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Academic Paths

Career Decisions and Experiences of Psychologists

• By Peter A. Keller, Peter A. Keller
• Edited by Peter A. Keller

• Price: $24.50
• Binding: Paperback (also available in Hardback)
• Pages: 184
• Published by: Psychology Press
• Publication Date: 1st October 1994
• ISBN: 978-0-8058-1371-5

About the Book

This book contains the intimate autobiographies of 13 psychologists who work in academic settings. Their experiences are as diverse as their specializations and the academic institutions from which they come. However, all of the contributors have in common an infectious enthusiasm for their academic experiences and the unique opportunities provided by their careers.

Psychology students often have only vague notions about the career experiences and personal lives of academic psychologists. The autobiographies in this book open special windows onto the lives of psychologists in academic settings. The contributions range from a description of experiences at a two-year community college through discussions of the demands at high powered doctoral-level research institutions. The authors offer intimate glimpses of experiences in their lives that paved the way to academia.

Although this book is, in a sense, about career planning in academic settings, there is no pretense about it being a career planning guide. The editor's goal was to give readers some sense of what motivates academic psychologists and what their personal as well as professional lives are like. The editor also makes clear his belief that there is no single pathway to a successful academic career in psychology. Although each contributor describes what most would see as a successful career, the academic paths taken and the personal and professional rewards received are often quite different. This book will provide encouragement to students contemplating a career in academia as well as interesting reading for psychologists curious about what makes their academic colleagues tick.

Table of Contents

Contents: Preface. P.A. Keller, Career Paths in Academia: No Single Route to Success. A.E.G. Robinson, Psychology and Community College Teaching: Helping People in Context. S.F. Davis, You Take the High Road, I'll Take the Low Road: A Satisfying Career at a Small State University. A.E. Puente, An Unconventional Career Path in Teaching and Neuropsychology. S.M. Cameron, Reflections on the Richness of a Small College Career. L.T. Benjamin, Jr., An Academic Odyssey: Experiences in a Small College and a Major Research University. B. Perlman, The Rhythms and Serendipity of an Academic Life. P.C. Keith-Speigel, A Midcareer Perspective: Big City to Small University Town. U. Delworth, Of People, Places, and Trees: A Varied Career in Counseling Psychology. N.F. Russo, The Evolution of a Feminist Psychologist, Advocate, and Scholar. R. Perloff, Playing the Hand That's Dealt You: My Life and Times (So Far) as a Psychologist. G. Melton, Building a Safe Environment for Children and Families: The Integration of Research, Teaching, and Public Service. S. Sue, Change, Persistence, and Enthusiasm for Ethnic Research. D.A. Taylor, The Autobiography of a Social Psychologist: Scholarship, Advocacy, and Leadership.