Academic professional: Academia without the research or the tenure-track

There is a classic activity that asks students to draw what they think a scientist looks like, and they tend to draw the most stereotypical scientist. If we switched up the activity to ask graduate students, “what does a job in academia look like?” they might respond with a quintessential tenure-track position. Just as the picture of a typical scientist has changed, so has what it means to be a professional within academia. As an Academic Professional, my role at University of Georgia moves beyond the idea of traditional research. While I love working with the insects, I now more work to serve the people that love working with the insects (and consequently the biotech). Positions for academic professionals, lecturers, clinical faculty, public service professionals, and research scientists open regularly at a variety of institutions and are all valuable non-tenure-track career paths. We have our own defined lines of promotion, which are comparable to tenure, but have their own unique sets of objectives. Even in my two years at UGA, I have seen an increase in faculty who have a role to support students and the next generation of scientists. The next generation of scientists might look different than before, challenging old stereotypes, and the hope is that these positions will too.