Guest Bloggers: Dr. Mollie Bryde-Evens and Emily Wharton
Before we delve into the story behind Stupid Genius, you might be wondering, "What even is Stupid Genius?".
Well, let us give you the shorthand. Stupid Genius is a PhD and academia podcast hosted by us, Emily and Mollie. On the podcast, we release a new episode weekly which jumps into all things PhD and academic life. We discuss the highs and lows of doctoral study, from being proud of your successes to managing conflicts with your supervisors and everything in between. We share, often a little too freely, our own experiences of being doctoral researchers and the lessons we have learned along the way. Occasionally, we are joined by amazing guests whose research or experience is of value to our community. The episodes are laced with lots of laughter, an abundance of stupidity and occasionally, a moment of genius.
But why did we, two PhD students who at the time were in the throes of our second year, struggling under the weight of thesis writing and data collection, decide to create Stupid Genius? The podcast, and all that has come with it such as in-person speaking events, a large and budding online community and research collaborations, was born out of a desire to inject some fun into what can be a lonely and difficult journey. Though studying completely different disciplines, for Emily biomechanics and for Mollie business ethics and sustainability, the two of us had met at several doctoral events and had immediately clicked. Not only do we bring out a silliness in each other that keeps us laughing even through the difficult times, but we also share an ambition and passion that makes us well matched to collaborate on a project such as this.
Another important thing we shared is the feeling that a certain negativity surrounds doctoral study that, whilst perhaps justified to some extent, masks the potential joy, adventure and creativity that studying for a doctorate degree can afford. A lot of the existing PhD podcast content we encountered, along with being helpful and interesting, tended to be rather serious and somewhat formal. We wanted to change that. We wanted to show other PhD students that you don’t have to hide who you are to prosper in academia: you can be smart and a little bit silly, you can be playful and be taken seriously, you can be light-hearted and successful. And so, in January 2023, Stupid Genius was born.
We’ve learned more from Stupid Genius than we ever thought we would. Of course, there’s the technical side of hosting a podcast that was completely new to us. There is the organisation element: learning to manage our time effectively, what our work boundaries are and how we can balance and maintain our work on the podcast alongside the million other tasks and commitments a PhD demands from us. More than that, Stupid Genuis has taught us not to take doctoral life too seriously and where possible, to enjoy the ride – however bumpy it might get.
The future of Stupid Genius is yet to be decided. But wherever this path takes us we would love to see our podcast community grow. Most of all, we hope to continue to make more doctoral researchers feel less alone and where we can, help make others’ doctoral journey’s a bit easier. So expect more exciting collaborations, more in-person events, more stupidity and, with any luck, more genius.
Bios:
Mollie Bryde-Evens
Dr Mollie Bryde-Evens began her VC-Scholarship funded PhD at Liverpool John Moores University in February 2021 and finished in October 2023 after successfully defending her thesis titled “Adapt and Flourish: An Examination of Ethics, Unsustainability, and Disaster Recovery in Organisations”. Mollie is now a full-time lecturer in ethical business and responsible management at Liverpool Business School and is co-leader of the British Academy of Management Early Career Academic Network. Prior to this, Mollie achieved her bachelor’s degree in philosophy and her master’s degree in ethics and social philosophy, both from Cardiff University, which instilled in her a passion for ethics and social issues. In between degrees, Mollie worked in various industries and is interested in the ways more traditional approaches to philosophy and ethics can be useful in organisational settings. Mollie’s PhD applied a virtue ethical, stakeholder theory lens and examined the interactions between sustainable development, disaster recovery, and ethics in organisations.
Her broad areas of interest are triple bottom-line sustainability and business ethics, with a focus on normativity and she was awarded the Emerging Scholars Award by the Society of Business Ethics in 2022. Mollie is also interested in and passionate about EDIR (equity, diversity, inclusivity, and respect)-related issues, and was co-founder and treasurer of the award-winning RIDE (Respect, Inclusivity, Diversity, and Equity) Society. She also co-led an inclusion and diversity project titled 'I Belong!'. Her current research projects focus on the ethical implications of the slow fashion movement, the role of normativity in business ethical and sustainability research, and the relationship between short-termism and social sustainability during periods of disaster recovery.
Emily Wharton:
Emily Wharton is a fourth-year PhD student in the Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences at Liverpool John Moores University, funded by the Applied Research Collaboration with the North-West Coast (ARC NWC). Emily's thesis title is “The Role of Socio-Economic Status on Stair Fall Risk in Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” which focuses on health inequalities for older adults, particularly home adaptions for preventing stair falls and access to care during COVID-19 through a mixed-methods approach. Emily was awarded the Pandemic Institute Student Excellence Award, receiving a total of £3,500 for demonstrating personal/professional dedication as well as academic excellence for her research. Prior to this, Emily achieved her BSc degree and MSc degree in Sport and Exercise Science from Sheffield Hallam University, which sparked her interest in clinical biomechanics and investigating health inequalities.
Creating inclusive environments and implementing positive change in academia is something Emily cares deeply about. As co-founder and president of the award-winning society RIDE (Respect, Inclusivity, Diversity, and Equity), she has actively worked to foster EDIR within LJMU and the wider community. Emily has also contributed to the LJMU's Faculty of Science Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity Panel (SEDIP), and the Sport and Exercise Science ‘RIDE’ Panel. She has been involved in further initiatives, such as co-chairing a panel discussion with Hannah Cockroft OBE, a British wheelchair racer and TV presenter, and Anyika Onoura, a Team GB Global sprint medalist. Additionally, Emily has been an invited guest presenter and panelist at the Women in Sports Biomechanics event during the International Society of Sports Biomechanics (ISBS) Conference 2022 and hopes to inspire people in academia to be wholeheartedly themselves.
