Faculty Profile
Colleen Balukas
Assistant Professor of Spanish
Romance Languages and Literatures
cpbaluka@buffalo.edu
Education:
- PhD, Spanish and Language Science, Penn State University, 2014
Professional experience:
- Assistant Professor, Spanish, University at Buffalo
What mentoring means to me:
Many of my happiest and most fruitful mentoring experiences have happened as a result of working with graduate students in collaborative research groups. In these groups, students come to see themselves as future colleagues in the field. They debate ideas, discuss projects, and plan out the next steps in their professional careers. I am very supportive of students in one-on-one mentoring contexts, too. I work with individual students to identify areas of growth for them, and I take the time to connect them to people and resources that will help them achieve their personal and academic goals.
I also have a lot of energy for preparing students for the job market. Interviews, cover letters, CVs, teaching statements—you name it, we can tackle it.
Topics I am willing to discuss with students:
Academic Culture
- Considering a non-academic path after grad school.
- Dealing with politics and conflict with faculty or peers.
- Decoding and demystifying academic culture and norms.
- Uncertainty about staying in grad school.
Other Topics
- Professional development.
- Pursuing excellence in teaching.
- Preparing for the academic job search.
Personal Experiences
- Experiences related to being a woman.
- Experiences related to mental health and/or abilities.