My C.V. of Failures, I haven't failed enough to succeed yet!

My Curriculum Vitae of Failures encapsulates a candid and reflective journey through the various challenges and setbacks encountered in my pursuit of academic and professional aspirations. This unconventional document unveils instances such as incomplete Ph.D. programs, declined applications, unsuccessful grant applications, and job rejections spanning international roles and diverse institutions. Rather than concealing these setbacks, the CV of Failures transparently lays bare the complexities of my professional path, highlighting the resilience, perseverance, and continuous learning that have emerged from each setback. This narrative not only serves as a testament to the unpredictable nature of career trajectories but also underscores the transformative power of embracing failures as integral components of my personal and professional growth.

Degree program I did not complete

1. 2023 Ph.D. program in anthropology, University of Massachusetts Amherst

I selected my current graduate program because I trusted the professor who recommended it and the professor who interviewed me that it would be a good venue to explore the human dimension of sustainability. After spending one year in the graduate program, unforeseen difficulties and academic bullying made me realize that this program has an unhealthy, conservative climate for interdisciplinary research in sustainability. I love my project on sustainability transformations and I believe it will have a high social impact. I am striving to survive and transfer my project to a friendly program. Now I have a fundraising project to help me go home in December 2023. Your small donation can help me survive the current crises and move on to my next stage: https://gofund.me/989e42bb. I hope I can survive this crisis and have a stronger ability to help people in need in the future. Graduate school should not be traumatic. I deserve a healthy, sustainable education without trauma.

2. 2004 M.A. English, Tamkag University

I had good academic standing (GPA 3.941). However, I had to work on a full-time job to deal with financial hardship, which led to the incompletion of the thesis. 

Degree program I was accepted into but never started or attended

1. 2022 Ph.D. program at Geography & Environmental Studies, University of New Mexico

2. 2021 Doctoral Program Environment and Society, the Rachel Carson Center at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

The program did not offer funding for students. Although I was awarded a Government Scholarship to Study Abroad in 2021 (USD 3,2000 for 2 years), the scholarship was still not enough to cover the high cost of living in Munich, Germany.

3. 2011 Ph.D. program at the Department of English, University of Texas at Dallas

Degree programs that declined my applications

1. 2023 Ph.D. program at the Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University (December)

2. 2022 Ph.D. program at the School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan

3. 2022 Ph.D. program at the School of Geography and Development, University of Arizona

4. 2022 Ph.D. program at the Department of Geography, University of Nevada Reno

5. 2022 PhD program at International Doctorate Program “Rethinking Environment,” Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

6. 2021 Ph.D. program at Oslo School of Environmental Humanities, University of Oslo

7. 2021 Ph.D. program in Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Tromsø

8. 2021 Ph.D. program at the Faculty of Science, University of Gothenburg

9. 2021 Ph.D. program at the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, Ghent University

10. 2011 Ph.D. program at the Department of English, University of Utah

Grants I did not get

1. 2023 Grant Program Level 1, National Geographic Society

2. 2023 Rosenberry Graduate Fellowship, Forest History Society

3. 2023 Travel grant, Association for the Study of Literature and Environment

Conference presentation I could not attend

1. ASLE+AESS 2023 Conference, Portland Oregon

I was unable to obtain travel funds from both the Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and the Association for the Study of Literature and Environment. However, I strived to resubmit my research to the Ninth Annual International Conference on Sustainable Development and presented it.

Jobs I did not get

1. Climate campaigner: Decarbonisation and Divestment, Environmental Justice Foundation

2. International coordinator, National Applied Research Laboratories

3. International coordinator, Secretaria, Academia Sinica

4. International coordinator, Center for Sustainability Science, Academia Sinica

5. International coordinator, Institute of European and American Studies, Academia Sinica

6. Project assistant, Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica 

7. International coordinator, Office of International Affairs, National Taiwan University

8. International coordinator, Office of International Affairs, National Taiwan Normal University

9. Program manager, International Cooperation and Development Fund

10. Project officer, European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan

11. American Spaces Program Assistant, American Institute in Taiwan

12. Education outreach coordinator, American Institute in Taiwan

13. Public engagement specialist, American Institute in Taiwan

14. Communication manager, Belmont Forum

15. Global sustainability scholars coordination and administration officer, Future Earth USA Hub, University of Colorado Boulder

16. Program director, Center of the American West, University of Colorado Boulder

17. Coordinator, Office of Sustainability, University of Utah 

18. Program integrator and communication coordinator, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder 

19. Program and communication coordinator, University of Colorado Boulder

20. Events and trainings coordinator, Environmental Center, University of Colorado Boulder

21. Assistant director of energy and climate justice programs, Environmental Center, University of Colorado Boulder

22. Program manager, Indigenous Resilience Center, University of Arizona

23. Librarian, Labriola National American Indian Data Center, Arizona State University

24. Research program manager, Ohio State University Sustainability Institute

25. Climate justice research program integration specialist, Climate Impacts Group, University of Washington

26. Program manager, Center for Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy, University of Minnesota

27. Program coordinator, Sustainability Hub, University of British Columbia

28. Program coordinator, Environmental Studies, University of Victoria