Professor Nicholas G. Hatsopoulos from the Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy is on The Course this week to discuss his career path. From majoring in physics to psychology, to playing the Bouzouki and working in Greece for a year, it was only later in life that Professor Hatsopoulos found Neuroscience and found his passion as a scientist working on how the brain directs body movements. As his research team continues to explore this field, wearable robots or exoskeletons might not be too far in the horizon. Tune in to hear more about his career story!

Professor Fred Chong is the Seymour Goodman Professor of Computer Architecture and is also a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. In this episode of the Course, Professor Chong shares how he witnessed the evolution of computers and A.I., while finding a niche, quantum computing and computer architecture, for himself to dive into as a research pathway.  As a faculty member at the University of Chicago, he finds joy, meaning and impact in teaching and guiding students. Tune in to listen to Professor's career story.

Professor Claudia Brittenham is from the Department of Art History and the Department of Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity. She is also the Director of the Center for Latin American Studies. In this episode of The Course, she talks about why she so enjoys the study of objects, the many alternatives she considered as she honed in on her area of focus, and how she transitioned from being an art curator to a University of Chicago professor.

Assistant Professor Chiara Galli from the Department of Comparative Human Development is on The Course to talk about how her childhood experience moving to the US from Italy influenced her decision to study migrant issues. Professor Galli also shares various insights on choosing a major, being in an interdisciplinary department, and also her love for research methods. Don't miss out on her sharing!

Assistant Professor Paula Harper's participation in the choir drew her to music classes in her English major college days, and accidentally gave her a second major by the time she graduates. As she continues her journey to finding her unique path, she found her research interest by combining music, virality and social media platforms together. Join us this week on The Course, to hear Professor Harper share her story of working beyond conventional boundaries in a study field and how UChicago enabled her throughout the way. 

Professor Scott Gehlbach from the Department of Political Science and Harris School of Public Policy would almost have gone back to his family farm business had it not been for his love for city life and the various life-changing experiences. After spending extensive time in Eastern Europe, he found his research niche and continues to quench his curiosity through conversations with scholars at the University of Chicago. Tune in to this episode to hear his winding road toward academia. 

Professor Jennifer Pitts from the Department of Political Science is on The Course this week to talk about her career journey from being captured by art history to working as a reporter to finally pursuing a graduate degree in political theory.  She also shares her recent focus on the international writings of W.E.B. Du Bois, and the most gratifying part of her job as a professor.

As an academic studying American politics at the University of Chicago, Assistant Professor Ruth Bloch Rubin recognizes she is living in an unprecedented time that future political historians will be studying intently. It is equally a great time to indulge in her political nerdiness with her students. In this episode, Professor Bloch Rubin discusses the importance of feeling driven by one's research focus but also being open to pivoting and adapting to one's experience and social changes.

With various interests, Associate Professor Marco Garrido was still determining his next steps after graduation and went off exploring the world. It was when he shared dinner tables with the poor and the rich that he finally found his research interest in the Philippines. Currently studying how people's daily experiences shape their understanding of democracy, Professor Garrido shares his thoughts on what career means and how he sees his role as a professor and the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the University of Chicago.

From being an English teacher in Central Lesotho to being a Peace Corps Volunteer in Madagascar to working with the World Bank and the United Nations, Assistant Professor Molly Offer-Westort chose to experience various opportunities before embarking on an academic life. Now, she uses data science and statistical tools to understand people's online behaviors and help policymakers make better decisions. Tune in to hear Professor Offer-Westort talk about her childhood dreams and how her research now contributes to the public in understanding the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. 

Professor Robert A. Pape from the Department of Political Science discusses how his early research interest in air power and international political violence brought him to sit with military officers and policy decision-makers on various occasions. Professor Pape also expanded his interest in national security and democracy as he continued his research and teaching path at the University of Chicago, and directs the Chicago Project on Security & Threats (CPOST). Tune in to listen to his thoughts on the upcoming presidential election.

Associate Professor Timothy Harrison finished high school and ventured off to build his career as a model until he decided to pivot to a scholarly pathway and fulfill his dream as a novelist. Now as an author and co-author of multiple books, Professor Harrison finds joy in teaching, reading, and thinking about various English literature in the 16th to 17th century. Tune in to listen to his view on why Humanities matter, and his unusual career journey to becoming a University of Chicago professor. 

Assistant Professor in the Department of Classics Catherine (Katie) Kearns is on The Course to talk about her study in Mediterranean archaeology and how her work crosses to reconstructing and studying ancient environments. Growing up, Professor Kearns was an athlete, loved doodling, and also picked up Latin. When she was introduced to history and, later, archaeology, she knew that's the path she wanted to continue. Tune in to hear Professor Kearns' career story!

Assistant Professor of Marketing and Asness Faculty Fellow Andreas Kraft is on The Course this week to talk about his experience as a student-athlete. Professor Kraft came to the US as an undergrad with a scholarship to play wheelchair basketball, with thoughts on going professional. However, with time, he finds himself asking more and more questions related to marketing in his economics classes, and got intrigued by the research world. Eventually, he continues his academic journey and graduates with three degrees, and is now teaching and researching in the Chicago Booth School of Business.

Associate Professor Victoria Saramago of the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures grew up fascinated by storytelling. From wanting to be a fiction writer to now an academic who studies novels, she digs into the relations between literature, cultures, and the perception of environmental change, environmental humanities, and energy.  Listen to Professor Saramago's career journey of bringing her passion from Brazil to the US and continues to teach, research, and mentor students in her role as a UChicago professor. 

Professor Carolina López-Ruiz from the Divinity School and the Department of Classics shares how her passion for the ancient world started from a young age, and her determination to have a career related to this sector led her to appreciate various languages and the cultural understanding it opens up for her. Tune in to hear her talk about her career from the very beginning to her latest book on the history and cultural impact that the Phenicians had on the ancient Mediterranean.

Professor Fred Ciesla from the Department of Geophysical Sciences is on The Course this week to share how his career path to becoming a geophysical sciences professor started when he was a child. He was inspired to study astronomy after seeing stars, in particular Venus, glowing in the night sky. His path led him to Cornell, NASA, and finally to UChicago, where he met various important mentors along the way and worked on various research questions. Tune in to hear Professor Ciesla's sharing and his curiosity about whether there is life elsewhere.  

Associate Professor Emily Lynn Osborn from the Department of History talks about how studying African History merged with her sense of rebellion with the French language and interest in history. Opportunities that brought her abroad made her see the world differently, and these experiences transferred to her role at UChicago as she spearheaded the Study Abroad Civilization program in Senegal. Tune in to hear more about her thoughts on UChicago's educational mission, her research inspirations, and being on a reality TV show. 

In this week's episode, Assistant Professor Jasmine Nirody from the Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy revealed how studying snake movements in her undergraduate years inspired her to become an organismal and integrative biologist instead of a medical doctor. She also shares the practical applications of studying the biophysics of tardigrades and jumping spiders. Tune in to hear how her research focus has shifted to focus more on the why since coming to UChicago. 

Professor of Molecular Engineering and Vice Dean for Education at the UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, Andrew Ferguson, talks about his parents encouraging him to pursue the path he wanted, studying chemical engineering and now researching immunoengineering. In this episode, Professor Ferguson breaks down the complexity of studying proteins, the potential careers one could have in his field, and the joy of nurturing other scientists.

Associate Professor Lewis Shi from the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery & Rehabilitation Medicine shares his determination to be a doctor from a young age. After spending 12 years at Harvard as a "Preparation H," he found his niche in shoulder surgery and continues his fulfilling life as a surgeon, a mentor, and a researcher, all while having his family as his greatest support. Tune in to hear his advice on commitment and practice. 

Associate Professor Simeon Chavel from the Divinity Schools shares how he found his way to becoming a Hebrew Bible scholar at the University of Chicago through multiple chances. As he continues his research, teaching, and administrative work, Professor Chavel keeps his opportunities open, multitasks, and finds intriguing research topics to keep him passionate. Tune in for this week's episode to feel inspired by the Professor's work and outlook on life. 

Ferdinand Schevill Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Music and the College, Professor Martha Feldman, joins us in this episode. Professor Feldman talks about her career journey from training as a professional guitarist to becoming a scholar researching Italian Opera and teaching Long and Song to UChicago students. She emphasizes the importance of believing in yourself and finding confidence to pursue one's passion and shares her upcoming plans in the field of music.

[Photo Credit: Valerie Booth O.]

Professor Gabriel Richardson Lear of the Department of Philosophy and the Chair of UChicago's Committee on Social Thought joins us on The Course in this episode to talk about how her parents' early observation encouraged her to dip her toe into the philosophy world. From arranging state dinners to studying the works of Plato and Aristotle, Professor Lear finds the most satisfaction in mentoring and teaching students. Tune in to hear more about her career journey and also what the Committee on Social Thought studies.

Neubauer Family Assistant Professor of Molecular Engineering, Allison Squires, describes her experiment-filled childhood and all the joy science brought her. By walking through various opportunities, she found her place poking and perturbing molecules with her amazing team at the Squires Lab. Listen to her talk about how she got to her dream job and be prepared to feel her great enthusiasm for all the knowledge waiting to be discovered in the smallest particles in the world.