In a now-viral TikTok video, Dr. Daniel McKeown, a professor at UCLA, claims low pay has left him homeless, shocking many of his followers.
“Hi everyone, my name is Daniel, and I’m an astrophysics professor at UCLA. I’m only being paid $70,000 for this academic year,” McKeown says in the video.
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McKeown, listed as a lecturer on UCLA’s website, says he had to move out of his apartment because he could no longer afford the rent.
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When asked why he doesn’t teach elsewhere, McKeown said, “I refuse to stop teaching. Teaching my students is my absolute passion. UCLA is a top university for physics.”
McKeown holds a Ph.D. in astrophysics.
“I teach full-time. I teach six classes a year, yet I’m being paid about half of what the average physics professor in California makes. It’s not fair,” he told KTLA.
I would not focus on the low pay (that’s a complex problem), but rather the embarrassing fact that this prof cannot get housing in the university dorms. WTF.
from the article:
Others questioned why the university doesn’t offer housing for professors. One commenter shared their own experience: “I was an adjunct professor for a year and realized I would be headed towards homelessness, so I left.”
Surely only administrative incompetence can be the cause of profs not qualifying for dorms. If there is enough professor demand for dorms, they should be organizing a dedicated floor or building for profs.
Consider as well this prof’s academic enthusiasm could be (rightfully) exploited further by putting him in a dorm. He might even be happy to answer questions from other dorm residents after hours.
