Science magazine speaks with Gill about hiring remote postdocs
Science magazine spoke with Jacquelyn Gill, an associate professor of paleoecology at the University of Maine, for an article about hiring remote postdoctoral researchers. Remote work options, if feasible, should be considered for postdocs because they help make academia more inclusive, particularly for researchers who have family constraints or financial constraints that would prevent moving, according to the article. “Anything we can do to provide more stability (for early-career researchers) — and not just pull more legs out from under the table — is going to help in the long run,” said Gill, who first hired a remote postdoc three years ago. She said that went better than she expected, with the individual engaging in regular communication and mentoring of undergraduates. “It … became a great model for our lab,” Gill said.