Most Important Skills for an Associate Professor of Special Education at The Ohio State University
To succeed in academia, strong writing and critical thinking skills are essential for tackling complex, evolving questions, translating real-world problems into research, and contributing to the scientific literature. A successful academic also needs adaptability, content knowledge in their field ("in my field, I'm interested in students with autism"), applied teaching experience, and a long-term vision to guide future research and advise others.
Critical Thinking, Written Communication, Research Skills, Teaching Skills, Adaptability
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Carly Blustein Gilson
Associate Professor of Special Education
The Ohio State University
University of Florida, 2010
Boston College, M.Ed. in Secondary English Education (g. 2011); Vanderbilt University, Ph.D. in Special Education (g. 2017)
Creative Writing, Journalism
Education
Education
Scholarship Recipient, Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. Strong writing and critical thinking skills are essential for academic work, enabling researchers to address complex, evolving questions.
2. A deep understanding of the subject matter and the ability to synthesize existing research through extensive reading are crucial for contributing meaningfully to the field.
3. Adaptability and a long-term vision are vital for navigating the dynamic nature of academia and shaping future research directions.
Transcript
What skills are most important for a job like yours?
For academia, people often think of writing first, and being a writer is crucial. However, being a critical thinker and approaching big, unanswerable questions is also essential.
Many research ideas come from real life and teaching experiences. The ability to translate a real-world problem into something that can be explored or evaluated in a clinical or scholarly way is important. You might not solve the problem entirely, but you can contribute to the science of what works.
In my field, I focus on students with autism. This requires strong content knowledge about this population and an understanding of existing research. Being a good reader is also key, as you'll review many studies to build upon existing work and add to the literature.
My job also involves a lot of teaching. Comfort with teaching is important, as is applied experience, especially in academia. Students are interested in how my teaching background informs my research, and I try to incorporate that into the classroom.
Flexibility is vital because this is a dynamic field, much like other areas of education and higher education. We had to be responsive to changes, especially with the pandemic. For many, including myself, this meant teaching online for the first time and moving classes online mid-semester due to COVID-19. Adaptability and flexibility are therefore very important.
Finally, a vision for the future is key in academia and research. There's always more to do, more to build upon. Thinking about long-term goals and how the field can contribute long-term helps in advising others on their research directions.