Sheila N. Patek·4d agoThe Problem Wasn’t My ChildrenUniversities have made progress in supporting motherhood. Changing assumptions about female scientists has proved far more difficult.
Sheila N. Patek·Oct 20Beneath The Surface: The Wonder of Science, the Betrayal of AcademiaHow decades of sexual harassment — and a devastating discovery about my childhood teacher — revealed the institutional complicity…
Sheila N. Patek·Oct 12I invite you to be unafraid of griefI wish to hang a black cloth on the lintel above my office door. Luxurious satin folds, enough for you to pause. Is this an invitation?A response icon2A response icon2
InZenitebySheila N. Patek·Oct 2SunriseOn losing mobility and finding a world of kindnessA response icon2A response icon2
InThe AcademicbySheila N. Patek·Sep 15The Good Foot: How I Learned to Find My Way Forward Through Pain and AcademiaA response icon3A response icon3
Sheila N. Patek·Aug 24, 2025Star icons and fish: what I learned about academia while building a tool to change itJay’s face was centered in a hazy video, with haphazard window coverings partially blocking the sun. I asked him, as I often did, whether…A response icon1A response icon1
Sheila N. Patek·Aug 17, 2025Blue skies, fluffy clouds, and overheadI felt tingles when I walked into my first apartment in graduate school. For the first time in my life, I had a space entirely of my own…A response icon3A response icon3
Sheila N. Patek·Aug 16, 2025What do fish gills and starbursts have in common?As the classroom quieted, the resonant thunk of starbursts hitting the bottom of paper cups filled the room. On that day, I taught my…
Sheila N. Patek·Aug 16, 2025I want what you have for my country.A woman in the audience abruptly stood up and walked out. Her solemn visage was in stark contrast to the eager faces around her. I was…
