Janet Hering

Janet Hering

@janethering.bsky.social

Supporter of women in STEMM academic leadership.

598 followers292 following64 posts

Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Have you observed or experienced power abuse in STEMM academics? Perhaps you’ve noticed that power abuse is not always a one-way street. This reflects the complex interdependencies in academia. See: www.epistimi.org/blog/complex...

epistimi.orgComplexities of power abuse in academia — epistimiSenior women leaders need to be aware of the complexities of academic power abuse.  Good leaders must recognize, investigate, and discourage abuses with fairness and with the understanding that p...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

If you feel excluded at work or demoralized by your work environment, read insights from Tina Yerkes, who holds leaders accountable for what their systems produce. “Change the System, Not the Women” shows that equity is a performance imperative. See: www.epistimi.org/blog/how-to-...

epistimi.orgHow to not internalize systemic dysfunction as personal failure — epistimiIn “Change the System, Not the Women”, author Tina Yerkes holds leaders accountable for what their systems produce, not what they intend. She makes the case that equity is not a values exercise. It is...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

There are many shared challenges facing women and members of other under-represented groups in academic STEMM leadership. Prof. Yo Chin share his perspective as an Asian American and how it has influenced his allyship for women in his Epistimi blog. See: www.epistimi.org/blog/perspec...

epistimi.orgPerspectives of an Asian-American male ally — epistimiProfessor Yu-Ping (Yo) Chin is a friend and colleague of the editors of this blog series, who has been an important ally for women in STEMM. He offers thoughts on his experience as an Asian-American a...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Being a department head (or chair) in academia is like being a city mayor in politics – it’s a position where policies get implemented and the person in charge is visible and accountable. See: www.epistimi.org/blog/somebod...

epistimi.orgSomebody has to ‘step up’ and do the hard leadership jobs in academia — epistimiRenowned chemist Catherine Murphy, Department Head at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, talks about the all-important job of being a Department Chair or Head.
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Coming back from our summer break, we lead off with an interview addressing the importance of our physical and mental health. Avoiding health problems can often lead to worse outcomes. Thanks to Patricia Maurice for her insightful questions. See: www.epistimi.org/blog/to-do-o...

epistimi.orgTo do our best work, we need to take care of ourselves physically and mentally — epistimiDr. Kathy Anderson, a retired U.S. Air Force Captain with a PhD in computer science, draws upon her personal experiences as a woman in STEMM who has dealt with the challenges of physical and mental il...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

In the midst of extreme summer heat and geopolitical tensions, we may forget how important it is to take time to observe, think, relax, unplug, and meditate. Patricia Maurice describes her experience at an onsen bath in our @epistimi-stemm.bsky.social post. www.epistimi.org/blog/reflect...

epistimi.orgReflections from a Japanese onsen — epistimiFor senior women leaders, it is important to take time to observe, to think, and sometimes to relax, unplug and meditate.  
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Daruma dolls are ubiquitous symbols of resilience in Japan. In the current climate of retrenchment, women in STEMM need to cultivate resilience and to support each other. See: www.epistimi.org/blog/the-dar...

epistimi.orgThe Daruma and need of women in STEMM for resilience    — epistimiThe Daruma symbolizes the Japanese ‘fall down seven times, stand up eight’ philosophy of resilience. Women in STEMM need to be resilient, both individually and collectively.
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

As an undergraduate journalist at Stanford, Theo Baker investigated allegations of scientific misconduct by the university’s president. Patricia Maurice comments on his hot-off-the-press book in her post in the @epistimi-stemm.bsky.social blog series See: www.epistimi.org/blog/how-to-...

epistimi.org“How to Rule the World” provides lessons for leaders in STEMM — epistimiTheo Baker’s 2026 book “How to Rule the World: An education in power at Stanford University” warns about dubious scientific research and flawed ethics and provides insight into an undergraduate’s ex...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

As women leaders in #STEMM academics, we hope to be role models for early career researchers. But what if the role that we’re modelling is not a realistic aspiration? Read our latest post in the @epistimi-stemm.bsky.social. See: www.epistimi.org/blog/on-not-...

epistimi.orgOn not perpetuating academic survivorship bias — epistimiAs senior women in STEMM academics, we are proud to be role models for our junior colleagues.  But we should take care to avoid the potential pitfalls of the survivorship bias that pervades acade...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

As senior women leaders in STEMM, we enjoy many privileges. One of these is the opportunity to travel as part of our work or for leisure. In this post in the Epistimi blog series, we describe how we can put our travel dollars to work for the good of women. See: www.epistimi.org/blog/women-s...

epistimi.orgWomen supporting women around the world — epistimiAs senior women leaders in STEMM we know we are stronger together — we all benefit when we support one another. But this is also true when we support women outside of STEMM, including women whose path...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Navigating dual careers is a challenge for many senior women in STEMM academics, which Patricia Maurice and I discuss in the latest post in our @epistimi-stemm.bsky.social blog series. This post focuses on the first step of job searches and negotiation. See: www.epistimi.org/blog/a-begin...

epistimi.orgA ‘beginner’s guide’ for dual-career academic STEMM couples: Job search and negotiations — epistimiThe first step for most dual-career academic STEMM couples is to find and negotiate two faculty positions. Here, we focus on this step at institutions in the US and Europe.
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

The 2025 book “Labwork to Leadership” by @jenheemstra.bsky.social is an invaluable resource for aspiring academic leaders. Patricia Maurice and I reviewed this book for the @epistimi-stemm.bsky.social blog series. Read our review at: www.epistimi.org/blog/when-do...

epistimi.orgWhen do we learn about leadership? — epistimiProf. Jen Heemstra’s 2025 book “Labwork to Leadership” is one we wish that we had been able to read when starting out as assistant professors.  Even senior women leaders in STEMM will be able to ...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Kara Swisher’s 2024 “Burn Book: A Tech Love Story” provides an insider’s view of the tech industry based on the author’s many years of interviewing tech leaders. Read the review by Patricia Maurice in the @epistimi-stemm.bsky.social blog post: www.epistimi.org/blog/a-woman...

epistimi.orgA woman’s eye view of the very bad boys of tech — epistimiTech Journalist Kara Swisher’s 2024 Burn Book: A Tech Love Story is an irreverent, humorous, and at times downright frightening memoir that helps drive home the many reasons why we need more women at ...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Patricia Maurice and I address the seeming paradox of women's decreasing representation in STEMM academics with increasing rank in our @epistimi-stemm.bsky.social blog post: www.epistimi.org/blog/who-ben...

epistimi.orgWho benefits from the lack of advancement of women in STEMM academics? — epistimiCicero famously asked “who benefits?” to expose interests motivating crimes.  We can pose the same question regarding the motivations that underlie the lack of women’s advancement in STEMM academ...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Many universities are struggling to keep up with rapid advances in Generative AI. This Epistimi blog post by Eva Akesson (edited by me and Patricia Maurice) describes the work behind the Lund University policy and provides a link to the current document. See: www.epistimi.org/blog/develop...

epistimi.orgDevelopment of generative AI policy at Lund University — epistimiEva Åkesson, Professor of Chemical Physics at Lund University (Sweden) and former Rector of Uppsala University, kindly shares some of her observations from working on university policy for generative ...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Generative AI (GenAI) is advancing with nearly unbelievable speed and has made inroads into every sector, including research and education. See our @epistimi-stemm.bsky.social blog post for some key aspects that women leaders in STEMM should be aware of at: www.epistimi.org/blog/what-ev...

epistimi.orgWhat every senior woman academic leader should know about artificial intelligence — epistimiIn this post on artificial intelligence (AI), we focus on the ‘Top 10’ things every senior woman leader in academia should know about AI, especially generative AI (GenAI).  We hope that this will...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Women in STEMM academics take on a disproportionate amount of service tasks. Although essential for the functioning of academic institutions, these tasks are often severely undervalued. Read more in our latest Epistimi blog post at: www.epistimi.org/blog/service...

epistimi.orgService activities in academia need to be properly valued and supported — epistimiIn US and UK universities, the job responsibilities of most professors are often grouped into three categories — teaching, research, and service.  In European universities, service is often less ...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Our first @epistimi-stemm.bsky.social blog post in 2026 is a guest post by Prof. Heike Mayer and Joel Schaad from the University of Bern. They describe the Better Science Initiative and its 10 measures to promote a sustainable research culture in academia. See: www.epistimi.org/blog/better-...

epistimi.orgBetter Science Initiative: Sustainable research culture for all — epistimiThe Better Science Initiative aims to rethink the notion of academic excellence and promotes best practices for a healthy research culture in which all researchers can thrive.
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Here’s an uplifting post from @epistimi-stemm.bsky.social blog co-editor and writer Patricia Maurice. A young girl who had learned about earthquakes and tsunamis in school was able to warn her parents before the 2004 tsunami. See: www.epistimi.org/blog/a-tsuna...

epistimi.orgA tsunami, a girl, and the power of STEMM education — epistimiDuring the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami disaster, one young girl was able to save at least 100 lives by recognizing the impending cataclysm based on what she had learned in a recent geography class. Her st...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Guest author Karen Kelsky @professorisin.bsky.social offers valuable advice for today’s stressful academic job market in her post in the @epistimi-stemm.bsky.social blog series. See: www.epistimi.org/blog/career-...

epistimi.orgCareer Advice in U.S. Academia’s Moment of Crisis — epistimiDr. Karen Kelsky, author of “The Professor Is In”, reflects on the second edition of her career advice book for PhDs and the state of academic career advising more generally.  Her comments are es...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Women leaders of European universities can support each other through the EWORA network. The EWORA conference in Lisbon was held in June 2025. Read about it in our latest @epistimi-stemm.bsky.social blog post. See: www.epistimi.org/blog/women-l...

epistimi.orgWomen leading European universities discuss values-based leadership — epistimiValues-based leadership offers a path for engaging both academic colleagues and external stakeholders in the university mission.      By Janet G. Hering with Patricia A. Maurice ...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Did you know that Patricia Maurice, co-editor and co-author of the @epistimi-stemm.bsky.social blog, has written a book about her experiences in science? Read about it in her post: www.epistimi.org/blog/our-goa...

epistimi.orgOur goal as women should not be to do science as well as any man, but to do it better — epistimiBlog (co)editor Patricia Maurice introduces her new book, “Do Science Like a Girl: how women in science are changing the world.”
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Why don’t we talk about power and power dynamics in STEMM academics? Read our most recent post in the @epistimi-stemm.bsky.social blog series. www.epistimi.org/blog/an-intr...

epistimi.orgAn introduction to power for women in STEMM academic leadership — epistimiUnderstanding power and its dynamics in STEMM academics can help women leaders to avoid being subjected to abuses of power and to exercise our own power ethically, responsibly, and for the benefit of ...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Patricia Maurice and I are delighted to have reached the milestone of publishing our 50th post on the @epistimi-stemm.bsky.social blog! We provide an overview of our many profiles, book reviews, and topical postsPlease repost widely! www.epistimi.org/blog/what-we...

epistimi.orgWhat we’ve learned from two years of celebrating senior women leaders in STEMM — epistimiIn honor of the 50 th post in this blog series, we take a moment to review what we’ve learned thus far and to ponder the evolving role of senior women leaders in STEMM.
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Our latest post in the @epistimi-stemm.bsky.social blog series provides insights into the excitement of scientific fieldwork and how to deal responsibly with potential hazards. www.epistimi.org/blog/leading...

epistimi.orgLeading through the joys and hazards of scientific field work — epistimiThere are few aspects of scientific research and teaching more exciting than getting out into ‘the field’. Good leaders need to ensure safe and appropriate behavior whenever faculty, students and staf...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Michael Pullin describes the role of US community colleges in opening doors to STEM education for first-generation, low income, and underrepresented students. See: www.epistimi.org/blog/us-comm...

epistimi.orgU.S. community colleges provide entry to STEMM education for first-generation, low income, and underrepresented students — epistimiMichael Pullin, Dean for Academic Initiatives at Queensborough Community College in New York, highlights the importance of community colleges for STEMM education in the U.S. He reminds us of the impor...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Read Ilene Sheffer’s inspiring story of helping Rwandan students at Southwestern Michigan University. In her post on the @epistimi-stemm.bsky.social blog, her message is “When you feel you can right a wrong — don’t hesitate. To save one life is to save mankind!" www.epistimi.org/blog/ilene-s...

epistimi.orgIlene Sheffer and the power of women in academia to do good in the world — epistimiIn “Watching Over Rwandans,” author Ilene Sheffer describes her efforts to help save students from Rwanda during the 1994 genocide and relates the personal stories of seven Rwandan international stude...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

We like to think of #STEMM as a meritocracy, but it can be poisoned by favoritism. Read the post by Patricia Maurice and me on the @epistimi-stemm.bsky.social blog: www.epistimi.org/blog/the-dan...

epistimi.orgThe dangers of favoritism in STEMM academics — epistimiFavoritism can occur in any workplace.  It can be especially pernicious in STEMM academics, where it undermines meritocratic ideals.  As senior women leaders, we should promote fair and equi...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

It is inspiring to learn about the accomplishments of women in STEMM throughout history. Patricia Maurice and I briefly tell the story of the 18th century Italian physics professor Laura Bassi in our post on the @epistimi-stemm.bsky.social blog: www.epistimi.org/blog/laura-b...

epistimi.orgLaura Bassi: 18th century Scientist and Academician Extraordinaire — epistimiOn a recent trip to Milan, we stumbled upon a street named for 18 th century female scientist Laura Bassi, reminding us that women have been accomplishing extraordinary things in STEMM for hundreds o...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Read the post by @paolalaurino.bsky.social on the @epistimi-stemm.bsky.social blog about @rozforum.bsky.social, which offers great tools for professional development and diversity. See: www.epistimi.org/blog/welcome...

epistimi.orgWelcome to ROZ: the “Rosalind Franklin Forum for Female Scientists, Open to All” — epistimiHere, we introduce our readers to ROZ, an interactive career advisory platform that offers a global network of mentors and other tools to help advance scientists’ careers and promote diversity.
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Science #STEM needs to engage talent broadly to find solutions for all members of society. Read our blog on @epistimi-stemm.bsky.social www.epistimi.org/blog/engagem...

epistimi.orgEngagement and the ability to work effectively in a diverse world — epistimiMore than ever, STEMM practitioners are needed to identify and solve problems and to provide the innovation that drives economic growth.  Engagement is crucial to ensuring that colleagues can ‘fl...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Read leadership insights from social scientist Charmain Levy on the latest post on the @epistimi-stemm.bsky.social blog. See: www.epistimi.org/blog/what-be...

epistimi.org“What being a leader means is to inspire and empower others around you”: Reflections of a social scientist — epistimiProf. Charmain Levy, an eminent scholar of international development studies, feminist studies and social sciences from the Université du Québec en Outaouais, shares her thoughts on successful strateg...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Are you looking for new ways to do science? See today's post by me and Patricia Maurice on the @epistimi-stemm.bsky.social blog. Inspired by Eugenia Cheng's book "X+Y". See: www.epistimi.org/blog/anonymo...

epistimi.orgAnonymous billionaire pledges to support congressive STEMM — epistimiA departure from ‘science as usual’ would focus on society and community, emphasize interdependence and connection, and promote broader thinking. A new foundation will bring ‘congressive’ STEMM into t...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Tracy Kijewski-Correa delivers a powerful message about how engineers can contribute to global development in her profile on the @epistimi-stemm.bsky.social blog. (Re-posting welcome.) See: www.epistimi.org/blog/the-sol...

epistimi.org“The solution was always inside us”: Life lessons from an engineer’s career in global development — epistimiProf. Tracy Kijewski-Correa shares her experiences and insight on the important role that academic engineers can play in addressing poverty and the needs of at-risk populations across the globe.
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Despite all the chaos in the world, we still have to plan for and attend to our personal transitions. Patricia Maurice and I discuss a big one, retirement, in our new post on the Epistimi blog. www.epistimi.org/blog/learnin...

epistimi.orgLearning from our retirement experiences: timing and preparation — epistimiLike any other transition in life, retirement requires good navigation.  Here, we offer some of our own experiences and advice to help you prepare for a smooth and effective retirement.
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Are academic institutions focusing on so-called excellence at the expense of ethics? Patricia Maurice and I encourage our peers to talk seriously about ethics in our new post on the Epistimi.org blog. See: www.epistimi.org/blog/why-ste...

epistimi.orgWhy STEMM leaders need to talk seriously about ethics — epistimiAre we, as academics, sufficiently willing to engage with our colleagues on issues of ethics and behavior?  As women leaders in STEMM, how does this affect us and what are our responsibilities? &...
Janet Hering
@janethering.bsky.social

Great work by Elena Gimmi in doctoral research conducted at @eawag.bsky.social

Bernhard Wehrli @bernhardwehrli.bsky.social

Congratulations to Elena Gimmi on her thesis! Aphids have more bacterial “bodyguards” at higher ambient temperatures. Climate warming could therefore impair the use of parasitic wasps in biological pest control. www.eawag.ch/en/info/port...

eawag.chETH Medal for Elena GimmiElena Gimmi received an ETH Medal for her dissertation on the influence of bacterial “bodyguards” on the co-evolution of the black bean aphid and its natural enemy the parasitoid wasp.