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cyano
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« on: January 10, 2012, 04:26:20 AM » |
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Last year, we hired a very aggressive colleague who was right out of grad school. During the first few months, he interacted very little except with those who he thought could advance his research agenda. About 6 months after he was hired, he started talking to me in the mail room and, after he determined that I was a colleague, he said "Oh - I thought you were just a TA". I was on his search committee, in department meetings, etc.
We just had a university-wide reception with the president for those bringing in above a certain amount of research money. When I got to the reception, my colleague was talking with VP of research. I'm on a collaborative grant with a close friend of the VP and, as a result, I know the VP quite well. I went up to them to say hello and my colleague said "Cyano, I'm surprised to see you here. This is the VP of research for the university". The VP said "Cyano - it's been a while and it's good to see you" and gave me a hug. It was satisfying to see my colleague's mouth drop.
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hoptoad
across that road
New member
Posts: 40
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« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2012, 06:42:01 AM » |
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Sounds like your colleague will be a polarizing figure during tenure review. Congrats on the president's invite to the reception due to bringing in lots of research money!
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laurel_knx
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« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2012, 10:06:30 AM » |
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I guess it's true that the best revenge is a life well lived.
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username2
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« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2012, 10:17:28 AM » |
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Ha-ha.
The strategic but people-skill-lacking are often surprised when those who are both motivated *and* nice get ahead.
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cranefly
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« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2012, 12:38:32 PM » |
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The really fun part will be when this guy comes knocking on your door wanting to "collaborate" or some such.
Congrats.
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Oh yeah--Professor Sparkle Pony. "Follow your dreams, young genius, and you will meet with success!" Students eat that up.
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pathogen
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« Reply #5 on: January 10, 2012, 12:59:49 PM » |
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Haha. I'm watching one of my grad school friends become this person. You have given me hope.
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larryc
Hu hatin'
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 18,285
Eschew the hu.
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« Reply #6 on: January 10, 2012, 01:08:50 PM » |
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The really fun part will be when this guy comes knocking on your door wanting to "collaborate" or some such. Good observation, Cranefly, I will bet that happens this week. |
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mozman
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« Reply #7 on: January 10, 2012, 03:24:04 PM » |
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If colleague was at the reception, I assume that they also are bringing in big bucks.
Hopefully, they'll mellow out.
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Could you grow the foot into another patient? I mean, you are a scientist.
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litdawg
Ambidextrous Humanities Player
Senior member
Posts: 783
God & the CHE fora help those who help themselves.
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« Reply #8 on: January 10, 2012, 03:28:19 PM » |
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If colleague was at the reception, I assume that they also are bringing in big bucks.
Hopefully, they'll mellow out.
I think this is a good takeaway. |
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The heart of the wise man is tranquil. Chuang Tzu
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itried
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« Reply #9 on: January 10, 2012, 04:55:25 PM » |
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Good for you cyano! People usually see who's being a jerk, they just rarely say anything. So, you can bet that most others see that this guy's an a$$clown.
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oldfullprof
Not really retired...
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 7,755
Representation is not reproduction!
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« Reply #10 on: January 10, 2012, 05:30:46 PM » |
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I still remember Dr. Buzzsaw from my last place. "Nice" self-presentation, but needlessly competitive all the time. She ran up and down the halls. She tried to sell a system where an article counted more than a book or book chapter (this was at a teaching college.) She and I had comparable records and times since degree, and she constantly tried to make me her research assistant.
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Someone please tell me to start entering data, rather than screwing off here.
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username2
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« Reply #11 on: January 10, 2012, 05:44:03 PM » |
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^^ Actually, I think that when you have hierarchical relationships, the advisor might not see that the person is a jerk because they are going to be sucking up, even if peers recognize the issues. But that's the great thing about your example - seeing someone get what-for now that he's in the real world. (Or as close as we get to it.)
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cc_and_grad
Junior member
Posts: 74
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« Reply #12 on: January 10, 2012, 08:20:50 PM » |
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I love this story. Sounds like your new friend has no idea how obnoxious they sound. Of the various social misfits I have run into in academia, the top three seem to be (1)mystified by how social interactions work and gave up on trying to figure out why people don't behave logically years ago, sometimes becoming a bit of a curmudgeon in the process (2)certain that social interactions work like everything else they have ever studied and having read up on what to do, completely come off as weird, creepy or obnoxious and (3)never caught on to the idea that there are fellow human beings in the world who should be thought of and treated differently than objects.
I like #1 the best. Sounds like yours is #3
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merinoblue
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« Reply #13 on: January 10, 2012, 09:32:43 PM » |
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Delicious!
I hope you'll forgive me for asking this, but did he foreshadow any of these personality traits during the search? (That is not meant in any way to suggest blame; I'm simply curious about how someone so obnoxious gets hired in this market.)
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« Last Edit: January 10, 2012, 09:39:50 PM by merinoblue »
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Sometimes I can start a party; sometimes I can't.
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cyano
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« Reply #14 on: January 10, 2012, 10:08:34 PM » |
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The really fun part will be when this guy comes knocking on your door wanting to "collaborate" or some such. Good observation, Cranefly, I will bet that happens this week. We're in very different area of research. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure that he would be right on it to get a connection to the VP of research. I hope you'll forgive me for asking this, but did he foreshadow any of these personality traits during the search? (That is not meant in any way to suggest blame; I'm simply curious about how someone so obnoxious gets hired in this market.)
He gave excellent presentations at the interview and very good evidence of research capability/plans and he is a strong researcher. He needs to work on collegiality and he may mellow with time and/or more encounters like this. |
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« Last Edit: January 10, 2012, 10:10:57 PM by cyano »
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