I undertook my doctorate at the University of Ottawa, working on a dissertation on Shakespeare, Victorian periodicals, and audience. External funding, internal travel grants, and teaching ensured I didn’t have to find a job outside of the university.

For teaching, I received almost no mentorship, which was typical of my department at the time. Instead, I learned through teaching several classes, including one I was assigned at the last minute due to the illness of the full-time professor scheduled to teach it. Those students were probably resistant to the change in professor, since they were expecting an established scholar both widely admired and well liked in the department, so engaging them in the material was a significant learning experience. As an RA having the opportunity to travel, develop as a scholar, and work with source material was invaluable. Besides significant mentorship as an RA, most of the mentorship I received was peer mentorship, especially regarding the job market; my colleagues and I would read each others’ CVs and give informal advice.

After finishing my degree in 2005 after five years, I held a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of London, and then my first job at the Shakespeare Institute. After a year, I went on maternity leave, and once my son was born my partner wanted to move back to Ottawa. The University of Ottawa had a tenure-track position in the Theatre Department available, but it wasn’t in my particular area of expertise. I applied anyway, because I felt that my teaching and research strengths would benefit the department, and I got the position.

Regarding equality issues, I experienced some low-level sexism during my PhD relating to expectations about my availability for emotional labour and secretarial functions, which arose from students, classmates, and faculty.  I didn’t seek steps to address the sexism at the time—it wasn’t a single isolated incident, but rather a series of incidents that are part of a wider problem of academic sexism even today.

I undertook my doctorate at the University of Ottawa, working on a dissertation on Shakespeare, Victorian periodicals, and audience. External funding, internal travel grants, and teaching ensured I didn’t have to find a job outside of the university.

For teaching, I received almost no mentorship, which was typical of my department at the time. Instead, I learned through teaching several classes, including one I was assigned at the last minute due to the illness of the full-time professor scheduled to teach it. Those students were probably resistant to the change in professor, since they were expecting an established scholar both widely admired and well liked in the department, so engaging them in the material was a significant learning experience. As an RA having the opportunity to travel, develop as a scholar, and work with source material was invaluable. Besides significant mentorship as an RA, most of the mentorship I received was peer mentorship, especially regarding the job market; my colleagues and I would read each others’ CVs and give informal advice.

After finishing my degree in 2005 after five years, I held a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of London, and then my first job at the Shakespeare Institute. After a year, I went on maternity leave, and once my son was born my partner wanted to move back to Ottawa. The University of Ottawa had a tenure-track position in the Theatre Department available, but it wasn’t in my particular area of expertise. I applied anyway, because I felt that my teaching and research strengths would benefit the department, and I got the position.

Regarding equality issues, I experienced some low-level sexism during my PhD relating to expectations about my availability for emotional labour and secretarial functions, which arose from students, classmates, and faculty.  I didn’t seek steps to address the sexism at the time—it wasn’t a single isolated incident, but rather a series of incidents that are part of a wider problem of academic sexism even today.