TOP’S TEN 88.1 KTXT: Episode 6

Episode #6 of my radio show TOP’S TEN is up! TOP’S TEN seeks out successful and influential people in politics and government, the many professions, the physical and social sciences, or the arts and humanities and asks them to reveal their lives, ideas and ideals through their playlist. Our format is simple: We ask our guests what pieces of music mean the most to them and to tell us the story behind the infatuation. Broadcast: 4 May 2014 Guest: Dr. Carol Edwards, Dean, Texas Tech University College of Visual and Performing Arts   Song List 1. Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd 2. The City Of New Orleans – Arlo Guthrie 3. Carolina In My Mind – James Taylor 4. Running On Empty – Jackson Browne 5. Heard It Through The Grapevine – Creedence Clearwater Revival 6. Calypso – John Denver 7. Take It Easy – Eagles 8. Carefree Highway – Gordon Lightfoot 9. Galway Girl – Sharon Shannon & Steve Earle 10. The Sound Of Silence – Simon & Garfunkel 11. U Can’t Touch This – MC...
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TOP’S TEN 88.1 KTXT: Episode 5

Episode #5 of my radio show TOP’S TEN is up! TOP’S TEN seeks out successful and influential people in politics and government, the many professions, the physical and social sciences, or the arts and humanities and asks them to reveal their lives, ideas and ideals through their playlist. Our format is simple: We ask our guests what pieces of music mean the most to them and to tell us the story behind the infatuation. Broadcast: 27 April 2014 Guest: Christy Martinez-Garcia, Founder and Publisher, Lubbock Latino Magazine   Song List: 1. Guantanamera – Celia Cruz 2. Hey Jude – The Beatles 3. Oye Como Va – Santana 4. Together – Tierra 5. Heat Wave – Linda Ronstadt 6. Wind Beneath My Wings – Bette Midler 7. Imagine – John Lennon 8. I Can’t Tell You Why – Eagles 9. Barrio Viejo – Lalo Guerrero 10. Open The Eyes Of My Heart – Michael W. Smith ...
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TOP’S TEN 88.1 KTXT: Episode 4

Episode #4 of my radio show TOP’S TEN is up! TOP’S TEN seeks out successful and influential people in politics and government, the many professions, the physical and social sciences, or the arts and humanities and asks them to reveal their lives, ideas and ideals through their playlist. Our format is simple: We ask our guests what pieces of music mean the most to them and to tell us the story behind the infatuation. Broadcast: 20 April 2014 Guest:  Kelly S. Rowe, Sheriff, Lubbock County   Song List: 1. Bad Boys – Inner Circle 2. Ramble On – Led Zeppelin 3. Limelight – Rush 4. Circle – Big Head Todd And The Monsters 5. Photograph – Nickelback 6. Rock Is My Blood – Sammy Hagar 7. Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd 8. Are You Ready? – Creed 9. Kiss From A Rose – Seal 10. Margaritaville – Jimmy Buffet  ...
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TOP’S TEN 88.1 KTXT: Episode 3

Episode #3 of my radio show TOP’S TEN is up! TOP’S TEN seeks out successful and influential people in politics and government, the many professions, the physical and social sciences, or the arts and humanities and asks them to reveal their lives, ideas and ideals through their playlist. Our format is simple: We ask our guests what pieces of music mean the most to them and to tell us the story behind the infatuation. Broadcast: 13 April 2014 Guest: Ambassador Tibor P. Nagy Jr., Vice-Provost for International Affairs, Texas Tech University   Song List: 1. Only In America – Jay And The Americans 2. Theme From A Summer Place – The Lettermen 3. I Want To Hold Your Hand – The Beatles 4. Light My Fire – The Doors 5. Be Still And Know That I Am God – Celebrant Singers 6. The Wind Beneath My Wings – Roger Whittaker 7. The Boy In The Bubble – Paul Simon 8. God Bless The USA – Lee Greenwood 9. We Are The World – USA For...
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TOP’S TEN 88.1 KTXT: Episode 2

Episode #2 of my radio show TOP’S TEN is up! TOP’S TEN seeks out successful and influential people in politics and government, the many professions, the physical and social sciences, or the arts and humanities and asks them to reveal their lives, ideas and ideals through their playlist. Our format is simple: We ask our guests what pieces of music mean the most to them and to tell us the story behind the infatuation. Broadcast: 6 April 2014 Guest: Dr. Todd Chambers, Chair, Department of Journalism and Electronic Media, Texas Tech University College of Media and Communication   Song List: 1. The Kid Is Hot Tonight – Loverboy 2. Rain On The Scarecrow – John Cougar Mellencamp 3. Destroyer – The Kinks 4. Flatland Farmer – Maines Brothers Band 5. Miss You – The Rolling Stones 6. Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd 7. Someone Like You – Van Morrison 8. Bring It On – Steven Curtis Chapman 9. Dark Horses – Switchfoot 10. These Days – Foo Fighters...
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TOP’S TEN 88.1 KTXT: Episode 1

Episode #1 of my radio show TOP’S TEN is up! TOP’S TEN seeks out successful and influential people in politics and government, the many professions, the physical and social sciences, or the arts and humanities and asks them to reveal their lives, ideas and ideals through their playlist. Our format is simple: We ask our guests what pieces of music mean the most to them and to tell us the story behind the infatuation. Guest: Kent Hance, Chancellor, Texas Tech University System Broadcast: 6 December 2013 Guest: Kent Hance, Chancellor, Texas Tech University System Song List: 1. Busted Flat In Baton Rouge – Janis Joplin 2. Drop Kick Me Jesus – Bobby Bare 3. My Girl – The Temptations 4. What A Wonderful World – Louie Armstrong 5. Stagger Lee – Lloyd Price 6. Blessed Assurance – Alan Jackson 7. God Bless America – Kate Smith 8. The Letter – The Box Tops 9. Amarillo By Morning – George Strait 10. Taxi – Harry Chapin 11. You’re In My Heart – Rod Stewart 12. Have I Told You...
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Don’t Fear Fund Raising, Part 2

David D. Perlmutter. “Don’t Fear Fund Raising, Part 2.” Chronicle of Higher Education, July 18, 2014, pp. A24-25. July 14, 2014 Don't Fear Fund Raising, Part 2 Matching donor passion to your department’s needs By David D. Perlmutter An acquaintance who was a department chair at a small liberal-arts college described one of the nightmare-come-to-life scenarios of every academic administrator faced with fund raising. He had met an alum with "a very high capacity"—the development term for wealth available to give—who was ready to make a major gift. The catch was that the donor embraced "fringe phenomena" (let’s call them leprechauns here to protect his privacy). His ambition was to finance an endowed chair in leprechaun studies—not as in folklore but as in scientific fact. To their credit, my friend, his faculty, the college foundation, and the upper administration stood tall and politely turned down the proposed gift. The anecdote, although unusual, typifies a common apprehension of academics who are thinking about becoming administrators and thus entering...
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Know the Vital Players in Your Career: You

David D. Perlmutter. “Know the Vital Players in Your Career: You.” Chronicle of Higher Education, August 14, 2014.   Know the Vital Players in Your Career: You Few people can sabotage your career better than you can Creative Commons By David D. Perlmutter In more than 20 years of working in academe, I have seen innumerable people sabotage their own careers through terrible mistakes. A bad outcome is sometimes due to chance or forces beyond your control, but the single most important factor determining whether you achieve your career goals, including tenure and promotion, is you. Of course you do not stand alone: In a series of columns I’ve identified the people who play critical roles in your academic career: the department chair, the head of the P&T committee, the faculty factions, the senior campus administrators, the external evaluators, the university P&T committee, and your graduate-school or tenure-track peers. Now let us turn the spotlight inward to look at the thinking and attitudes that can inhibit your success or lead to career catastrophe. It’s not just a matter of staying positive. In...
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Why You Wait

David D. Perlmutter. “Why You Wait.” Chronicle of Higher Education, May 16, 2014. Why You Wait May 16, 2014 Our communications college recently filled a staff position. Total time, from the job coming open to the contract being signed: about one month. On the other hand, as we all know, searches for tenure-track faculty lines take a long, long time to initiate, conduct, and conclude. Because I write about academic careers, I spend a considerable time reading the essays, rants, and tweets of academic job seekers. Their “frustrage” about the state of tenure-track job markets in most fields is matched only by their stupefaction at the search process itself. Among the premier complaints: Why does it take so long to conduct a search? (more…)...
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Why Search Committees Go Radio Silent

David D. Perlmutter. “Why Search Committees Go Radio Silent.” Chronicle of Higher Education, May 16, 2014. Why Search Committees Go Radio Silent June 20, 2014 Author's note: This essay focusses on searches conducted by faculty committee without professional search firm involvement. Practically everyone who has ever suffered through being a candidate in an academic job search has made a variation of the same vow. “One day, when I am signed and sealed in a position, I will send this notification to the search committees who never got back to me: I’m sorry to inform you that I withdraw my candidacy…” In my case, some 20 years ago when I was ABD and on the job market for the first time, I applied for a particular tenure-track position … and I still have not heard back. Every once in a while I am tempted to “inquire about the status of the search” or formally withdraw. Maybe after I retire. Searching for an academic position is hard and stressful....
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