Peer Review: Creativity and Fulfillment in Academia

Sarah Bunin Benor and Mira Sucharov
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The field of academia needs a wellness boost. So many scholars struggle with self-doubt, lack of focus, overwhelm, and even burnout. What do scholars find meaningful and fulfilling? How can we align our professional decisions with our values and priorities? What advice can we apply from coaches and experts in mindfulness, happiness, and productivity? Hebrew Union College Professor Sarah Bunin Benor and Carleton University Professor Mira Sucharov answer these questions through in-depth conversations with scholars, experts, and coaches.

Episodes

  1. FEB 9

    Annmarie Caño – Otro Mundo Posible: Cultivating Liberatory Leadership

    Annmarie Caño, Psychology Professor at Gonzaga University and author of Leading Toward Liberation, explains how to effect institutional change through listening-based leadership, defining the hidden curriculum, and articulating individual mission statements.

    49 min

  2. JAN 26

    Ilana Horwitz – Entrepreneurial Scholarship

    Ilana Horwitz, professor of Jewish studies and sociology at Tulane University and author of The Entrepreneurial Scholar, shares wisdom from her unexpected journey into academia and insights on the role of resourcefulness in finding a job, publishing op-eds, and developing “minimally viable products.”

    44 min

  3. JAN 12

    Robbie Shilliam – Building Fulfilling Spaces

    Robbie Shilliam, Scholar of International Relations at Johns Hopkins University, reflects on bringing creativity and community to academia through the interdisciplinarity of the field, co-teaching courses, building structures for sustained collective success, and even making time to play Assassin's Creed.

    22 min

  4. 12/29/2025

    Alison Miller – Infrastructure for Productivity and Well-Being

    Founder and director of the Academic Writers Space Alison Miller shares advice for building writing infrastructure, navigating inbox Narnia, and living a life where productivity and well-being coexist. Scholars at all career stages can learn from Miller’s expertise.

    52 min

  5. 12/15/2025

    Lance Eaton – Authentic Assessment: Co-Creating AI Policies with Students

    Lance Eaton, an expert on integrating technology into education, gives practical tools for teaching in the world of AI. Grappling with questions of its uses, ethics, and possibilities, Eaton underscores the humanness at the center of the AI discussion.

    43 min

  6. 12/01/2025

    Lila Corwin Berman – Pre-crastination and The Perfect Work Day

    Lila Corwin Berman, professor of American Jewish History at New York University, discusses how current U.S. politics and internal drive for productivity shape her work. With reflective wisdom, Berman offers insight on appreciating the slowness of book-writing, the pressure of proving ‘smartness,’ and the importance of relaxation.

    41 min

  7. 11/23/2025

    Peter Anderson – Defying Distraction: Mindfulness, Meditation, and ‘Better Productivity’

    Peter Anderson, leadership and mindfulness coach, shares wisdom about burnout, stoicism, and emotional intelligence. Including a brief meditation sample, Anderson prompts reflection on autonomy and ‘better productivity.’

    41 min

  8. 11/23/2025

    Leslie Kern – Not Enough Time: Coaching Balance in Academia

    Academic coach and author Leslie Kern on navigating the challenging world of academia, from prestige and productivity to making hidden labor count.

    37 min

  9. 11/23/2025

    Sarah Bunin Benor – Code Switching and Mode Switching: A Sociolinguist on Productivity

    Mira Sucharov interviews Sarah Bunin Benor, podcast co-host and Professor at Hebrew Union College, about her expertise in the field of Jewish sociolinguistics, productivity hacks, and animating values. From founding the Jewish Language Project to compiling wisdom from women in their 90s, Benor dives into her driving force of community engagement and shares her practices for work-life balance.

    40 min

  10. 11/23/2025

    Mira Sucharov – Going Public: A Political Scientist on Coping with Setbacks and Finding Her Voice

    Debuting the Peer Review Podcast, Sarah Bunin Benor interviews Mira Sucharov, political scientist, writer, and Peer Review co-host, about her ongoing journey in academia, lessons learned, and finding community along the way. Sucharov shares insights on creative output, air hockey, and more.

    41 min

  11. 11/23/2025

    Peer Review Trailer

    Welcome to the Peer Review Podcast! A sociolinguist and a political scientist discuss something they never learned in grad school: how to live a meaningful academic life. Sarah Bunin Benor and Mira Sucharov in conversation with experts, coaches, and scholars about the ups and downs of the scholarly journey. Articulating priorities. Rethinking productivity. Finding meaning.

    2 min

Trailer

About

The field of academia needs a wellness boost. So many scholars struggle with self-doubt, lack of focus, overwhelm, and even burnout. What do scholars find meaningful and fulfilling? How can we align our professional decisions with our values and priorities? What advice can we apply from coaches and experts in mindfulness, happiness, and productivity? Hebrew Union College Professor Sarah Bunin Benor and Carleton University Professor Mira Sucharov answer these questions through in-depth conversations with scholars, experts, and coaches.

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