Balancing the multiple sides of academic life

I recently did a talk about how to balance teaching, research and administrative roles, as part of a career in higher education. As academics, we are expected to excel at three types of tasks: teaching, research, and administrative roles. For teaching, the work is cyclical, done in short, intense bursts; requires strong communication skills; and … Continue reading Balancing the multiple sides of academic life

This blog is 12 – Some thoughts on thinking through how best to get your message out there

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash As of this week, I have been blogging for 12 years. It's my 12th blogday. My most popular post was published in 2017; the second, in 2011; the third, in 2010.  That 2017 post is still attracting a steady stream of visitors which is an example of a key feature of blog … Continue reading This blog is 12 – Some thoughts on thinking through how best to get your message out there

What I have been reading #7

In 2021, I set myself the goal of reading more and of reading more widely. To help me with accountability, I started sharing short reviews on Instagram and, later, here on the blog. However, these reviews turned into so much more than a record of what I had read, that I decided to continue doing … Continue reading What I have been reading #7

Musical diary 2021

It’s that time of the year when I share the playlist of songs that marked the past 12 months, an initiative inspired by a practice by Austin Kleon. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2fiChExzGDknAI4C3HKXWm?si=32d526ce6c6a4b60 There are songs connected to Covid-19, too, of course. For instance, track 4 is part of a YouTube video that I usually show in my class, … Continue reading Musical diary 2021

The easiest, safest, fastest way to save someone’s life

A couple of weeks ago, I came across a paper where the authors had used machine learning to discover the best predictors of blood donations. Why was this an important application? Because blood donations save lives; and because, despite its importance, blood harvesting is, usually, a not for profit venture. Thus, any insight that can … Continue reading The easiest, safest, fastest way to save someone’s life

In hot water – A tale of service failure and recovery 

Last week, right when I was feeling very sorry for myself because of the booster vaccine’s side effects and needed a pick me up, our Nespresso coffee machine stopped working. It started by being a little bit annoying; but, 48 hours later, it was really frustrating, and I was seriously considering quitting coffee or, at … Continue reading In hot water – A tale of service failure and recovery 

The Race for a Vaccine

This week, I had my Covid-19 booster jab, which came with some nasty side effects. I was feeling very sorry for myself – on the one hand, unable to sleep because my arm hurt; on the other, unable to do much else because of high fever and a splitting headache. So, I decided to revisit Intelligence … Continue reading The Race for a Vaccine

Guest talk: Brian Bartolo, Director of Sales and Marketing

Service providers usually have fixed capacity. For instance, there are only so many people that can safely travel on a given flight; so many haircuts that can be done in a day; or so many meals that can be served at a time.  On the other hand, interest in that service (i.e., the demand) tends … Continue reading Guest talk: Brian Bartolo, Director of Sales and Marketing

What I have been reading #6

16th book of 2021 - “Jog On” by Bella Mackie Neither brilliant prose, nor glorious storytelling. This book reads like a chat with the author about how exercise - or, rather, running - has helped her and many others to manage anxiety, panic attacks and other mental health problems. And maybe that’s the right tone … Continue reading What I have been reading #6