I used to revel in the interdisciplinarity of my chosen research, teaching and outreach agenda. Throughout my career I thought it a blessing to work with and generally understand the lexicon of economics, engineering, law, business etc. At various times I have felt blessed to work across disciplines rather than bore deep into one—possible narrow and constraining—subject area.
I grow increasingly worried that I have made a major career blunder by not fitting into one of the traditional academic or applied units. Just now the American Association of Law Schools seems to wonder whether I qualify as a law school educator. I have two academic appointments at Penn State—in the College of Communications and the Dickinson School of Law. Rather than evidence a wider and laudable wingspan, I run the risk of being branded an impostor!
Apparently the educator part appears woefully inferior to the stature accorded pure bred professors, particularly ones at law and business schools. Regrettably when I sought to make the move from practicing law to teaching it, few schools had fellowships and other ways to make the transition. I jumped at the chance to teach at a College of Communications. In this forum I had to convince the mandarins that a law review publication was every bit as rigorous as a peer-reviewed publication in the communications field.
So in achieving legitimacy in communications, I apparently am illegitimate in law. I hope readers of my work don’t feel this way, but I’ll understand.
I grow increasingly worried that I have made a major career blunder by not fitting into one of the traditional academic or applied units. Just now the American Association of Law Schools seems to wonder whether I qualify as a law school educator. I have two academic appointments at Penn State—in the College of Communications and the Dickinson School of Law. Rather than evidence a wider and laudable wingspan, I run the risk of being branded an impostor!
Just what have I done in 32 years of professional and academic work in telecommunications? To some I bore down in the tedium of plumbing. My College of Communications affiliation leads some to think I teach most of the football team at Penn State. At weak moments I characterize my career as one-third adult day care provider, one-third talk show host and one-third educator.
Apparently the educator part appears woefully inferior to the stature accorded pure bred professors, particularly ones at law and business schools. Regrettably when I sought to make the move from practicing law to teaching it, few schools had fellowships and other ways to make the transition. I jumped at the chance to teach at a College of Communications. In this forum I had to convince the mandarins that a law review publication was every bit as rigorous as a peer-reviewed publication in the communications field.
So in achieving legitimacy in communications, I apparently am illegitimate in law. I hope readers of my work don’t feel this way, but I’ll understand.
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