Author: Austin Young Shull

Austin Shull is an associate professor of Biology at Presbyterian College, where he teaches courses in molecular biology, cancer biology, and scientific writing. He also runs an undergraduate research lab that studies the epigenetic mechanisms that promote breast cancer metastasis. Austin Shull was a member of the 2019 cohort of NetVUE’s Teaching Vocational Exploration Seminar.

Called to Be Interrupted: Redefining Vocation through Academic Mentoring

Drawing inspiration from Tolkien’s “Leaf by Niggle,” this post reflects on the tension between personal achievement and mentoring in academia. Austin Young Shull argues that interactions with students, often seen as interruptions, are essential to his vocation as a scientist and professor. This re-framing reveals how contributions to others’ success expand one’s calling beyond individual work.

“Niggle was a painter. Not a very successful one, partly because he had many other things to do.”

—“Leaf by Niggle,” J.R.R. Tolkien

I have a confession to make: as a scientist, I rarely accomplish what I set out to do, and this inability to measure up to my own expectations disheartens me. This feeling often stems from the perpetual tension between an idealized vision of what my work should produce and the constant interruptions that prevent me from realizing this vision. This tension animates J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Leaf by Niggle,” a short story that not only comforts me, but has also challenged me to rethink the values at the heart of my understanding of my vocation.

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Embracing Uncertainty: Parallels Between the Scientific Method and Vocational Discernment

We are exploring how to frame conversations with students about vocation in terms that they will recognize from their scientific training. By connecting the language of scientific process with vocational discernment, we hope to foster deeper conversations with students about their callings and how their knowledge, strengths, and interests might align in unique ways with the needs of their communities.

(Austin) I recently hosted a career panel for our science majors at my college. During this panel, students had the opportunity to hear from fantastic individuals who were doing exciting and fulfilling work in careers like healthcare diagnostics, pharmaceutical management, and biotech research and development. The students heard compelling stories about the winding and fortuitous journeys that led the panelists to their current vocations. Since the panelists were alumni of the college and had been in the same position as my students a decade ago, I was excited about how current students might gain confidence in pursuit of their own unique and creative paths.

After the panel, I held a feedback session for my students. I anticipated their excitement about potential careers and where they might be called. However, they seemed more nervously overwhelmed than awestruck. The sentiment in the room was summarized by a student who said,

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