Meet the PhDs

About Meet the PhDs

Welcome to Meet the PhDs! This is a podcast where I talk with amazing scholars who are doing a PhD, have finished their PhD, or are thinking of doing one. We share our backgrounds, working and studying, what a PhD is like in each country, and so much more!

Publisher

Vicky Loras

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

8 Aug 2022

Latest episode

19 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

23 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   19 Aug 2026

   Meet the PhDs Episode 23 - Dr Omnia Ibrahim

   In episode 23, meet Dr. Omnia Ibrahim, a speech scientist and Lecturer in Speech Technology at Alexandria University. Her work explores how people adapt their speech across different social, cognitive, and technological contexts. Bringing together phonetics, linguistics, and language technology, she studies speech production, acoustic analysis, information theory, and multilingual corpora. Her research has included developing Arabic speech corpora and examining how people adjust the way they speak during both human-human and human-robot interactions. Teaching is also central to her work. She is passionate about helping students! Beyond research and teaching, she is committed to academic service, community building, and science communication. She has led international student initiatives within ISCA, organized workshops and doctoral consortiums, reviewed for journals including JASA and Speech Communication, and shared her expertise through media appearances and public outreach. In this episode of Meet the PhDs, we learn more about her academic journey, her experiences as a researcher and educator, and what Omnia does in her current career! You can follow her YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@omniaabdo4171

2. 

   22 Jun 2026

   Meet the PhDs Episode 22 - Edgar Huitema, PhD

   In this episode of Meet the PhDs, I am joined by Edgar Huitema, PhD (https://substack.com/@scilift), a senior lecturer, postgraduate research leader, and creator of The SuperAdvisor, a platform dedicated to helping doctoral students navigate the often-unspoken challenges of supervision and academic life. Edgar has spent more than fifteen years supporting PhD students and training supervisors, giving him a unique perspective on what helps research relationships thrive - and what causes them to break down. We discuss the hidden expectations that shape the PhD experience, common communication pitfalls between students and supervisors, academic agency, feedback, progress, and practical strategies for building a productive and supportive supervisory relationship. Whether you are considering a PhD, currently working on one, supervising doctoral students, or simply interested in the realities of academic life, this conversation offers valuable advice and honest reflections from someone who works at the heart of doctoral education. Thank you so much, Edgar! Links: The SuperAdvisor (https://thesuperadvisor.substack.com/about?utm_source=chatgpt.com) Edgar Huitema (University of Dundee) (https://www.dundee.ac.uk/people/edgar-huitema?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

3. 

   26 May 2026

   Meet the PhDs Episode 21 - Dr Servet Altan

   In this episode of Meet the PhDs, I speak with Dr Servet Altan (https://www.mef.edu.tr/en/akademik-kadro/2201024521) - educator, researcher, teacher trainer, and Assistant Professor at MEF University (https://www.mef.edu.tr/en), whose work explores international education, teacher development, educational leadership, and the powerful concept of Habits of Mind (http://exploresel.gse.harvard.edu/frameworks/67/). We discuss Servet’s academic journey, the world of IB education, mindfulness and thoughtfulness in teaching, and how Habits of Mind can shape not only classrooms, but also the ways we think, learn, lead, and grow as human beings. Our conversation also explores reflective practice, motivation, global education, and the importance of developing thoughtful and mindful learners in a rapidly changing world. We also talk about Servet’s publications and research, including: Mindfulness and Thoughtfulness: Leading and Teaching with Habits of Mind in Research and Practice (with Jennie Farber Lane) Using Habits of Mind, Intelligent Behaviors, and Educational Theories to Create a Conceptual Framework for Developing Effective Teaching Dispositions A thoughtful and inspiring conversation for educators, researchers, PhD students, and anyone passionate about learning, teaching, and meaningful educational change. Thank you so much, Servet!

Who has been a guest on Meet the PhDs

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Erin McGrattan
• Dr Allen Roda
• Dr Lauren Saunders
• Yuliya Samofalova
• Vicky Loras

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.