Dreaming of Direction: Reconciling Fatherhood and Ambition

Exploring the Personal and Professional Realities of Parenthood and Graduate Studies

“…At times, they will find themselves in situations where the demands of graduate school and parenting compete. A substantial amount of literature highlights the sacrifices parents had to make such as negotiating pregnancy, health issues, and career progression (Augspurger, 2011;Berger, 2017;Careless, 2017;Irvine, 2011;Milmine, 2017;Sutherland, 2008) along with recommendations to make universities more family-friendly. Family-friendly university strategies include paid parental leave, childcare support, health insurance for dependents, mentoring, and faculty and graduate student training and support (Jairam & Kahl, 2012;O'Connor, 2009;Springer et al, 2009;Williams, 2007).…”