147. 2020: A Year in Review

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It’s no stretch to say that 2020 was a hard year for almost everyone. It was marked by a global pandemic, social upheaval, and loss.

The word ‘unprecedented’ lost all meaning around March, and we navigated uncharted waters for the remainder of the year.

2020 was rough, but now that it’s over, it’s time to look back at what we learned.

What do we want to carry forward, and what aspects are we happy to leave behind?

Like the rest of the world, graduate students, postdocs and other academics couldn’t escape the 2020 maelstrom. In the early months of the pandemic, labs closed and years-long experiments were discarded.

Then, just as suddenly, labs reopened, but under tight restrictions and the ever-looming threat of illness from COVID-19.

Meanwhile, in the US, outrage over the killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others forced a reckoning about how our society treats people of color – not just in policing, but in every aspect of our lives.

These themes influenced our conversations here on Hello PhD.

We interviewed students and faculty whose research was put on hold for the pandemic. And we spoke with thought-leaders who helped us envision a more inclusive academia.

This week on the show, we look back on our favorite conversations of 2020, and think more about the lessons we want to carry into 2021. We hope you’ll join us!

Here’s a breakdown of our favorite episodes by topic:

1. COVID-19
   1. 130. Coronavirus, and Life Outside the Lab
   2. 131. How to Host a Dissertation Defense On Zoom
   3. 134. Lessons from the Quarantine
   4. 139. Back to School During a Pandemic
   5. 146. Ace Your Virtual Graduate School Interview w/ Dr. Beth Bowman
2. Diversity and Inclusion
   1. 135. The Science Training Toolbox with Dr. Andres De Los Reyes. Plus, Antiracism for Academia
   2. 136. Rebuilding an Inclusive Academia with Dr. Ashalla Freeman
   3. 142. Advancing Racial Equity in Science w/ Dr. Kenneth Gibbs
3. Author Interviews
   1. 133. Galileo and the Science Deniers – with Dr. Mario Livio
   2. 135. The Science Training Toolbox with Dr. Andres De Los Reyes. Plus, Antiracism for Academia
   3. 137. Tools for Finding a Research Mentor
   4. 144. Finding a Career that Fits with Marlys Hanson
4. Mailbag
   1. 126. Listener Mailbag – Ghost PIs, Dress Codes, and Mental Health with Susanna Harris
   2. 127. Listener Mailbag: How Do You Stay Motivated in Grad School?
   3. 129. Grad School Rejection: Why it Happens and How to Get Accepted
   4. 138. Listener Mail: Changing Fields, Comprehensive Exams, et al!
   5. 140. Mailbag: Do I need more experience? Biology vs. biomedical. Et al!
   6. 143. Mailbag: Clinical Experience, Fighting Impostor Syndrome, et al!
5. Random Favorites
   1. 128. Field Work: Science in the Great Outdoors
   2. 141. Why We (Still) Podcast