In this week's episode, Assistant Professor Jasmine Nirody from the Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy revealed how studying snake movements in her undergraduate years inspired her to become an organismal and integrative biologist instead of a medical doctor. She also shares the practical applications of studying the biophysics of tardigrades and jumping spiders. Tune in to hear how her research focus has shifted to focus more on the why since coming to UChicago. 

Professor of Molecular Engineering and Vice Dean for Education at the UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, Andrew Ferguson, talks about his parents encouraging him to pursue the path he wanted, studying chemical engineering and now researching immunoengineering. In this episode, Professor Ferguson breaks down the complexity of studying proteins, the potential careers one could have in his field, and the joy of nurturing other scientists.

Associate Professor Lewis Shi from the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery & Rehabilitation Medicine shares his determination to be a doctor from a young age. After spending 12 years at Harvard as a "Preparation H," he found his niche in shoulder surgery and continues his fulfilling life as a surgeon, a mentor, and a researcher, all while having his family as his greatest support. Tune in to hear his advice on commitment and practice. 

Associate Professor Simeon Chavel from the Divinity Schools shares how he found his way to becoming a Hebrew Bible scholar at the University of Chicago through multiple chances. As he continues his research, teaching, and administrative work, Professor Chavel keeps his opportunities open, multitasks, and finds intriguing research topics to keep him passionate. Tune in for this week's episode to feel inspired by the Professor's work and outlook on life. 

Ferdinand Schevill Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Music and the College, Professor Martha Feldman, joins us in this episode. Professor Feldman talks about her career journey from training as a professional guitarist to becoming a scholar researching Italian Opera and teaching Long and Song to UChicago students. She emphasizes the importance of believing in yourself and finding confidence to pursue one's passion and shares her upcoming plans in the field of music.

[Photo Credit: Valerie Booth O.]

Professor Gabriel Richardson Lear of the Department of Philosophy and the Chair of UChicago's Committee on Social Thought joins us on The Course in this episode to talk about how her parents' early observation encouraged her to dip her toe into the philosophy world. From arranging state dinners to studying the works of Plato and Aristotle, Professor Lear finds the most satisfaction in mentoring and teaching students. Tune in to hear more about her career journey and also what the Committee on Social Thought studies.

Neubauer Family Assistant Professor of Molecular Engineering, Allison Squires, describes her experiment-filled childhood and all the joy science brought her. By walking through various opportunities, she found her place poking and perturbing molecules with her amazing team at the Squires Lab. Listen to her talk about how she got to her dream job and be prepared to feel her great enthusiasm for all the knowledge waiting to be discovered in the smallest particles in the world.

Haresh Sapra is the Charles T. Horngren Professor of Accounting at the Chicago Booth School of Business. Originally from a sugar factory on the island of Mauritius, Professor Sapra dreamed big with his family's encouragement and found his strength in accounting.   Professor Sapra was an auditor before he pursued a PhD and finally landed a position as an academic at the University of Chicago. He credits his journey to his willingness to experiment and change. Tune in to learn more about his life journey!

In this episode, Michael K. Bourdaghs, Professor of Modern Japanese Literature and Culture at the University of Chicago, discusses his life and professional paths. His interest in Japanese literature and culture began when, out of the blue, he was given the chance to study for a year in Sendai, and the rest is history. He worked in the corporate world in Tokyo, then returned to the States to continue his studies and professional path. A professor at U Chicago since 2007, he describes a life filled with teaching, academic writing, and making time for his own fiction.

 | In this episode, Medical Anthropologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Comparative Human Development Michele Friedner discusses her path to becoming a UChicago Professor. She describes an early interest in Indian culture that led her to study Indian religions as an undergrad, a time that vastly expanded her worldview and breadth of experience. Eventually, these varied interests coalesced around deaf and disability rights, which led her into the field of medical anthropology. Tune in to find out more about her research interest and how disabilities can be seen as strengths and impact one's life.

Professor Anthony Fowler, from the Harris School of Public Policy, researches econometric methods for causal inference to questions in political science, with particular emphasis on elections and political representation. In this episode, he describes how he switched from being a biology student to being fascinated by the political world. He also talks about the importance as an academic to disagree, challenge, and question opinions and research so to build a stronger political science research community.  Professor Fowler talks about his career path and how he became a University of Chicago professor.

Professor Nancy Kawalek, from the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, is the Director of STAGE: Scientists, Technologists, and Artists Generating Exploration, a laboratory that creates and develops new theater, film, games, and other artistic endeavors inspired by science and technology. Professor Kawalek's early career as an actor and her interest in science merged at STAGE and continued to grow at the University of Chicago. Tune in to listen to her sharing about her career path and how she became a University of Chicago professor.

Professor Amie Wilkinson, from the Department of Mathematics, studies smooth dynamical systems, ergodic theory, and mathematical chaos. Although she met an unsupportive advisor in college, her love for pure maths stayed strong, and she saw herself pursuing graduate school even more while working after college. Tune in to hear Professor Wilkinson talks about her career path and how she became a University of Chicago professor.

 Professor John Mark Hansen is one of the nations leading scholars of American politics. His research focuses on interest groups, citizen activism, and public opinion, and he has written two books: Mobilization, Participation, and Democracy in America, which he wrote with Steven Rosenstone, and Gaining Access: Congress and the Farm Lobby. He is also the Interim Chair for the Department of Political Science at the University of Chicago. Listen to his career story of becoming a UChicago Professor in this episode.

In this episode, Associate Professor Leslie Rogers from the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics talks about her path to becoming a UChicago Professor specializing in exoplanets. From stargazing as a child in Nova Scotia to graduate school at MIT to realizing at CalTech that she had a passion for working with students, Leslie Rogers describes a path where, at so many points, "the stars aligned."

Chibueze Amanchukwu is the Neubauer Family Assistant Professor of Molecular Engineering. His group works on energy-related challenges, with a specific focus on understanding how electrolytes can control electrochemical processes in batteries and catalysis. His work has been recognized with the NSF CAREER Award, the DOE Early Career Award, and the CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar Award, amongst others. Tune in to hear Professor Amanchukwu's insights into becoming a professor and his dreams of impacting the world with his research.

Dipesh Chakrabarty is currently the Lawrence A. Kimpton Distinguished Service Professor in History, South Asian Languages and Civilizations, and the College in the Department of History. Chakrabarty’s current students in History and SALC work on a variety of topics, including: 20th-century Kerala, prostitution in British India, India-China relations in the 1950s, modern Islam in Bangladeshi history, and youth culture in colonial Bengal, among other subjects. Professor Chakrabarty talks about his career path and how he became a University of Chicago professor.

Associate Professor Robert Gulotty, from the Department of Political Science, researches the relationship between national governments and global markets. As a rule follower, Professor Gulotty was initially attracted by potential careers with structure and stability. However, he found the life of the mind and the freedom of learning anything much more appealing in college and eventually decided to dive into academia. Tune in to hear more about Professor Gulotty's career path and how he became a University of Chicago professor.

Associate Professor Jennifer Iverson, from the Department of Music, is a twentieth-century music scholar specializing in electronic music, avant-gardism, sound studies, and disability studies. As a FirstGen, Professor Iverson is drawn to supporting students in finding their belonging in the world through music. Listen to her share her career path to becoming a University of Chicago professor and her aspirations as an educator.

Professor Genevieve Lakier, from the University of Chicago Law School, teaches and writes about freedom of speech and American constitutional law. Her work examines the changing meaning of freedom of speech in the United States, the legislatures' role in safeguarding free speech values, and the fight over freedom of speech on social media platforms. Professor Lakier talks about her circuitous career path and how she found her niche in the First Amendment and became a University of Chicago law professor.

In this episode, Shaoda Wang, assistant professor at the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy, shares his career path in the field of applied economics. He discusses his initial love for physics and later finds the connection between physics and economics and an early mentor who made him certain he wanted to become an economist, with hopes of making this world a better place by researching and educating future policymakers about developmental and environmental economics with a regional focus on China.

The University of Chicago Assistant Professor Wilma A. Bainbridge, from the Department of Psychology, leads the Brain Bridge Lab, which focuses on examining the bridge between perception and memory, through the lens of psychophysical experiments, neuroimaging, and drawing studies. In this episode, she talks about her undergraduate experience as a professional guinea pig, studying abroad in Japan, learning languages, and finding her way to researching memory. Professor Bainbridge's career path to becoming a University of Chicago professor continues to evolve as she grows in her multiple roles as a mentor, researcher, mother, and many more. 

Associate Professor Paul Poast from the Department of Political Science teaches and researches international relations and is a foreign policy fellow with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and a world affairs columnist for World Politics Review. Professor Poast talks about his career path, from potentially becoming a lawyer and athletic coach to becoming a University of Chicago professor. He compares being an academic to running a small business and credits his father for his entrepreneurial skills. Listen to the many anecdotes Professor Poast shares in this episode.

Judith Zeitlin is a Professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago. Professor Zeitlin’s research focuses on Ming-Qing literature, cultural history, and the arts, specializing in Chinese opera and the classical tale. Her work combines literary history with other disciplines, such as performance, music, visual and material culture, medicine, gender studies, and film. She is also a faculty member on the Committee on Theater and Performance Studies. In this episode, she shares how a little luck is needed when building her career, along with lots of passion and hard work. 

In this episode, organic chemistry Professor Scott Snyder discusses his career path to becoming a faculty at the University of Chicago. He describes science as "in his DNA" and discusses first falling in love with organic chemistry as an undergrad, a fruitful Ph.D. experience, and a professional career path that has included teaching at Columbia University, Scripps Research Institute, and now at the University of Chicago. Listen to Professor Snyder share how he juggles his various hats from co-authoring textbooks, leading a research lab, and working in an administrative role, but continues to enjoy organic chemistry though movies, the kitchen, and exercising.