An approachable, research-forward, and engaging personal scientist website. Erika makes space for her research, mentorship, and outreach online. Her website won an award in the Best Personal Academic Websites Contest 🥳
Watch on YouTube, Spotify, and Instagram theacademicdesigner.com/2026/persona...
Erika Iveth Cedillo-González, PhD is an award winner in the Best Personal Academic Websites Contest 2025. She's wearing a white lab coat and standing in a science research laboratory. Also on this graphic is a mockup of Erika's award-winning scientist website on desktop, tablet, and mobile screens. This graphic is for an episode of The Social Academic Podcast from Jennifer van Alstyne.
"I had my personal website, but it was so institutional. I always felt that it was cold, that it was very away from students, from possible collaborators.” So, Erika Cedillo-González, PhD remade her website through a 10-day website design challenge.
Erika joins me on The Social Academic Podcast 🎙️🎧✨
A story about two sisters love for art and the Timken Museum in Balboa Park San Diego 🖼
I'm behind the camera for this YouTube Short with my father-in-law, Bob Pincus 👋😄
youtube.com/shorts/bhLh-...
How can academics be intentional about research engagement?
Dr. Tamika Heiden and Kate Shook join me on The Social Academic podcast to talk about research impact and knowledge translation @researchimpactacademy.com
Now on YouTube, Spotify, and Instagram 🎙🎧✨️
theacademicdesigner.com/2026/researc...
What is #knowledgetranslation? How can researchers turn their work into impact?
Tamika Heiden, PhD & Kate Shook join Jennifer van Alstyne on The Social Academic podcast to share tips on visibility & telling your research story.
Listen to the podcast here: theacademicdesigner.com/2026/researc...
I've got cool guests lined up for you this season! I can't wait to share them with you for Season 8.
First up, a long-time friend returns to the show: Dr. Echo Rivera. Want to design slides that resonate and make an impact? She's my favorite resource for you theacademicdesigner.com/2026/researc...
Hi, I'm Jennifer van Alstyne. I started The Social Academic podcast and blog back in 2018 to help Higher Ed faculty, researchers, and graduate students be intentional in how they show up online.
It's nice to meet you! 👋
Past episodes are on YouTube and Spotify
theacademicdesigner.com/podcast/
The Social Academic Podcast is back this week with our 1st guest in a new series.
We're featuring winners of the 2025 Best Personal Academic Websites Contest to chat about their website and online presence. Spread out across season 8, I can't wait to share these conversations with you #AcademicSky
An old friend returns to the show in the season 8 opener of The Social Academic podcast.
Meet Dr. Echo Rivera @echoechor.bsky.social
Her free YouTube tutorials for PowerPoint are a valuable resource for folks in academia and research.
Watch or listen 🎙🎧
theacademicdesigner.com/2026/researc...
Starting the day with a new Bakermat song that comes out this Friday. It's so good, literally had me out of my chair dancing 💃
Playing with Fire 🎵
Dr. Echo Rivera is a guest on The Social Academic podcast to talk about creative research communications, presentations, and data visualization. This graphic includes a photo of Echo smiling wearing a black shirt with white polka dots. She has long brown hair, glasses, and is earing large over the ear headphones in her home office in Chicago.
Creative research communications, data visualization for academics, and slide design.
It's all in the new episode of The Social Academic Podcast. Hi, I'm Jennifer van Alstyne.
Check out the season 8 premiere featuring guest, Dr. Echo Rivera @echorivera.com
theacademicdesigner.com/2026/researc...
Season 8 of The Social Academic podcast premieres today. I can't wait!
Dr. Echo Rivera is back. We'll be talking about online presence, presentations, and data visualization for sharing your research.
Join us live on YouTube or Instagram just after 12pm Pacific Time @HigherEdPR
Impact 2026 Speaker Lineup. Theme: How to Leave. We spend so much time moving toward the new thing, How do you tend to something important as you leave it behind? Stephanie Cawthon on What Would You Do If You Knew You Couldn't Fail?, Julio Rivera on Keeping Purpose in Transition, Jennifer Askey on How to Navigate the Messy Middle, Jen Polk on Leave Toward Something, Jennifer van Alstyne on Your Online Presence at Times of Transition, Rebecca Pope-Ruark on That's Not Me Anymore. IMPACT 2026 is hosted by Third Rail Leadership.
My talk is on Your Online Presence at Times of Transition ✨️
4 hours, 6 speakers, 1 day 🎟
#AcademicSky
When: March 5, 2026
Where: Virtual on Zoom
Price: $49 USD
You're invited 💌
Register for IMPACT 2026: ThirdRailLeadership.com/IMPACT2026
Join me at IMPACT 2026 on Thursday, March 5
A 1-day conference on making thoughtful transitions when you're leaving something behind.
For academics leaving:
- moving institutions (leaving one place for another)
- shifting roles
- considering leaving higher education
- looking ahead to your legacy
I'm speaking at IMPACT 2026, a mini conference about leaving for academics.
It's next week on Thursday, March 5 (virtual on Zoom). 4 hours, 6 speakers.
My talk is about Your Online Presence at Times of Transition ✨️
#AcademicSky
Register for IMPACT 2026 thirdrailleadership.com/impact2026
I'm speaking at IMPACT 2026, a mini conference about leaving for academics.
It's next week on Thursday, March 5 (virtual on Zoom). 4 hours, 6 speakers.
My talk is about Your Online Presence at Times of Transition ✨️
#AcademicSky
Register for IMPACT 2026 thirdrailleadership.com/impact2026
When I have the new profile video from that faculty member, I'll be sure to add it to the course for you.
Here's the course on LinkedIn Profile for Academics and Researchers, free for you on YouTube 🫶
Please save it for later 🔖
You can update your profile when it's helpful for you with this video guide.
P.S. Read the video descriptions for tips and recommendations.
youtube.com/playlist?lis...
She's happy to be an example for the course on YouTube. Which is perfect. I'd made a video for her lab on how to add that to their Experience section on LinkedIn.
In the video, I'll share her profile, page for her research lab, and behind the scenes with her profile cover image graphic on Canva.
I had permission from a couple academics to share links to their profiles in the course platform. I haven't had a chance to connect about sharing their profiles publicly.
I did a LinkedIn Profile VIP Day in January. The professor and I just met for our live follow up consultation.
She said yes!
Back when I stopped my paid courses for online presence, I kept the materials up (3 years ago?). When the annual course platform fee almost doubled?
I moved the LinkedIn course to YouTube. I haven't had a chance to share it, but people have been finding it and finding it helpful. Yay.
Yay, this will really enhance it. My faculty client gave permission to share her LinkedIn profile on YouTube.
Back in 2021 I created a LinkedIn Challenge to help professors, researchers, and grad students update their LinkedIn profile. People have found it helpful on demand course for years.
I'll be out of the office tomorrow. We're filming on location at a cool art museum space. This video will be meaningful, I'm looking forward to it.
I got busy busy and behind on the new season of The Social Academic podcast. It's coming! Next month at the latest, but I'm hoping to release an episode in February if I can make it work.
My cat's too cute to only share on Instagram.
This is Bartlet, my favorite office buddy when designing academic websites 🐈⬛️
We rescued Barty back in grad school. He's been with us ever since 😸🫶
This was SUCH a fun convo with @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social and @acadiaediting.bsky.social
youtu.be/AVyM_C-6YQQ?...
Extreme & dangerous ice out there, & a nasty winter storm too, so stay in with all the great public scholarly writing, podcasts, new & forthcoming books in my 260th #ScholarSunday thread. Add more below, share widely, & stay warm & safe, all! 🗃️
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
It's a LinkedIn Profile VIP Day for a favorite faculty client! I've got to dive right in for her but will share more about it this weekend 🤗
Yay! A new website is in the world. We've just hit publish on a Library and Information Science PhD's website. It's my favorite part of our Review and Training Meeting.
Next: follow up email, personalized my how to help people find your new website PDF, and a graphic to help her share her website.
Find free resources for your online presence on The Social Academic blog, podcast, and YouTube
theacademicdesigner.com/blog/
Want done-for-you support? Let's connect on Zoom about teaming up for your academic website design, social media profiles, and bio writing 🤗 higheredpr.as.me/meet-with-je...
