Welcome back
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
Whenever I hear the phrase ‘Welcome back’, I immediately get an earworm of the theme song for the 1970s TV show ‘Welcome back, Kotter’. I don’t remember much about the show aside from the fact that it was about a man who returns to his high school, now as a teacher, and antics ensue as he guides a group of students—who have largely been written off by the rest of the administration—through their educational journeys. But the song? Yeah, I can hear that in my mind just as clearly as if I were hearing it for the first time.
All of that to say—welcome. For those of you who have been reading this blog for a while now, welcome back. And hello and welcome to anyone who is new here! And to everyone, welcome to 2026.
There’s a lot I am going to get into here this year, focused on how to move from merely surviving academia to truly thriving in academia. We’ll talk about everything from how the structure of academia makes it challenging to authentically succeed, to how to mindfully transition between career stages, to how to evolve as a leader and inspire the next generation, regardless of your current career stage.
But, before we get there, I’d like to take a step back and introduce—or re-introduce—myself, to give you a better sense of not just who I am, but where I came from, and how that shaped my perspective. I want you to understand my motivations for writing this blog.
As a kid, I bounced around the suburbs of Chicago. Sometimes my mom and I lived with my grandparents, sometimes on our own, and then ultimately with my mom’s husband who became the best type of father figure for me, until his passing in 2017. My mom primarily worked in retail, and my stepdad owned and operated a business that specialized in excavation, asphalt, and concrete work. We swung from moments of economic instability to moments where we thought we’d never have to worry about money again, and back to a delicate balance of in/stability. But through it all, they worked tirelessly, no matter what. Their work ethics were unparalleled. And, although they never pursued higher education for themselves, they were steadfast in their determination to see me succeed academically. They sent me to a private, Catholic high school, where I felt wholeheartedly nurtured by the faculty and my fellow students. That place opened my eyes to what could be possible for my life. For university, I went to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where I thankfully crossed paths with graduate student teaching assistants who thought I might enjoy research and invited me to work with them in their research labs. They taught me how to synthesize the literature, run eyetracking experiments, and gave me a copy of ‘Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’. I stayed at Illinois for graduate school to work with Dr. Neal Cohen on research that leveraged eyetracking to understand the nature of memory, including the impairments observed in amnesia. Neal taught me how to give talks, how to write without completely confounding my audience, how to position myself strategically throughout my career, and how to celebrate small wins. After four years of graduate school, I got my PhD. Even more improbably, upon graduation I immediately got a job as a Scientist at the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest hospital and Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto. And here I am, nearly 25 years later.
In many ways, it’s surprising I’m still here. To this day, I’m more comfortable talking to general contractors than other academics. Moving to another city and another country (even one that’s close to family) wasn’t easy. This job isn’t easy. It’s not easy on partners or families (you can ask my first or my second husband!). Academia is its own beast, and it’s challenging to navigate this world if you don’t know the playbook. I’ve been underestimated or even outright dismissed, I’ve faced a lot of rejection and disappointments, I’ve been bullied and harassed, and I still don’t know what I don’t know. I’ve thought about quitting at least once a year. But, I have been incredibly lucky to have been surrounded every step of the way by superstar colleagues and trainees who are all brilliant and have been willing to share their time, efforts, and knowledge. This blog is my effort to pay those kindnesses forward, as a thank you to all of the people who taught me how to sort through the ‘hidden curriculum’ of academia. This blog is my effort to make academia more inclusive by giving everyone a peek behind the curtain, and to make academic careers a little less overwhelming by giving you strategies and tactics that will enable you to live a meaningful and, yet, a well-balanced life. And if you need one-on-one coaching or a just a moment to vent? I got that for you too, here.
Welcome back, Happy 2026.
Next week: Pick one thing.
