Navigating the Path to Success: Insights from an Assistant Professor at a Primarily Undergraduate Institution

I will be sharing my journey from graduate school in physics at an R1 institution to fulfilling my aspiration of becoming an assistant professor at a PUI, discussing the insights I’ve gathered as I’ve overcome challenges in the early stages of my academic career.

I have established a successful research laboratory composed primarily of undergraduate research students with a modest budget and will provide some practical advice regarding the effective management of research projects that are driven by undergraduates.

Teaching is a central aspect of my motivation for entering into academia and I will provide practical guidance on how I’ve developed my teaching philosophy and practices using research-based pedagogical techniques. I will introduce some helpful teaching resources and discuss some of the ways in which I have attempted to create and utilize effective teaching practices (including active learning methods), while emphasizing problem-solving, critical thinking, and teamwork skills among my students.

Finally, I will discuss some strategies that I’ve used to successfully balance all of the responsibilities that come with life in academia – in the arenas of teaching, research, and service.