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How can scientists and educators find fulfilling, impactful careers beyond the traditional academic path—and what does it take to align your work with your values and well-being?

Today on Science with Impact, we sit down with Dr. Adri Corrales, a former academic turned museum professional, who shares their journey from the pressures of academia to a values-driven role as a Public Programs and Exhibit Developer at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

Adri opens up about the pivotal decisions, transferable skills, and systemic challenges that shaped their transition, and offers practical insights for anyone considering an “alt-academic” career.

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🤔 Who is this for?

  • Graduate students and postdocs questioning the academic pipeline
  • Scientists and educators seeking meaningful, community-centered work
  • DEI advocates and those passionate about equity in STEM and education
  • Anyone wrestling with work-life balance and personal agency in their career

📋 What is it about?

Dr. Adri Corrales discusses their path from chemistry research and teaching to museum education, highlighting the challenges of mental health, unclear expectations, and systemic inequities in academia.

Adri details how skills like self-directed learning and research translate to impactful museum work, where community input and practical outcomes are prioritized. The conversation examines the gap between academic research and real-world application, the closure of DEI offices, and the importance of scrutinizing harmful systems, both within universities and museums.

Adri and host Dr. Vanessa Rosa reflect on the liberating shift toward work that is a part of life, not the whole of it, and the power of planting seeds for future generations.

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Key Takeaway: You can build a career that honors your values, leverages your strengths, and prioritizes your well-being, often by stepping outside traditional academic roles and embracing opportunities to make a direct, tangible impact in your community.

⌚️ Time Stamps

00:00 Introduction

01:45 Embracing a New Role

02:35 Defining Alt Academia

03:43 Transferable Skills

05:50 Practical Application of Research

17:29 Challenges in Academia

20:14 Journey to Museums

25:27 Values and Career Alignment

29:10 Common Themes in Alt Academia

31:32 Reflecting on Burnout and Overwork

32:23 Nonprofit Work-Life Balance

34:35 Challenges in Academia

35:14 Unclear Expectations and DEI Offices

38:17 Impact of DEI Office Closures

40:37 Equity Research and Systemic Issues

44:41 Interdisciplinary Research Challenges

48:54 Transforming Education and Impact

54:33 Interrogating Harmful Systems

58:12 Final Reflections and Advice

📣 Guest

Adri Corrales, Ph.D. |  Public Programs & Exhibit Developer, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

🎙️ Host

I’m Vanessa Rosa, Ph.D., founder of Cuvette Collective, where we partner with scientists to bridge the gap between research and real-world impact through evidence-based, question-led, and person-centered science communication.

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🌎 About Cuvette Collective:

We help research scientists, centers, and organizations translate their technical work into measurable and memorable broader societal impacts.