People always ask, “What’s your dissertation about?” It is a seemingly simple question. The problem is that dissertations are never simple and they are often incredibly esoteric. Figuring out how to make it interesting and comprehensible to someone who knows nothing about the period and region you study can be…
It used to be that if you were pursuing a PhD you were most likely going to end up working as a tenured-track professor at a university, researching and teaching in your specific field. Times have changed my friends. A PhD no longer ensures a career as a professor (you…
This should not come as a surprise to you if you are thinking of going on (or are currently on) the academic job market — it sucks! It is pretty much like The Hunger Games out there. If you were not aware of this, or don’t know anything about the…
I don’t know about you, but I have a love/hate relationship with change. On the one hand, I crave it. I love new places, new people, and new challenges. These keep me inspired and motivated. But on the other hand, too much change, too quickly can overwhelm me. Over the…
dress (also love the top) // hat // sunnies (old) // bag (similar) // shoes Baroque art and architecture reigns supreme in Rome. Over the course of the 17th century the Baroque visually transformed Rome. In response to Protestant movements, and in an attempt to…
Rome is a city of historical layers. On top you have the grand and ornate Baroque Rome interspersed with the soft and tranquil Renaissance Rome (with some modern and Fascist architecture sprinkled throughout). These top layers sit above the Medieval layer, which sits on top of…
Ah, the professional conference. Love them or hate them, they are the key to networking and keeping current with your field. I know lots of academics who dread national and international conferences. I find them exhausting, but I don’t mind them. I can see, however, if you are not extraverted…
