research supervision

I recevied an email today from one of my PhD supervisors. Dr Calvin Smith came on board to supervise me, as an associate supervisor, after Peter Renshaw left UQ. Shortly after Calvin became my associate supervisor, my principal supervisor Carolyn Baker was diagnosed with cancer and died. Calvin wrote to ask me about my final examiners' reports since he resigned from UQ before I completed my thesis.

sounds like a litany of names and supervisors doesn't it.I guess, though, that the experience is not uncommon today. Starting out with a supervisor in no way assumes that you will finish with that person. In my own case, I deliberately sought out Carolyn Baker to supervise me in my PHd because of her expertise in the area of ethnomethodology and conversation analysis. Carolyn's untimely death from cancer changed the course of my PhD studies in numerous ways.

Thinking about all this lately, I have realised what a venture the PhD supervision experience is in relation to time. I now have my own students to supervise and am mindful that it is a serious undertaking that will draw me together with individuals for up to five or six years. that is some commitment and not to be taken lightly.