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Why Women Leave Academia
A new report examines the factors that prompt some women to search for careers outside academe.

Related: The Next Step for Female Scientists

Good Deeds That Are Most Punished: Research
Tips on how to allocate your time carefully.

Why I Tossed Your Résumé
Employers look for ways to reduce their number of candidates; avoiding these common mistakes will help you survive the first cull.

Related:

• 10 Ways to Get Yourself Fired
• Tips on grant and job application essays

The Community College Primer
An introduction to teaching at community colleges.

Related:

• Dream Killer: on the teaching load at community colleges

Whither Scholarly Societies?
Examining the future of disciplinary societies through the lens of Bowling Alone.

Tiger Kids and the Success Frame
Examining the educational attainment of second-generation Chinese- and Vietnamese-Americans, a sociologist posits that their academic success lies not in "something essential about Chinese or Asian culture" but is rather the result of a particularly American emphasis on education.

Related: Asian Americans, the New Jews on Campus

Wikipedia and the Shifting Definition of "Expert"
Researchers develop a new articulation of expertise after examining the Internet habits of Wikipedia editors.

The First Global Man
An overview of the vicissitudes in the academic depiction of Christopher Columbus, and a summary of the school of thought that identifies 1492 as the "central pivot of world history."

Data Management Practices for Successful Researchers
Friday, May 4, 12-1 p.m. 414 Schapiro
Open to PhD students and Postdocs. Lunch will be provided.
Managing your data is critical to the success of your research and your career. From the moment you conceive of a research project, there are management issues about your data that you need to be aware of.

• What counts as data?
• Who owns your data?
• Who can use? For what purposes?
• How should data be stored? For how long? In what format?
• How much of your data do you need to make available to other researchers?
• What do funding agencies require?

Coming in May

• Working Successfully with an Editor (and Agent)
• Mentoring:  Working with Mentors and Tormentors

Coming in June

• Permissions: A Survival Guide (Blunt Talk about Art as Intellectual Property) with author and University of Chicago Press editor Susan Bielstein
• A Journal Editor Shares Advice for Productive (and Ethical) Publishing
• Responsible Conduct of Research in Interdisciplinary Collaborations (June 11)
• The Academic Job Search: Avoiding Mistakes That Make You Lose the Job Before You Get it (June 12)

The Columbia University IRB has released a  new policy that clarifies which research projects or activities conducted by students require review by the Institutional Review Board (IRB).  The IRB has also released a very important guidance document for student research at Columbia University that should significantly  facilitate the submission of proposals by students to the IRB.

The new policy and guidance document are available on both the Morningside IRB website and the Medical Center IRB website.

Upcoming Event

• IRB Education Conference
  Monday, May 7 - Tuesday, May 8
  Our annual conference is designed to provide advanced level education and training on the challenges faced by IRBs and investigators. The conference will focus on how the protection of human subjects will need to evolve over the next decade, due to multiple factors such as expanding public health concerns, increasing demands and diminishing resources, the explosion of social media, and potentially a changing regulatory environment.

Pallav Kosuri, Columbia graduate student and current InSITE fellow, will present his first-hand experience with InSITE. This elite program is an opportunity for some of New York's most talented graduate students to advise New York entrepreneurs in the development of their businesses, support venture investors, and gain exposure to the entrepreneurial community.

Fall 2012 Afterschool STEM Mentoring Program
The New York Academy of Sciences announces the 2012-2013 Afterschool STEM Mentoring Program, with a range of curriculum choices to match your content area, schedule, geographic location, and level of commitment.

The Program will train eligible graduate students and postdoctoral fellows engaged in STEM fields – to teach engaging, hands-on afterschool science enrichment courses in middle schools.  Mentors who complete 24 hours of teaching and training will receive the Academy Education Fellow Teaching Credential.

**Applications will be accepted May 1, 2012 through June 1, 2012 with placements in New York City Metro Area ONLY **

How to submit your application:
For more information and how to apply, visit www.nyas.org/AfterschoolProgram or contact Stephanie Wortel at swortel@nyas.org.

Public Safety Discount Bike Lock Program (.pdf)
Public safety has a variety of bike locks available. See .pdf for details or visit 111 Low or Room 109 in the Black Building (650 W. 168th Street).

Message from the Alice! Health Promotion Program
Happy spring!  We are approaching that time in the semester when things can get a little (more) hectic.  Alice! would like to share some information with you regarding strategies to ensure that stress does not interfere with the ability to achieve your personal and academic goals.

Here are two great resources made specifically for Columbia students:

• Stressbusters Support Network: This comprehensive guide highlights campus resources to help you cope with stress positively.
• Stressbust Yourself Toolkit: This toolkit lists six easy ways to relax yourself that can be done at any time.

Easy tips to help you relax:

• Make “to do” lists
• Spend time with friends/family
• Engage in physical activity
• Choose balanced meals; check out CU’s Guide to Healthier Eating
• Get good sleep to boost concentration; a good night’s rest will help you do your best
• Make a budget
• Get a back-rub from a Stressbuster
• Practice Yoga or meditation
• Stop by the Alice! office and grab a stress ball
• Take deep breaths
• Make an appointment with Counseling and Psychological Services to help gain some perspective or work through any issues you may be experiencing

Did you know that Alice! sponsors the Stressbusters program?  On Mondays and Wednesdays during the semester, you can drop in to the following locations for a stress break and receive a brief neck and back rub. 

Melt Away Mondays (1st & 3rd Mondays of the month): 7-8pm, Wallach Hall, 1st Floor Lounge

Wind Down Wednesdays (every week): 4-5pm, Wien Hall, 1st Floor Lounge

Look for Stressbuster events at other locations throughout the year.  Check out the Stressbusters Page on Facebook and the Stressbusters website for more information.

Helpful Resources

• Alice! Health Promotion
• Columbia Health

Related Q&As from Go Ask Alice!

• Stress, anxiety, and learning to cope
• Procrastination
• Stress is a pain in the neck — literally!
• Meditation
• Exercise motivation... for stress reduction

Alice! Health Promotion Program
108 Wien Hall
alice@columbia.edu