From English PhD to Ithaka S&R: A Conversation with Colette Johnson *18

Stepping off the traditional academic faculty pathway – that well-trodden road leading from assistant to associate to full professor – can feel daunting, especially after most PhDs have invested over a decade of time pursuing a linear training model that leads them from an undergraduate degree to a graduate degree to the completion of a dissertation. How do professionals outside of the academy create and maintain networks, move between roles and industries, and tolerate the uncertainty that accompanies all of the above?

Colette Johnson is Director of Strategy and Operations at Ithaka S+R, a New-York based research and consulting firm that studies higher education. She founded and runs the Ithaka S+R Fellowship Program. She also serves as Professor of Practice for the Calhoun Honors Discovery Program at Virginia Tech. Colette received her PhD in English from Princeton University.

Ithaka S+R participates in the GradFUTURES Social Impact Fellowship Program, which provides graduate students--including international graduate students--the opportunity to explore potential career paths and gain invaluable professional skills in a funded internship/fellowship experience. The Graduate School offers a range of immersive experiences throughout the academic year and/or during the summer, including the new GradFUTURES Fellowship program. 

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