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.

Haresh Sapra is the Charles T. Horngren Professor of Accounting at the Chicago Booth School of Business. Originally from a sugar factory on the island of Mauritius, Professor Sapra dreamed big with his family's encouragement and found his strength in accounting.   Professor Sapra was an auditor before he pursued a PhD and finally landed a position as an academic at the University of Chicago. He credits his journey to his willingness to experiment and change. Tune in to learn more about his life journey!

In this episode, Michael K. Bourdaghs, Professor of Modern Japanese Literature and Culture at the University of Chicago, discusses his life and professional paths. His interest in Japanese literature and culture began when, out of the blue, he was given the chance to study for a year in Sendai, and the rest is history. He worked in the corporate world in Tokyo, then returned to the States to continue his studies and professional path. A professor at U Chicago since 2007, he describes a life filled with teaching, academic writing, and making time for his own fiction.

 | In this episode, Medical Anthropologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Comparative Human Development Michele Friedner discusses her path to becoming a UChicago Professor. She describes an early interest in Indian culture that led her to study Indian religions as an undergrad, a time that vastly expanded her worldview and breadth of experience. Eventually, these varied interests coalesced around deaf and disability rights, which led her into the field of medical anthropology. Tune in to find out more about her research interest and how disabilities can be seen as strengths and impact one's life.

Professor Anthony Fowler, from the Harris School of Public Policy, researches econometric methods for causal inference to questions in political science, with particular emphasis on elections and political representation. In this episode, he describes how he switched from being a biology student to being fascinated by the political world. He also talks about the importance as an academic to disagree, challenge, and question opinions and research so to build a stronger political science research community.  Professor Fowler talks about his career path and how he became a University of Chicago professor.

Professor Nancy Kawalek, from the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, is the Director of STAGE: Scientists, Technologists, and Artists Generating Exploration, a laboratory that creates and develops new theater, film, games, and other artistic endeavors inspired by science and technology. Professor Kawalek's early career as an actor and her interest in science merged at STAGE and continued to grow at the University of Chicago. Tune in to listen to her sharing about her career path and how she became a University of Chicago professor.

Professor Amie Wilkinson, from the Department of Mathematics, studies smooth dynamical systems, ergodic theory, and mathematical chaos. Although she met an unsupportive advisor in college, her love for pure maths stayed strong, and she saw herself pursuing graduate school even more while working after college. Tune in to hear Professor Wilkinson talks about her career path and how she became a University of Chicago professor.

 Professor John Mark Hansen is one of the nations leading scholars of American politics. His research focuses on interest groups, citizen activism, and public opinion, and he has written two books: Mobilization, Participation, and Democracy in America, which he wrote with Steven Rosenstone, and Gaining Access: Congress and the Farm Lobby. He is also the Interim Chair for the Department of Political Science at the University of Chicago. Listen to his career story of becoming a UChicago Professor in this episode.

In this episode, Associate Professor Leslie Rogers from the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics talks about her path to becoming a UChicago Professor specializing in exoplanets. From stargazing as a child in Nova Scotia to graduate school at MIT to realizing at CalTech that she had a passion for working with students, Leslie Rogers describes a path where, at so many points, "the stars aligned."

Chibueze Amanchukwu is the Neubauer Family Assistant Professor of Molecular Engineering. His group works on energy-related challenges, with a specific focus on understanding how electrolytes can control electrochemical processes in batteries and catalysis. His work has been recognized with the NSF CAREER Award, the DOE Early Career Award, and the CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar Award, amongst others. Tune in to hear Professor Amanchukwu's insights into becoming a professor and his dreams of impacting the world with his research.