This radio play exposes the anatomy of a tenure case, the proposed promotion of Jasmine Jackson who teaches electrical engineering at the Cambridge Technology Institute (CTI), a fictionalized version of MIT. The play is an adaptation from the author’s full-length novel, “One Man’s Purpose,” which tells a more complex story of Professor Martin Quint, who mentors Jasmine’s tenure case, as he deals with the many stresses of academic life in the fast lane.

On the Receiving End

“On the Receiving End” is a short vignette attempting to make palpable the kinds of slights and often-unintentional insults that individuals may face. The generic name for such things is “microaggressions,” although that word often does not capture the innocent, hurtful mistakes that someone can make when not sufficiently aware of how their remarks or behavior might be received.

This short drama, excerpted from the author’s novel “One Man’s Purpose,” tells the story of how the simple peer review of a journal paper can spiral out of control into a career threatening confrontation between a powerful, senior person, and a junior person just trying to make it to the next level.

Am I an Imposter?

This short vignette illustrates what is called “The Imposter Syndrome,” a feeling that one is not qualified to be in the position one holds. The episode presented here is a fictionalized version of a problem that the author experienced, first-hand, as a young faculty member.