5 Lessons for Navigating Life as a Ph.D. Student: A Reflection

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Jeremy Landa
“Building a robust peer support network that was internal and external to my institution was critical to my emotional and mental health,” writes Dean’s Doctoral Scholar Jeremy B. Landa. who defended his dissertation this past August.

Editor’s Note: Michigan native Jeremy B. Landa, formerly a high school social studies teacher and swimming coach, arrived at UConn in the fall of 2015 as one of the Neag School’s first-ever Dean’s Doctoral Scholars. Having recently defended his dissertation in education policy, he now reflects on his experience as a doctoral student, sharing some of his learnings about the Ph.D. process, and himself, along the way. This month, he begins work as an education preparation improvement data analyst at the Texas Education Agency and will be a data fellow with the Harvard Strategic Data Project. 

This past August, I defended my dissertation, which consisted of three studies on minority teacher scholarships and higher education/teacher employment outcomes. I was compelled to embark on this journey after experiencing the joys and challenges of teaching high school social studies in New Haven, Connecticut, for six years. During lunchroom conversations, my colleagues and I would easily identify some problems, among them the high amount of teacher turnover and the glaring and persistent whiteness of the teaching staff. Solving these problems was beyond our responsibilities, but they seemed important to how schools work. I wondered if doctoral studies would give me the space to help solve some of the problems that I observed.

While I won’t stake a claim to have solved systemic educational problems in my doctoral studies, I learned information that is worth passing onto prospective or new doctoral students. Here, I share five key lessons that I wish I had learned earlier rather than later.

1. Expect and embrace the unexpected.

I faced many unexpected challenges to completing a doctorate, both personal and professional. I had two children while completing my comprehensive exams and dissertation. I decided to switch programs, moving from a program focused on research methods, measurement, and evaluation to education policy. I had four advisors in five years. I struggled to gain access to restricted access data for my dissertation. Once I realized that any goal would require me to jump over, dodge, and elude obstacles, I expected challenges to present themselves and moved more quickly to overcome them.

“Once I realized that any goal would require me to jump over, dodge, and elude obstacles, I expected challenges to present themselves and moved more quickly to overcome them.”

2. Keep an eye on your competitors, but carve your own path.

Most of my contemporaries at other institutions are producing fantastic studies, often in collaboration with large educational agencies. For too long, I focused on what my colleagues were doing and producing. I wanted to compete with, if not beat, them. This wasn’t helpful thinking; no one doctoral experience is the same, even within the same institution or department. Once I embraced the fact that I, too, was collecting useful data and pursuing important projects, it mattered less to me if everyone noticed (although having an audience is desirable). As I accepted that I could control my work and had little control over my audience’s response, I also stopped trying to  beat my colleagues and instead focused on conducting quality scientific research.

3. Seek support in familiar — and unfamiliar — places.

Building a robust peer support network that was internal and external to my institution was critical to my emotional and mental health. As I progressed through my doctoral studies, I used better strategies to build this with my time constraints. Within my department, I found peers to study with, joined an educational policy group, and found thought partners with whom to trade feedback on emerging work. Within my institution, I aimed to network with individuals whose discipline and focus I admired. Finally, across institutions, I identified professors and doctoral students whose work overlapped with mine. I emailed them before a conference and asked for a short meeting. During these meetings, I shared about my developing work, asked for specific feedback. After the meetings, I emailed them thanking them for their time and continued to reach out when I had relevant thoughts or questions. These are not the only ways to build a peer network, but I wish I’d been more strategic about how I approached interactions from day one.

“Your dissertation committee is a representation of who you currently are and who you hope to be in your career.”

4. Choose a committee whose diversity is additive to your dissertation and career.

Your dissertation committee is a representation of who you currently are and who you hope to be in your career. The members of your committee represent your methodological and substantive content focus, your access into different researcher circles, and how well your research represents the lived experiences of practitioners. I unequivocally recommend you choose individuals whose diversity (methodologically, substantively, and in job responsibilities) will add to your dissertation and career. My committee is a good example of what happens when this works out well. I had three researchers as committee members, each of whom had strong knowledge in the methods and/or substantive content area that I was studying. I complemented these individuals with a committee member who brought criticality and higher education expertise, and another who was a practitioner advising preparing teachers. Each person added value to the project — whether it was helping me access data, meeting with me to give feedback about my developing ideas, or critiquing the methods or substance of my writings. I believe that if any of these individuals had not been part of my committee, the quality of my dissertation would’ve suffered and the types of jobs I pursued would have differed.

5. Keep at it; incrementalism is the name of the game.

Doctoral work, especially once you are writing your dissertation, can be punishing if you do not tackle the work steadily. The mission must be to push your work forward every day you intend to work (because of my children, I worked very little over the weekends the last two years). My dissertation had some huge leaps in production in short spans of time (in fact, I wrote my last two papers of a three-paper dissertation in just two-and-a-half months). What was unobservable but important here is that my momentum picked up slowly and steadily because each day I worked, I tackled something for two years (for example, creating Tables and Figures).

 

The past five years have been a period of growth for me as a person and scholar, and the lessons I share here reflect some of the ways I’ve grown. Even without meeting these lessons head-on while at UConn, I gained invaluable experience as a researcher while I began answering questions I first asked as a high school teacher. I grew into a scholar with purpose and one who is excited to take the lessons I’ve learned and apply them to education policymaking as I move back into work.

Follow Jeremy B. Landa on Twitter @JeremyBLanda, or reach out to him via email at jeremy.landa@uconn.edu.

America Is Facing a Teen Suicide Pandemic

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Man alone in dark hallway.
New data reveal that almost one in five teens across the nation have seriously considered attempting suicide. (Taylor Young on Unsplash)

Editor’s Note: The following originally appeared on Psychology Today, where Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor Sandra Chafouleas launched a new blog this past summer. 

Six months ago, we could not have imagined that our daily vocabulary would be filled with the p-word. And while perhaps we are getting tired of hearing the word pandemic, I can’t help but ask why we haven’t used it to bring urgency to confronting teen suicide. The race to find a cure to the COVID-19 pandemic certainly is front and center, but that same sense of urgency does not seem to be evident for the unsettling rise in teen suicide.

In the United States, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death — with more than 2,000 14- to 18-year-olds dying every year by suicide, and accounting for about one of every three injury-related deaths. That’s the equivalent of losing a large high school’s worth of teenagers to suicide, year after year. These numbers demand our attention.

New CDC data reveal that almost one in five teens across the nation have seriously considered attempting suicide. Picture a typical high school classroom of 25 students. About five of those students could be thinking about suicide.

In the United States, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death — with more than 2,000 14- to 18-year-olds dying every year by suicide.

Data come from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, which has monitored trends in youth health behaviors since 1990. According to the new report, the numbers of students who have considered attempting suicide are even higher for students identifying as female, Black, or non-heterosexual. In addition, about one in six students have made a suicide plan and slightly more than one in 10 have attempted suicide.

These numbers are scary — and become even more alarming when we look at the data over time; trends suggest that we are facing a teen suicide pandemic. Over the past 20 years, suicide rates have skyrocketed by over 60 percent, with almost every suicide indicator and student population showing increasing trends.

Similar findings can be found as our teens continue to young adulthood. The Healthy Minds Study tracks student mental health in participating colleges and universities across the United States. Results from the most recent winter/spring survey administration of over 55,000 students indicate that slightly more than one in 10 (14 percent) experienced suicidal ideation over the past year. More than half say they somewhat to strongly needed help for emotional or mental problems, yet 9 percent said they would not talk to anyone if they were experiencing serious emotional distress. In a lecture hall of 50 college students, this means that about seven of them may have considered suicide this past year, and five of them would not talk to anyone about their distress.

In a lecture hall of 50 college students, about seven of them may have considered suicide this past year, and five of them would not talk to anyone about their distress.

In his New York Times piece, “Why Are Young Americans Killing Themselves?“, Dr. Richard Friedman questions how the high rates of teen depression and suicide are even possible given that proven solutions are readily available. We aren’t entirely clear on why this is the case, but all of us must take part in a comprehensive approach to prevent, recognize, and respond to this crisis:

  • Prevent. Create a physically and emotionally safe environment for your teens so that thoughts and behaviors about suicide are less likely to happen in the first place. When teens and those around them have the necessary skills to regulate their emotions, and have opportunities to practice these skills and connect with others through positive relationships, we create a safer environment. Through suicide prevention efforts, we can reduce risk and promote resilience and coping.
  • Recognize. Be aware of the warning signs of youth suicide. Learning the signs and taking part in mental health awareness campaigns is important, as is ensuring that teens have open channels for talking about their emotions. Actions such as these will help us recognize when something is off, while reducing any stigma around seeking help for mental health issues. Every young person needs someone to confide in about their thoughts and feelings.
  • Respond. Learn to be comfortable supporting those who appear emotionally distressed. #BeThe1To offers five action steps for communicating with someone who may be considering suicide: (1) ask in a non-judgmental and supportive way; (2) be there so they feel connected; (3) keep them safe; (4) help them connect to supports; and (5) follow up to see how they are doing. Respond is also about putting additional strategies in place, such as increased regular mental health check-ins, during times of increased stress and reduced coping.

Keep in mind that the data reviewed here were collected prior to the outbreaks of COVID-19, the subsequent economic downturn, and the nationwide protests against police brutality. We are only beginning to get a glimpse of the challenges facing our mental health and emotional well-being; a quick web search shows numerous media reports of record numbers of suicide and overdose since early spring. Forecasts of reactions and responses to disaster suggest we are heading into a period in which we will see spikes in suicidality that could even be underestimated given the magnitude and duration of our situation. We need to sound the alarms.

Every September brings National Suicide Prevention Month. What if each of us uses this year to take action in confronting the data on suicide? Unlike COVID-19, we already know the solution to prevent, recognize, and respond to teen suicide.

If you or someone you know is showing warning sides of suicide risk, reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK or at suicidepreventionlifeline.org. You can also reach out to Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.

New Course Introduces Students to U.S. Anti-Black Racism

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Man at Philadelphia protest holds Black Lives Matter poster.
U.S. Anti-Black Racism will be a one-credit course offered online for free to UConn students. (Chris Henry on Unsplash)

Editor’s Note: The Neag School’s Milagros Castillo-Montoya is co-coordinator of this new online UConn course. In addition, fellow faculty Saran Stewart, Diandra J. Prescod, and Violet Jiménez Sims will also be leading modules, while Frank Tuitt served on the advisory board. This story originally appeared on UConn Today.

In the months since Breonna Taylor and George Floyd were killed by police last spring, public outrage over anti-Black racism has inspired widespread protests, conversations and calls for reform. It is a movement with origins both recent and centuries old, and continues to spark in protest, as in the recent case of Jacob Blake, a black man shot by police in Kenosha, Wis. For students at the University of Connecticut, a new course will introduce them to the foundational history of systemic and anti-Black racism in the U.S. that underlies the current movement.

The course, U.S. Anti-Black Racism, is a one-credit hour offering. It will be available as a free, online course to UConn students with plans to open the course to other members of the UConn community.

It came into existence during a virtual town hall hosted by UConn’s African American Cultural Center in July 2020. Two students, Guymara Manigat and Wanjiku Gatheru, pointed out during the town hall that the University responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with a 1-credit hour course, but had not done something similar to address the pandemic of anti-Black racism. President Tom Katsouleas promised to make such a course part of the curriculum, an effort that has been led by partnerships between several faculty and University offices.

“We are building this course so that it is a starting point, not an ending point.”

— Milagros Castillo-Montoya, assistant professor

The new class, which will begin later in the fall semester, is meant as an introduction to concepts of systemic and anti-Black racism, not a comprehensive history.

“There’s no way we could fit in issues of anti-racism on a larger scale. There is a long, storied history. And it’s also a global history. The black-white binary is important; having a foundation in anti-Black racism helps understand broader racism,” says David G. Embrick, associate professor of sociology and Africana studies.

The coordinators for the course are a team of three faculty of color at UConn, including Embrick, as well as Shardé Davis, assistant professor of communication, and Milagros Castillo-Montoya, assistant professor of higher education and student affairs.

“I am immensely grateful to the students, faculty and staff who have made this course a reality. They are exceptional scholars and leaders who have put great care into the structure of this course. And while I am very pleased we are offering this course at UConn, I do want to acknowledge this is long overdue. Anti-Black racism is pervasive in our country and has been for centuries. This course is just the beginning,” says UConn President Thomas C. Katsouleas.

The course will span nine weeks, starting later in September. It will be delivered entirely online with modules consisting of songs, art, TED Talks, recorded lectures from faculty, films, readings, and other multi-media resources that discuss Black culture and social experiences. Topics will include the history and concepts of systemic and institutionalized anti-Black racism, as well as Black resilience and resistance, and intersectional solidarity.

One of the notable features of the course is the range of faculty commissioned to create the modules and overall course structure. A total of 16 predominantly Black faculty members are developing content for the course’s weekly modules. Their expertise represents a breadth of perspectives, including history, law, sociology, political science, psychology, nutritional sciences, psychiatry, higher education, communication, Africana studies, and curriculum and instruction. The course centers the expertise, knowledge, and experiences of Black people and culture and involved various persons across UConn’s campuses.

“I am really thrilled to support our faculty scholars who are developing this course. They are interrogating critically important issues in an innovative way. By including faculty from multiple and diverse disciplines, each of which has a different view into anti-Black racism, they are highlighting the broad reach and interconnectivity of these issues in our society,” says UConn Provost Carl W. Lejuez.

During a few of the modules, students will have the opportunity to choose particular sub-topics within the module’s focus area. For example, the module on Black health and wellness offers options to learn more about mental health, physical health, and/or disparities in public health.

“The variety and expertise of the scholars contributing to this course is incredible. It is a rare privilege for our students to be exposed to so many renowned Black faculty in one course,” Davis says. “We have not before seen a university-wide project that unapologetically centers Blackness at UConn, which makes this particular course historic.”

In addition to gaining a foundation in systemic and anti-Black racism, the course coordinators also hope students will discover new courses, majors and minors to explore that they may not have otherwise encountered. The course will also highlight various resources on campus that are committed to subverting anti-Black racism.

“We are building this course so that it is a starting point, not an ending point. We hope students coming out of this course will be interested in learning more and pursue opportunities available to them at UConn to learn from the phenomenal faculty teaching these modules as well as many other UConn faculty who focus on issues of racism, anti-Blackness, and other forms of oppression,” Castillo-Montoya says.

Alongside the faculty coordinators, the course’s development has been supported by an advisory board including Frank Tuitt, vice president and chief diversity officer; Willena Price, director of the African American Cultural Center; Melina Pappademos, director of the Africana Studies Institute; and Peter Diplock, associate vice provost for the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Students from the NAACP have also weighed in during the course’s development.

The course coordinators also have plans to expand access to the course in future semesters to reach a global audience. Their proposal to FutureLearn won a grant of $13,000 to develop the course as a MOOC, or massive open online course, which would make the material available to anyone around the world and in doing so, will make this course UConn’s first MOOC course.

Undergraduate students can begin enrolling in the course now through Sept. 14, when the undergraduate course begins. Students with an academic standing of first year (those who’ve earned 23 or fewer credits) should register for UNIV 1985-001. Students with an academic standing of sophomore or greater (those who’ve earned 24 or more credits) should register for the UNIV 3985 section.

Versions for graduate students, faculty and staff will be available later in September. Details will be shared closer to that enrollment date.

More details about the course are available at provost.uconn.edu/us-anti-black-racism-course.