For researchers in industry, a part-time teaching job can prove to be hugely beneficial. Myrna Watanabe reports from the classroom

摘要

Lading a double life may not be for everyone, but for many researchers who are pursuing their career in industry, it can allow them to stay in touch with their roots. By becoming adjunct professors ― part-time instructors at US colleges and universities ― these researchers have found that they can keep a foot in academia and have their scientific assumptions refreshingly challenged by a stream of new students. If the figures are anything to go by, the idea is a success. According to the American Association of University Professors, the proportion of faculty members who are adjunct professors has more than doubled to 43% in the past 20 years. One of the factors driving this shift is simple economics ― increased enrolments at state universities and community colleges, which are suffering budget problems, mean they must either turn students away or hire adjuncts.