Famous POI

[whiskers]

My question is -- how much of a benefit is there in having a famous POI? I'm deciding between two PhD programs - one with a POI who is, undoubtedly, #1 in my subfield. He is extremely well-known, even outside of sociology. For years, I've dreamed of working with him. However, I don't have a great vibe about the department as a whole, and I worried that with his national and international speaking engagements and other obligations, he wouldn't have as much time to really dedicate himself to mentorship - I'd have to seek that from other faculty. I think that his status would be greatly beneficial in getting a job - his contacts, publishing with him, etc -- but the other program offered me more money, is ranked slightly better, and I have a very good "feeling" about the department. I suspect that I might be happier in the other program, but I also think that the long-term reward would matter more than my grad student experience for a few years.

 

What's the reward to having a very famous POI? Any current grads care to weigh in? I am extremely worried that I would be making a huge career mistake if I turn down the opportunity to work for him and publish with him. It seems impossible to turn down! But I do have a great feeling about the other program, too. I am very conflicted - please help!

Edited March 17, 2014 by whiskers

[Dragon]

What would you do if youre famous POI left the university? Not unheard of!

[pinwheelb00kshelf]

Unfortunately, I'm a prospective student, not a current student, but if there's one thing I've heard consistently from everyone who's been through this process, it's this: don't go to a department for one person. You simply don't know if they will leave, die, retire, or what.

 

On the plus side, if you've already had positive communication with this POI, there's nothing to stop you from keeping in touch and collaborating (unless this department is particularly territorial). One of my POIs from a program I know I won't attend has already told me to keep in touch with her, regardless of my choice.

[Pennywise]

If he left the department, is it likely/possible he would take you with him? If so, that might make the decision even more complicated (sorry lol). 

 

If it's really stressing you out, is there some polite way you could directly ask him if he's 100% committed to staying in that department for the next five years? Or something to that effect. If he gives you a wishy washy answer, that might be quite telling.

[whiskers]

If he left the department, is it likely/possible he would take you with him? If so, that might make the decision even more complicated (sorry lol). 

 

If it's really stressing you out, is there some polite way you could directly ask him if he's 100% committed to staying in that department for the next five years? Or something to that effect. If he gives you a wishy washy answer, that might be quite telling.

 

He just started a research center in his area of expertise, so it is very unlikely that he will be leaving anytime soon - it's just starting up and he is guaranteed to be there for at least two more years. I am confident that he will be there throughout the duration of my PhD.

 

However, I am skeptical about going to the school just for him/the research center. I would imagine that if he left for any reason, they would hire someone in the subfield to run the research center. And I do think that it is likely that he would take me with him. But like @pinwheelb00kshelf said... I worry very much about going to the program just for one person.

Edited March 18, 2014 by whiskers

[Pennywise]

He just started a research center in his area of expertise, so it is very unlikely that he will be leaving anytime soon - it's just starting up and he is guaranteed to be there for at least two more years. I am confident that he will be there throughout the duration of my PhD.

 

However, I am skeptical about going to the school just for him/the research center. I would imagine that if he left for any reason, they would hire someone in the subfield to run the research center. And I do think that it is likely that he would take me with him. But like @pinwheelb00kshelf said... I worry very much about going to the program just for one person.

Hm, that actually makes it sound less risky than it sounded at first. If he's your dream mentor and could be instrumental in helping you land a great first job, maybe it would make sense?

I have been going in circles obsessing over my own decision since February, though, so don't listen to me.

[jacib]

I went to my department for one person.  I was pretty sure she was staying though, and I specifically talked to her about it when I met with her, and my concerns.  Though there were other people in religion and political science I was interested in working with, there was only one in sociology.  I've found a lot more, to the point where now I have to decide if either of those original "other people I came here for" are even going to be on my committee (my adviser is still my adviser).  You won't just be working your adviser, you'll be part of an academic milieu that will affect your thinking.  You'll find people who are great   Of the two people I'm trying to decide whether or not to put on my committee one wasn't even hired when I got here (and wouldn't have mattered because I wasn't interested in his subfield at the time) and the other was a new a hire, and I didn't get the connection between his interests and my own.  What you should really do is try to talk to current graduate students of the star's--and other in that program--and see what the deal is.  At my program, we have one star who might retire in the next five years, one who might move (but probably won't), one who is notoriously difficult to work with, one who is great to work with but only if you have a personality match, etc. etc.  If they have seemingly few students, find out why.  If they have several students, find out who else they work with and how they feel about those people.  But this is really information that you'll mainly get from the graduate students already in the program.  The biggest name in my department has few students, but works very closely with them and I think mentors them a great deal, despite all the international speaking engagements. 

 

Honestly, though, you'll be spending five to ten years of your life in a place.  That's a fairly serious prison sentence.  How happy you will be in a place while you're doing your work is honestly a very important thing to consider.  But it's something you can only really figure out after visiting both place.  (Also, as a side note, it depends on the school, but sometimes research centers are very tied to individual professors and if they left, they wouldn't necessarily hire someone new to run the center.  At my undergraduate university, there was a whole department created for one professor, and if he leaves, the department will probably be merged into a similar field).