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StraighterLine: Online Courses For Transferable College Credit
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Free Community College Available In 31 States
Ditch The Debt: Free Community College Available In 31 States
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PeopleAdmin A PowerSchool Company
As we dive into the challenges of 2024, there are some lessons we can take with us from 2023.
In our recent webinar, Lessons from 2023 for a Bright 2024, panelists reflected on what was top of mind as they wrapped up 2023, including job advertising, the candidate experience during the hiring process, and HigherEd workforce trends. Attendees heard from Andy Boom (JobElephant), Ircka West (PeopleAdmin), and Lucas Del Priore (PeopleAdmin) as they shared their valuable insights—check out some key takeaways below.
JobElephant’s Innovation in Job Board Optimization
Did you know that on average, 40% of job advertising spend is wasted? Andy Boom, Director of Business Development at JobElephant, noted that his team sees this budget waste frequently because customers want to “spread the net as far and wide as possible, adding multiple publications to a campaign, which might make sense—but it all depends on the specific job description.” The reality that not all job boards are created equal, and not all are going to have the right audience for every job description. JobElephant tracks every ad they post for their customers, and has seen that some publications fail to drive traffic and lack optimization. Andy’s team utilizing machine learning and AI to curate the top ten options for specific searches. By analyzing keywords, JobElephant ensures that job descriptions are matched with the boards that promise the best potential return, reducing ad spending waste.
Elevating the Candidate Experience
Ircka West, Solution Engineer at PeopleAdmin, spoke about improving the candidate experience as a top trend from 2023. She emphasized the power of presentation in attracting candidates—creating excitement about the workplace begins with focusing on the candidate experience. Reflecting the candidate’s values and interests is crucial, and your team can take advantage of existing information by linking to pages that show off the institutional experience. Ircka recommended re-evaluating the application process by streamlining lengthy forms and implementing two-step application processes can encourage completion. “To get feedback on the application process, there are a few different ways,” said Ircka. “One would be to use your reporting capabilities and seeing what their actions do. What parts of the application process are they stopping at? Where are you losing them in the process? That’s a more passive way to find out some answers. Another way is to remember that everyone who works at your institution went through the application process at some point. You can reach out to your staff and get feedback from what they remember.”
Adapting to Workforce Trends
Lucas Del Priore, Product Manager at PeopleAdmin, spoke about the evolving landscape of workforce trends in higher education. One major trend that Lucas thought institutions should focus on is the continued normalization of hybrid and remote work, which presents a number of opportunities for growth. While hybrid work isn’t new in 2023, there are still a lot of improvements to be made with digitization and automation. “The implication is a big cultural shift of engagement, where engagement is becoming problematic for faculty and staff,” said Lucas. “The most concrete example is how to reconfigure every task and event to fit in that digital format. Not everything converts clearly, and we’re continuing to learn and understand how to implement tools that work for hybrid models and continue to encourage engagement.” In 2024, HigherEd teams should focus on institution resilience, purposeful and innovative digitization, and providing meaningful opportunities for faculty development are key strategies to navigate these changes successfully.
Final Thoughts
The world of HigherEd is becoming increasingly complex, and staying informed about the latest trends and leveraging innovative tools is essential. From optimizing job boards with JobElephant’s data-driven approach to enhancing the candidate experience and adapting to a digital workforce, there is a lot to learn from 2023 as we launch the strategies of 2024. Check out this webinar on-demand for more insights.
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PeopleAdmin A PowerSchool Company
2023 in Blogs: Key Topics and Top Tips for HigherEd
As 2023 comes to a close, here at PeopleAdmin, we’re looking back at some of the top resources we shared this year! From onboarding to compliance, from retention to employee development, from recruitment marketing to candidate experience, we covered so many topics. Check out some of our favorite reads below!
Hiring across campus roles
HigherEd hiring processes are unique for many reasons, but one key reason is the different types of positions found on campus. Position types can include faculty, staff, student workers, temporary seasonal workers, hourly workers, and more, and often, each of these categories has different requirements, approvals, forms, and hiring steps. Our customers are tackling this challenge thanks to Position Management and Applicant Tracking System, and they have some tips for others to get started. Read more!
Can digitized onboarding really make that much of a difference?
The answer is yes! In this competitive hiring market, and with many universities facing retention challenges, onboarding is key, and digitized onboarding is the standard that organizations need to meet today. Read more from HigherEd institutions who are saying “no” to onboarding paperwork and bringing an engaging onboarding process to every new hire.
What’s an employer brand?
If you’re wondering what an employer brand is, you’re probably not leveraging recruitment marketing techniques to your advantage! Creating a cohesive employer brand is an important aspect of building a talent pool today. Learn more about employer branding, and check out some of our top tips to get your hiring teams to start thinking like marketers.
Search committees don’t have to be slow
Your team has probably dealt with the challenge of creating effective search committees, and you might have struggled to get those committees to adopt new and efficient technology. Well, our customers have tackled that challenge too. Hear from the University of Alabama – Birmingham about how they successfully leveled up their search committee experience.
Connecting your systems
In a PeopleAdmin poll, HigherEd institutions were asked “How connected are the various systems on your campus?” 30% responded “Not connected—we have to manually enter data in multiple systems; there’s no data flow,” while 36% responded “connected but could be better.” Notably, no one chose the option: “Very connected—there are few issues that impact my team.” With interoperability still a key issue on campus, building seamless data flow and integrating your technology should be a top priority for your team. Check out some key takeaways from a webinar about interoperability, and hear from customers about how they’re leveraging integrations.
Career advancement impacts retention
44% of HigherEd employees disagreed that they have opportunities for advancement, and 34% disagree that their institution invests in their career development. According to the Harvard Business Review, 86% of professionals would change jobs for more professional development opportunities—clearly, career growth is something today’s workers care about. For more, check out this post about the link between retention and career growth.
Final thoughts
These are just a few of the topics that we researched and wrote about here at PeopleAdmin this year! Check out more resources on our website, and dive into our Annual Report on the State of HigherEd for an in-depth look at the challenges of 2023!
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Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards: A Texas Professor Focused on Artificial Intelligence, Health, and Education: Preparing Our Higher Education Institutions for the Future
As we prepare for an upcoming year, I have to stop and think about the future of higher education. The pandemic changed our students, faculty, staff, and our campus as a whole. The Education Advisory Board (EAB) provides colleges and universities across the country with resources and ideas to help the students of the future.
I confess, I have been a complete fan of EAB and their resources for the past ten years. Their resources are at the forefront of higher education innovation.
🏛 – Dining Halls and Food Spaces
🏛 – Modern Student Housing
🏛 – Hybrid and Flexible Office Spaces
🏛 – Tech-Enabled Classrooms
🏛 – Libraries and Learning Commons
🏛 – Interdisciplinary Research Facilities
Higher education institutions should also focus on the faculty and staff as well. When I ask most of my peers if they are comfortable with the numerous changes happening across their institution, most of them are uncomfortable. We need to prepare our teams for the future of higher education.
Here’s the Millennial Professor’s Call the Action Statements for the Higher Education Industry
🌎 – Higher Education Conferences and Summits Need to Provide Trainings Focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Their Attendees
🌎 – Higher Education Institutions Need to Include Faculty and Staff as Part of Their Planning Process (an Important Part)
🌎 – Higher Education Institutions Provide Wellness and Holistic Support for Faculty and Staff Who are Having Problems With Change (You Need Us and We Need Help)
🌎 – Higher Education Institutions Need to Be Comfortable with Uncommon Spaces (Flexible Office Spaces)
🌎 – Faculty Need to Embrace Collaboration Opportunities with Faculty at Their Institutions and Other Institutions
Here are some additional articles about the future of higher education:
Higher education will continue to transition in an effort to meet the needs of our current and incoming students.
For our particular university, we are striving to modify all of these items simultaneously. It is a challenge, but the changes are well worth the journey.
Here’s the challenge for this post: “In your opinion, which one of the items on the list is MOST important for your institution?”
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Check out my book – Retaining College Students Using Technology: A Guidebook for Student Affairs and Academic Affairs Professionals.
Remember to order copies for your team as well!
Thanks for visiting!
Sincerely,
Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards
Professor of CommunicationExecutive Director of the Texas Social Media Research Institute & Rural Communication Institute
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First-year Discount rate at private colleges, 2021
This is always a popular topic, but the subject is misunderstood. I want to talk about discount rate at private colleges.
IPEDS has the best data on first-year (or freshman) discount, so that’s what I visualize. And the first part of this is going to get a bit into the weeds; if you work in a private college or university, and you use this in your work, or you send it to trustees, you can support my time, effort, software, and hosting costs by buying me a coffee. If you don’t want the details, and you think you understand this concept, feel free to skip down to the section that breaks down the views, below the line of asterisks.For those who always ask, no, I don’t do this for public universities. It may be helpful to compare institutions within a state, but beyond that, state funding models and the mix of resident and nonresident tuition rates make comparisons across borders mostly meaningless. And for the more knowledgeable who might wonder, I assume that all institutional aid is unfunded; that is, it’s not coming in as a revenue stream from an external source to provide funding.
Let’s do an exercise to help you understand discount: Suppose you run an ice cream store, and you have more ice cream than you can sell. You might offer a coupon, let’s say for 50% off a cone.
The cone you normally sell for $4, you now sell for $2. You just take less money for it. There is no one there to hand you two extra dollars to make up for the gap. The Department Store store down the street sells a very similar cone in its food court for $8, but offers a 75% off coupon. They decide to take $2 for the cones they sell in order to be competitive with you.
The Gourmet Ice Cream Shop around the corner sells cones for $12, because they think their ice cream is much better, their store nicer, and their location more convenient to the subway station. On occasion, they will tell the kids at the orphanage they’ll give them a free ice cream cone, but everyone else pays. And finally, Mel’s Fair Deal Ice Cream store sells ice cream cones for $2.50, but never offers coupons.
If everyone uses your coupon, your store has a discount rate of 50%, and your net revenue per cone is $2. But of course, some people will pay $4. If everyone uses the coupon at the Department Store, their net revenue per cone is also $2. But their discount rate is 75%.
The Gourmet Store is more generous with the orphans than people realize; about half of their cones are given away. So their discount rate is also 50%, but their net revenue per cone is $6. And finally, Mel’s Fair Deal Ice Cream has a discount rate of 0% and a net revenue of $2.50 per cone.
It’s important to remember that none of these stores cares where the cash comes from. It could be from the customer’s pocket, from a parent or aunt, government food stamps, or a loan they take out from the government. You count the cash, not the source of the cash.
Now, guess what? Almost all college aid is discount, much like those coupons the ice cream stores hand out. It’s simply the college agreeing to take less cash than its published tuition rate. If tuition is $40,000 and you offer a $20,000 discount or scholarship, you simply take $20,000 to educate the student, and write the rest off as an accounting transaction.
The need for higher discounts in higher education are driven by tuition prices that are too high for most people to pay. Colleges have to discount, or they’re going to have costs associated with making too much ice cream to sell that they can’t pay.
(This is the part where someone will want to comment and extend the analogy ad infinitum: Which ice cream is better? Is one really worth six times more? Why don’t you make more flavors to attract more customers instead of discounting the vanilla to bring people in? Does your cost of ice cream production get lower if you produce a lot more? Can’t you do research and optimization to figure out who should get the coupons when to maximize profit? And if so, couldn’t you lower price a lot and drive the others out of business? Couldn’t you offer the coupon to fewer people and hope more pay full price? Please don’t be that person. I’ll do a workshop for you if the price is right.)
So, to easily calculate discount, in case it’s not clear, take the amount you have to discount and divide by the published price. For a college, the discount rate is total institutional (unfunded) grant aid/total gross tuition. For average net revenue, take total gross revenue, subtract institutional (unfunded) grant aid, and divide that number by the number of students.
For instance, if your sticker tuition is $40,000 and enroll ten students, your total gross tuition is 40,000 x 10, or $400,000. If you award $100,000 in unfunded aid to make that enrollment happen, your discount rate is 100,000/400,000, or 25%. After you take the aid away from tuition, your average net revenue is (400,000 – 100,000)/10, or $30,000 per student. That’s how much cash you have to work with to do things like pay faculty, cut the grass, heat the buildings, and run the administration.
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Now, below, you can dive into college discount rates, net revenue, mixes, and the shape of the industry. This data set is very rich, and I may do another angle on this topic later. But for now:
Discount arrayed (the first view using the tabs across the top) arrays about 950 four-year, traditional, private colleges. I’ve removed lots of religious seminaries, some very small institutions, and, frankly, some suspect data from this for the sake of clarity. This is IPEDS data so it’s reliable, but never perfect.
Each college is a dot, colored by region and sized by freshman enrollment relative to the set displayed. The view shows discount rate on the x-axis, and average net revenue on the y-axis.
You can use the filters at right to limit the set further. You can’t break anything, and you can reset the view using the controls at the bottom. Try this: Use the First-year students filter to look at colleges with at least 2,000 freshmen. Then look at those colleges with fewer than 250. Interesting, no?
The reference lines are the unweighted average of all 950 institutions in the set.
Institutional grant policy shows how many colleges and how many students fall into institutional grant aid categories. Some institutions give aid to 100% of all students. The vast majority give aid to 90% or more.
And finally, the Full-pay and Pell shows two variables: The percentage of students who get no aid (full-pay students) and those who get Pell grants at the institution shown. And remember, it doesn’t matter where the cash from full-pay students comes from: That group includes some students whose parents write a check, and some who might get a Pell and whose parents take out an ill-advised PLUS loan for the cost of attendance.
The point? Discount rate is important for similar institutions in the same region, but as thing unto itself, it’s kind of meaningless. Net revenue is more important, for the most part, but at some institutions where undergraduate education can almost be called a sideline business, even net revenue is not important as it might seem.
Eager to hear your thoughts. -
PeopleAdmin A PowerSchool Company
Recent Product Highlights
In December, PeopleAdmin rolled out new features and updates to support effective academic workflows, enhance integrations, and make teams across campus more efficient.
Here are highlights of what’s new:
Faculty Information System:
- Enhanced reporting for course evaluations
- At-a-glance data and survey health statuses for administrators
- Deep insights through course and instructor reports
- Course and instructor reports are now automatically available in faculty dossiers and in Promotion and Tenure packets
Marketplace of Connectors:
- JobElephant: Now available to help your team better manage job postings!
- With this connector, your team can more easily manage your job postings, save time with less manual work, and maximize your ROI.
- Automatically connect open positions and publication subscriptions with a single click
- Post on multiple job boards from one source
- Eliminate the need to manually email JobElephant with each new posting
- Keep postings accurate and up-to-date without duplicates or the need to re-enter information
- Have full control over where postings are shared, with HR oversight to track response rates and sources of all recruitment ads
- New features include:
- Ability to add more publications after submitting an initial job campaign
- Applicant and application status data shared to improve the accuracy of JobElephant recommendations
- Holistic view of all posting ad campaigns in ATS
- With this connector, your team can more easily manage your job postings, save time with less manual work, and maximize your ROI.
- Improvements to Banner Ethos connector and Accurate connector to increase efficiency for users
- Reach out to your customer support manager for more information about launching any connectors at your institution.
- Enhanced reporting for course evaluations
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Winners of the 2023 Best Personal Academic Websites Contest
Update: It’s official! We’ll be back for another contest in early 2025. Jennifer, Brittany, and Ian look forward to your entry next year.
Your personal academic website is a wonderful thing. Professors, researchers, scientists, graduate students, and independent scholars who make their website a reality should be celebrated. That’s why I created the Best Personal Academic Websites Contest last year with my co-hosts Brittany Trinh and Dr. Ian Li.
The 2023 award-winning personal academic websites we’re showcasing today are some of the best examples to learn from. I hope exploring their websites inspires you to create your own. Check out winners from the 2nd annual Best Personal Academic Websites Contest.
The Best Personal Academic Websites Contest is brought to you by Jennifer van Alstyne, Brittany Trinh, and Ian Li.
About the contest
The Best Personal Academic Websites Contest was open from July 17 through September 30, 2023. Entries were free. The contest recognizes the best personal websites of
- Faculty
- Professors
- Scientists
- Postdocs
- Grad students
- Independent researchers
Our goal was to award your hard work. And, to create this resource of great examples of personal websites along with with last year’s winners with notes from the judges.
Jump to our free resources to help you make your own website.
2023 Winners of the Best Personal Academic Websites Contest
Congratulations to our winners, Dr. Sheena Howard, Dr. Seth-Aaron Martinez, Dr. Jarrett Dillenburger, Dr. Guy Cameron, Dr. Alex E. Stern, Dr. Yalidy Matos, Dr. Zoe R. Smith, Dr. Aloysius Soon, Kantwon Rogers, Jared Boyce, Dr. Melanie Sindelar, and Dr. Fuschia-Ann Hoover.
2023 Award Categories
Overall Best Personal Academic Website Award
The top 3 websites tied with perfect scores. We are celebrating overall top 3 websites from Dr. Sheena Howard, Dr. Seth-Aaron Martinez, and Dr. Jarrett Dillenburger. Congratulations!
Your websites excelled in every judged category (Website Content, Website Design and Organization, About You, Portfolio, Contact Info). You are the best examples of personal academic websites.
Dr. Sheena Howard
Dr. Sheena Howard created her website “to highlight my work, skills and accomplishments in a way that best aligns with who I am. In addition, to be able to have a closer relationship with the people that are most interested in my work.”
She’d love to acknowledge the website designer, Alesha Randolph.
Notes from the Judges
Brittany Trinh: I love how Dr. Howard’s work and personality is very present throughout the website. She highlights her work by posting on her blog to announce any recent news and photos. The homepage of the website is also set up to showcase her publications and features. Finally, the contact page is used well, as it not only functions as a contact page, but also a media kit for potential speaking gigs.
Jennifer van Alstyne: Colorful, personal, and full of stories, Dr. Sheena Howard’s website shows how there’s no limits to being yourself. A great example of how to share your forthcoming book, like her Academic Branding: A Step-by-Step Guide to Increased Visibility, Authority, and Income, online. This website shares Dr. Howard’s story and media appearances along with a well-organized creative portfolio.
Dr. Ian Li: I really liked Dr. Howard’s website because of the breadth of content that she shares. She has a lot of experiences and accomplishments, which shows through on her website. Dr. Howard shares her academic publications and books, her documentaries and media appearances, and her blog posts.
Back to the list of award winners
Dr. Seth-Aaron Martinez
Dr. Seth-Aaron Martinez created his website “to provide a single source of information for all of my scholarship and professional work.”
Notes from the Judges
Brittany Trinh: My favorite page on Dr. Martinez’s website is the Consulting page. I like how he establishes credibility in his field by including the logos for organizations that he’s worked with along with testimonials. His website is a great example for other professors who want to incorporate their consulting work with their academic work.
Jennifer van Alstyne: With a clean design, simple structure, and friendly About page, this is a website to remember. I wish the About page and the homepage were combined because Dr. Seth-Aaron Martinez’ bio was memorable. I especially like the descriptive Media mentions page for his YouTube video and podcast appearances.
Dr. Ian Li: Dr. Martinez shares a breadth of content on his website. He shares his academic publications and dissertation and his media appearances. I really appreciate that he shared his research philosophy and biography, so you learn more about him as a person. He also shares his consulting services and how his expertise can help organizations.
Back to the list of award winners
Dr. Jarrett Dillenburger
Dr. Jarrett Dillenburger, “decided to create a personal academic website because it’s challenging to regulate and manage the data and information circulating about us on websites that we cannot modify or keep up-to-date. With my personal website, I gain the power to control what information is accessible to others and how they view it online. The ability to curate my portfolio of research and present the best possible image of myself is crucial for establishing a strong and professional online presence.”
He says, “My current website was designed and built by myself (through many iterations). I fully expect my website to continue to develop and morph as my career does. I have tried my best to create an adaptive design that will allow for future changes easily. My designs and layouts have been influenced by many academic website designers including Jennifer van Alstyne and Brittany Trinh!”
Notes from the Judges
Brittany Trinh: This is a great example of a personal academic website for a chemist! It was built on Google Sites, which just goes to show that it’s not about the platform you use, but how you use it. I like how he incorporates other aspects of his career as a scientist, including his science communication and interest in space science.
Jennifer van Alstyne: This website is well organized for curious website visitors. It’s a deceptively simple website that doesn’t feel overwhelming. You discover more as you’re curious about exploring each page. Then you find new, more specific resources. On the Chemistry page, I love that there’s the Scientific Abstract typically published with articles and a Non-Scientist Abstract too! It would be great if media mentions got their own space as a page on this website.
Dr. Ian Li: Dr. Dillenburger’s website is very clear in what his academic website offers: SciComm, Material Science, and Space Science. For each of these topics, Dr. Dillenburger shares a wealth of academic content such as publications, media appearances, and coaching services.
Back to the list of award winners
Best Owlstown Website Award
Owlstown is a website builder specifically designed for academics. It is designed for ease of use and maintenance, so you can focus on sharing your research work. Congratulations to Dr. Guy Cameron for having the best Owlstown website!
Dr. Guy Cameron
Dr. Guy Cameron says, “I created my personal academic website to share my journey through medicine and scientific research, and my experiences as a proud Wailwan (Aboriginal) man living in Newcastle, NSW. Through my website, I aim to inspire others by showcasing my achievements in academia and research, especially in the field of Immunology & Microbiology. I also want to highlight the importance of Indigenous representation in the medical and research fields, and the significant role that collaboration and community-driven approaches play in improving healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. My website reflects my commitment to being a #MentorFirst, where I aspire to guide and support others, particularly those from Indigenous backgrounds, to achieve their academic and career goals.”
Notes from the Judges
Ian did not judge Dr. Cameron’s website for this contest.
Brittany Trinh: I liked how he personalized his Owlstown website with visuals that are relevant to his research. I also like how he delineates his role in each research project and provides a thorough description of each project.
Jennifer van Alstyne: With memorable details like that he’s a proud catdad, Dr. Guy Cameron is as descriptive about himself as his research. I like that his Research projects page includes details beyond a project description including project status, scheme, role on the project, and the team who worked on it. Dr. Cameron’s Publications page shares abstracts and figures. A great example of a detailed portfolio with an Owlstown website.
Back to the list of award winners
Best Portfolio Award
How do you showcase all the work you do on a personal website? By creating engaging pages for people to explore. We’re excited to award the Best Portfolio Award to Dr. Alex E. Stern and Dr. Yalidy Matos. Congratulations!
Dr. Alex E. Stern
Dr. Alex Stern, “initially created my personal website when I went on the academic job market. During several interviews, faculty members explicitly commented that they had seen my website and were interested in how I had put it together. It gave me a small but positive boost as a candidate for assistant professor roles. My website allows me to take a leading role in how my work is presented to colleagues, students, and the public and has helped me develop a cohesive narrative of my motivations, accomplishments, and future goals as a scholar. My website is entirely my own creation and I am self-taught.”
Notes from the Judges
Brittany Trinh: Dr. Stern’s teaching page stands out to me because of how she clearly states her teaching objectives for students and course descriptions for the classes that she teaches and a photo that complements it. Her research page also highlights a current book project that is in progress and links it to the project’s separate website.
Jennifer van Alstyne: Yes! You can definitely share a book project in progress. Dr. Alex E. Stern’s website effectively shares her research, public writing, and teaching. I love that Dr. Stern’s portfolio has the same care for Media mentions as Courses on her Teaching page. Advising / Mentoring pages are becoming more popular. I like that Dr. Stern creates space to celebrate her students’ theses, projects, and publications on her website. With engaging visuals, descriptions, and thoughtful design, this is a great portfolio website to inspire academics.
Dr. Ian Li: Dr. Stern’s website is a great showcase of her work. In her website, Dr. Stern shares her academic research, public writing, course descriptions, and appearances in events and media. It’s not just a list, instead, she provides summaries, so you can be informed whether you want to dig deeper into learning more about each work.
Back to the list of award winners
Dr. Yalidy Matos
Dr. Yalidy Matos’ academic website “needed a revamp. As an academic, my website serves as a central location to find information about my writing.”
She says, “I’d like to acknowledge Jennifer van Alstyne, who helped me develop the concepts and ideas, pulled out information from our interviews that are really important to who I am as an academic, and helped design the foundation of the website.”
Notes from the Judges
Jennifer did not judge Dr. Matos’s website for this contest.
Brittany Trinh: Dr. Matos’ website is a stellar example for a professor-level website that is designed specifically to land new opportunities. I like how the research page gives a broad overview, then the “About This Research” gives a deeper description of the research, highlights the relevant works/publications, and provides an offer to speak for those relevant topics after establishing her authority.
Dr. Ian Li: Dr. Matos’s website offers a comprehensive view of her work. She shares her publications, writings, courses, and speaking engagements. She presents each work with a detailed description and links to more information, so you can explore her work in more detail.
Back to the list of award winners
Best Google Site Award
We’re excited to present the Best Google Site award to Dr. Zoe R. Smith. Congratulations on making your Google Site stand out!
Dr. Zoe R. Smith / ACCTION Lab
Dr. Zoe R. Smith says, “I wanted our work to be more accessible to our community and students, as a way to disseminate information and also promote the amazing work the ACCTION team does! I also realized that I had skills that were marketable and wanted a place to showcase them, like statistics consulting and workshops. I also wanted to make sure students could get to know what it’s like to work with me and to highlight students’ work so people can see the new exciting things everyone is working on!” She created the website herself.
Notes from the Judges
Brittany Trinh: The ACCTION Lab is a fun and colorful Google Site! I like their “prospective students” page, which outlines very clearly what the PI is looking for in an application.
Jennifer van Alstyne: The colors and branding of the ACCTION Lab flow through each page of this website. Great for visitors who like to skim when reading, this is a great example of using headings and drop downs to organize the written content on your website. I like the Frequently Asked Questions for prospective PhD students interested in joining the lab. I love that the People who are members of the lab are celebrated on their own page with bios that include their photo, pronouns, education, research interests, goals and what I do for fun. “Dr. Z,” as she goes by in her bio, shares what she likes to do for fun in her bio too! I get the personality of this lab and their research.
Dr. Ian Li: The ACCTION Lab website is a great example of a lab website. It’s well-organized with lots of content about the work of the lab. It has a dedicated page of lab members and some of their group activities. The website also shares resources for prospective students and mental health information.
Back to the list of award winners
Best Research Lab or Group Website
Creating a website for your research lab or group helps everyone. We’re excited to share the Materials Theory Group website as an example for you. Congratulations, Dr. Aloysius Soon!
Dr. Aloysius Soon / Materials Theory Group
Dr. Aloysius Soon made the Materials Theory Group website “for publicity and to keep a record of the overall performance of my research group.”
Notes from the Judges
Brittany Trinh: As a current graduate student and chemist, I think that this is an awesome example of a lab website made with Google Sites. The homepage highlights their notable papers, making it easy for people to find the right papers to start with. They incorporated their figures into the website to make it more engaging and interesting to look at. I also love how they have videos to promote their group, along with having text in both Korean and English. Finally, my favorite page is the Gallery, which shows annual group photos, which shows the overall group’s personality. It seems like a cool place to do science!
Jennifer van Alstyne: This lab website shares their specific goal, and a description of the group’s focus. It also welcomes students interested in joining the Materials Theory Group right on the homepage. Dr. Aloysius Soon has a page about himself on the website which feels well balanced with the Team pages. I especially like that this research group website considers current researchers and staff as well as alumni and collaborators. A well-organized way of sharing grants and research funding on this website. Despite having many pages with descriptive, detailed information, this website doesn’t feel overwhelming.
Dr. Ian Li: The Materials Theory Group exemplifies the qualities of a great lab website. It has lots of information about the activities of the lab, including research publications, patents, and conferences. The website also has a gallery of lab members and a gallery of group pictures, so you can learn more about the people that do the research.
Back to the list of award winners
Best Storytelling Award
Telling your story is powerful and memorable. We’re excited to award the Best Storytelling Award to Kantwon Rogers! Congratulations.
Kantwon Rogers
Notes from the Judges
Brittany Trinh: I love this website because of the voice/personality that shines through on the page, through the colors, word choice, and images! It’s also unique in that it is a 1 page website, but has more than everything you need to know, by telling the story in order.
Jennifer van Alstyne: Large font and bright, colorful personality. This PhD student website is one of the best examples I’ve seen of sharing who you are through the aesthetic look and feel of your personal website. 1-page websites can be overwhelming to scroll. Kantwon’s website is exciting to explore. It works as a portfolio, linking to things like his CV, publications with downloadable PDFs, and a sample syllabus. I love that it shares videos Kantwon created for his courses at Georgia Tech too. A beautiful website.
Dr. Ian Li: Kantwon’s website is lively and engaging. Browsing through his website, you get a great sense of his personality and his research. He also presents his academic content in an organized manner and in a variety of media (papers, video, podcasts). He also shares a lot of videos teaching concepts about computing and engineering.
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Best Bio Award
This award goes to a memorable bio on a personal academic website. We’re happy to award Jared Boyce for his academic bio.
Jared Boyce
Jared Boyce “decided to make a personal academic website in order to share more about myself and build my brand as a scientist. I’m an MD-PhD student at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. I’m interested in becoming a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and studying the neurobiology of early life trauma. My personal website serves as a place where potential collaborators, recruiters, etc. can see my CV, learn about my advocacy, research, and clinical interests, and learn more about who I am beyond my CV.” He says, “I used Brittany Trinh’s website for guidance.”
Notes from the Judges
Brittany did not judge Jared’s website for this contest, but has shared a note about it for you.
Dr. Ian Li: Jared writes about his experiences and describes what motivated him to pursue medicine and his research. His story engages viewers and invites them to care about the research. His page on his advocacy is great too because it shows the breadth of his interests.
Jennifer van Alstyne: Jared Boyce’s website feels retro in a good way. His About page shares his personality, family, and journey. This website doesn’t just tell you what Jared does, he shows you why he cares about it too. A great example of how to share your Advocacy and the values important to you. I love the personal photos on this website.
Brittany Trinh: Jared and I have become friends while studying at UW-Madison, so I didn’t judge his website. What I love about his website is how he wrote his bio and integrated his story and motivation for pursuing medicine and research throughout his website.
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Best Academic Entrepreneur Website Award
Some academics are also amazing entrepreneurs. We’re excited to give the Best Academic Entrepreneur Award to Dr. Melanie Sindelar. Congratulations!
Dr. Melanie Sindelar
Dr. Melanie Sindelar created her website “to showcase my academic and freelance work, to make my coaching, editing, and translation business more visible, and to attract new clients! I used Canva’s Brand Kit tool to design the logo and the Color Palette, Brand Colours, and Fonts. I wanted my brand to appeal to academics, artists, and institutions (my main clients) while using a muted and reduced color palette that remains timeless.”
Notes from the Judges
Brittany Trinh: Dr. Sindelar’s coaching webpage is very in-depth about the services she offers and provides clear directions on how to work with her. The packages, pricing, and process are transparent, so you know exactly what she can help you with.
Jennifer van Alstyne: Calm. That’s how I felt exploring Dr. Melanie Sindelar’s website from the color palette to the easy navigation. Unapologetic about being a researcher, editor, coach, and teacher, this shows your website can adapt to share all of your identities (if you want it to). Many academic entrepreneur websites I see remove research and/or teaching altogether. This one feels approachable for a variety of audiences. I especially like that Dr. Sindelar’s Research page is descriptive about her interests and shares related publications.
Dr. Ian Li: Dr. Sindelar is a good example of how an academic website can share academic work and teaching as well as other entrepreneurial services. In addition to a Research page, Dr. Sindelar’s website has pages for coaching and translation. Each page has detailed description of how Dr. Sindelar’s expertise can help you.
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Most Aesthetic Website
A new award to honor the best looking website of the pack. Congratulations to Dr. Fuschia-Ann Hoover! This beautiful personal academic website is one to admire.
Dr. Fuschia-Ann Hoover
Dr. Fuschia-Ann Hoover says, “I wanted to have a public facing representation of my work, and a research profile that was independent of my affiliation, employer, and business. This allows me to control my own narrative, and in a way that stays with me regardless of where my career takes me.” She’d like to thank the photographers credited on her website.
Notes from the Judges
Brittany Trinh: Dr. Hoover’s website is minimal with an artsy aesthetic to it. Her portraits show that your headshots or photos for your website don’t always have to look the same as everyone else’s.
Jennifer van Alstyne: While there’s an About page with a more traditional bio, Dr. Hoover’s homepage is an excellent example of how to share who you are in different ways. I get a feel for who she is and what she cares about in an easy-to-read way because of how big the font is on Dr. Fushcia-Ann Hoover’s homepage (which I love). The photos on her website compliment the clean, modern design. Green comes in through the photos on Dr. Hoover’s website through trees, landscapes, and even her blazer. It’s a beautiful way to visually relate to her environmental research, using green in the photos rather than in the design of the website itself.
Dr. Ian Li: Dr. Hoover’s website is aesthetically pleasing with its clean and modern design. Its navigation is easy to use and each page has engaging images along with the text. I felt calm and engaged while browsing through her website.
Back to the list of award winners
Thank you!
Congratulations to our award winners in the 2023 Best Personal Academic Websites Contest!
Overall Best Personal Academic Website
Dr. Sheena Howard
Dr. Seth-Aaron Martinez
Dr. Jarrett DillenburgerBest Owlstown Website
Dr. Guy CameronBest Portfolio Website
Dr. Alex E. Stern
Dr. Yalidy MatosBest Google Site
Dr. Zoe R. Smith / ACCTION LabBest Research Lab or Group Website
Dr. Aloysius Soon / Materials Theory GrouBest Storytelling
Kantwon RogersBest Bio
Jared BoyceBest Academic Entrepreneur
Dr. Melanie SindelarMost Aesthetic Website
Dr. Fuschia-Ann HooverA big thank you to all our contest entrants. We’re so lucky to have you inspiring the world.
Your website will be added to The Academic Gallery on Owlstown. Thank you for being an amazing example. A website is a big project. You should be proud of sharing who you are and what you do with the world.
We created this contest to help as many people as possible. I hope these personal website examples encourage you to make your own website! Some of our award winners did-it-themselves, others hired help. They all made their personal website work for them. You can too.
Please bookmark this page. Share it with your friends. Make your website a reality. And don’t feel like it needs to be “finished” to hit publish.
Hosts
Brittany Trinh is a website strategist and designer for STEM leaders. She helps grad students, scientists, and academics create impact-driven websites so they can level up in their careers & get paid for their expertise. She’s currently a chemistry PhD student at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Ian Li is the creator of Owlstown, the website builder for academics. Owlstown websites are easy to make and maintain, so you can focus on your research. With templates for various research artifacts, Owlstown allows you to present your research in various ways to inspire and inform others.
Jennifer van Alstyne helps professors feel confident when showing up online. The Academic Designer LLC is a minority woman-owned business helping academics share their research, teaching, and leadership on websites and social media since 2018. The Social Academic blog, podcast, and YouTube channel helps professors manage their online presence to build a strong digital footprint.
View the 2022 contest winners.
7 free resources for creating your own personal academic website
Our goal is to help as many people as possible. Here are free resources from Ian Li of Owlstown, Brittany Trinh Creative, and The Academic Designer LLC to help you make your website. Please share with your friends.
The 2nd annual Best Personal Academic Websites Contest was hosted by Jennifer van Alstyne, Brittany Trinh, and Dr. Ian Li.
We’ll be back for a 3rd contest in 2025. Thank you!
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PeopleAdmin A PowerSchool Company
Are you ready to tackle the HigherEd HR challenges coming in 2024?
As we approach 2024, the landscape of higher education human resources is poised to encounter a new set of challenges. Anticipating and preparing for these challenges is crucial for HR departments to navigate the evolving demands of the workforce. In this blog, we’ll dive into some of the challenges your team should anticipate, as well as innovative solutions to tackle them head-on.
Anticipated HR Challenges in 2024
1. Talent Acquisition in a Competitive Market
The competition for top talent is expected to intensify in 2024, making it challenging for higher education institutions to attract skilled professionals, especially in niche industries. To address this challenge, institutions should consider investing in employer branding, providing growth opportunities, and offering attractive compensation packages. Leveraging technology like AI-driven recruitment platforms can streamline the hiring process and help in identifying and attracting top talent.
2. Remote Work Management and Hybrid Models
The shift towards remote work and hybrid models isn’t going anywhere, and will continue to pose challenges in managing and maintaining a cohesive workforce. HR departments should focus on developing policies and practices that support remote work, ensure effective communication, and foster a sense of belonging among remote and on-site employees.
3. Reskilling and Upskilling the Workforce
Technology is continuing to disrupt industries, including HigherEd, making it important that your team focuses on reskilling and upskilling of the workforce to stay competitive. Institutions should invest in continuous learning and development programs to equip employees with the skills needed to adapt to technological disruptions, on-campus changes, and potential retention challenges.
4. Managing a Multigenerational Workforce
Your campus is already a multigenerational space, and the on-campus workforce is no exception. With Gen Z joining the workforce, and a tough economy that might discourage retirement, your faculty and staff come from multiple generations with unique work and communication styles and preferences. This can be a challenge, because it’s tough to please everyone, but embracing flexibility and dynamic communication styles can help create a positive work environment for everyone.
How to Prepare for 2024
As you consider the challenges to come, don’t get overwhelmed—there’s a lot your team can to do prepare. Here are a few ways to get started.
1. Embrace Technology and Innovation
Investing in HR technology solutions that facilitate talent acquisition, remote work management, and skills development will be crucial for higher education HR departments. Leveraging hiring and recruitment platforms, learning management systems, and communication tools can streamline processes and make your workforce more agile.
2. Prioritizing Leader and Manager Development
According to Gartner’s annual HR Priorities survey, leader and manager development tops the list of 2024 priorities for HR leaders. Institutions should focus on developing leadership capabilities to navigate the evolving work environment, build a talent pipeline, drive succession planning, and empower organizational success.
3. Build a Culture of Continuous Learning
In response to the need for reskilling and upskilling, higher education institutions should prioritize continuous learning and development programs. This includes offering relevant courses, workshops, and certifications to ensure that employees are equipped with the skills needed to adapt to technological disruptions
Final thoughts
HigherEd HR departments must take a proactive approach to the challenges of 2024, and that can make all the difference for their campuses. By embracing technology, prioritizing leader and manager development, creating a culture of continuous learning, and listening to the needs of employees, institutions can navigate the evolving HR landscape and ensure a resilient and adaptable workforce.
