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About Christina Gessler

Dr. Christina Gessler uses her Ph.D. in American history to explore what stories we tell and what happens to those we never tell. She created and co-launched the Academic Life podcasts in 2020, and has continuously served as content director, producer, and host of the channel.
Dr. Christina Gessler holds a PhD in U.S. history.
Christina's website

NBN Episodes hosted by Christina:

Academic Life June 8, 2023

Academic Ghosting

A Discussion with Alicia Andrzejewski

Alicia Andrzejewski

Hosted by Christina Gessler
Listen:
Have you ever been ghosted in academia? The mentor who no longer replies when you reach out, the collaborators who mysteriously stopped collaborating with you, the search committee that said …
Academic Life June 1, 2023

My What If Year

A Discussion with Alisha Fernandez Miranda

Alisha Fernandez Miranda

Hosted by Christina Gessler
Listen:
Did we miss a fork in the road somewhere? What if our lives are going just fine, but we still want to hunt for the pieces of ourselves we’ve dropped …
Academic Life May 25, 2023

Navigating the Community College Job Market

A Discussion with Rob Jenkins

Rob Jenkins

Hosted by Christina Gessler
What makes a community college job interview different than one at a four-year college or a university? Do you need a PhD to get hired? What are they looking for …
Academic Life May 18, 2023

Making a “Junk Drawer” CV

A Discussion with Kate Stuart

Kate Stuart

Hosted by Christina Gessler
How can the things you normally leave off of a CV help you navigate the job market? What if you made a list of all of the highs and the …
Academic Life May 11, 2023

Living Resistance

An Indigenous Vision for Seeking Wholeness Every Day

Kaitlin B. Curtice

Hosted by Christina Gessler
Feeling worn out by the work of resistance? How do you persevere? Why is so challenging to find wholeness? Kaitlin Curtice joins us to share: The four realms of resistance.Why …
Academic Life May 4, 2023

Do You Have Imposter Syndrome?

A Discussion with Darragh McCashin

Darragh McCashin

Hosted by Christina Gessler
Why do so many students and academics worry that they are imposters? Is it normal to experience this kind of self-doubt? This episode explores: The difference between imposter syndrome and …
Academic Life May 2, 2023

Tell Me What You Want

A Therapist and Her Clients Explore Our 12 Deepest Desires

Charlotte Fox Weber

Hosted by Christina Gessler
Do we know what we really want, and what we are willing to do to get it? What if what we want doesn’t align with who we think we are …
Academic Life April 27, 2023

Ph.D. Employability: Struggles and Solutions

A Discussion with Holly Prescott

Holly Prescott

Hosted by Christina Gessler
What happens when jobs in academia are scarce, and few of the descriptions of jobs outside academia seem like a fit? How can graduates find the right job for them …
Academic Life April 20, 2023

Contracts, Agents, and Editors, Oh My! Demystifying the Path to Publication

A Discussion with Laura Davulis

Laura Davulis

Hosted by Christina Gessler
What is an advance contract? Do you need an agent? How do you know which editor to approach with your manuscript? Successfully following the path to academic publishing can be …
Academic Life April 13, 2023

What Do Bees, Ants, and Dragonflies Get up to All Day?

A Discussion with Jessica L. Ware

Jessica L. Ware

Hosted by Christina Gessler
Bugs are everywhere: in every corner of the world, even the Artic. But of the estimated 10 million species of bugs worldwide, only a million have been studied or described …
Academic Life April 6, 2023

Gay on God's Campus

Mobilizing for LGBT Equality at Christian Colleges and Universities

Jonathan Coley

Hosted by Christina Gessler
Today’s book is: Gay on God's Campus: Mobilizing for LGBT Equality at Christian Colleges and Universities (UNC Press, 2018), by Jonathan Coley. Although the LGBT movement has made rapid gains …
Academic Life April 4, 2023

The Connected PhD, Part Three

A DIscussion with Ulka Anjaria

Ulka Anjaria

Hosted by Christina Gessler
How can a PhD program pivot from a professoriate-apprenticeship system, to one that is mindful of students’ post-grad career goals? This episode completes our three-part series on The Connected PhD …
Academic Life March 30, 2023

The Good Enough Life

Avram Alpert

Hosted by Christina Gessler
Today’s book is: The Good-Enough Life (Princeton UP, 2022) by Avram Alpert. We live in a world oriented toward greatness, one in which we feel compelled to be among the wealthiest, most …
Academic Life March 23, 2023

The Top Ten Struggles in Writing A Book Manuscript (and What to Do About It)

A Discussion with Laura Portwood-Stacer

Laura Portwood-Stacer

Hosted by Christina Gessler
Is writing a nonfiction book harder than you thought it would be? This episode explores: What your reader needs from you, and why.Which writing struggles are the most common, and …
Academic Life March 16, 2023

Overcoming the Anxiety of Giving a Presentation

A Discussion with James M. Lang

James M. Lang

Hosted by Christina Gessler
Why is giving a presentation so stressful? Is your heart supposed to race? And how do you gain more confidence? This episode explores: How to feel more connected to your …
Academic Life March 9, 2023

Can we Engage in Public Scholarship with Feminist and Accessible Communication?

A Discussion with Alex D. Ketchum

Alex D. Ketchum

Hosted by Christina Gessler
Today’s book is: Engage in Public Scholarship: A Guidebook on Feminist and Accessible Communication, by Dr. Alex D. Ketchum. Public scholarship—sharing research with audiences outside of academic settings—has become increasingly …
Academic Life March 2, 2023

Are We Done with Higher Education Rankings?

A Discussion with Francie Diep

Francie Diep

Hosted by Christina Gessler
Why do most of the institutions of higher education in the United States participate in a rankings system? What do the rankings do? And what does it mean when some …
Academic Life February 28, 2023

Who Gets Believed?

When the Truth Isn't Enough

Dina Nayeri

Hosted by Christina Gessler
Why are people judged on whether or not they are compelling? Why isn’t telling the truth enough? What are people really listening for when others share their truths? And how …
Academic Life February 23, 2023

The Connected PhD, Part Two

A Discussion with Alyssa Stalsberg Canelli and Anna Valcour

Alyssa Stalsberg Canelli and Anna Valcour

Hosted by Christina Gessler
How can PhD programs prepare graduate students for future paths beyond academia? This episode explores: The positive effect on students when they are prepared to graduate with multiple career options …
Academic Life February 16, 2023

A Primer for Teaching Digital History

Ten Design Principles

Jennifer Guiliano

Hosted by Christina Gessler
Today’s book is: A Primer for Teaching Digital History: Ten Design Principles (Duke UP, 2022), which is a guide for those who are teaching digital history for the first time …
Academic Life February 9, 2023

We Are Not Dreamers

Undocumented Scholars Theorize Undocumented Life in the United States

Genevieve Negrón-Gonzales and Leisy J. Abrego

Hosted by Christina Gessler
Today’s book is: We Are Not Dreamers: Undocumented Scholars Theorize Undocumented Life in the United States. The “Dreamer narrative” celebrates the educational and economic achievements of undocumented youth to justify …
Academic Life February 2, 2023

The Grant Writing Guide

A Road Map for Scholars

Betty S. Lai

Hosted by Christina Gessler
Why is writing a grant proposal so stressful? Are you supposed to just know how to do it? This episode explores: How to align your values and interests with a …
Academic Life January 26, 2023

The Connected PhD, Part One

A Discussion with Alyssa Stalsberg Canelli and Jonathan Shapiro Anjaria

Alyssa Stalsberg Canelli and Jonathan Shapiro Anjaria

Hosted by Christina Gessler
Why do PhD programs assume students will become professors, when most people find careers outside academia? How can we better prepare graduate students for the post-grad career path? This episode …
Academic Life January 19, 2023

The Diné Reader

An Anthology of Navajo Literature

Esther G. Belin and Jeff Berglund

Hosted by Christina Gessler
Today’s book is: The Diné Reader: An Anthology of Navajo Literature, which is the 2022 Before Columbus Foundation American Book Award Winner. The Diné Reader showcases the breadth, depth, and …