Caroline West from the Early Career Scientist Career Development Subcommittee interviewed Morgan Carter, an assistant professor from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. This interview has been edited for clarity, brevity, and conversational flow; while the responses reflect the interviewee’s insights, they are not a word-for-word transcript of the original conversation.

On job applications

Caroline: Have you always known you wanted to be a professor?

Morgan: When I was in 8th grade, I had to do a career road map. I wrote that I was going to have a PhD in biochemistry and become a professor. I’ve been set on that path since then. I explored many other careers in grad school, but I liked science and school. My parents still have that career road map project. 

Caroline: Did you always aim for an R1 institution?

Morgan: I was shooting for R1 or R2 so I could mentor grad students. I have done a lot of graduate student mentorship because I really care about graduate training. I was also aiming for schools in the southeast. 

Caroline: How did you tailor your application materials for different types of institutions? 

Morgan: I was applying to very different departments because my PhD is in plant pathology, but I realized I was also a geneticist and a biochemist. I also realized I was a microbiologist and not really a plant pathologist. What I did was highlight the parts of my research that were most relevant to the job, but I kept the same three research aims. I also went through the teaching materials and added in directly from the course catalogue, pulling in who I thought I could collaborate with. My cover letter changed the most depending on the job. 

Caroline: Were there any resources that were especially helpful in preparing your materials?

Morgan: I looked at examples of successful applications, and then I had both of my advisors read over mine. Also, serving on a search committee is one of the most useful things you can do. I served on a search committee, and seeing the bad applications was very helpful in preparing for my interviews. The other thing that was helpful was practicing a chalk talk with other faculty. 

On interviews

Caroline: What advice would you give applicants regarding the first-round (remote) interviews?

Morgan: They always ask the same five questions. They are going to ask about research, teaching, service, why this department, and if you have any questions for them. Know the university, who is going to be interviewing you, and what the department cares about. 

Caroline: Were you asked about your personal life (especially as a woman)? If yes, how did you tackle that question?

Morgan: I don’t have kids, and I have a husband who is not in academia and could move anywhere. I am an easy hire in that sense, but I didn’t want to play that card. Faculty did not ask, and in most places I didn’t volunteer that information. A couple of places have this process where someone outside of the search committee is available to talk to you, and you can ask them anything from parental leave to nearby school districts. 

Caroline: What is the most surprising thing about starting your faculty position?

Morgan: There’s no specific training for this. I really put a lot of time and effort into training, but every university and department are different. There is constant uncertainty of if you’re spending your time on the right things. Unlike when you’re a student, there is no degree progress guide.

Caroline: What skills do you wish you had developed earlier that would have made the transition smoother?

Morgan: Asking for help, and taking feedback appropriately. I was as prepared as possible, but there was no perfect preparation. I did a lot of teaching development, leadership, and mentorship. I’m glad I did it because now I don’t have to spend as much time on it as I would to have otherwise. 

Caroline: What else helped you stand out as an applicant?

Morgan: I had a lot of fellowships, so they knew I could get funding. I had a clear vision of what I was going to study and clear funding strategies. I was able to show I can write up who I am and what I do in a compelling way. 

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