Abstract
Currently, I am deep in the trenches of trying to successfully manage two of the most amazing things, motherhood and professorhood. It is my hope that sharing some of my story will provide not only information, but also insight and hope to the reader. For me, achieving success in many areas of my life is more of a juggling act, rather than a balancing act. In this chapter, I share my story as a first generation college student who during my career/life has experienced a two-body problem, challenges during pregnancy, and has survived a hostile work environment based on gender. I give you a glimpse into my juggling act.
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Acknowledgments
I am indebted to numerous people who have pushed, challenged, inspired, supported, and believed in me through the years, ultimately getting me where I am today, starting with my parents, who believed in me and taught me to follow my values and to work hard. Instrumental professors Cullen (MCC) and Morris (SUNY Brockport) introduced me to what is looks like to be an amazing teacher at the undergraduate level. UIUC’s Scott Silverman for being a true mentor and champion as my postdoc advisor. Troy Wood (UB) for believing in me and inviting me to be his research collaborator on a very cool project. Brian Mauro (FDU) for providing many opportunities to step out of my comfort zone and tackle new projects and programs. Wendy Pogozelski, Celia Easton, and Ken Kallio for recognizing and acknowledging that I am more than a lecturer and that I have much more to offer SUNY Geneseo. In addition, I am incredibly blessed with a number of women whom I consider to be my mentors, confidants, and friends. Then there is my family. Nothing I do (have done) would be possible without their support, encouragement, and love. My children still love me (and even give me hugs) despite the fact that I cannot always be there for them at every stop. My husband Jay has supported me in all that I do. He must think I am truly a crazy person for getting involved in so many things and throwing so many balls into the air at one time. But as crazy as he thinks I am, he is always my grounding and stabilizing force; he is the person in my juggling act who helps to catch some of the balls I miss and more importantly helps me pick up the pieces when a ball crashes to the ground. It is only with all of this amazing support that I am able to continue my circus performance, my juggling act.
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Editors and Affiliations
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Editor’s Note
Between this chapter’s submission and the publication of this book, Dr. Amber Charlebois has changed institutions. Dr. Charlebois is now back on the tenure-track as an assistant professor of chemistry at Nazareth College.
About the Author
Education and Professional Career
- 1988:
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BS Photography, Syracuse University, NY
- 1995:
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AAS Chemistry, Monroe Community College, NY
- 2001:
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PhD Organic Chemistry, University at Buffalo, NY
- 2002:
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Research and Teaching Postdoctoral Associate, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL
- 2002–2006:
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Assistant Professor, William Paterson University of New Jersey, NJ
- 2006–2011:
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Assistant Professor, Fairleigh Dickinson University, NJ
- 2011–2015:
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Associate Professor, Fairleigh Dickinson University, NJ
- 2015–2018:
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Lecturer, Coordinator of Supplemental Instruction, and Pre-Health Advisor, SUNY, Geneseo, NY
- 2018–present:
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Assistant Professor, Nazareth College, Rochester, NY
Honors and Awards (Selected)
- 2015:
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Fellow, American Chemical Society
- 2010:
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E. Emmet Reid Award for Outstanding Teaching of Chemistry at Small Colleges from the Middle Atlantic Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society in DE
- 2010:
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Becton College Teacher of the Year Award
- 2009:
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Innovative Challenge Award winner for business “Dr. Demo: On Site Science”
Besides her ongoing commitment to the American Chemical Society (ACS) locally and nationally, Amber aims to inspire future science students and chemistry majors with Dr. Demo, on-site science demonstrations for children ages 3–10.
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Charlebois, A.F. (2018). My Circus: Please Note That I Have No Formal Training in Juggling. In: Woznack, K., Charlebois, A., Cole, R., Marzabadi, C., Webster, G. (eds) Mom the Chemistry Professor . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78972-9_7
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