions/dp/1985675889

Hosts:

• Prof. Kim Lewis (host) is a Professor of Physics and Associate Dean of Research in the College of Arts and Sciences at Howard University.
• Prof. Pania Newell (host) is an Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at The University of Utah.

• Prof. Lucy Zhang (host) is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

Editing team:

• Music by RuthAnn Schallert-Wygal (schallert.wygal@gmail.com)
• Edited by Angella Chen
• Artwork is created using Canva (canva.com)

In this episode, we meet-up again with Dr. Andre Clayborne who previously was navigating the move to another institution while on the tenure-track as an assistant professor. Today, we ask him about his new academic life as an associate professor and administrator.

Contact list: If you have any comments about our show or have suggestions for a future topic, please contact us at info@thisacademiclife.org. You can also find us on the webpage https://thisacademiclife.org and on Facebook group “This Academic Life”.

Cast list:

Guest:

Dr. Andre Clayborne

Hosts:

• Prof. Kim Lewis (host) is a Professor of Physics and Associate Dean of Research in the College of Arts and Sciences at Howard University.
• Prof. Pania Newell (host) is an Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at The University of Utah.

• Prof. Lucy Zhang (host) is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

Editing team:

• Music by RuthAnn Schallert-Wygal (schallert.wygal@gmail.com)
• Edited by Angella Chen
• Artwork is created using Canva (canva.com)

In this episode, we continue our previous discussion on parental leave policy and its unintended consequences with Dr. Amir Arzani from the University of Utah. He joins us to share his experiences with us.

If you have any comments about our show or have suggestions for a future topic, please contact us at info@thisacademiclife.org. You can also find us on the webpage https://thisacademiclife.org and on Facebook group “This Academic Life”.

Guest:

Dr. Amir Arzani (guest) is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Utah.

Hosts:

• Prof. Kim Lewis (host) is a Professor of Physics and Associate Dean of Research in the College of Arts and Sciences at Howard University.
• Prof. Pania Newell (host) is an Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at The University of Utah.

• Prof. Lucy Zhang (host) is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

Editing team:

• Music by RuthAnn Schallert-Wygal (schallert.wygal@gmail.com)
• Edited by Angella Chen
• Artwork is created using Canva (canva.com)

In this episode, we talk about the financial aspects of faculty life, emphasizing the critical role finances play in both their personal and professional lives. We discuss how managing finances effectively empowers faculty to excel academically, support their families, and ensure long-term stability and security.

References:

https://www.aaup.org/issues/responding-financial-crisis/understanding-institutional-finances

Contact list: If you have any comments about our show or have suggestions for a future topic, please contact us at info@thisacademiclife.org. You can also find us on the webpage https://thisacademiclife.org and on Facebook group “This Academic Life”.

Cast list:

Hosts:

• Prof. Kim Lewis (host) is a Professor of Physics and Associate Dean of Research in the College of Arts and Sciences at Howard University.
• Prof. Pania Newell (host) is an Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at The University of Utah.

• Prof. Lucy Zhang (host) is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

Editing team:

• Music by RuthAnn Schallert-Wygal (schallert.wygal@gmail.com)
• Edited by Angella Chen
• Artwork is created using Canva (canva.com)

In this episode, we talk about unintended consequences of parental leave as its potential impact on workplace dynamics, gender equality, and organizational policies.

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7904257/

https://www.metafilter.com/160621/The-unintended-consequences-of-tenure-timeouts

https://docs.iza.org/dp9904.pdf

https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/12/6820

Contact list: If you have any comments about our show or have suggestions for a future topic, please contact us at info@thisacademiclife.org. You can also find us on the webpage https://thisacademiclife.org and on Facebook group “This Academic Life”.

Cast list:

Hosts:

• Prof. Kim Lewis (host) is a Professor of Physics and Associate Dean of Research in the College of Arts and Sciences at Howard University.
• Prof. Pania Newell (host) is an Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at The University of Utah.

• Prof. Lucy Zhang (host) is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

Editing team:

• Music by RuthAnn Schallert-Wygal (schallert.wygal@gmail.com)
• Edited by Angella Chen
• Artwork is created using Canva (canva.com)

In this episode, we talk about competing clocks: tenure and biological clocks, in a professor’s academic life.

References:

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ903572.pdf

Contact list: If you have any comments about our show or have suggestions for a future topic, please contact us at info@thisacademiclife.org. You can also find us on the webpage https://thisacademiclife.org and on Facebook group “This Academic Life”.

Hosts:

• Prof. Kim Lewis (host) is a Professor of Physics and Associate Dean of Research in the College of Arts and Sciences at Howard University.
• Prof. Pania Newell (host) is an Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at The University of Utah.

• Prof. Lucy Zhang (host) is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

Editing team:

• Music by RuthAnn Schallert-Wygal (schallert.wygal@gmail.com)
• Edited by Angella Chen
• Artwork is created using Canva (canva.com)

In this episode, we talk about research plagiarism and fraud that happen around us, and ways to mitigate them.

References:

• https://www.science.org/content/article/when-postdoc-in-my-lab-committed-fraud-i-had-to-face-my-culpability

Contact list: If you have any comments about our show or have suggestions for a future topic, please contact us at info@thisacademiclife.org. You can also find us on the webpage https://thisacademiclife.org and on Facebook group “This Academic Life”.

Cast list:

Hosts:

• Prof. Kim Lewis (host) is a Professor of Physics and Associate Dean of Research in the College of Arts and Sciences at Howard University.
• Prof. Pania Newell (host) is an Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at The University of Utah.

• Prof. Lucy Zhang (host) is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

Editing team:

• Music by RuthAnn Schallert-Wygal (schallert.wygal@gmail.com)
• Edited by Angella Chen
• Artwork is created using Canva (canva.com)