Shows
Academics and Their Money4 Degrees, Dollars, and Detours: Academia Meets Financial Therapy with Oliver SchnusenbergSend us a textIn this episode of Academics and Their Money, hosts Neeka Miremadi and Inga Timmerman sit down with Oliver Schnusenberg, Professor of Finance at the University of North Florida, to explore a career path that has taken more turns than most academic CVs could handle.Oliver shares how a German upbringing, an early interest in hospitality, and a family full of accountants somehow led him to a PhD in finance, a pioneering course in behavioral finance, and eventually a second act studying neuroscience and mental health. What began as curiosity about why...
2026-01-1533 min
Academics and Their MoneyNot Financially Optimal, But Right: Inside the Australian Academic System with Roxy PebdaniSend us a textIn this episode of Academics and Their Money, Neeka Miremadi and Inga Timmerman sit down with Roxy Pebdani to explore what it really looks like to build an academic career across borders, systems, and life stages, while keeping money, equity, and values in view.Roxy shares her personal and professional journey as the child of Iranian immigrants, growing up as a third culture kid, studying and working across the US, and ultimately relocating her family to Sydney, Australia, with two very young children. She reflects on the realities of academic mobility...
2025-12-1835 minAcademics and Their MoneyHow PhDs Can Earn Fifty to Seventy Five Percent More: Elena Hoffer’s Not-So-Academic StorySend us a textIn this international edition of Academics and Their Money, Inga Timmerman and Neeka Miremadi sit down with Elena Hoffer, a German scientist living in Sweden who completed her PhD in immunology at the Karolinska Institute. Elena shares her journey from academic research to entrepreneurship and explains why she ultimately stepped away from the professor track.Elena opens up about her early discomfort around money, why academics often undervalue themselves, and how she rebuilt her mindset by recognizing the real outcomes her work creates. She now co runs a job accelerator program...
2025-12-0436 minAcademics and Their MoneyThe Academic Roadmap: Promotion (Money First!), Tenure, and Money Mindsets with Philip GibsonSend us a textIn this episode of Academics and Their Money, hosts Neeka Miremadi and Inga Timmerman sit down with Philip Gibson professor of finance, associate dean at Winthrop University, and founder of ElationWealth LLC to explore money mindsets, academic career strategy, and teaching the next generation about finances.Philip begins by sharing how his early experiences in Jamaica shaped a scarcity mindset that later evolved into intentional planning, education, and goal setting. He highlights the power of mentors, explaining how key guidance early on propelled him toward a PhD and a dual-path career...
2025-11-2033 min
Academics and Their MoneySide Hustles, Stashes, and Salary Truths: The Academic Life of Nik VolkovSend us a textIn this episode of Academics and Their Money, hosts Neeka Miremadi and Inga Timmerman sit down with Nik Volkov, Associate Professor of Finance at Mercer University, to trace his path into academia and the money lessons learned along the way.Nik shares how a frugal upbringing shaped his financial discipline, the mindset shift that came from a single conversation about income versus expenses, and why he believes academics often underestimate their capacity to earn. The discussion dives deep into academic pay stagnation, ...
2025-11-0629 min
Academics and Their Money‘It’s Like Dealing with Kindergartners’: Pieter De Jong on the Realities of Academic LifeSend us a textIn this episode of Academics and Their Money, hosts Neeka Miremadi and Inga Timmerman talk with Pieter De Jong, who shares his unconventional journey from physical therapist to finance professor. Pieter reflects on growing up poor in the Netherlands, moving to the U.S. with nothing, and pursuing an MBA and PhD while raising a family, all driven by a deep desire for freedom and security.He discusses what money has meant to him (“freedom, not happiness”), the lessons he learned about investing, and what shoc...
2025-10-2330 min
Academics and Their MoneyYou Can’t Pay Rent with Passion: Why Ashley Ruba Left AcademiaSend us a text“Clarity often follows action. You don’t really know what you like until you try it.” — Ashley RubaIn this episode of Academics and Their Money, hosts Inga Timmerman and Neeka Miremadi talk with Ashley Ruba. After getting a PhD in developmental psychology, she left academia to pursue a career in user experience (UX) research and now works full time at Meta while running her own consulting business for those wanting to transition out of academia.Ashley shares h...
2025-10-0936 min
Academics and Their MoneyMoney Gives You Options: Emily Roberts on Finances in Grad SchoolSend us a textIn this episode of Academics and Their Money, Neeka Miremadi and Inga Timmerman sit down with Emily Roberts, founder of Personal Finance for PhDs. Emily shares her journey from pursuing a PhD in biomedical engineering at Duke to building a career as a financial educator for graduate students and postdocs.She opens up about how saving during grad school gave her the freedom to take career risks, why adopting an “emerging professional” mindset (instead of a perpetual student identity) is crucial for both finances and wellbeing, and how academics can avoid unde...
2025-09-2535 minAcademics and Their MoneyAnnual Benefit Enrollment Explained: Making the Most of Your Workplace Benefits as an AcademicSend us a textIt’s not a set-it-and-forget-it type thing, annual enrollment is the one time each year to really make sure your benefits still fit your life.In this episode of Academics and Their Money, Neeka Miremadi and Inga Timmerman break down the key considerations for annual enrollment season. Too often, employees let benefits roll over without reviewing whether their coverage still meets their needs. Neeka and Inga walk through the major benefit categories: medical, life insurance, dental and vision, FSAs and HSAs, and disability insurance, highlighting what to look out fo...
2025-09-1122 minAcademics and Their MoneyAcademia Won’t Love You Back: Rebecca Pope-Ruark on Money, Burnout, and BalanceSend us a text“We imagine professors in leather chairs thinking big thoughts, but the reality is—it’s a workplace that won’t love you back if you’re not producing.”In this episode of Academics and Their Money, Neeka Miremadi and Inga Timmerman sit down with Rebecca Pope-Ruark, Director of Faculty Professional Development at Georgia Tech, author of Agile Faculty and Unraveling Faculty Burnout. Rebecca opens up about her own journey through academia from financial stress and student loan regret, to finding stability through consulting work and charging her worth.She shares candi...
2025-08-2825 minAcademics and Their MoneyThe Currency of Life: How Academics Can Build Financial Freedom with Sam HosseiniSend us a text"Money is not a piece of paper in your purse. It's your life. It's your youth. It's your precious hours that you gave away to earn that money. Spend it wisely."What if money isn’t just currency but the very time and energy of your life, especially when you’re navigating the unique challenges of an academic career?Sam Hosseini, a biomedical engineering professor turned entrepreneur, shares how reframing money as a tool for freedom and choice reshaped her journey from tenure-track academia to building her own...
2025-08-1430 minAcademics and Their MoneyThe $48K Wake-Up Call: Lessons in Money and Academia with Tanya Golash-BozaSend us a textWhat happens when your first raise kicks you off state healthcare? Tanya Golash-Boza learned the hard way that more money doesn’t always mean more breathing room.In this episode, we talk with Tanya about the financial wake-up calls that shaped her academic career—from losing food stamps after a small negotiation win, to realizing that a $10,000 fellowship wasn’t “extra” money, but part of a bigger budgeting lesson.She shares how one offhand comment from a colleague led her to start saving for her kids’ college with just $50 a month—and...
2025-07-3135 minAcademics and Their MoneyAcademia as a Business: Side Hustles, Strategy, and Salary with Ramon GoingsSend us a text“Get the Bag, Not Just the Title” — Ramon GoingsWhat would you do differently if you could start your academic career over? Ramon Goings has a few answers—and he’s not holding back. In this episode, we chat with the founder of Done Dissertation about the biggest financial lessons he’s learned as a professor, business owner, and scholar.Ramon explains why your first academic job offer sets the tone for your financial future, and why prestige should come after pay. He shares how he leveraged grant structures, salary negot...
2025-07-1732 minAcademics and Their MoneyPart 2: Starting a New Academic Job? Breaking Down Your Retirement Plan’s Investment Choices—Without the JargonSend us a textIn this second installment of our two-part series on workplace retirement plans, host Neeka Miremadi helps academics navigate the next step after choosing between plan types—evaluating the investments within those plans. Whether you're comparing 403(b) and 457 plans or just want to make better use of your current retirement account, this episode walks you through how to assess fund quality, fees, and provider options like a PhD (without making a 10-page report like Inga did).Neeka breaks down key concepts like expense ratios, target date funds, and asset class diversification, and sh...
2025-07-0314 minAcademics and Their MoneyStarting a New Academic Job? Here's How to Pick the Right Retirement PlanSend us a textStarting a new academic job? One of the biggest—and most overwhelming—financial decisions you'll face is choosing a workplace retirement plan. In this episode of Academics and Their Money, Neeka Miremadi walks you through a clear, approachable framework to help you understand your options and make a confident choice.This is Part 1 of a two-part series on workplace investing. Today’s focus: how to choose which type of plan to enroll in, such as a pension vs. an investment-based plan, and how to think through contribution options like pre-ta...
2025-06-1913 minAcademics and Their MoneyLeaving Academia: Janine Sam on Giving Up Tenure for IndustrySend us a textIn this episode of Academics and Their Money, we talk with Janine Sam—a former professor turned financial planner—about her transition from academia to industry, and all the financial lessons she picked up along the way. Janine opens up about the realities of academic workload, the myth of flexibility in higher ed, and what ultimately drove her to pivot careers.We also dive into:What it’s like to teach and live abroad (including tax surprises!)Her experience negotiating salaries in both academia and industryHow she weighed the cost of a P...
2025-06-0528 minAcademics and Their MoneyTenure, Textbooks, and the Long Game with Melisa GalvanSend us a textIn this episode of Academics and Their Money, we’re joined by Melisa Galvan—professor, textbook author, and all-around academic powerhouse—to talk about what she wishes she'd known before starting her academic career. From the high-stakes stress of negotiating as a new PhD, to managing a 4–4 teaching load in Los Angeles, Melisa shares the financial trade-offs she’s navigated in pursuit of a life in higher ed. We discuss the tension between financial survival and professional growth, the dangers of putting your personal life on hold for professional milestones, and why retirem...
2025-05-2225 minAcademics and Their MoneyUnraveling Money Mindsets & Adjunct Academia with Shannah GameSend us a textIn this episode of Academics and Their Money, we sit down with Shannah Game—host of Everyone's Talking Money and author of Unraveling Your Relationship with Money—to explore the often-overlooked emotional side of finances. We dive into the challenges of adjunct teaching, misconceptions about academic salaries, and the mental baggage many of us carry about money. Shannah shares exercises to help reframe your money mindset, including how to practice financial forgiveness and ask the right questions about your money habits. She even gave us some “homework” to do and dig into our relation...
2025-05-0831 minAcademics and Their MoneyGratitude & the Side-Eye: Nicole Pulliam on Making Peace—and Money—Beyond AcademiaSend us a textIn this deeply honest and empowering episode of Academics and Their Money, we’re joined by Nicole Pulliam—tenured professor, certified coach, and unapologetic truth-teller—as she shares her unexpected journey through academia, the power of belief, and the real talk no one gives you about money in higher ed.Nicole opens up about what it felt like to pursue a PhD she never imagined for herself, the joy and constraints of life as a professor, and why her gratitude for the academic world now comes with a healthy dose of skepti...
2025-04-2436 minAcademics and Their MoneyBalancing Academia, Finances, and Well-Being: A Conversation with Jasmine CobbSend us a textIn this episode of Academics and Their Money, Neeka Miremadi and Inga Timmerman interview Jasmine Cobb about her insights on navigating academia while managing finances. They discuss how early-career academics can set themselves up for financial success & personal happiness, with Jasmine sharing how she wished she'd maximized retirement contributions and stayed true to personal passions amidst the pressures of tenure. The conversation delves into the taboo surrounding money in academia, the importance of salary transparency, and the growing acceptance of side gigs for professors. Jasmine also shares how she teaches her kids to...
2025-04-1035 minAcademics and Their MoneyBreaking Money Myths: Academic Funding, Immigrant Guilt, and Failing Upward with Zeina SalameSend us a textThis episode of Academics and Their Money explores the intersection of money, culture, and academia through the experiences of Zeina Salame. Raised by immigrant parents with a strong emphasis on financial security, Zeina shares how cultural expectations shaped her career path and relationship with money. Despite earning a PhD in theater and securing a tenure-track position, she still grapples with financial anxiety, risk aversion, and the challenges of navigating academia’s limited compensation.The discussion highlights key themes such as financial literacy gaps, the emotional weight of money decisions, the importance of...
2025-03-2735 minAcademics and Their MoneyUnderstanding Taxes as an Academic: Common Considerations and ShortcomingsSend us a textIn this episode, Neeka Miremadi breaks down the complexities of taxes for professors, for those new to academia or continuing. She covers essential tax concepts, including how W-2 income differs from self-employment income, the importance of understanding calendar-year taxation, and how additional consulting or freelance work impacts tax obligations. Neeka also highlights common tax pitfalls, such as under-withholding for those with multiple income sources or married professors filing jointly. She provides actionable steps to help listeners assess their income sources from the previous year and prepare for tax season with clarity and confidence...
2025-03-1309 minAcademics and Their MoneyCareer Pivots: Aline Silva's Journey from Academia to IndustrySend us a textIn this episode of Academics and Their Money, hosts Neeka Miremadi and Inga Timmerman interview Aline Silva, who shares her transition from academia to industry. Originally from Brazil, Aline entered academia after struggling to find a stable career during the 2008 financial crisis. She reflects on how her financial mindset evolved, noting the peace she found through smart decisions like contributing to a 401k. Aline also discusses leaving her PhD program in marketing, where she felt disconnected from her research interests, and how it ultimately aligned with her personal and family goals. She contrasts...
2025-02-2735 minAcademics and Their MoneyAcademic Career Decisions: What to Consider and What It Means for Your MoneySend us a textEpisode Overview:In this episode of Academics and Their Money, Inga Timmerman breaks down the financial and career considerations that academics should keep in mind when evaluating job offers. Whether it’s your first job or your fourth, making informed decisions can set you up for long-term financial success. Inga shares insights from years of experience negotiating with professors across the country, highlighting key factors that impact your financial well-being. Key Topics Covered:✔ Long-Term Career Opportunities:Consider how a job will posit...
2025-02-1218 minAcademics and Their MoneyMoney Matters for Academics: The Key Questions to Ask YourselfSend us a textFinancial planning isn’t just about numbers—it’s about designing a career and life that bring you fulfillment. In this episode of Academics and Their Money, Inga Timmerman explores the key financial and career decisions academics face, from choosing the right location to navigating tenure. She breaks down how defining your financial needs can lead to greater happiness and career satisfaction. Along the way, she shares actionable insights on skill assessment, strategic planning, and the essential questions academics should ask when reevaluating their paths. Tune in for an episode packed with practical advice...
2025-02-0516 minAcademics and Their MoneyWelcome to Academics and Their MoneySend us a textWelcome to Academics and Their Money, the podcast where we dive into the unique financial challenges and opportunities academics face. Whether it’s navigating salaries, investing, financial planning, or career decisions, we explore how money shapes life in academia. Join us as we bring you insightful conversations, expert advice, and real stories to help you make informed financial choices and build a more secure future. If you’ve got questions, suggestions for future topics, or just want to say ‘hello,’ you can reach us at https://attainablewealthfp.com/schedule-a-call/. Any produ...
2025-02-0501 min