{"id":653,"date":"2024-07-11T09:42:28","date_gmt":"2024-07-11T13:42:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/?page_id=653"},"modified":"2024-09-05T09:11:14","modified_gmt":"2024-09-05T13:11:14","slug":"season-11","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/episodes-2\/season-11\/","title":{"rendered":"Season 11"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Season 11, hosted by Whitney Souery (Bioinformatics) and Ayantika Saha (Biophysics), takes a deep dive into the lives, careers, and daily habits of successful PhD graduates across a range of disciplines and career stages. In these conversations, Ayantika and Whitney go beyond the bullet points of a CV and explore the difficult decisions, challenges, and truths that guided these PhD graduates to where they are today. <\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Transition Episode: Introducing Your New Hosts for Season 11 &#8211; Whitney and Ayantika<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/398803\/15393521-transition-episode-introducing-season-11.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-15393521&#038;player=small\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span>In this episode, we are introduced to our new hosts: Whitney Souery and Ayantika Saha. They will give a little background on themselves and what this upcoming season will discuss.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/07\/9AAB9CE3-B6D5-491B-90F8-FFBE3CF29751_1_201_a-448x636.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"149\" height=\"211\" class=\"wp-image-655 alignleft\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/07\/9AAB9CE3-B6D5-491B-90F8-FFBE3CF29751_1_201_a-448x636.jpeg 448w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/07\/9AAB9CE3-B6D5-491B-90F8-FFBE3CF29751_1_201_a-721x1024.jpeg 721w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/07\/9AAB9CE3-B6D5-491B-90F8-FFBE3CF29751_1_201_a.jpeg 734w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 149px) 100vw, 149px\" \/><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whitney Souery is a fourth year MD\/PhD candidate in bioinformatics and computational biology at Boston University. Her research uses transcriptomic approaches to better understand the mechanisms behind understudied lung diseases, such as mucus plugging and bronchiectasis. She hopes her work can help identify new treatments with improved disease targetability, ultimately improving patient outcomes. In her spare time, Whitney enjoys traveling, food, and long walks. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/07\/8BFA43B7-4AA6-4C58-87E3-A47D74E6FA3E_1_201_a-484x636.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"153\" height=\"201\" class=\"wp-image-656 alignleft\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/07\/8BFA43B7-4AA6-4C58-87E3-A47D74E6FA3E_1_201_a-484x636.jpeg 484w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/07\/8BFA43B7-4AA6-4C58-87E3-A47D74E6FA3E_1_201_a-779x1024.jpeg 779w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/07\/8BFA43B7-4AA6-4C58-87E3-A47D74E6FA3E_1_201_a-768x1009.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/07\/8BFA43B7-4AA6-4C58-87E3-A47D74E6FA3E_1_201_a.jpeg 802w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 153px) 100vw, 153px\" \/><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ayantika Saha is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Physics at Boston University. She works in the Larkin Lab at CILSE and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">her research focuses on unraveling how biological tissues achieve their form through the emergent physics of cells and polymers that compose them. Her current research delves into the physical mechanisms behind &#8220;wrinkling&#8221; in Bacillus subtilis biofilms. Beyond her academic pursuits, Ayantika enjoys traveling to new destinations and experimenting with cooking dishes from various cultures.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><b>Episode 1: Conversation with Joanna Davidson, PhD<\/b><\/p>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/398803\/15422731-episode-1-conversation-with-joanna-davidson-phd.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-15422731&#038;player=small\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this episode, Whitney and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ayantika <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">talk with Dr. Joanna Davidson, cultural anthropologist and Associate Professor in anthropology at Boston University. This episode explores the importance of making time for self discovery during graduate school, navigating difficult career choices, and advice on dealing with imposter syndrome. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment664\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment664\" style=\"width: 210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/07\/Joanna-Davidson-headshot-443x636.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"287\" class=\" wp-image-664\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/07\/Joanna-Davidson-headshot-443x636.jpg 443w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/07\/Joanna-Davidson-headshot-714x1024.jpg 714w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/07\/Joanna-Davidson-headshot-768x1102.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/07\/Joanna-Davidson-headshot-1071x1536.jpg 1071w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/07\/Joanna-Davidson-headshot.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment664\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">CAS professor Joanna Davidson on April 3, 2023.<br \/>Photo by Jackie Ricciardi for Boston University<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joanna Davidson is Associate Professor of Anthropology at Boston University. She is also an affiliate faculty member of Boston University\u2019s African Studies Center, the Women\u2019s Gender &amp; Sexuality Studies Program, the Global Policy Development Center, and the Kilachand Honors College. Joanna\u2019s research is based in rural West Africa, where she has conducted long-term ethnographic fieldwork in Guinea-Bissau for over two decades. Her monographs and co-edited books include <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sacred Rice: Identity, Environment, &amp; Development in Rural West Africa<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (2016); <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Narrating Illness: Prospects and Constraints <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(2016); <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Opting Out: Women Messing with Marriage around the World<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (2022); and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pathos &amp; Power: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Widowhood in Africa, Past and Present<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (forthcoming 2025). She has published widely in various peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes on topics such as social and religious transformation, cultural conceptions of knowledge, the politics of storytelling, and shifts in women\u2019s roles and gender relations. She is currently writing a book of ethnographic essays on marriage, naming, and death. Joanna teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses in anthropology and interdisciplinary humanistic social sciences. She has won several teaching awards, including the Metcalf Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><b>Episode 2: Conversation with Beverly Brown, PhD<\/b><\/p>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/398803\/15473255-episode-2-conversation-with-beverly-brown-phd.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-15473255&#038;player=small\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this episode, Whitney and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ayantika<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> meet with Dr. Beverly Brown,<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">biochemist, former first lady of Boston University, and Director of Development, Industry at the Boston University School of Public Health. In this episode, we discuss how Dr. Brown overcame challenges during her PhD program and explore the value of mentorship before, during, and after graduate school. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/07\/Beverly-Brown-headshot-478x636.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"190\" height=\"253\" class=\"wp-image-667 alignleft\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/07\/Beverly-Brown-headshot-478x636.jpg 478w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/07\/Beverly-Brown-headshot-769x1024.jpg 769w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/07\/Beverly-Brown-headshot-768x1022.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/07\/Beverly-Brown-headshot-1154x1536.jpg 1154w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/07\/Beverly-Brown-headshot.jpg 1160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 190px) 100vw, 190px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beverly A. Brown, PhD has spent over 40 years in health care, starting in research and development of diagnostics and therapeutics and then transitioned into business development in medical devices.\u00a0 In recent years, her involvement in nonprofit work has increased.\u00a0 As a parent, she began her nonprofit career in small \u201chands on\u201d organizations that revolved around the activities of her children.\u00a0 In the past 15 + years, her nonprofit work has been focused on mentoring graduate students in the life sciences and business at Boston University.\u00a0 Her external work has focused on women\u2019s empowerment, healthcare and child services.\u00a0 She serves on numerous nonprofit boards, largely in roles focused on governance and fundraising.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><b>Episode 3: Conversation with Rhonda Harrison, PhD<\/b><\/p>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/398803\/15513925-episode-3-conversation-with-rhonda-harrison-phd.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-15513925&#038;player=small\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this episode, Whitney and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ayantika<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> chat with Dr. Rhonda Harrison, bioinformatician and Founder and CEO of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Biopharmix Consulting<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In this episode, we discuss the importance of being proud of your successes, managing your time, and more!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Task manager: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rememberthemilk.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember the Milk<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/08\/Rhonda-Harrison-headshot-636x636.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"241\" height=\"241\" class=\"wp-image-669 alignleft\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/08\/Rhonda-Harrison-headshot-636x636.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/08\/Rhonda-Harrison-headshot-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/08\/Rhonda-Harrison-headshot-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/08\/Rhonda-Harrison-headshot-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/08\/Rhonda-Harrison-headshot-2048x2048.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 241px) 100vw, 241px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dr. Rhonda Harrison is the Founder and Principal Consultant at <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biopharmixconsulting.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Biopharmix<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a firm that brings new medtech and biotech to life by forging alliances between entrepreneurs, doctors and drug discovery teams. The first Black person and the first woman to earn a PhD in Bioinformatics, she also presents the stories of her interdisciplinary academic journey to inspire a broad diversity of students to pursue careers in STEM. Her<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.rhondaharrison.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> presentations<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> also assist practicing scientists to attract, value and retain women and people of color with the goals of equity and inclusion. Dr. Harrison also serves on a wide variety of boards.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dr. Harrison completed her BS with Individual Concentration in Computer Graphics at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She earned an MS in Biomedical Engineering for her thesis in genome mapping.\u00a0 After work at MIT\u2019s Whitehead Institute in ML\/AI-based precision medicine she returned to Boston University as a National Science Foundation Fellow completing her PhD in Bioinformatics with landmark work in the field of multiomics. The biotechnology based on her post-doctoral work on Harvard Medical School\u2019s ENCODE Pilot Project team is employed in many drug discovery projects today.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div class=\"md:col-span-8 flex flex-col md:flex-row md:items-center md:gap-6\">\n<div class=\"md:group-[.episode-history]:flex items-center\">\n<div class=\"md:group-[.episode-history]:ml-1\">\n<div class=\"group-[.episode-history]:flex flex-col md:flex-row items-start md:gap-2\">\n<div class=\"episode__title flex flex-wrap items-center leading-tight\"><strong>Episode 4: Conversation with Kim Vanuytsel, PhD<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/398803\/15546879-episode-4-conversation-with-kim-vanuytsel-phd.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-15546879&#038;player=small\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span>In this episode, Whitney and Ayantika speak with Dr. Kim Vanuytsel, stem cell biologist and Assistant Professor in medicine at Boston University. In this episode, we dive into conversations about the challenge of juggling busy careers and personal lives, dealing with imposter syndrome, and the importance of taking care of yourself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/08\/Kim-Vanuystel-headshot-480x480.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" class=\"wp-image-672 alignleft\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/08\/Kim-Vanuystel-headshot.jpeg 480w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/08\/Kim-Vanuystel-headshot-150x150.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kim Vanuytsel is a stem cell biologist with expertise in developmental hematopoiesis, sickle cell disease and hematopoietic stem cell biology. She is originally from Belgium and obtained her PhD from KULeuven (Leuven, Belgium).<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> She subsequently joined the laboratory of George Murphy at the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM) for her postdoctoral work. Since joining the research community at Boston University and Boston Medical Center, she has focused on developing tools and resources that help us understand important concepts in hematopoietic development with the goal of translating this knowledge into the realization of the immense potential that induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and hematopoietic stem cells hold for disease modeling and regenerative medicine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dr. Vanuytsel currently leads a research lab at the CReM, focused on issues at the intersection of stem cell biology, cell therapies and sickle cell disease. Her experience in these diverse but complimentary research fields, has equipped Dr. Vanuytsel with a unique perspective and skillset to make meaningful contributions to emerging cell therapies for sickle cell disease patients, and by extension, the field of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation as a whole.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><b><i>Episode 5: <\/i><\/b><b><i>Conversation with <\/i><\/b><b><i>William McKeen, PhD<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/398803\/15623649-episode-5-conversation-with-william-mckeen-phd.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-15623649&#038;player=small\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this episode, Whitney and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ayantika<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> chat with Dr. William McKeen, author and Professor in journalism at Boston University. This episode explores the role of mentors throughout our PhD journey, navigating career changes, and the challenges of finding a work-life balance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Article: \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tampabay.com\/archive\/2010\/02\/21\/at-universities-the-tenure-track-goes-off-the-rails\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AT UNIVERSITIES, THE TENURE TRACK GOES OFF THE RAILS<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/09\/William-McKeen-headshot-368x636.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"158\" height=\"273\" class=\" wp-image-678 alignleft\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/09\/William-McKeen-headshot-368x636.png 368w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/09\/William-McKeen-headshot.png 376w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 158px) 100vw, 158px\" \/>William McKeen is professor of journalism at Boston University and author of eight books and editor of four more, including <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Outlaw Journalist<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (W.W. Norton, 2008), a biography of Hunter S. Thompson; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mile Marker Zero<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Crown, 2011), a non-fiction narrative about Key West; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Everybody Had an Ocean <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Chicago Review Press, 2017), a nonfiction narrative about the intersection of music and crime in Los Angeles during the 1960s.; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Highway 61<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (W.W. Norton, 2003), a memoir of a 6,000-mile road trip with his teenage son; and the anthology <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rock and Roll is Here to Stay<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (W. W. Norton, 2000)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before beginning his teaching career, he worked for several newspapers and magazines, including <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Saturday Evening Post, The American Spectator, The Courier-Journal<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Louisville, Ky.), <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Palm Beach<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Fla.) <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Post<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Tampa Bay<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Fla.) <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Times<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His writing has appeared in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Holiday, American History, Maxim, The Saturday Evening Post, Fortune, Fast Company<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and many other newspapers and magazines. He has appeared on \u201cThe Today Show,\u201d \u201cThe CBS Evening News\u201d and many other news programs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His major teaching areas are literary journalism, history of journalism, and history of rock\u2019n\u2019roll.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><b><i>Episode 6: Conversation with <\/i><\/b><b><i>Tommy Vitolo, PhD<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/398803\/15697256-episode-6-conversation-with-tommy-vitolo-phd.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-15697256&#038;player=small\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this episode, Whitney and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ayantika<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> meet with Dr. Tommy Vitolo, engineer and representative of the 15th Norfolk District in the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Massachusetts_House_of_Representatives\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Massachusetts House of Representatives<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In this episode, we discuss Dr. Vitolo\u2019s experiences navigating the harsh realities and triumphs of graduate school, and how a PhD in engineering eventually led Dr. Vitolo to a job in government. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/vitaminphd\/files\/2024\/09\/Tommy-Vitolo-headshot.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"170\" height=\"255\" class=\"size-full wp-image-679 alignleft\" \/><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In November 2018 Tommy Vitolo was elected State Representative for the 15th Norfolk district. Tommy worked hard at school, earning a <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/parkscholars.org\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">full merit scholarship to NC State<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, where he earned three bachelor\u2019s degrees and met his wife, Jenn. After earning a master\u2019s degree in Ireland as a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.us-irelandalliance.org\/mitchellscholarship\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mitchell Scholar<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Tommy enrolled in a PhD program at Boston University\u2019s College of Engineering in 2002. After earning his PhD in Systems Engineering, and spending six months as a stay-at-home dad, Tommy began working at <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.synapse-energy.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Synapse Energy Economics<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. He\u2019s been there for the past nine years, providing technical analysis and advice on energy matters to public interest clients such as attorneys general and environmental advocates. Tommy has spent that time fighting for utility customers and for cleaner environmental outcomes around the country, resulting in the forced retirement of coal-fired power plants, the prevention of new natural gas infrastructure, and the construction of new wind turbines, solar farms, and energy efficiency installations.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Season 11, hosted by Whitney Souery (Bioinformatics) and Ayantika Saha (Biophysics), takes a deep dive into the lives, careers, and daily habits of successful PhD graduates across a range of disciplines and career stages. In these conversations, Ayantika and Whitney go beyond the bullet points of a CV and explore the difficult decisions, challenges, and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20921,"featured_media":0,"parent":260,"menu_order":11,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/653"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20921"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=653"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/653\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":680,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/653\/revisions\/680"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/260"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/vitaminphd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}