Name: Liz Silva (she/her)
PhD: Developmental Biology/Genetics, University College London, 2006
What was your main area of research?
I worked on a range of problems in developmental biology including: regulation of cell division, organ growth control, innate immunity, all using Drosophila (fruit flies) as a model organism.
What is your current job?
I am the Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Education at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA.
I manage a team of 12-13 people who provide academic support and funding to graduate students. We provide support to staff in schools and departments in supporting faculty and students. I advise the Vice Provost for Graduate Education in advocating for graduate student needs and in supporting the university in decisions related to graduate students. Mostly, it's a lot of meetings and emails that help people help others.
I love working to make real change for equity and access in graduate education.
How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?
A colleague suggested I might be interested and good at it.
PhD graduate ➡️ postdoc 1 (1.5 yrs) ➡️ postdoc 2 (3 yrs) ➡️ Associate/senior editor (3 yrs) ➡️ Program Manager/Director, Career exploration (3 yrs) ➡️ Associate Dean/interim graduate dean (6 yrs) ➡️ Associate Vice Provost (2 yrs)
Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?
When I first stepped away from the bench, it was with the realization I could have a bigger impact on scientific advancement in ways that don't involve the findings themselves. Instead, I hoped to make research findings available faster and to more people so others could build on it. I wasn't looking for a different role at the time - I expected to pursue a career as faculty - but I knew my impact could be greater outside the lab. I also wasn't interested in being an editor per se, it was this specific position at PLOS, which is/was an advocacy organization first and a publisher second. When I saw the position, it all clicked, and I knew it was what I wanted to do.
What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?
Note - I have a career IN academia just not as a faculty member on the tenure track.
Build your network - every person you know is a connection in your network, now and in future
Be open to the possibilities - rather than focus on specific tasks or job titles, think about why a particular role or responsibility is calling to you and look for those in all sorts of sectors and jobs
Lift up others - traditional academic training rewards self-promotion and self-distinction; outside of this very specific trajectory it's more important and valuable to lift up the work of others where it's appropriate, and to dedicate your efforts to the goals of the team
Are there any components of your identity you would like to share, including how they have impacted your journey?
I was a first generation college student (both immediate and extended family). I had no awareness of the academic world and what was possible.