Best Graduateschool Podcasts (2025)

1
Business Class Flights and Hotel Elite Status on a Grad Student Stipend 43:30

5d ago43:30

43:30

In this episode, Emily interviews Brendan Henrique, a fourth-year PhD student in education at the University of California, Berkeley. Brendan leverages his conference and research travel plus personal spending into free luxury travel by amassing credit card points and elite status at hotel chains. He breaks down how he pursues the points and miles …

1
Are PhDs in a Financial Emergency? 31:32

20d ago31:32

31:32

In this episode, Emily shares her thoughts on whether PhDs are in a financial emergency. It’s possible that you are facing a financial emergency because you’ve been laid off or your grants have been terminated or interrupted or there’s some risk of that happening in the future. In this episode, Emily explores 1) what she learned from attending the …

1
Stipend Data and Strikes on the Path to a Grad Student Union 40:43

1M ago40:43

40:43

In this episode, Emily interviews Garrett Dunne, a 5th-year PhD candidate in the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Realizing that they were being dramatically underpaid, Garrett and his peers used the data from PhD Stipends to advocate for a significant stipend increase in their department. Subsequently,…

1
How and Why to Become an Entrepreneurial Scholar 38:08

2M ago38:08

38:08

In this episode, Emily interviews Dr. Ilana Horwitz, a professor at Tulane University and the author of the newly released book, The Entrepreneurial Scholar: A New Mindset for Success in Academia and Beyond. Ilana explains how a grad student or academic can be an entrepreneurial scholar and why it is so beneficial in an environment of uncertainty a…

1
How Academics Can Apply Self-Compassion to Their Money and Time 49:20

2M ago49:20

49:20

In this episode, Emily interviews Dr. Danielle De La Mare, a career wellness coach and facilitator and the person behind Self-Compassionate Professor. Danielle recounts how she reached a crisis point in her career and personal life that led her to quit her tenured professorship. This crisis included a financial component due to her avoidant money m…

1
Financial Hacks Unique to Graduate Students 47:57

3M ago47:57

47:57

In this episode, Emily interviews Kyle Smith, a sixth-year graduate student at Penn State, about the financial strategies and hacks he's used during grad school to increase his income and optimize how he spends and manages his money. In addition to side hustles and credit card and banking bonuses, they discuss how graduate students can benefit from…

1
Financial Questions from an International Graduate Student Who Hopes to Become a Permanent Resident 42:49

3M ago42:49

42:49

In this episode, Emily interviews Gauri Patel, a first-year grad student in biomedical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Gauri is on an F-1 visa, but she has lived in the US for over 10 years. The financial questions Gauri has encountered are different from those typically asked by both US citizens and new international students. Ga…

1
Sustainably Moving in the Right Direction in Your Finances (with Dr. Kate Henry) 44:54

3M ago44:54

44:54

In this episode, Emily interviews Dr. Kate Henry, a productivity coach for academics. Kate was a workaholic who equated her work with her worth until her declining health forced her to stop overworking. Now, she coaches grad students and academics in how they can achieve career success in a sustainable manner. Together, Kate and Emily explore sever…

1
Catching Up with Prior Guests: 2024 Edition 21:54

4M ago21:54

21:54

Emily published the first episode of this podcast in July 2018. This is the 223rd episode, and over the last six and a half years, the podcast has featured over 300 unique voices in addition to my own. For our last episode in 2024, we are catching up with the guests from Seasons 12 through 14, and a few from earlier seasons as well. The guests were…

1
This Former Prof Found True Flexibility and Profitability in Her Academic Editing Business 31:03

5M ago31:03

31:03

In this episode, Emily interviews Dr. Paulina Cossette, a former professor and the owner of Acadia Editing. Paulina followed the prescribed academic path, but found herself profoundly unhappy in her faculty position. After leaving academia, Paulina stumbled into academic editing and eventually started working under her own brand. As a business owne…

1
Negotiation and Long-Term Thinking Effected Financial Success for This International PhD 45:35

5M ago45:35

45:35

In this episode, Emily interviews Wen, who recently earned a PhD in plant pathology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Wen came to the US for her master’s degree immediately after finishing undergrad and started learning about the US financial system, even though she had an avoidant money mindset. After overdrafting her checking account, she…

1
Develop Your Passions: A Conversation with Roger Dube *76 30:47

5M ago30:47

30:47

Roger Dube *76 discusses his wide-ranging, interest-driven career with Ph.D. Student Hellen Wainaina. Dr. Dube, an enrolled member of the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi and Mohawk Turtle clan, is a Sequoyah Fellow of AISES. He was awarded the 2019 Ely Parker Award from AISES, their highest honor. He holds 21 issued patents and has published a textboo…

1
This Grad Student Channeled Her Financial Exuberance into Teaching and Coaching Her Peers (Part 2) 35:08

6M ago35:08

35:08

In this episode, Emily interviews Elle Rathbun, a 5th-year PhD candidate at UCLA. This is a continuation of a conversation started in the last episode. Last year, Elle shifted her financial education efforts into an official position with the UCLA financial wellness office, through which she delivered presentations and provided one-on-one coaching.…

1
This Grad Student Channeled Her Financial Exuberance into Teaching and Coaching Her Peers (Part 1) 44:50

6M ago44:50

44:50

In this episode, Emily interviews Elle Rathbun, a 5th-year PhD candidate at UCLA. Elle shares her financial origin story of growing up in a low-income family, becoming a QuestBridge scholar during undergrad, and working for two years before matriculating at UCLA. During those years, Elle developed her financial acuity and prepared financially for g…

1
Navigating the Career and Financial Transition Out of Academia 44:55

7M ago44:55

44:55

In this episode, Emily interviews Dr. Jill Hoffman, a former assistant professor who left academia to become a stay-at-home parent and part-time business owner supporting academic entrepreneurs (including Emily!). Jill recounts how she decided that academia was no longer the best place for her and how she and her husband planned out how to swap rol…

1
Your Side Hustle Really Is a Business and Other Tax Insights with Hannah Cole of Sunlight Tax 47:25

7M ago47:25

47:25

In this episode, Emily interviews Hannah Cole, an artist and the founder of Sunlight Tax. Sunlight Tax primarily serves artists and creatives in their business tax needs, but there are many overlaps between artists and the academic community. Hannah and Emily discuss the best practices and insights that graduate students, postdocs, and PhDs with si…

1
This Grad Student Puts Half Her Stipend Paycheck into High-Yield Savings 44:13

8M ago44:13

44:13

In this episode, Emily interviews Maggie Canady, a rising second-year grad student at the University of California at Irvine, on her budget breakdown. Maggie gives us a peek into her life via her top five expenses each month, which are rent, car insurance, groceries, utilities, and travel. Despite taking a pay cut when she started grad school, Magg…

1
Investing 101 for Your Post-PhD Job 42:00

8M ago42:00

42:00

In this episode, Emily interviews Dr. Scott Grissom, a full professor of computer science at Grand Valley State University and Certified Financial Planner with Socrates Financial Planning. Scott and Emily talk through the health insurance and retirement benefits options that may be available to PhDs in their first post-PhD jobs. Scott explains the …

1
What You Should Know about Money Early in Your PhD Career 36:59

9M ago36:59

36:59

In this episode, Emily shares the microinterviews she recorded at two higher education conferences this summer. The conference attendees, virtually all of whom work at universities and most of whom have PhDs themselves, responded to this prompt: "What do you wish you had known about money earlier in your career?" Listen through the episode for insi…

1
Unveiling the Hidden Curriculum of Grad School Funding for First-Gen BIPOC Students 43:49

10M ago43:49

43:49

In this episode, Emily interviews Dra. Yvette Martínez-Vu and Dr. Miroslava Chavez-Garcia, the co-authors of the recent book Is Grad School for Me? Demystifying the Application Process for First-Gen BIPOC Students. Yvette, Miroslava, and Emily dive into the financial aspects of the grad school application and admissions process, from applying for e…

1
This PhD Promotes DEI with a Focus on Finances 50:24

10M ago50:24

50:24

In this episode, Emily interviews Dr. Carolina Mendoza Cavazos, who holds a PhD in microbiology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and currently works in industry. Carolina has long been interested in and open about personal finances, and she focused her DEI efforts while in graduate school around finances, including starting a money club and…

1
How This International Graduate Student Grew His Career and Social Wealth Alongside His Net Worth 42:59

10M ago42:59

42:59

In this episode, Emily interviews Dr. Cyrus Liu, a postdoctoral fellow in computer science at Grinnell College. Cyrus came to the US from China as a graduate student without any knowledge of how the US financial system works. Over the course of his PhD, Cyrus found ways to minimize his expenses and increase his income so that he could meet his goal…

1
How This Life Sciences PhD Fosters Entrepreneurship 37:42

11M ago37:42

37:42

In this episode, Emily interviews Dr. Marquicia Pierce, who holds a PhD in molecular physiology and biophysics from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from Northwood University. In the ten years since finishing her PhD, Marquicia has worked in various capacities to foster life science start-ups and small businesses, and she is now the owner and princ…

1
This PhD Works Part-Time After Reaching Financial Independence in Austin Texas 40:26

12M ago40:26

40:26

In this episode, Emily interview Dr. Corwin Olson, who completed his PhD in aerospace engineering and achieved financial independence (FI) just a handful of years later. Corwin argues that using a traditional IRA is typically advantageous over a Roth IRA, even for a grad student, if they have aspirations to retire early in the 0% marginal income ta…

1
This Grad Student Took Control of Her Finances to Shift Her Income Sources 34:22

1y ago34:22

34:22

In this episode, Emily interviews Fern Wolburg Martinez, a 4th-year PhD student in Industrial/Organizational Psychology at Portland State University. Fern shares the pros and cons of the various income sources she's used for her graduate work: a teaching assistantship, a fellowship, student loans, side jobs, and social safety net programs. When Fer…

1
Addressing Fellowship Tax Pain Points through Education, Resources, and Advocacy 43:21

1y ago43:21

43:21

In this episode, Emily interviews Jack Mao, the founder of Tax Fellows, a nonprofit organization that prepares pro bono tax returns for Stanford students. Tax Fellows primarily serves first-generation, low-income undergraduate and graduate students, and has a special focus on the tax implications of receiving scholarships and fellowships, such as t…

1
America's Graduate Adviser: A Conversation with Leonard Cassuto 36:47

1y ago36:47

36:47

Join Leonard Cassuto (author of Academic Writing as if Readers Matter (forthcoming), The New PhD and The Graduate School Mess, among many other books) and Ph.D. student Hellen Wainaina to discuss graduate education's past, present, and future. Their wide-ranging conversation touches on graduate student-centered graduate education, mentorship, acade…

1
This PhD's Path to FIRE Has Evolved with Lifestyle Design and Having Children 47:54

1y ago47:54

47:54

In this episode, Emily interviews Dr. Amanda, a prior podcast guest who is on the path to FIRE. Since our last interview, Amanda and her husband moved to the Twin Cities and had two children. Amanda recounts the exciting start to her FIRE journey when she was a postdoc and contrasts it with the boring middle of pursuing FIRE now with long-term jobs…

1
Can You Earn Money from Publishing a Scholarly Book? 40:31

1y ago40:31

40:31

In this episode, Emily interviews Dr. Laura Portwood-Stacer, a developmental editor with Manuscript Works specializing in authors publishing with scholarly presses. Laura has personally published two books with university presses and has a third under contract and has worked with hundreds of other authors. Laura describes why a prospective author w…

1
How This PhD Student and Her Higher-Earning Partner Manage Joint and Separate Finances 35:15

1y ago35:15

35:15

In this episode, Emily interviews Tram Pham, a 3rd-year PhD student in economics at Uppsala University in Sweden. Tram describes the financial aspect of her relationship with her boyfriend, Markus, from discussing money on their first date to how they structure their joint and separate accounts now that they live together. Even though Tram is the l…

1
Navigating Grad Student Finances While Undocumented 43:54

1y ago43:54

43:54

In this episode, Emily interviews Dr. Ana Romero Morales, a counseling psychology PhD and a financial coach through Brewing Dinero. Ana specializes in undocumented people and mix-documentation families, having gone through undergrad and graduate school as an undocumented student herself. Emily and Ana deep-dive into how documentation status affects…

1
A Political Economist Explores How to Respond to the Financial Pressures on Graduate Students 51:45

1+ y ago51:45

51:45

In this episode, Emily interviews Michael Dedmon, a PhD candidate in Political Science at Syracuse University and the Director of Research at the National Endowment for Financial Education. Michael's research focus is in political economy, particularly in how governments respond to economic crises like the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic.…

1
Why and How I Started Personal Finance for PhDs 29:09

1+ y ago29:09

29:09

In this episode, Emily narrates the origin story of her business, Personal Finance for PhDs, which started as a personal interest when she graduated from college. She also shares why she has devoted her career to financial education for PhDs and the behind-the-scenes business operations. This episode is for you if you are an avid follower of Person…

1
Finding Fulfillment in France: A Conversation with Natalie Berkman *18 35:15

1+ y ago35:15

35:15

Join Natalie Berkman *18 and Ph.D. student Hellen Wainaina for an engaging and personal conversation about how priorities can shift during graduate school, and how a supposed plan "B" can turn out to be a plan A.By GradFUTURES

1
Catching Up with Prior Guests: 2023 Edition 28:52

1+ y ago28:52

28:52

Emily published the first episode of this podcast in July 2018. This is the 200th episode, and over the last five and a half years, the podcast has featured 252 unique voices in addition to Emily’s. This last episode of 2023 catches up with the guests from Seasons 1 through 11. The guests were invited to submit short audio updates on how their live…

1
This Grad Student-Parent Relied on University and State Benefits During a Tough Financial Period 43:22

1+ y ago43:22

43:22

In this episode, Emily interviews Dr. Laura Farrell-Wortman about her experience as a graduate student-parent at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Laura started her PhD when her daughter was an infant, so she was very intentional about choosing a PhD program that offered strong health insurance and a childcare subsidy. However, with a $9k/year s…

1
Expert-Level Frugality from ChatGPT and Grad Students Like You 49:28

1+ y ago49:28

49:28

In this episode, Emily features contributions from the PhD community and from ChatGPT around the topic of frugal tips. Grad students in particular are typically open to exercising frugality to decrease their expenses. Emily talks through her framework on how to decide which area of spending to target first with frugality. She then demonstrates how …

1
This Grad Student's Podcast Expands Beyond Her Dissertation Topic 29:34

1+ y ago29:34

29:34

In this episode, Emily interviews Alexandria Miller, and 5th-year PhD student in Africana Studies at Brown University. In 2021, Alexandria started a podcast, Strictly Facts: A Guide to Caribbean History and Culture, to further her vision for educational equity. Alexandria participated in a business incubator program at Brown and joined a Caribbean …

1
SIT's VP of Marketing & Communications Nara de Sa Guimaraes on The Washington Report 30:00

1+ y ago30:00

30:00

SIT's VP of Marketing & Communications Nara de Sa Guimaraes joined Stevie Bridgewater on The Washington Report to talk about the School for International Training's vast portfolio of programs in Africa. SIT's Africa programs in sustainability, diplomacy, global health, science, conservation, and more will transform your worldview and add invaluable…

1
How This Grad Student-Parent Managed Her Money and Time in the Bay Area 45:34

1+ y ago45:34

45:34

In this episode, Emily interviews Dr. Ilana Horwitz, an assistant professor of Jewish Studies and Sociology at Tulane University. Ilana started her PhD at Stanford when her first child was nine months old, and she had a second child after her third year. Emily and Ilana discuss the frugal tactics and time management strategies that she employed whi…

1
This PhD-Prepared Nurse Managed a Night Shift Side Hustle Despite It Being Frowned Upon 35:46

1+ y ago35:46

35:46

In this episode, Emily interviews Dr. Jacqueline Nikpour, who holds a PhD in nursing from Duke University and is currently a postdoc at the University of Pennsylvania. Jackie side hustled with occasional nursing per diem jobs to supplement her stipend during grad school, but her side job also conferred unexpected benefits to her dissertation and ca…

1
New Philosophies for Graduate Education: A Conversation with Barry Lam *07 34:56

1+ y ago34:56

34:56

How might we imagine the tenure track in ways that account both for individual preference and for societal impact? In what ways is the landscape for Ph.D.s changing, and how might graduate students best navigate this changing landscape? Join Barry Lam *07 and Ph.D. student Hellen Wainaina for an engaging and personal conversation about the ways the…

1
How This Grad Student Budgeted for Having Her First Child 46:47

1+ y ago46:47

46:47

In this episode, Emily interviews Madeline Hebert, a rising second-year PhD student in Human Development and Family Sciences at the University of Connecticut. Madeline's household has an irregular income; her assistantship stipend varies between the academic year and the summer and her husband is paid hourly throughout the year with a variable sche…

1
Financial Advice from PhD Career Development and Financial Wellness Professionals 40:48

1+ y ago40:48

40:48

In this episode, Emily shares the microinterviews she recorded at two higher education conferences this past summer. The conference attendees, virtually all of whom work at universities and most of whom have PhDs themselves, responded to this prompt: "What piece of financial advice are you glad you followed or do you wish you had followed as a grad…

1
University-Level Policy Ideas to Improve the Financial Lives of Graduate Students and Postdocs 28:25

1+ y ago28:25

28:25

In this episode, Emily shares the microinterviews she recorded at two higher education conferences this past summer. The conference attendees, virtually all of whom work at universities and most of whom have PhDs themselves, responded to this prompt: "What policy at your current university or one you worked at or attended in the past would you chan…

1
Unionization and Individual Negotiation to Improve Graduate Student Stipends and Benefits 36:25

1+ y ago36:25

36:25

In this episode, Emily shares first-person stories of graduate students enjoying improved stipends and benefits thanks to prior negotiation. The first half of the episode includes the experiences of four graduate students with their unions or when taking part in unionization movements. The second half of the episode includes four individual negotia…

1
Behind the Scenes at the Graduate Career Consortium 2023 Annual Meeting 59:24

2y ago59:24

59:24

In this episode, Emily opens up the audio diary she recorded while attending the 2023 annual meeting of the Graduate Career Consortium (GCC) as a sponsor. GCC is attended by university staff members who provide career and professional development services and programming to master's students, PhD students, and postdocs. Emily shares the insights sh…

1
Why and How These Grad Students Purchased Homes 26:44

2y ago26:44

26:44

In this episode, Emily presents first-person stories from grad students who bought homes during grad school. The volunteers were simply asked to share their stories of home ownership, whatever they may be. You'll hear from three volunteers throughout this episode, both on how they purchased their homes but also what's happened since then, the benef…

1
Why and How These Graduate Students Side Hustle 47:25

2y ago47:25

47:25

In this episode, Emily presents first-person stories from grad students who side hustle. The volunteers were asked this set of questions: What is your motivation for having a side hustle? What is your side hustle? What are its benefits and detriments? How much do you earn through your side hustle? If someone listening wants to pursue this side hust…

1
This PhD Student Budgets Manually and Dynamically 37:14

2y ago37:14

37:14

In this episode, Emily interviews Ariel Floro, a second-year PhD student at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in northern California. Ariel details her budget, from the mechanics of her system to the emotional benefits she experiences. Ariel started budgeting after finishing her bachelor's while she worked as a research associate, and she wa…

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