Unsung Heroes
The travails of the trailing spouse
In 2018, I attended a panel at IEEE VIS called “Succeeding by Failing: The Iceberg in VIS Careers.” Like many career panels at academic conferences, it focused on the familiar narratives of persistence, adaptation, and professional growth. Most panelists, myself included, traced the conventional milestones of our careers — the positions held, the challenges overcome, the lessons learned. Yet one moment stands out in my memory: when Helwig Hauser took a different approach by speaking candidly about his spouse’s role in his academic journey.
His honesty was both refreshing and convicting. In our field’s endless discussions about career development, we rarely acknowledge one of its most crucial pillars: the supporting partner who makes it all possible. This oversight isn’t just my own—I think it reflects a broader silence about the real foundations of academic success.
In reflecting on my own career, I must acknowledge a deep truth: none of it would have been possible without my wife, Helene. While I’d like to claim that my academic journey has been solely the product of my own hard work and determination, the reality is far more complex. What appears as individual achievement is often shared with an unsung hero.
Helene’s contribution to my career goes beyond simple support. She is, by nature, more adventurous and flexible than I am — qualities that have proven essential in academic life. Without her encouragement, I might still be in my hometown, settled into a comfortable but unfulfilling industry position. Instead, her adventurous spirit has propelled us forward, often being the catalyst for life-changing moves and decisions.
The demands of academic life are relentless: deadline crunches, conference travel, late-night writing sessions. Through it all, Helene has not merely endured but actively navigated these disruptions. While we strive to maintain an equal partnership in our household, she has consistently stepped in to smooth over the rough edges when academic demands threatened to overwhelm our family life.
I cannot and should not generalize this experience to all academics; especially not to couples where both partners pursue academic careers. Yet I believe this aspect of academic life — the role of the supporting spouse — deserves more recognition than it typically receives. The path of an academic career, with its geographical mobility and intense work periods, requires a partner who is both understanding and resilient, not to mention willing to live with uncertainty and sometimes even questionable financial underpinnings.
Helene is more than my wife — she is the mother to our son, my steadfast supporter, and the love of my life. She has transformed what could have been a solitary academic journey into a shared adventure. While my name may appear alone on academic papers and conference presentations, her invisible signature is on every achievement.
In sharing this reflection, I hope to acknowledge what many of us in academia know but seldom express: our success is often built on the foundation of a partner’s unwavering support. To Helene, and to all the partners who make academic careers possible: thank you.
