Invited Symposium I: Research and Career Development: Stories from Mid-Career Scholars

Back by demand, this invited session featuring three mid-career faculty is organized to address the needs of early to mid-career SSWR members in their efforts to develop successful research and academic careers that make an impact on the profession in which we work and the society in which we live. The three invited panelists, all previous recipients of the SSWR Deborah K. Padgett Early Career Achievement Award, represent diverse and successful career trajectories. The panelists share a common goal of conducting research that strives to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable populations and contributes to social change. The panelists will answer a series of questions on their careers and career strategies, including making transitions in career (e.g. from doctoral student to academic job, tenure and post-tenure and changing institutions), seeking support for research (e.g. mentors, collaboration, network, and institutional support), and balancing (e.g. academic research – publishing and grant writing, work and life (and/or family) and establishing an independent line of research that makes significant contributions to our field.