Part 1: Why this book matters -- 1 Introduction -- Part 2: Our academic selves -- 2 Intergenerational feminism: Bringing my past into my future as a woman in the academy -- 3 Professional persistence: Portrait of a scholarly woman -- 4 Shared stories: Embracing collaborative leadership for wellbeing -- 5 Boots on the ground: Lived experiences of female academic leaders in higher education -- 6 Lucy in the sky with the diamonds: Superimposing c.v. line items on the "becoming" and "unbecoming" of two she academics -- 7 Professional identity: Creating stories in the academy -- 8 Betwixt and between: Navigating academia as a higher education professional -- 9 Negotiating the invisible maze as an academic professional -- Part 3: Negotiating roles and identities in addition to the academy -- 10 Looking back as a way to move forward: A narrative journey towards self -- 11 Driving to make change while being a constant: The unseen responsibilities of a doctoral student, mother, and more -- 12 Shaping love as experience: Travelling within and across (academic) worlds as women of colour -- 13 Feeling the rhythms: On becoming mother with/in the academy -- 14 Storying the balancing act of academic leadership and family -- 15 Skating on thin ice: Balancing the life of a skating rink mom and scholar -- 16 Many irons in the fire: Balancing the expectations of others and self while pursuing professional goals -- 17 Increasing the visibility of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics -- Part 4: Conclusion -- 18 Looking forward: Implications for the future of women in the academy.