Stephen Dubner

Mike Ridgeman got his PhD in education from Penn State in 2011. Not long after, he moved to Wisconsin, where his girlfriend, soon to be his wife, was already living.

Mike Ridgeman got his PhD in education from Penn State in 2011. Not long after, he moved to Wisconsin, where his girlfriend, soon to be his wife, was already living.

Mike Ridgeman got his PhD in education from Penn State in 2011. Not long after, he moved to Wisconsin, where his girlfriend, soon to be his wife, was already living.

An adjunct teaching job is essentially a freelance gig. No job security, no paid time for research, and no guarantee of anything better in the future. To a student in a Over the past few decades, universities have continued to create a lot of PhDs while eliminating many of the tenured positions those PhDs might hope to fill, replacing them with adjuncts or graduate students.

An adjunct teaching job is essentially a freelance gig. No job security, no paid time for research, and no guarantee of anything better in the future. To a student in a Over the past few decades, universities have continued to create a lot of PhDs while eliminating many of the tenured positions those PhDs might hope to fill, replacing them with adjuncts or graduate students.

An adjunct teaching job is essentially a freelance gig. No job security, no paid time for research, and no guarantee of anything better in the future. To a student in a Over the past few decades, universities have continued to create a lot of PhDs while eliminating many of the tenured positions those PhDs might hope to fill, replacing them with adjuncts or graduate students.

As recently as 1987, fewer than half of college and university teaching positions were held by adjuncts and other contingent faculty, as they're sometimes called. Today, it's more than two thirds. And that's where Mike Ridgeman found himself.

As recently as 1987, fewer than half of college and university teaching positions were held by adjuncts and other contingent faculty, as they're sometimes called. Today, it's more than two thirds. And that's where Mike Ridgeman found himself.

As recently as 1987, fewer than half of college and university teaching positions were held by adjuncts and other contingent faculty, as they're sometimes called. Today, it's more than two thirds. And that's where Mike Ridgeman found himself.

None of his adjunct jobs turned into anything more than that. He kept at it for a while. Ridgeman has grit, that's for sure, but grit wasn't getting him anywhere.

None of his adjunct jobs turned into anything more than that. He kept at it for a while. Ridgeman has grit, that's for sure, but grit wasn't getting him anywhere.

None of his adjunct jobs turned into anything more than that. He kept at it for a while. Ridgeman has grit, that's for sure, but grit wasn't getting him anywhere.

When we first spoke with Ridgeman, he was an advocacy manager for the Trek Bicycle Corporation.

When we first spoke with Ridgeman, he was an advocacy manager for the Trek Bicycle Corporation.

When we first spoke with Ridgeman, he was an advocacy manager for the Trek Bicycle Corporation.

I have no idea if Mike Ridgeman was a good professor. Maybe he wasn't. But think back to the data we talked about earlier, the rising share of adjunct professors who are basically part of the gig economy and the falling share of tenured professors who get to have an actual career.

I have no idea if Mike Ridgeman was a good professor. Maybe he wasn't. But think back to the data we talked about earlier, the rising share of adjunct professors who are basically part of the gig economy and the falling share of tenured professors who get to have an actual career.

I have no idea if Mike Ridgeman was a good professor. Maybe he wasn't. But think back to the data we talked about earlier, the rising share of adjunct professors who are basically part of the gig economy and the falling share of tenured professors who get to have an actual career.

I'm guessing when it comes to intellect and talent, there are a lot of people in the first group who are virtually indistinguishable from people in the second group. And I'm guessing a lot of them are as stunned as Mike Ridgeman that they devoted so much time and money and effort to a system he dearly wanted to belong to, but which in the end just spat him out.

I'm guessing when it comes to intellect and talent, there are a lot of people in the first group who are virtually indistinguishable from people in the second group. And I'm guessing a lot of them are as stunned as Mike Ridgeman that they devoted so much time and money and effort to a system he dearly wanted to belong to, but which in the end just spat him out.