Notice Board

Join the School of Graduate Studies & Office of Postdoctoral Research for the second talk in our summer lecture series. We are excited to welcome Dr. Melissa Chelak, a postdoctoral fellow in Theresa Burg’s research group, who conducts research in habitat restoration and reclamation. 

All coffee breaks will begin with a 30-minute talk by a ULethbridge postdoc, followed by 15-minute Q&A session, and a 45-minute coffee break. Learn about the exciting research being done by our amazing postdoc community and forge new research connections within & beyond your department. No RSVP needed & all are welcome. While these events are targeted towards postdocs & graduate students, all members of the ULeth community are invited and encouraged to attend.

Title:

Using "Deep Work" Techniques to Balance Productivity and Personal Time in Research

Abstract:

As researchers, we must maximize the number of publications (i.e., academic currency) we deliver across the months or years our work is planned. How many publications do we produce? Two- three- ten per annum? Does the break-neck pace at which we must work require us to work more than 40 hours per week, or does it require us to work 40 hours more efficiently per week? 

After reading “Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World” by Cal Newport, my perspective of a “good academic work ethic” changed entirely. In this lecture, I plan to share some pertinent insights described by Newport, an academic himself, to help us plan time for “deep work” in our days. The advent of email and smartphones introduced significant paradigm shifts in shaping the academic workplace and have thus completely blurred the line between work and personal life. We no longer leave work at the office, leaving little time for our minds to process in the background while we enjoy our lives at home. Ultimately, I intend this lecture to [hopefully] leave you with tangible strategies to increase your productivity and re-balance your work-life ratio. Regardless of your future occupation goals, these strategies will benefit your focused work time in any capacity that requires your utmost concentration.