Academics are often not good models for students. There can be many reasons for this (I'm certain several spring to your mind), but one in particular is their peculiar career path. For now, at least, academia is one of the last redoubts of the pre-capitalist guild system, one where a long period of apprenticeship leads to a long tenure and even a private office—a far cry from the modern marketplace. So when students come to us to ask for career advice, one thing to keep in mind is that we often have a rather distant relationship to the world outside of campus.
But that is not to say that academia cannot provide a career of many lives. As evidence I submit the case of Edward Tufte. Tufte began his career as a professor of political science at Yale, where he published works on political economy. At some point, he became more interested in the way in which data was presented visually—as I recall, this was a result of some battles he had with his publisher over how certain figures and tables would be reproduced in one of his books.
Tufte started his own press and published The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, which has become a central work in understanding how to best present data visually. Tufte became a much sought-after speaker who now tours the country giving presentations on information design (Professor Sousa has attended). He’s also branched out into prints, photography, even sculpture.
Now, what led a professor of political science to think he could form his own press, move into graphic design, and design art?
Explore his site. Of particular interest is his attack on the misuse of Powerpoint and his moderated discussion forum. I’ll admit to having a soft spot for his cover art for the Powerpoint essay, as it features Budapest in the 1950s. In the 1956 revolution Stalin got chopped down to his boots, but the plinth stayed in place and remained the viewing platform for May Day rallies.
So the lesson of the story is that if a political scientist can remake himself into a sculptor, you too can take your career in many unforeseen directions.
