Navigating Your Early Years in Academia via Nurturing Relationships and Personal Growth

Starting off your career in academia is in some ways like starting a new relationship. Do they like me? What do we have in common? Am I empowered to be my best self? My presentation will focus on my experiences at PUIs (predominately undergraduate institutions) and lessons learned from my years an assistant professor including: 1) How did I find a good match? 2) What did I need from myself and my colleagues to be successful? 3) How did I preserve my independent identity separate from work? These lessons will be presented with anecdotes and presented from the gaze of being a queer Black male in science. I'll conclude with posing a set of key questions to keep in mind as you start your journey.