Johanna is on a mission to create a more fun and kind academia. Johanna Stadlbauer is Head of the Research Careers Campus at the University of Graz in Austria, offering development and support for early to mid-career researchers. Sarah and Johanna talk about Why she wants to make academia kinder and more fun, and what that looks like in practice How being proactive helped her progress from a maternity cover contract to essentially creating her own job The anthropology research and activism that underpins her approach The importance of helping people feel seen, and free pizza! Find out more Read the full show notes and transcript on the podcast website Connect with Johanna on LinkedIn Find out more about the Research Careers Campus and Post-Doc Office including the Communities of Curiosity Festival in April 2026 About Research Adjacent Where are you listening from? Share a pic and tag @ResearchAdjacent on LinkedIn, Instagram or BlueSky Fill out the research-adjacent careers quiz Sign up to the Research Adjacent newsletter Email a comment, question or suggestion Leave Sarah a voice message