In the last episode of the Flexibility in Research & Life series, Dr. Renée Jordan shares critical insights on choosing the right committee for your dissertation journey. While it may be tempting to pick committee members based on personal relationships or convenience, Dr. Jordan emphasizes that your committee should align with your research goals and bring the expertise needed to push your work forward.

Key takeaways from this episode include:

• Choosing the Right Committee Members: It’s essential to pick faculty members who are a good fit for your research topic and methodologies. Dr. Jordan shares her experience of choosing committee members who provided valuable expertise, particularly in qualitative research and African philosophy.
• Feedback Matters: Not all committee members will provide the same level of feedback. Dr. Jordan discusses how understanding the feedback style of each member can help guide your interactions and improve your dissertation.
• Time Management and Flexibility: Dr. Jordan stresses the importance of time management and how she had to be flexible when refining her proposal. She explains how she used time-blocking techniques to accelerate her process and meet deadlines.
• Setting Clear Deadlines: By counting backwards from your defense date, you can set manageable deadlines and avoid getting stuck in the coding or analysis phase. Dr. Jordan emphasizes that you should not try to analyze everything—focus on a section of data and refine your dissertation piece by piece.

This episode will help you reflect on the importance of committee dynamics, feedback, and staying organized while navigating the dissertation process. Flexibility is key—whether it’s choosing the right people to support your work, adjusting to their feedback, or meeting your deadlines.

Reflection Questions:

1. How do you ensure that the committee members you choose align with your research goals and methodology?
2. What strategies can you use to manage the feedback you receive from your committee?
3. How do you balance flexibility with the need to meet your dissertation deadlines?

Tune in to learn how to approach committee selection and feedback with flexibility while staying focused on your dissertation goals.