In which we look at a prize for science blogging, a new book club, and the unhappy situation of associate professors.
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- 3quarksdaily: Sean Carroll to Judge 4th Annual 3QD Science Prize
As usual, this is the way it will work: the nominating period is now open, and will end at 11:59 pm EST on June 9, 2012. There will then be a round of voting by our readers which will narrow down the entries to the top twenty semi-finalists. After this, we will take these top twenty voted-for nominees, and the four main editors of 3 Quarks Daily (Abbas Raza, Robin Varghese, Morgan Meis, and Azra Raza) will select six finalists from these, plus they may also add up to three wildcard entries of their own choosing. The three winners will be chosen from these by Sean Carroll. The first place award, called the “Top Quark,” will include a cash prize of one thousand dollars; the second place prize, the “Strange Quark,” will include a cash prize of three hundred dollars; and the third place winner will get the honor of winning the “Charm Quark,” along with a two hundred dollar prize.
- The Science Friday Book Club
We’ve got a solution: The Science Friday Book Club. You’ll never have to host at your house, the book will have something do to with science, and no one will know if you don’t read it. We’ll choose one book a month, give you some time to read it, and then talk about it on the air. Help us develop our reading list. What book do you want us to tackle? Send your suggestions to bookclub@sciencefriday.com and stay tuned. We’ll announce our first book in June.
- Associate professors less satisfied than those at other ranks, survey finds | Inside Higher Ed
Mathews added, “we know that COACHE provosts’ concerns about associate professors were well-founded.” For all the effort of faculty members to win tenure, the results suggest great frustrations after tenure. “These data and other researchers’ work are revealing how all of the mentorship, the protections of time, the clear policies and formal milestones that faculty had as assistant professors are lifted when they become associates,” Mathews said. “Suddenly, they’re teaching more, they’re serving on more committees, they’re even serving as department chairs — yet the criteria for promotion to full professor have nothing to do with these activities. Many of them are like the newly tenured professor whom I recently witnessed, while setting up his laptop for a presentation, that his e-mail client showed over 3,000 unread e-mails. He is highly regarded in his field, employed at an Ivy League institution, well-liked by students — yet completely overwhelmed and alone.”