1. What is your job?

I am an associate professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This coming year 2020-2021 I will also be the acting director of the Women & Gender in Global Perspectives Program.

2. What do you do? What are the duties/functions/responsibilities of your job?

In my role as a professor, my responsibilities are related to research, teaching and service. My research focuses on the health of older adults in Latin America, but also of Latinos in the United States. I advise graduate and undergraduate students studying at UI, but also abroad. I also collaborate with visiting scholars and postdoctoral students here and internationally. Most of the time at UI, I have taught biostatistics and research methods, but these last two years I have started teaching a course of death and dying and I am really enjoying learning more about it. I have also co-taught other courses on campus. In terms of service, I have worked in several committees on campus, I have helped reviewing grants and manuscripts, I have served in committees at professional associations and I have been involved in a project in which I help organize scholars, professionals and students interested in Latino health in the US and in Mexico.

3. A typical day like?

Usually, I check my email to see if there is anything urgent – I like to answer my emails in no more than 24 hours. Then I move to work on my research projects. The days I teach, I take some time before class to get ready. Service varies more, some days particularly early and late in the semester we have more meetings and planning activities. 

4. Why did this type of work interest you? What part of this job do you personally find most satisfying? Most challenging? What do you like and not like about working in this industry?

      This type of work interests me because we have a chance to question and to explore new topics, questions and wonder about our societies. It also can give us clues on how to make things better. The part of the job that I find most satisfying is to teach students some of the knowledge I have and to mentor students and scholars and see how their careers evolve. The most challenging is to work with international research because it is not valued the same way as research done domestically. I really like the freedom to ask questions and the flexibility of our schedules.  What I do not like is that education should be more valued in general and we should find ways to reduce disparities in promotion across genders and racial groups.

5. How did you get your job? What jobs and experiences have led you to your present position? If you were entering this career today, would you change your preparation in any way to facilitate entry?

After completing my PhD in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and my postdoctoral training at the University of Chicago, I applied for jobs and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was the place my family chose. My husband is also in academia, so being able to be in the same city and institution helps a lot.

Before coming to the US, I completed a Master degree in Demography and I worked with research, consulting and teaching in Brazil. It was important for me to explore many sectors (I also worked for the government) to see which area was more interesting for me. Working on research in Brazil helped me obtain skills that are valuable until today. I also liked doing consulting, such as for the Brazilian Bureau with funds from the United Nations, but I had less control on the areas I was working with. Finally, teaching at different institutions in Brazil helped me better understand how students differ and how to use different ways to approach learning. But above all, the most important experiences came from my academic training and learning from great scholars and colleagues. Probably the only change I would do in my preparation would be to invest more in grant writing. It is becoming increasingly more important for promotions.

6. Can you suggest some ways a student could obtain necessary experience for your industry? For example, what kinds of experience, paid or unpaid, would you encourage for anybody pursuing a career in this field?

Going to graduate school is really a requirement to be in academia. However, I tell my students that is critical that they learn other skills, so attending summer programs in your field in other universities, not only increase your skills, but also your professional network. If paid internships or assistantships are not available, volunteer and do your best. Additional experiences enrich your knowledge and your CV.

7. How does a person progress in your field? What is a typical career path in this field or organization?

I am in a tenure-track position. The typical career path is to move from assistant professor (entry level) to associate professor after you get tenure, and then full professor. Some schools have chair positions and they recognize scholars who have contributed to the field. However, some fields do not have chairs as often they came with endowments and there are major disparities across fields. Also, you may become a fellow of your professional association.

8. What are the skills that are most important for a position in this field?

Curiosity and resilience. Of course, in my specific field knowing how to analyze and make sense of data is also very important.

9. How is the current economy and current global situations affecting your position?

This will be a challenging year for those in the job market, as universities are losing revenue and costs for moving online are increasing.

10. Do you have any advice for someone interested in this field/job? Are there any written materials you suggest I read? Which trade/professional journals and organizations would help me learn more about this field?

There are major associations in my field and attending a professional conference during your undergraduate training can be very helpful. I attended many and it helped see how the field is moving and what types of questions scholars are asking, what type of information is available and so on. In my area the ones I enjoy most attending are the annual meetings of the Gerontological Society of America and the Population Association of America.