On 20 July 2017, I was interviewed by Rachael Lallensack for Nature. The article, ‘Female Astronomers of Colour Face Daunting Discrimination,’ reports on new research, which finds that two-fifths report of women astronomers of colour feel unsafe at work, and 18% have concerns about attending conferences.
Continue reading Interview: Women Astronomers of Colour Face Discrimination
On 11 July 2017, I was interviewed by Buzzfeed, about a new study by Professor Kate Clancy and colleagues, showing women of colour scientists are more likely to experience race and gender harassment. Women of colour scientists are also excessively critiqued about their femininity, they have their physical abilities questioned, and they are more likely to miss professional opportunities like conferences, fieldwork, classes and meetings because their workplaces are unsafe.
Continue reading Interview: Many Women Of Colour Feel Unsafe Working In Science
This is the second of a two-part interview with me on Mendeley Careers, first published on 17 May 2017. (Find part one here.)
Continue reading Interview: Sociologist at Work
On 28 May 2017, I was interviewed on Triple J radio for the program, The Hook Up. The show explored listeners’ experiences of sexual fetishisation and prejudice in relationships, as well as what it’s like being partned with people from minority backgrounds.
Continue reading Interracial Dating: Pushing Past Prejudice
I was interviewed by Mendeley about my work in equity and diversity in research environments. This is the first of a two-part interview. The original article was published on 16 May 2017.
Continue reading Interview: Sociology at Work
I have recently given a few media interviews on my analysis of equity, inclusion and accessibility and March for Science. I was interviewed about my articles on the problems with the march and the science of diversity, as well as the anti-diversity discourse by march supporters. Below, I briefly discuss issues emerging from the media interviews I’ve done with STAT News, Buzzfeed, The New York Times, Wired, and Living Lab Radio. Continue reading Media Interviews on March for Science
In mid-2015, I was featured on the University College London Researchers about my time running my consultancy. Read more below about my career transition and how I use social science when working with not-for-profit organisations and businesses.
Dr Zuleyka Zevallos earned a PhD in Sociology from Swinburne University, Melbourne, where she remains an Adjunct Research Fellow. She currently runs her own business, Social Science Insights, a Research and Social Media Consultancy working with small to medium businesses, government, and not-for-profits who require social research, training and policy advice. She also provides research-driven social media content to help public education and health campaigns. Here Zuleyka shares her career journey, and offers tips to researchers thinking of moving out of academia.How did you move from studying for a PhD to starting your own consultancy?
After completing my PhD at the end of 2004, I continued to work as a lecturer. I left in 2006 because there was no job security in academia. I found it difficult to find full-time academic work in my field, but once I started looking in business and policy sectors, the job choices were surprisingly abundant. I’ve reflected on the fact that, at first, it was very disheartening to give up on my dream job in academia, but once I realised the multiple career possibilities in other industries, the decision to leave was empowering.
A career beyond academia leads to diverse experiences, and the work will likely take you to places you may not have expected. Having had little luck for months trying to get an academic job, I decided to apply for unconventional roles that sounded interesting. I received a number of different offers, which showed me how valuable my PhD degree was to non-academic employers. I took a job in federal government as a Social Scientist. I moved interstate to take the position. Within five years, I had led two interdisciplinary team projects working on social modeling and intercultural communication, and I also conducted research on a range of topics, from political violence to media analysis to the socio-economic outcomes of migrants and refugees. The role was varied so that I worked with many different clients, and I also attended conferences and published articles, which kept me engaged with my academic peers.
In late 2011, I decided to move back to my home state permanently. I worked as a Senior Analyst on an environmental health and safety investigation. I led a team of 23 researchers examining 30 years worth of reports and company data, as well as analysing interviews with 300 emergency service workers. We evaluated the connections between training and environmental practices, the chemicals used during exercises, and the high rate of cancer and other illnesses amongst emergency service workers.
After the investigation ended, I decided to set up my business. I had plenty of leadership experience, and had worked autonomously in setting up various projects in my previous roles, plus I had worked with many different client groups. Setting up the business required a lot of research, and I also took a business management course. I’ve been working as a consultant for the past couple of years.
Continue reading Turning Social Science Into a Business
On 11 November 2015, I was interviewed by Lauren Morello, for Nature. The article, ‘Science and sexism: In the eye of the Twitterstorm,’ explores how social media supports public discussion about sexism in science. Read an excerpt below.
Continue reading Interview: Science and Sexism
On 6 February 2015, my research with my colleagues was featured in an article by Brigid Schulte for The Washington Post.
Continue reading Interview: Black and Latina Women Scientists Sometimes Mistaken for Janitors
On 3 December 2014, I was interviewed by Stephanie Pappas, for Live Science. The article, ‘Wikipedia’s Gender Problem Gets a Closer Look,’ looks at sexism in Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation reports that only 10% of Wikipedia editors are women. Read an exercept below.
Continue reading Interview: Wikipedia’s Gender Problem Gets a Closer Look
On 18 November 2014, I was interviewed by Simon Owens, for PBS MediaShift. The article, ‘Google Plus a Ghost Town? Not If You Look at Communities,’ explores the thriving communities on Google Plus. I discussed one of the communities I co-moderate with a team of a dozen scientists with PhDs in various fields, Science on Google+.
Continue reading Interview: Google Plus a Ghost Town? Not If You Look at Communities
Dr Zuleyka Zevallos - Sociology Prose 