Academia is a cult | Karen Kelsky | TEDxUAMonticello

Every year in the United States, universities produce more and more Ph.D. graduates in an ever-shrinking academic job market. Many are saddled with hundreds of thousands in debt and left to teach part time at such low rates that many qualify for food stamps. Why does this happen and why do bright students continue to fall for it? Dr. Karen Kelsky, renowned academic expert and owner of The Professor Is In, answers these questions in this engaging and enlightening talk. Filmed 3/3/21 in Eugene, OR. Karen Kelsky is the Founder and CEO of The Professor Is In, which provides advice and consulting services on the academic job search and all elements of the academic and post-academic career. She speaks nationally and internationally on topics related to Ph.D. professionalization, and is a weekly columnist at Chronicle Vitae. As the creator of the Sexual Harassment in the Academy Survey and the #MeTooPhD hashtag, Karen speaks nationally on issues of sexual assault in the academy, with a focus on empowering victims and training people in leadership. She is a former tenured professor and department head at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and University of Oregon. Her latest book is The Professor Is In: The Essential Guide to Turning Your Ph.D. Into a Job (Random House 2015). This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx