8/2/2019 HERC Works Work Life Case Study

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HERC Helps Female Scientist, Dual-

Career Spouse & New Mom Find

Satisfying Work-Life Balance

Dr. Heather Yu admittedly has it all-- a rich and fulfilling scholarly life, a happy marriage, a healthy young child, and

another baby on the way. She credits the New England Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC) for being a

key ingredient in helping her find just the right work-life balance.

Dr. Yu completed her B.S. in Biology at the University Massachusetts Amherst in 2001, a Ph.D. in Biology with a

Neurobiology emphasis in 2010, and was accepted to a postdoc at Harvard Medical School in 2010. She met her

husband, Kwok Yu, while they were both undergrads at U. Mass. and they subsequently married in 2006. Kwok has

enjoyed a 10 year administrative career at Harvard University where he currently serves as Assistant Dean for Faculty

Affairs in the Office for Faculty Affairs.

During her postdoc, Dr. Yu learned she was pregnant. She opted to take a brief time away from her academic life after

the birth of her new child but her mind kept wandering back to the impact this might have on her job prospects. She

had invested 14 years pursuing a rigorous scientific education with the intention of going on the academic job market

after completing her postdoc

was living on a single family income. Could a part-time position exist in her specialty? This is where HERC came in.

After discussing the situation with her husband, he recommended she check-out the New England HERC website to

and friends. HERC enabled me to research campuses in the Boston area, search for all the jobs in my field and narrow

the results by positions that were part- 

Little did Dr. Yu know that a match would be made that very day, in early August 2010, on her first visit to the website

academic market who have horror stories about their experiences. HERC streamlined the entire process for me and

 

Dr. Yu found a part-time job as a Neuroscience Fellow at Stonehill College, a private liberal arts school just a 30 minute

were made for me. Stonehill

nstitutions. I love the small class size and emphasis on teaching and individualized learning. The position was in my

specialty and allowed me to teach and perform administrative duties for the Neuroscience program. It was also part-

time which enabled me to work with an infant at home. Stonehill is an incredibly family friendly employer and my

colleagues are very supportive about me being a mom. The campus offers childcare and some faculty (including me)

position at Stonehill increased to full time. She and her husband are expecting their second child and she is confident

 

Heather Yu, Ph.D. with her husband

Kwok Yu and son Oscar. 

HERC Works.