As we approach the end of another contentious election cycle, it would be easy to be discouraged, dismayed, or disappointed in the discord and disunity of our country. But as Christians living and working in academic spaces, we may be uniquely equipped to navigate division and political paralysis as we seek to individually and corporately restore civility in our country. Specifically, the posture of intellectual humility, the process for empirical argumentation, and the practice of intellectual debate can be valuable … [Read more...] about Postures, Processes, and Practices to Overcome Political Paralysis
Loving our Neighbors and our Neighborhood by Voting
As of October 28, over 76 million early and absentee votes will have been cast in the 2020 election. But will Christian graduate students vote and participate in the political process? And will we see civic engagement and political participation as a critical way that we can live out love for our neighbor and neighborhood? In my anecdotal experiences from graduate school, most of my Christian peers were politically disengaged. Even when living in a battleground state like Ohio, there was little interest in talking … [Read more...] about Loving our Neighbors and our Neighborhood by Voting
Leaving Academia, Part 3
In my previous posts, I discussed my exit from the academy and questions to better understand a pivot to a non-academic career. In this third post, I discuss practical strategies as you navigate new job application processes. When I started applying for non-academic jobs, I felt directionless and did not know how to start. Providentially, I stumbled upon the simple realization that I can leverage skills and expertise gained in graduate experience to navigate these new unknowns. By adopting familiar practices of … [Read more...] about Leaving Academia, Part 3
Leaving Academia, Part 2
In my last post, I shared about my unexpected and abrupt exit from an academic career. In this post, I discuss how my examination of two questions helped me pivot to life outside the academy and become thankful for my graduate experience. Now what? As it became clear that I would not have an academic job, I felt lost and overwhelmed. Having given no serious thought to a non-academic career, I wondered if my academic apprenticeship had any value in preparing me for life outside the academy. And I did not know … [Read more...] about Leaving Academia, Part 2
Leaving Academia, Part 1
Leaving academia is hard and difficult. In this new short series on “Leaving the Academy”, I hope my experiences will encourage you as you explore and wrestle with God's calling for your life as you transition to a perhaps unplanned non-academic career. Editor's note: For more of Josh Wu's work for ESN, see this link. For the better part of a decade, my life ambition was to become a professor. I was confident that hard work and a few providential breaks would land me a tenure-track political science professor … [Read more...] about Leaving Academia, Part 1