Working with Dr. Cristie Glasheen has been one of the most transformative parts of my graduate school experience and genuinely integral to my success. She has an extraordinary ability to take the overwhelming, tangled mess of academic responsibilities, emotions, expectations, and deadlines and help me turn it into something clear, structured, and manageable.
Cristie helps me organize my thoughts when everything feels chaotic, prioritize tasks and deadlines in a realistic and sustainable way, stay accountable to both my personal values and professional goals, and learn tools and frameworks that make the behind-the-scenes part of academia far less overwhelming.
She has guided me through some of the most challenging aspects of academic life, including switching research advisors with clarity and professionalism, communicating needs around extensions or conflicting deadlines, applying for funding and fellowships, advocating for myself in professional settings, and interpreting the bureaucratic noise that comes with academic life and turning it into concrete next steps.
Beyond that, she has supported me in managing the emotional and psychological load of graduate school, creating realistic long-term research timelines, balancing personal health with sustained productivity, strengthening communication with advisors and collaborators, building confidence in my own expertise and decision-making, and developing healthier writing, planning, and project management habits. She has also helped me stay focused during high-pressure seasons like conference preparation and defense planning, learn how to set boundaries without guilt, and understand the unwritten norms and politics that everyone somehow expects graduate students to already know.
Cristie brings a rare combination of experience-backed insight, empathy, practical tools, and zero-judgment accountability. She doesn’t just tell me what to do—she helps me understand how to think strategically, protect my time and energy, and grow into the scientist and professional I want to be.
I honestly cannot imagine navigating graduate school without her support. If you’re a graduate student who wants structure, clarity, confidence, and someone on your side who truly understands academia from the inside out, I could not recommend her more highly.