Scholarly mavens and curators
Talk to people for a while about what makes for good large-scale collaboration and they will eventually mention someone who is a connector: a kind of modern saloniste. Who led you to meet someone.
I can think of several cases where this occurred. Where someone has said “Alex, you are working on X1. That’s a little like X2. Have you met Sally who is doing work on X2?” That kind of introduction is at the basis of polite conversation, but happens too rarely in the strange world of academia. You might argue that is part of the expected role of an academic advisor–introducing the new graduate student to others in the field who might act as mentors, as collaborators, and (of course) as potential employers.
But it is also the traditional role of the editor: someone who has the ability to locate and publish things that are important to the field. In today’s world, editors more rarely play this active role of going out and seeking what they think is important for the field. But there are still people that do this.
I’m not name-checking, because I neither want to embarrass people–nor do I want to blame them for anything–but there have been people in my academic career who have helped me. And not just me, of course; they are known for being someone who helps build up scholars, and by extension, academic fields.
And then there are the same kind of people in the new media field. Folks who may be (in fact, generally are) outstanding researcher on their own, but have built much of their career out of connecting people, encouraging conversation online. Now again, I can think of some great examples of this (and so can you), but I wonder what makes them do their thing well, and whether you can create people like this or if they are born.
Can you train an academic maven?
I ask, not necessarily because I want to become one, though I think I’ve done this a little in the past. More, I’m wondering whether there is a “How to become a scholarly maven” guide, and if not, if it would be worthwhile for me to write one. To do so, I’d need to talk to some of these folks, and try to figure out if there is a sort of set of “best practices.” Do these people exist in every field. Do they do the same kinds of thing? Does every field have its own Erdös? Or is he something other than the sort of maven I am talking about here.
Comm Profs: not hot
I always thought communication faculty had a reputation for hotness. I mean, that’s particularly true of public relations and broadcasting (along with pharmaceutical sales), careers for which beauty seems to be a particular asset. But given our reputation as a bit of an air-headed or superficial major (this guy not helping), I figured we at least were doing well on the hotness scale. Not so: we rank near the bottom of the disciplines, sandwiched between business profs.
Halavais is…
Accumulating some of Google’s opinion of me via a search for “halavais is,” “halavais was,” and “halavais will be.” Filtered out the family members (“Halavais was attacked by a Great White Shark,” “Halavais was first licensed to practice law in CA”) and I’m left with:
Alex Halavais is on Facebook.
Hey there! halavais is using Twitter.
Halavais is a 37 year old married guy from New York
Alexander Halavais is member #9 of Social Media Professional.
Alex Halavais is an assistant professor of communication
This, says Alex Halavais, is how people will learn in the future
Happiness score for halavais is: 492
Alex Halavais was interviewed about Citizendium
Halavais was responding to a poll conducted
Alexander Halavais is a social architect
entries that Dr. Halavais is known to love
Alexander Halavais is Being Followed By
Alex Halavais is interviewed in a Q&A in
Alex Halavais is writing a chapter about the educational
Halavais was talking about how librarians see
Halavais is frequently interviewed as a blogging
to do Professor Halavais? Is it your intent to have us talk
Alex Halavais is collecting nominations
Eventually, Halavais was exhorting people not to try
Still, Mr. Halavais is keenly interested in the idea of forming
Washington (where Halavais was previously employed) who got job offers
this process, Halavais was able to conclude that in fact most
Halavais is blogging about it at alex .halavais.net
professor Alex Halavais as saying: “Nobody sets the rules for
Hello! halavais is using Brightkite.
A few years ago, Halavais was flabbergasted when students stopped by
Alexander Halavais was quoted for saying
architect Alex Halavais. Is this an invasion of privacy
spoken about by Dr. Halavais is something I very strongly support.
Our buddy Alex Halavais is quoted
Alex halavais is a very highly respected scholar/blogger.
Alex Halavais was a blogger/blogologist, Thom Jacobson
Alex Halavais is assistant professor in the School
Alex Halavais was talking about Wikipedia when he wrote
Halavais is experienced in blogging and edited
“Halavais is very even-tempered and understands that
i think alex halavais is interested in this topic of clinical
Two year ago Mr. Halavais was interested in finding out
Halavais is graduate director for the informatics
(Halavais) Is this an advantage or a disadvantage?
suspected to be Alex Halavais was him
Alex Halavais is also on what Michael Fagan
While Halavais is talking about a position that is
Alex Halavais is teaching Com 497, “Cyber Porn and
say, the real Alex Halavais is a lot more daring and also a lot
identity” that Alex Halavais was talking about a while ago.
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