College Professor: Michèle Shuster

Michèle Shuster, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department of New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM.

How did you choose your career? Was this an easy or hard process for you? If you struggled, how did you overcome these struggles?

In the broadest sense, choosing my general area of interest was easy — I loved biology since the first time I took an actual biology course in grade ten. In terms of "career," well, my path was definitely not straight and narrow. I think my "struggles" were in trying to figure out exactly what my passion was. I loved biology; how could I have a rewarding and challenging career in it? I tried a lot of things (standard research through grad school and postdoc, patent law, teaching), and I think I needed these varied experiences to really know what made me tick (teaching and learning).

What kind of training, both formal and informal, did you receive to prepare you for your career? If applicable, how did you select where to attend graduate school? How did you choose your postdoc? How about any additional training? How did you choose what additonal training to pursue and how did you choose where to do it?

I have a lot of training for standard bench research (grad school, postdoc) that I chose based on "content area" (molecular genetics and cytogenetics). However, that training didn't really prepare me at all for my current career of teaching and my area of scholarship (science education research). I did some "self-training" in teaching as a postdoc by seeking out opportunities to teach entire courses (to get that experience and the credentials for future applications to teaching positions). And I do think about "professional development" opportunities that will help me advance my skills and expertise. I attend local workshops at our Teaching Academy, I apply for national workshops, and attend conferences with a focus on science education.

How competitve and/or rigorous was the training for your career?
Grad school and the postdoc were very competitive and rigorous. I applied for (and got) graduate-student funding (the Canadian equivalent of the NSF) as well as a NIH postdoctoral grant. I was expected to publish, and be very productive. While I don't do bench research anymore, I think that background is incredibly valuable. I still write (and get!) grants, and I am still expected to publish. So having had those high expectations since the beginning of my career has been tremendously helpful to me, as I know what it means to work hard, and I know what it takes to be successful (in terms of hard work, drive, strategic planning etc.). So even though the "content" didn't transfer, being in an intense environment (medical school research) for grad school and my postdoc did give me highly transferable and valuable skills/work ethics.

In general, how much did the training cost? Was the investment worth it?
I was lucky to be funded by training grants and/or my own grants. So I was poor, but could support myself without loans. It was hard, but definitely worth it. I love what I do now, and probably wouldn't have made it here (to this same level) without that experience.

How long did it take you to train? Was it shorter or longer than anticipated? If you had any setbacks, how did you deal with them?

Six years as a grad student; three years as a postdoc. About what I had expected. I had a few "setbacks" in the sense that my husband was also in a similar training program, so coordinating our careers was a challenge, and at different times we each made some compromises to make it work.

What was the process like to apply for your first job after your training was over? Was it easy or difficult? How did you cope with any difficulties? Did that differ from subsequent jobs you've had?

I think I had it pretty easy, but that is because I got a lot of feedback and input from colleagues. I asked people to review my application materials, and to let me know what to expect from the process. So with that wealth of information, I was able to assemble a strong application package, and I knew what to expect at each step along the way (the phone interview, the in-person interview, any negotiations etc.). I would highly recommend getting that kind of feedback prior to submitting any applications!

What advice would you give to someone interested in following a similar career path?

Get as much relevant experience as you can. It is hard to get teaching jobs without teaching experience. So even if you start with a few guest lectures in someone else's course, ask them to sit in, and write a letter or summary of your teaching — start to build a portfolio to document your teaching experience and student learning in your classes.

What would you have done differently in preparing for your career?

While I would like to say that I would have been more "focused" and intent on my goals, I honestly think that I needed to have that open mind (i.e. be open to the fact that I may choose a different path than my graduate or postdoc advisor), and have those different experiences to really understand what makes me "tick" professionally.

How much do you like what you do? Why? Is it what you imagined it would be? If not, how have you adapted?

On a scale of one to ten — most days are a ten. Yes, there are some annoying aspects (too many meetings, not enough time to think about interesting projects/problems, too much e-mail), but I feel very lucky to have the job I do, and to get to do what I love.

How do you achieve career-life balance? Is this easy or hard to do? How many hours do you typically work per week?

I may not be the best role model here. My husband is also a driven scientist, so we are pretty happy to work a lot. I like to exercise in the mornings, so I usually get into the office between 9:00 and 9:30AM, and because I don't have a lab, I don't have to physically be here all the time. I usually leave at around 5:00 or 5:30PM to get home to our dogs. We eat dinner together at home every night, then usually hit our computers again at about 7:00PM, and work until about 10:00PM. Some nights there is more to do, so I have to work later at home. On the weekends, I usually work at home for about six hours each day. So I work a lot, but I can do some of it at home, and I can generally set my own schedule. And as my husband works equally hard, we don't usually have any conflicts in this area.

What strategies have you figured out over time to help you succeed?

Exercise daily! No matter how busy I get, I refuse to let work get in the way of exercise — it helps keep me sane. Sometimes I just close my office door; I try to keep an open door policy, but when I am under tight deadlines, I sometimes just need to close my door and not let myself get interrupted. I write every deadline down in my calendar, and I keep a written to-do list; it helps me stay organized, and it helps me map out and prioritize projects. In brief — time management and stress management strategies are well worth learning (and using!)

How do you see your field changing in the next 5–10 years?

Educational research will likely become more rigorous, as we move past some of the early studies, and start being able to ask deeper questions.

Anything else you would like to share?

In the end, you need to do something that will make you happy (i.e. something interesting, challenging, suits your personality and how you like to work). I would put that first — it's more important than your salary. Many jobs can be high paying, but not personally fulfilling or rewarding, and it just doesn't seem worth it to spend countless hours or years doing something that isn't personally satisfying.

Don't be afraid to follow your dreams, even if they may not be the same dreams that other people have for you — it's your life, and you are the one who has to live it.