Impact Factor

This week's episode features Parth Desai who is in his final year as a PhD student in Synthetic Biology. Parth shares his story and how he became interested in doing cancer research many years ago. He is now fulfilling his dream and will soon be looking for research jobs! Tune in to hear more!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

This episode features my conversation with Melanie Stark who is wrapping up her senior year as a Chemistry major while also applying for PhD programs and fellowships. Mel shares some of the reasons she wants to get a PhD and we chat about the scary and stressful parts leading up to it. She also gives some advice for others who are planning to apply in the next few years! I hope our conversation is valuable for anyone else who is thinking about doing a PhD or has decided to apply. Enjoy!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

In this week's episode I had the pleasure of chatting with a professor who has just started his role at Rutgers only two weeks ago! Professor Chris Shuck did his post-doc in the same lab at Drexel that I did my PhD and it was fun to hear about his experience in the lab after I had left. He also had a wild path from undergrad through to where he is now, always finding himself studying materials while never getting a degree in Materials Science. I hope you enjoy our conversation!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

In this week's episode I had the pleasure of catching up with an old physics classmate from college. Oliver Elbert, PhD was an astrophysics major who followed his interests straight through grad school until his was presented with an opportunity to pivot fields. He is now a Computational Scientist at NOAA and has some great advice about writing your own story and making the decisions that are best for you!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

This week I got a chance to (virtually) meet and interview Anurag Roy who is currently a post doc in the UK! He tells me his story of how he ended up doing a PhD, what he has learned about himself, and what his goals are in the future. He's also just a very cool guy and I had an awesome time chatting with him. I hope you enjoy the episode!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

In this week's episode I had the pleasure of catching up with an old High School classmate of mine. Rob Wexler, PhD was an undergrad interested in chemistry who seemed to always create unfortunate situations as an experimentalist. Once he found his way to theoretical chemistry and modeling, he never left academia. As a professor now, Rob has a lot of entertaining stories and we had a super fun time catching up. I hope you all enjoy our conversation as much as I did!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

This week's episode features Oscar Huang who is pursuing a PhD in Chemistry! We chatted about his experience picking a program, where he wants to go next, and some very wise thoughts on what it means to get a PhD. Tune in to hear more!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

This week's episode features my conversation with Marshall Lougee, PhD, a recent graduate from the UPenn Chemistry department. I had the pleasure of chatting with Marshall about his experience changing majors in undergrad, working in industry for a year in between, and then ultimately switching labs in grad school. He has some excellent advice for students at all stages in the PhD journey. I hope you enjoy listening!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

In this week's episode I had the pleasure of catching up with an old High School classmate of mine. Bern Fahey, PhD was a D1 college lacrosse player and went on to get her PhD in psychology, focusing on athlete injuries. We had a super interesting conversation and Bern shared some excellent advice based on her experiences all those years ago. I hope you enjoy!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

Episode 41 features my conversation with Wrickban Mazumdar, PhD who came to the US to do his PhD and is now a Senior Chemist in industry. Wrickban and I talked about his journey to a PhD, his job search once he was finished, and what he looks forward to next in his career! He shares his advice about finding the right research group, celebrating the good times, and the importance of planning before you jump into a new project. Tune in to hear more!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

This week's episode features Hannah Morgan who is pursuing a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience! We chatted about her experiences leading up to pursuing her degree, her experience so far, and her expectations for her career post PhD. She also shares a ton of advice for anyone applying to PhD programs, especially in the fields of psychology and neuroscience. Tune in to hear more!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

This week's episode features Diana Perry who is only a few weeks away from wrapping up her PhD! She was kind enough to spend some time with me and share her experiences leading up to pursuing her degree. Diana studies fishery sciences which is super cool and I learned so much from our conversation. Tune in to hear her advice for PhD students, her experience applying for jobs, and her abundant knowledge of all things fish! We also wish her good luck with getting everything finished in the next few weeks!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

Coming back strong after a much needed break, this week's episode features Jordan Dworkin, PhD who is currently working at a non-profit in the field of meta science! Don't know what that is? Give this episode a listen. Jordan talks about his experience going from his PhD, to being a Research Professor, to finding his place at the Federation of American Scientists. Hope you enjoy!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

Wrapping up our month of badass women who get their PhD in honor of Women's History Month, I give you my interview with Kathleen Maleski, PhD! Kathleen was recently named one of Drexel's 40 under 40 and is absolutely crushing it in her current industry job. She shares with us what it was like to start her program as a Master's student and convert to a PhD when she realized that she really enjoyed what she was studying. Kathleen and I collaborated on a few papers when we were at Drexel and I have some fun memories of going to conferences together in the time we overlapped. I hope you enjoy the episode and all the wisdom Kathleen has to share!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

As we continue our theme of featuring badass women who get their PhD in honor of Women's History Month, I had the pleasure of interviewing one of my fellow Drexel colleagues! Janna Domenico, PhD was a PhD student in the chemistry department and aside from her helping me borrow some chemicals one time, we had a non-work related friendship! Janna and I would always run into each other at grad student events and have some pretty fun memories of singing karaoke. I also have a super strong memory of Janna guessing my zodiac sign out of the blue which I was super impressed with. Tune in to hear more about her journey from hating chemistry labs in undergrad to working at the JHU Applied Physics Laboratory where she is absolutely crushing it!
Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

This is another super special interview episode for me! Jamie and I met in 2007 when I was a college soccer recruit at Haverford. We then played 4 years of soccer together, started a rec team when we both moved to Philly, both completed a PhD in different fields, and now are both working in industry. Jamie has always been a badass woman in science and someone to look up to as she reaches all of her goals. I'm proud to call her a friend and I hope you enjoy hearing about her journey and the wisdom she has garnered. Tune in wherever you get your podcasts!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

Episode 33 features my conversation with Sabari Ghosh, PhD who did her PhD at the School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad in India and then came to the US for a post-doc in academia. She is now doing a post-doc at a national lab. Sabari and I discuss her path to where she is, what she plans to do next, and the wisdom she has gained along the way! She highlights that the two most important skills are patience and perseverance for a PhD student and we talk more in depth about those skills too!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

This episode features my conversation with an old Haverford classmate who is doing very cool things in the Computer Science space. Maggie Perkoff and I talk about her experience going from industry back to grad school, why she made that decision, and what she has enjoyed about her experience so far. Also check out the link below to her group's demo which won the Best Interactive Demo Award at the 2022 AIED (Artificial Intelligence in Education) conference. Enjoy the episode!

Demo: https://youtu.be/ipAiByblwaY

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

This episode features a super fun conversation with Ramya Gurunathan, PhD who pursued a MS in Scientific Computing followed by a PhD in Materials Science. Her experiences and journey are super cool and I'm excited for you all to hear about it! Ramya and I also discussed a lot of lessons learned and tips for anyone in a PhD program right now. Hope you enjoy the episode! 

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

This week's episode features my conversation with Anna Voss, a first year PhD student in Neuroscience. Anna and I chatted about her experience coming directly from undergrad, some challenges she has faced, and her neuroscience-themed TikTok account where she shares what it's like to be a PhD student. I had an awesome time chatting with Anna about her journey and I hope you all enjoy listening!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

This episode features my conversation with a former collaborator and longtime friend from when I was at Drexel! Nico and I collaborated on energy storage related projects between our two groups in Germany and the US for much of my time in grad school. But the really nice thing was he and I would often run into each other at conferences all over the world. It was so nice to catch up after all these years, hear how much Nico likes working in industry, and reflect on our favorite conference locations (Spoiler: it was Montpellier). I hope Nico's story and experience of doing a PhD in Europe is useful to some of you out there. Enjoy! 

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

This episode features my conversation with an old friend from Drexel! Matthias talks about his experience searching for what field of research he wanted to pursue, moving to Germany for a post-doc, and starting the faculty position application process. It was so nice to catch up with his after all these years and he has some great advice for anyone who is thinking about an academic career. Hopefully we can catch up with Matthias in the future and see what cool things he is doing! In meantime, enjoy the episode!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

This episode features my conversation with Dr. Anamika Bajpai, who came to the US to do a post-doc and ended up leaving academia to pursue a career in industry. Anamika talks about her job search and the challenges she faced as an immigrant in the job market. She also tells us a little about her current job and all the things she loves about it. Anamika shares some valuable advice for anyone who is looking for a job both from a post-doc position and also as a non US citizen. Tune in to learn more! 

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

In this episode, I had a nice conversation with Erica, who I actually went to high school with. We reconnected in Philly recently and I was stoked to have her on the show to tell her PhD story. It's a long one but definitely some important lessons for anyone who is having a tough time for reasons out of your control. Erica shares some advice about what to do you research on before you join a program, how to handle your advisor leaving before you graduate, and how to keep as many doors open for a career post PhD. I hope you enjoy!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

This episode features my conversation with Keegan Hoag and Karlie Pollock who are both planning to apply to PhD programs in the next few years. They are both in between getting their undergraduate degree in psychology and starting a PhD in a related field. They share with me how they go to where they are now, what their plans are for the future and the expectations they have for their future PhD programs. I hope it resonates with anyone else who is thinking about doing a PhD or has decided to apply. Enjoy!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

Hello and welcome to a special end of the year episode of Impact Factor! I’m your host, Katie Van Aken and this week I wanted to look back on our first year of the pod and share with you some of the things we learned along the way! Cue the theme song and let’s get into it!

I probably mentioned this in the trailer episode but it’s always good to reflect on the why. So why did I start this podcast? Well, my network contains a ton of people who have finished, are in the middle of, or are about to start a PhD program and I felt like there was a lot of wisdom to be shared and learned. We did some topical episodes which covered things like picking a program, building a relationship with your advisor, fighting imposter syndrome, and how to give a good technical presentation. My favorite episodes to make, though, were the interviews. It was a blast to reconnect with some old colleagues and make new connections through the podcast interviews. We welcomed 14 guests in 2022 at all stages of their PhD journey! We had some technical challenges with audio recordings here and there but ultimately we felt the episode content stood on its own without a ton of editing. There is always room for improvement heading into 2023 though! In addition to guest interviews, we did our first LIVE panel discussion and recording in partnership with Drexel University’s graduate college which was a huge success! Hopefully we can do some more of those events next year. Call me old fashioned but I love an in-person event.

Next, we all know that Spotify sends its listeners a “wrapped” summary of their year of listening but what you may not know (because I didn’t either) is that they also send podcast creators a wrapped summary about their podcast for the year! For example, they shared with me that as of the time of the wrapped publication, I had published 666 minutes of content (a number that’s significance is not lost on me) and they also shared that this is more than 94% of others in the Education category! We also reached 12 countries and landed in the top 10 podcasts for many of our fans! And with that, I want to give a huge shoutout to you guys, our listeners! According to the wrapped, our listener’s personality is The Enthusiast, meaning “Your listeners are superfans. When their favorite podcast releases a new episode, they are among the first to know, going above and beyond to show their support.” While I don’t know how that description is generated, I definitely do feel the support of our listeners so thanks for tuning in, sharing the episodes, and liking our posts on Instagram.

And speaking of Instagram, I also wanted to thank our social media manager, Becca, who is also my sister. She has designed all the posts, logos, and icons we have used to promote the show and also taught me how to use Instagram.

Looking ahead, we will be taking a few weeks off for the holiday so make sure to catch up on older episodes that you missed and we will be back with a new episode on Monday, January 9th! More interviews to come, and hopefully some more outside of the science and engineering fields. We also have a guest lined up who did his PhD in Germany which should be interesting and like I said earlier, maybe some more in person events, or special episodes.

As always if you or someone you know wants to be interviewed on the pod, feel free to reach out via LinkedIn and connect with us on Instagram at @ImpactFactorPod. Thanks again to all of you for listening and supporting the show. Have a wonderful holiday season and we will be back in 2023!

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken.

Music by Katie Van Aken.

This episode features our LIVE episode recording presented by Drexel University's Graduate College in November. I hosted a panel discussion featuring Dr. Christina Love, Dr. Claire Witherel, and Ben Haslund-Gourley! Have you ever tried to explain your PhD research to your grandparents? Have you ever had to convince a person or entity to fund your very specific research? Getting your PhD involves often presenting and sharing your work to other experts in your field. But the bigger challenge is learning how to explain a technical research topic to someone who hasn't studied it for years. Our panelists talk about how grad school can and should prepare students to communicate technical topics to a general audience. Hope you enjoy their wisdom!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

This episode is an extra special one! It features my conversation with Deborah Van Aken, PhD (spoiler alert, she's also my mom). Debbie shares some memories from her time getting her psychology PhD in the 80's. We talked about how different some things were but also how some things just haven't changed! She shares advice for managing a relationship, working, and also studying all at once without feeling guilty about doing one thing instead of another. Growing up with my mom having her PhD was definitely one of the reasons I pursued one myself so it was pretty cool to hear her story, including some details I had never heard before! I hope you enjoy!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

This week's episode features my conversation with Marc Jaskir, a first year PhD student in Neuroscience. Marc and I chatted about what his experience has been like so far and some things he has noticed moving from a lab researcher to a PhD student role. He talked about his rotation into difference labs and the challenge of balancing classes and research. Enjoy!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

This week, I am sharing my discussion with Garrett Wenger, who was nice enough to share his experience of leaving his PhD program before finishing. He shares with us some of what went into that decision, what he ended up doing instead, and the cool things he is doing now! He also highlights a few things he would do differently and some advice he would give to his younger self. I hope his wisdom finds any of you out there who are having the same struggles and wondering what to do! 

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Yuriy Smolin, PhD this week, who is an old Drexel colleague. Yuriy and I were in different departments but ended up collaborating and writing a paper together. He ended up in industry after we graduated and has some great advice on navigating those types of jobs. He also notes that the skills he found most helpful in his first job were problem solving and troubleshooting, which he gained while pursuing his PhD. I hope you enjoy!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

There is an imposter among us! But it's not you! In this episode, I discuss imposter syndrome and how it affects many PhD students during their programs. I explain what imposter syndrome is and some examples of what can trigger it, specifically in a PhD program. And finally, I cover some tips to dealing with it so you can be at your best! Hope you enjoy!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod.

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken.

Music by Katie Van Aken.

I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with my old conference buddy Michael Van Order, who has some very interesting things to say about his career path post-PhD. Before I knew it, we had been talking for over an hour, but his advice and experiences are definitely worth listening to. We touched on everything from the benefits of trying different jobs out to the challenges of changing schools and groups along the PhD path. Michael gives excellent advice to not let the fear of running a failed experiment keep you from trying! He highlights that a failed experiment does not mean a failed researcher and separating the two is definitely important when getting through those tough emotional times in the lab. Enjoy!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

I had a blast getting to relive the glory days with my old grad school pal in this episode. Sarah Gleeson, PhD and I chatted about the importance of communication, especially to those outside your field. We also discussed the benefits of finding a mentor early on, either in your lab or another, who you can go to with questions that otherwise create unneeded anxiety as you find your way in a new environment. I hope you enjoy!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

Look out! This is our first non-STEM interview episode and I learned a ton about what a PhD in Economics looks like from my guest, Jeanna Kenney. We went over everything from her specific focus to the different milestones in her program. Jeanna highlights the importance of taking care of yourself early on in your program and recognizing when it's better to get some sleep or go to the gym than to push through another hour of work. I hope you enjoy!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Amanda about the different steps in her career path post-PhD and how she ended up doing something she really loves! Amanda highlights some tips for updating your LinkedIn profile when you are trying to pivot into a new career or field. I hope you enjoy!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

In this episode, I discuss tips and tricks for mastering the art of a research presentation. I cover tips for preparation and practice, best practices for slide design, and how to tell your research story. Hope you find it helpful!

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod.

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. 

Music by Katie Van Aken.

I talk to Shiv about his first few weeks working in industry post-PhD. He reflects on his time as a PhD student and gives advice for surviving but also for thriving in your program. One of his tips is to take a picture whenever something good happens, no matter how small. That way when you look back, you will remember the good times instead of the struggles.

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

I talk to Matt about his first year as a PhD student and what it was like to switch research groups early on. He highlights some important things to keep in mind when starting off and gives some good advice for making sure you set up a good work/life balance.

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

I talk to Mark about wrapping up his thesis, his defense, and applying for jobs all in the past few months. He highlights some important things to keep in mind as you are finishing up. your program and thinking about what's next.

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

Tune in as I discuss some tips for attending research conferences including networking and enjoying the fun parts!

Follow us on instagram at @impactfactorpod.

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

Tune in to hear my conversation with Marty about his fond memories of his time as a PhD student. We also discuss his role as a member of the Graduate Student Association and how that improved his experience.

Follow us on Instagram at @impactfactorpod

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken. 

Tune in to learn why your non-traditional skills like troubleshooting and jerry-rigging can be taken with you after you finish your PhD. 

Follow us on instagram at @impactfactorpod.

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

Tune in to hear some tips and tricks for writing your first manuscript including how to start writing, what constitutes a first draft, and who to include in your author list. 

Follow us on instagram at @impactfactorpod.

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.

Tune is as I talk to Greg about wrapping up his PhD and the advice he has for any PhD students starting out!

Hello and welcome to Impact Factor. I'm your host, Katie Van Aken and I'm here to talk about some tips and tricks for surviving your PhD. This episode focuses on the advisor/advisee relationship and how to navigate it specifically when deciding on a research direction, when presenting in group meetings, and when you are wondering if you advisor is your boss or your mentor or both. Enjoy!

Logo design by Rebecca Van Aken. Music by Katie Van Aken.