Toxic Academia | Part 11: Semester 8 — it’s not over yet
The worst semester is over, it’s Summer 2022.
Three of us in my lab have been mentoring high school scholars in research projects. It’s the end of their research program, and the program coordinators organize an event for all of the high schoolers to present their research. Of course, Andrew does a great job. I am so very proud of him, he really was able to grasp difficult concepts and do a very beautiful project. After everyone presents, the program coordinators give out some awards. They give the “Most Outstanding Research Scholar” award to Andrew (so well deserved, I’m so proud of him) and to my surprise, the “Most Outstanding Research Mentor” award to yours truly. What?? Wow, it’s a pretty sweet feeling to be praised for my efforts. Honestly though, Andrew made my job easy for me.
I meet some of Andrew’s family after the event, and they invite me to his graduation and his graduation party. Seriously some of the sweetest people. Andrew ended up being the valedictorian of his class and gave a great speech. He’s going to attend college where I’m doing my PhD, and I could not be happier for him or more proud of him.
A few days later, our PI comes into the lab and I gush about Andrew. I share that I went to his graduation, he was the valedictorian of his class, and he’s going to come to school here. I also share that Andrew and I both got awarded for “Most Outstanding Research Scholar” and “Most Outstanding Research Mentor”. Does my PI say “good job” or “that’s great” or “congratulations”? No, he says “Why didn’t Elizabeth get ‘Most Outstanding Research Mentor’?” Are you kidding me. Um, maybe because I didn’t do my high schooler’s project myself? Maybe because he actually learned how to do the research analysis? I’m just glad the program coordinators could read between the lines. That comment really hurt.
Another incident
One of my friends in the lab is considering taking a difficult class that the rest of us are required to take (she is a different major). Our PI is in the room. I tell her yes it’s a difficult class, but it is really really good for helping you learn how to code. Our PI whips around and says “No, you will not be taking that class, that class is a waste of your time!” Shocked, I speak up and respond that it’s actually a really good class and I wouldn’t be able to do my projects if it weren’t for that class and he says “That class almost killed Elizabeth!!” I’ve found that when he gets like this there is no reasoning with him. Oh and by the way, this is the class Elizabeth got caught cheating in.
A third incident
Summer has been slow, and I’ve been working on my new project with a new collaboration. My PI really helped me out here, and I am so grateful. I’m really just trying to forget the previous lab I was working with, it was a bit of a traumatizing experiernce. I do, however, still have a manuscript I’m working on with my collaborator Rob and with my ex Co-PI Eileen, so I’m trying to wrap that us as soon as possible.
It’s nearing the end of summer, and I’ve just been using the slow semester to rest and gear up for the upcoming school year this fall. Early August I get an email from Mike who also addresses my PI and Elizabeth, explaining that he has had the time to redo the experiments for some samples to sort out the sample mixups in the manuscript. He says that he is redoing some analyses and beginning plans for resubmission to the journal with an explanation to the editor as to what happened. He then goes on to explain he believes we are entitled to authorship, if we’d like.
My gut tells me this feels wrong. I know how long it takes to redo the experiments, and the turn around time plus analysis is not a few months. A realistic timeline would be 8 months to a year. There is just no way this was done in a way that ensures these samples in Mike’s paper are correct, it is not possible. Additionally, it feels a little like dangling a carrot. The journal he is submitting too, which has already accepted the manuscript, is a big one. Think of the three biggest journals in this type of field — it’s one of those ones. This would be the first publication Eileen, Ian or any of us, would get in this journal, and they’ve been in this field for a long time. Most other journals, wouldn’t give it too much thought.
My gut and my heart feel that it just isn’t right, something feels off. I do into my PI’s office and talk to him. I tell him my concerns, that there’s no way the mix ups got sorted out in this short of time line. There is no way to know which samples are which. I don’t feel comfortable accepting authorship on this paper. His response makes me feel like he’s unsure. He says he spoke with Mike, and he feels that Mike has done his best. I’m sure Mike tried, but I don’t feel comfortable. My PI says he understands, it’s ok.
Hopefully I can move on from this mess. It gets worse next semester.
To be continued -
XX Rosie Frank
