Job wiki: like Crackbook but more demoralizing

I assume most of you on the job market already know about the Physical Anthropology Job Wiki, no? It's a place where OCD is stoked into a frenzy, hope goes to die, and envy reigns supreme. In other words, it is AWESOME.

I am posting this not only for the job seekers but also for senior faculty and search committees. You need to know how the process is perceived, and perhaps offer your (anonymous) insight to calm down the people who are freaking out. The vague job descriptions, maddening online application systems, the bazillion documents all saying sort of the same thing but not quite, the mystery of the name of the person "to whom it may concern" - all these things freak people out and they give vent to it in the Wiki (and perhaps more constructively here and here).  And perhaps most nerve-wracking of all, consider how it makes job seekers feel to never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever hear from you. Especially if they were invited for an interview. Because shockingly often, it does come to pass that some lucky applicant makes it to the short list and pours their heart and soul, and countless cups of coffee, into prepping their talk and their answers to whatever questions you might ask them - and then NEVER HEARS ANOTHER WORD (except on the Wiki where they learn someone else got the job). Maybe the interview went well, maybe it sucked, but in either case, it's been an enormous investment and a little thank you for showing up helps soften the blow of not getting the job. The lesson for search committees is that news travels ever faster in this hyper-connected world which has some impact on shaping new cultural norms of engagement.

Loan Repayment from NIH

I've written about this before, but it bears constant repeating that you can get the NIH to repay up to $70,000 in student loans. How? By doing research that fits within the following categories:

Pediatric Research
Health Disparities Research
Contraception and Infertility Research

As a graduate of a state school that offered me little in the way of funding (the long term consequences of which I was too naive to consider when I started my graduate studies), I owe a LOT of money. But lucky for me as a comparative primatologist who is interested in pregnancy and developmental programming, I can make a case for one of these awards. This time around I will be drawing on my research on the developmental origins of pregnancy loss in adult female marmosets to apply for funds from the Contraception and Infertility Research division. These are competitive awards but the relatively good news is that funding rates are decent, hovering around 35%.

Applications are due November 15. Get cracking.

Job at University of Alaska Fairbanks

The University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Anthropology Department invites applications for a tenure track biological anthropologist at the Assistant or Associate Professor level to begin August 2013. Research and geographic areas open, but should complement current faculty. Specializations in human biology or biomedical anthropology are a plus, as is research with applications to the circumpolar North. Candidates should have a record of external funding, be able to teach established courses in biological anthropology (including quantitative methods), and show evidence of research mentorship at the undergraduate and graduate levels.  Ph.D. must be in hand at the time of application.

 The responsibilities of this position support the University of Alaska Fairbanks' tripartite mission of teaching, research and service. Teaching responsibilities include undergraduate and graduate courses in the successful candidate's area of expertise; maintenance of an active research program leading to refereed publications; and university and community service. Our department is a four-field department, supporting BA, BS, MA, and PhD programs in Anthropology; teaching responsibilities include 2 courses per semester and graduate and undergraduate supervision and advising. 

The University of Alaska Fairbanks is the flagship campus and principal research center of the University of Alaska System, and is the nation's northernmost Land, Sea, and Space Grant institution, with over 1,000 teaching and research faculty serving over 11,000 students. UAF has a Carnegie classification of RU/H, and is an international hub for northern research. Fairbanks is the state's second largest city with over 90,000 residents in the greater Fairbanks area. In addition to offering unparalleled opportunities for outdoor recreation, Fairbanks is home to a lively arts and culture scene.

 View a detailed job description and apply on-line at www.uakjobs.com. Position closes December 1, 2012. Posting #0065167. The direct link to the job posting is: www.uakjobs.com/applicants/Central?quickFind=78845. Questions regarding this specific position may be directed to Dr. Ben A. Potter, search committee chair, bapotter@alaska.edu.

 The University of Alaska is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer and educational institution.

JOBS

Lots of jobs posted here and here, but sadly, very few primatologically-oriented anthro jobs so far. Animal/agricultural science  and biology departments might also have something to your liking.


Keep the faith, job-seekers, and start working on your job letter, teaching philosophy, and research statement!

The year that was: Bioanthropology in 2011

I really love the annual "year-in-review" issue American Anthropologist publishes in June. It's a wonderful snapshot of the diversity of events, perspectives, and developments in our field at large. This year's essay on biological anthropology is written by Dr. Kristi Lewton of Harvard University. In Complexity in Biological Anthropology in 2011: Species, Reproduction, and Sociality, Dr. Lewton "demonstrates the natural extension of our scholarly research to modern social networks and illustrates how they may act as a platform by which to increase intradisciplinary engagement and to highlight the complex, wide-reaching, and innovative research that our field contributes to society." It's a fascinating, well-written read.

Track the evolution of our field over the last several years:
2010: Libby Cowgill
2009: Julienne Rutherford
2008: Nick Malone

Reproductive studies postdocs at Cambridge!

Fantastic postdoc opportunities at Cambridge in the social study of reproduction. Applications are invited from individuals who have expertise in the social study of reproduction, reproductive technologies, the history of reproduction, reproductive health, or reproductive biomedicine. Applicants must have received a PhD in Sociology, Social Anthropology or a related discipline by 1 October 2012.

Love Letters: On the joys of intellectual partnerships

I'm in a great mood. As usual, there's too much to do and not enough time/resources to do it all, and there are policies and politics that stand in the way of true intellectual nirvana. I still struggle with time management and procrastination (yes, I'm supposed to be writing a grant. RIGHT. NOW. OMGZ!) and guilt and the missing of the baby when I'm at work and the itch to get back to work when I'm with the baby. Yes, of course, to all of that. But today I've had a series of "high five" emails with various collaborators about various projects and it hit me how much joy those relationships bring me on a professional and personal front. Where would we be if we tried to do it all alone? It takes a village to raise a child (as I totes know firsthand now), but it's equally true that it takes a village to make meaningful work happen. So today I just want to write a love letter to my intellectual village (which is heavily populated by amazing and brilliant women), and encourage you in the comments to do the same!

Thanks Kate Clancy and Katie Hinde! I admired you both individually as friends and scientists before we started on our journey to build a book about building babies, and am so happy this project brought us all together. The Lady Editors are a force to be reckoned with.

Thanks Alison Doubleday! From grad school in Bloomington to faculty meetings in Chicago, we've known each other a long time. I love working with you whether it's on our American Association of Anatomists-funded anatomy workshop at AAPA, teaching in the College of Dentistry, or collecting prom dresses. You are a deeply decent and humane person.

Thanks Victoria DeMartelly! Assistant, researcher, style inspiration, friend: you make my job so much easier and you do it with spirit, grace, a great sense of humor, and fantastic shoes. You went to the Philippines! You collected placentas! You killed cockroaches! You went to the Outpost and Bead Street! And you said the magic words that made me fall in love with you: "Do you want me to put all your articles in EndNote for you?" Yes, yes I do.

Thanks Betsy Abrams! If it weren't for you, I never would have thought about postpartum hemorrhage and evolution. And end up with the cover of American Anthropologist! You inspire me to trade out of my biomedical hat and get anthropological. Plus you knitted a marmoset hat for my baby .

Thanks Robin Nelson! I thank Northwestern and the 2008 election for bringing us together. You are brilliant. Someday can we work on a project together, PLEASE?  The babies can play with toys and you and I can play with ideas. And cookies, of course.

Thanks Suzette Tardif! From mentor to colleague. No words can express how much your encouragement, belief in me, and awesome dance moves have guided my career. Really, I can't ever tell you. But thanks.

Thanks Chris Kuzawa! Our work in the Philippines together continues to be rewarding and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Thanks, Agustin Fuentes, Katie MacKinnon, Michelle Bezanson, Kristi Lewton, Stephanie Meredith, Erin Phelps Riley, Christina Campbell, Lorena Havill, Diane Warren, Jim McKenna and SO MANY MORE! You drink with me at meetings and say brilliant funny things, some of which I understand and others I don't. But you remind me that what we do is a BLAST and that we are lucky to find so many people who just get it. Sometimes during dark times, the thought of seeing you at meetings is what keeps me going.

I'm sure there are many others I'm leaving out of this, and as I think of them I will amend the post. But I just wanted you all to know that I think you're pretty great.

Hugs, kisses, and high fives all around,
Julienne