On Becoming “Mid-Career”

Last week, I received the letter that officially announced my promotion to “associate” professor as of the next academic year. While not the last hurdle on the road to tenure (a Board of Trustees review of said recommendations follows), this was certainly billed as a celebratory moment. However, I admit it felt to me like a non-event: I toasted and congratulated others from my cohort who’d been awaiting their decision, then headed off to the rest of my day of meetings. The change in my work sta...