Unique trajectories: finding my paths through the distinct roles in an academic career in soft matter

Academic careers are multifaceted: as a professor, I teach students, mentor emerging researchers, run a research group examining transport, dynamics, and rheology in complex fluids and soft interfaces, and serve my institution and multiple professional societies spanning science and engineering. Each of these roles requires navigating a different energy landscape with its own barriers and basins. In this talk, I will describe how these landscapes shaped my trajectories in mentorship, science, and service.