IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jenvss/v12y2022i4d10.1007_s13412-022-00790-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Grad school in the rear view: prioritizing career skills, mentorship, and equity in the interdisciplinary environmental PhD

Author

Listed:
  • Emily Reisman

    (University at Buffalo)

  • Madelyn Radel

    (University at Buffalo)

  • Susan Clark

    (University at Buffalo)

  • Holly Buck

    (University at Buffalo)

Abstract

Interdisciplinary Environmental PhD programs show great promise for advancing integrative problem-oriented scholarship, yet graduates of these programs may not always leave with training that best prepares them for the harsh realities of the academic job market or students’ unique career goals beyond academia. This study is the first of its kind to anonymously survey 132 recent participants from programs across the USA who exited their program, either with or without completing a degree, within the past 10 years. Respondents candidly reflected on their experiences with interdisciplinarity, coursework, skills building, mentorship, equity and inclusion, teaching, and preparation for diverse career paths. We found substantial opportunities for improving student satisfaction and career preparedness in the training of interdisciplinary environmental scholars who can provide critical solutions for addressing today’s socioecological challenges while forging long-term paths to professional fulfilment. In the conclusion, we detail recommendations for career planning, pedagogical and skills-based training, and improved equity which can allow these unique doctoral programs to meet the current moment.

Suggested Citation

  • Emily Reisman & Madelyn Radel & Susan Clark & Holly Buck, 2022. "Grad school in the rear view: prioritizing career skills, mentorship, and equity in the interdisciplinary environmental PhD," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 12(4), pages 890-897, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jenvss:v:12:y:2022:i:4:d:10.1007_s13412-022-00790-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s13412-022-00790-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s13412-022-00790-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s13412-022-00790-w?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Adena R. Rissman & Lori Barrow, 2019. "Characteristics of collaborative, interdisciplinary, and engaged research among graduate students in environmental conservation," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 9(3), pages 297-310, September.
    2. Gabriel R. Valle, 2021. "Narratives of place: critical reflections on place-making in the curriculum of environmental studies and sciences (ESS)," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 11(1), pages 130-138, March.
    3. Erin E Shortlidge & Sarah L Eddy, 2018. "The trade-off between graduate student research and teaching: A myth?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(6), pages 1-13, June.
    4. Paul Bolger, 2021. "A study of faculty perceptions and engagement with interdisciplinary research in university sustainability institutes," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 11(1), pages 115-129, March.
    5. David C. Gosselin & Kate Thompson & Deana Pennington & Shirley Vincent, 2020. "Learning to be an interdisciplinary researcher: incorporating training about dispositional and epistemological differences into graduate student environmental science teams," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 10(3), pages 310-326, September.
    6. Shmatko, Natalia & Katchanov, Yurij & Volkova, Galina, 2020. "The value of PhD in the changing world of work: Traditional and alternative research careers," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    7. Timothy J. Downs & Edward R. Carr & Rob Goble, 2017. "Re-imagining environmental science and policy graduate education for the twenty-first century using an integrative frame," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 7(2), pages 177-188, June.
    8. Susan Clark & Michelle Steen-Adams & Stephanie Pfirman & Richard Wallace, 2011. "Professional development of interdisciplinary environmental scholars," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 1(2), pages 99-113, June.
    9. Diana Denham & Mary Ann Rozance & Melanie Malone & Erin Goodling, 2021. "Sustaining future environmental educators: building critical interdisciplinary teaching capacity among graduate students," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 11(1), pages 101-114, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kenneth E. Wallen & Karen Filbee-Dexter & Jeremy B. Pittman & Stephen M. Posner & Steven M. Alexander & Chelsie L. Romulo & Drew E. Bennett & Elizabeth C. Clark & Stella J.M. Cousins & Bradford A. Dub, 2019. "Integrating team science into interdisciplinary graduate education: an exploration of the SESYNC Graduate Pursuit," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 9(2), pages 218-233, June.
    2. Jesse M. Engebretson & Zachary Piso & Michael O’Rourke & Troy E. Hall, 2024. "Consultative or participatory?: how environmental science graduate students envision transdisciplinarity," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 14(1), pages 193-201, March.
    3. Diana Denham & Mary Ann Rozance & Melanie Malone & Erin Goodling, 2021. "Sustaining future environmental educators: building critical interdisciplinary teaching capacity among graduate students," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 11(1), pages 101-114, March.
    4. Mackenzie Wood & Stephen Taylor & Alex Carroll & Neil C. Hansen, 2017. "Surveying employment listings to inform curricula of environmental science degree programs," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 7(2), pages 346-354, June.
    5. Teri D. Allendorf & Robert B. Beattie & Carmela C. Diosana, 2017. "Shared place and space: a comparison of two interdisciplinary graduate programs," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 7(2), pages 324-335, June.
    6. Tina Gianquitto & Lauren LaFauci, 2022. "A case study in citizen environmental humanities: creating a participatory plant story website," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 12(2), pages 327-340, June.
    7. Cynthia A. Wei & Michael L. Deaton & Teresa J. Shume & Ramiro Berardo & William R. Burnside, 2020. "A framework for teaching socio-environmental problem-solving," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 10(4), pages 467-477, December.
    8. Anita Milman & John M. Marston & Sarah E. Godsey & Jessica Bolson & Holly P. Jones & C. Susan Weiler, 2017. "Scholarly motivations to conduct interdisciplinary climate change research," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 7(2), pages 239-250, June.
    9. Gabriel R. Valle & Ariel J. Stevenson & Megan A. Hammerschmidt & Juliana Goodlaw-Morris, 2024. "Shifting the approach: greening abolitionist teaching for inclusive sustainability," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 14(3), pages 458-468, September.
    10. Douglas T. Bolger & Karen Hutchins Bieluch & Flora E. Krivak-Tetley & Gillian Maggs-Kölling & Joseph Tjitekulu, 2018. "Designing a Real-World Course for Environmental Studies Students: Entering a Social-Ecological System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-19, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:jenvss:v:12:y:2022:i:4:d:10.1007_s13412-022-00790-w. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.