Have you ever considered your academic lineage? Just like a family tree traces your biological ancestors, a PhD family tree maps out the academic supervisors who guided generations of scholars, leading all the way to your own doctoral mentor. It’s a fascinating journey into the history of your field, revealing the intellectual heritage that shapes your research today.
What exactly is a PhD family tree? Imagine it as a genealogical chart, but instead of parents and grandparents, it features your PhD supervisor, their supervisor, and so on. Think of your primary PhD supervisor as your academic “parent.” Their PhD advisor becomes your academic “grandparent,” and the lineage extends back through generations of mentorship. This creates a “Tree For Family Tree,” but in the context of academic mentorship.
Alt text: A visual representation of a family tree, symbolizing the concept of a PhD family tree and academic lineage.
Depending on your academic path, your PhD family tree can take different forms. Some individuals have a straightforward, linear tree with a single, primary supervisor. Others might experience a more branching tree, particularly if they had co-supervisors who brought distinct academic ancestries to the table. Reflecting on my own experience, my PhD journey felt like a “single parent project,” primarily guided by one supervisor within the public university system.
Intrigued by this concept, and perhaps looking for a productive form of procrastination, I embarked on tracing my own PhD family tree. Despite having no formal training in genealogy, I managed to trace my academic lineage back an impressive seven generations, reaching back to approximately 1875. Through online research, I confidently identified my PhD great-great-grandfather as Ernest B. Ludlam, the author of “Outlines of Inorganic Chemistry,” who earned his PhD from the University of Bristol. Beyond this point, the trail became a bit less clear, requiring some academic detective work.
My approach to uncovering these academic ancestors involved a bit of logical deduction and online sleuthing. I operated on the assumption that a researcher’s first published paper likely occurred during their PhD studies. By searching academic databases like Web of Science and Scifinder (essential tools for a chemist like myself), I could often locate these early publications. Typically, the corresponding author of a first paper is the PhD supervisor. Another valuable resource is university libraries, where PhD theses are archived. The acknowledgements section of a thesis often explicitly names the supervisor, offering another clue in the academic genealogy puzzle.
Following these methods, I traced my lineage further back: Francis E. Francis at University College, Bristol (my 3x great-grandfather), Sydney Young at Owen’s College (4x great-grandfather), and William Ramsay (5x great-grandfather). At this point, the trail became more challenging, and the demands of my actual work pulled me back from further exploration.
This experience highlighted the need for a dedicated academic equivalent of Ancestry.com. Imagine a platform specifically designed to make tracing your PhD family tree a seamless and accessible process. In theory, with sufficient dedication and resources, one could potentially trace their academic lineage back even further, perhaps deeper into the 19th century when the PhD as we know it began to take shape. While universities themselves boast centuries of history – with the University of Bologna, for instance, dating back to 1088 – the formal PhD is a more recent, 19th-century innovation.
The popular television show “Who Do You Think You Are?” exemplifies the captivating nature of family history research. These shows demonstrate that delving into anyone’s family tree is likely to unearth intriguing stories and notable ancestors. My own PhD family tree certainly yielded a fascinating connection.
Alt text: A promotional image for the television show “Who Do You Think You Are?”, drawing a parallel to the concept of exploring one’s academic ancestry.
My PhD great-grandfather, Sir Harry Melville, stands out as a particularly distinguished figure in my academic lineage. Sir Harry was a renowned polymer chemist, knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, and a young fellow of the Royal Society, the esteemed scientific organization founded by Isaac Newton. The Melville Laboratory for Polymer Synthesis at the University of Cambridge is named in his honor, a testament to his significant contributions to the field.
Having mentored numerous PhD students throughout my own 18 years leading a research group, I’ve become a “PhD grandparent” myself. However, so far, none of my academic “grandchildren” have pursued careers in academia to supervise their own students. If this trend continues, my branch of the PhD family tree, at least in the traditional academic sense, might eventually cease to grow.
Historically, a PhD was almost exclusively viewed as a stepping stone to a university professorship. However, the academic landscape has shifted. Current statistics suggest that only a small fraction of PhD graduates ultimately secure professorial positions.
My own PhD graduates have embarked on diverse career paths across various sectors. They’ve joined graduate programs at major financial institutions, contributed to the brewing industry, worked for government agencies, become scientific journal editors, entered the medical field, and found roles in pharmaceutical companies.
This diversification of career paths for PhD holders is, in my view, a positive development. While universities remain vital institutions, the world benefits from PhD-level expertise in a multitude of fields. Moreover, PhD training equips individuals with a broad skillset that extends beyond specialized knowledge. PhD graduates possess crucial soft skills such as collaboration, communication, critical analysis, and often have teaching experience, making them highly valuable assets in various professional contexts.
Alt text: A diverse group of professionals collaborating, illustrating the broad range of career paths available to PhD graduates beyond academia.
Interestingly, some of my PhD graduates have chosen to prioritize family and become stay-at-home parents, at least initially. While societal trends have sometimes undervalued the role of caregiving parents, I believe their PhD training is far from wasted in this context. These parents serve as strong, intelligent role models, leveraging their knowledge and analytical skills to positively influence their children’s development during formative years.
If my branch of the traditional academic PhD family tree evolves to encompass diverse contributions beyond professorships, including valuable roles in family and society, that represents a successful and meaningful evolution of the PhD’s impact. Exploring your own PhD family tree is not just an exercise in academic genealogy; it’s a reflection on the evolving role and value of advanced education in the world today.
