Misconduct Allegations

[CareerConfusion]

I'm considering applying to/working with a professor who recently had allegations of misconduct against him. It looks like they've been dropped, since he's still working in the department, and I'm not necessarily that worried about it. Are there any questions I should ask during the process or things I should try to find out? I'm mostly worried that it could impact my longer term career (more difficult to get internships, post docs, etc) if I'm affiliated with him.

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[Ollie123]

Realize you may not want to share because of anonymity concerns, but details matter here.

Research misconduct? Clinical misconduct? Professional misconduct? Other misconduct?
When? Investigations can take months or even years so depending on how recently it is not necessarily a sign that he has been cleared.
How did you find out about it? If articles in the news and whatnot while the university remains mum, I'd respond very differently than an open disclosure by the professor/department to applicants with transparent description of how it is being handled and the results.

 

[CareerConfusion]

Realize you may not want to share because of anonymity concerns, but details matter here.

Research misconduct? Clinical misconduct? Professional misconduct? Other misconduct?
When? Investigations can take months or even years so depending on how recently it is not necessarily a sign that he has been cleared.
How did you find out about it? If articles in the news and whatnot while the university remains mum, I'd respond very differently than an open disclosure by the professor/department to applicants with transparent description of how it is being handled and the results.

Professional misconduct: alleged favoring of female students and hostile emails to students in his lab. Don’t want to give too many details, but was between 2-4 years ago and the case was investigated and closed by the school’s civil rights-esque organization

 

[R. Matey]

Hmmm, do you have another option? I think the fact you're worried about it should tell you something...

 

[Ollie123]

Tough to say in cases like that. Could have been an overblown nothing - we certainly had some people in my program who seemed over-the-top sensitive to things I considered normative well-intentioned professional feedback. To my knowledge it never escalated to a formal accusation but it certainly could have. On the other hand, this could certainly be a "where there is smoke there is fire" scenario. Just because in a given scenario someone's emails were not hostile enough to warrant them being fired doesn't mean that person would be my first choice as a mentor.

Sounds like you are still early in the process. I'd probably submit an application just to go and see (why not?). Would have my guard up, talk to students very carefully and take all this into consideration if/when the time came to make a decision.

 

[CareerConfusion]

Hmmm, do you have another option? I think the fact you're worried about it should tell you something...

While I see the validity in this, my concern is more about how it will be perceived by those who might be in a position to hire me later than my own comfort in the program. From what I've seen, I would feel ok attending, just don't know enough about how professionals in the field might judge my decision (which I know is tricky with a lack of info).

@Ollie123 are there any specific questions you suggest asking current students?

 

[DynamicDidactic]

I think you can just ask:
how is it working with Dr. So&So?

If grad students want to warn potential applicants about someone, they will see this as a perfect opportunity.

Also, I wouldn't worry about something like this until getting an interview invite (by your post it seems this has not happened yet).

 

[MCParent]

While I see the validity in this, my concern is more about how it will be perceived by those who might be in a position to hire me later than my own comfort in the program. From what I've seen, I would feel ok attending, just don't know enough about how professionals in the field might judge my decision (which I know is tricky with a lack of info).

@Ollie123 are there any specific questions you suggest asking current students?

If it were a case of making up fake data and publishing it, there could/would be problems. I don’t think that even a substantiated case that professor xyz was a jerk to students is something that most people would see as reflecting on that professor’s students when they go for jobs.

 

[R. Matey]

While I see the validity in this, my concern is more about how it will be perceived by those who might be in a position to hire me later than my own comfort in the program. From what I've seen, I would feel ok attending, just don't know enough about how professionals in the field might judge my decision (which I know is tricky with a lack of info).

I've met students at various conferences who are working with professors named in the Hoffman report. It doesn't seem to be affecting their careers...

 

[futureapppsy2]

Although having a mentor who may be known as a jerk won't hurt your career in and of itself, getting on the wrong side of an aggressive mentor could very much do so. Pay close attention to your interactions with them during the interview, if you receive one.

 

[Ollie123]

Agree with the above. No magic questions to ask, just the obvious ones "What is the climate in the lab?" "Tell me about the X's mentorship style" "Do you like it here?". Listen to their answer, but also watch body language to some degree.

I don’t think that even a substantiated case that professor xyz was a jerk to students is something that most people would see as reflecting on that professor’s students when they go for jobs.

Probably not, but I have yet to meet a person who was a jerk to students who wasn't a jerk to non-students too. Their professional network almost invariably seems to suffer as a result and could limit networking opportunities at conferences and other venues. Half the people I applied to work with on internship and everyone I applied to work with for post-doc were people I had met through my graduate mentors at conferences. It certainly isn't a requirement and its by no means going to ruin a career if that isn't the case, but having genuinely nice mentors who other people like has more perks than just the obvious.

 

[DynamicDidactic]

Not Psychology but damn

U of Florida suspends professor blamed in student's suicide

University of Florida professor facing blame in a student's suicide is placed on leave. Case recalls abuse of graduate students elsewhere.

www.insidehighered.com

 

[dcpsychdoc]

Not Psychology but damn

U of Florida suspends professor blamed in student's suicide

University of Florida professor facing blame in a student's suicide is placed on leave. Case recalls abuse of graduate students elsewhere.

www.insidehighered.com

That is so incredibly sad.

 

[StellaB]

Although having a mentor who may be known as a jerk won't hurt your career in and of itself, getting on the wrong side of an aggressive mentor could very much do so. Pay close attention to your interactions with them during the interview, if you receive one.

Seconded. I spent much of grad school carefully avoiding / dancing around an aggressive faculty member who could easily have mucked up my early career if I had chosen to work in his lab. Fortunately, he wasn't very sophisticated at concealing his unsavory personality traits and I was able to select a different (awesome & supportive) lab in my first semester. But you better believe he was mad about that and made it known during every single year of my graduate education. Trust your gut; grad school is hard enough without having an abusive advisor.