{"id":1919,"date":"2015-04-28T11:00:25","date_gmt":"2015-04-28T16:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/?p=1919"},"modified":"2016-07-12T14:46:52","modified_gmt":"2016-07-12T19:46:52","slug":"from-library-science-to-academic-affairs-with-online-phd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/from-library-science-to-academic-affairs-with-online-phd\/","title":{"rendered":"Their Journey to the PhD: Wendy\u2019s Story in Higher Education"},"content":{"rendered":"

Name:<\/strong> Wendy McGrane<\/p>\n

Hometown:<\/strong> Joplin, Mo.<\/p>\n

Profession:<\/strong> Interim Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Missouri Southern State University<\/p>\n

Degree Earned from Capella University:<\/strong> PhD in Leadership for Higher Education<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Q. What sparked your interest in pursuing a PhD?<\/h4>\n

A. I\u2019ve always enjoyed learning and kept continuing my education in the back of my mind. One time I applied for a job that didn\u2019t require a PhD, but preferred it, and I didn\u2019t get the job. I don\u2019t know that my lack of a PhD at that point was the deciding factor, but it increased my interest in working towards one.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Q. How did your career path lead you to the PhD?<\/h4>\n

A. I started college as a political science major with the idea of attending law school. But working part-time at a library inspired me to pursue a master of library science (MLS) instead. I worked my way up to become the library director at the university and then started to think about academic affairs. I enjoyed working closely with academics and liked the nuts and bolts of the accreditation process and the broad exposure to higher education. I wanted a new aspect to my career and decided the PhD was the way to go.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Wendy<\/a>
Wendy McGrane, PhD in Leadership for Higher Education graduate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Q. What was the online PhD<\/a> process like for you?<\/h4>\n

A. I was terrified after my first class! But the Capella experience was fantastic. I loved how organized it is. There\u2019s certain predictability to the process, and expectations are crystal clear. Everyone at Capella was wonderfully supportive throughout.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Q. What was the best part of getting a PhD?<\/h4>\n

A. The Capella experience was fantastic. I can\u2019t say enough about it. Everyone was so wonderful throughout. My dissertation mentor was wonderful, really a terrific advocate for me, really involved in my idea.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Q. What was the hardest part of getting a PhD?<\/h4>\n

A. Learning APA style again! [Laughs.] For me, the hardest part was understanding the caliber of the work that was expected of me, and believing I could do it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Q. How has the PhD changed your career?<\/h4>\n

A. It has opened doors for me and allowed me to apply for positions I couldn\u2019t before. It also gives me credibility with faculty as I pursue moving up in administration. Having the PhD tells them that I\u2019m not just talking the talk, I\u2019m walking the walk. They\u2019ve got PhDs, they know what\u2019s involved, and they see me differently. It also makes me very mobile. Not that I want to go anywhere right now, but when I want to, I can.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Q. What advice do you have for future and current PhD students?<\/h4>\n

A. Stick with it. Look at it as a full-time job. And remember, if you have a family, that you\u2019re doing this not just for yourself, but for them. Involve your family. Let them know what kind of commitment it takes. I had the biggest entourage at my graduation! My kids are terribly proud of me.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Read more stories like Wendy\u2019s in \u201c<\/em>Their Journey to the PhD: Stories of Personal Perseverance and Academic Achievement<\/em><\/a>,\u201d edited by fellow Capella University graduate Amina Abdullah-Winstead, PhD.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Capella University graduate shares how her PhD has allowed her to not only \u201ctalk the talk\u201d, but also \u201cwalk the walk\u201d in her higher education career. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":1957,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[37,151],"tags":[67,7,48,166],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1919"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/81"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1919"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1919\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3946,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1919\/revisions\/3946"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1957"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1919"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1919"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1919"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}