@freemo @mc My Math background did get me involved in undergrad research alongside PhDs and many things that I should have received credit for.

There was a competition that might have been to replace an older system that had been publicly defeated. Perhaps I ended up homeless while working on this and I was treated like trash by faculty. Some areas of research are kept separate from everything else. I still won't talk about what it actually was but consider a part of infrastructure going down and what happens in the chaos. That's the last clue.

A while after that I was more seasoned in Comp Sci. I was doing research with equipment that only I could get. A select few believed in it and I got treated like shit again. My equipment, my money and my hard work were being mocked. I started my own personal research and poured my all into it.

I made sure to send links to the faculty and students who treated me so poorly. The links were to publications where my work was referenced by a legend. They did the impressive part of the work but my contribution was acknowledged.

So there's a killer comeback that only a few know of. The best part is that I was willing to credit the University in some way but I was roasted by faculty and students on my way to try to get them involved.

Perhaps I handled it like a Mathematician. They didn't get undeserved credit nor did I ever mention them by name so their name wouldn't be present in any of the work.

I don't believe I have ever made more than 20k in a year. I continually have problems with employment. I was treated nicely and encouraged by the right person and as a last resort, I showed a department that maybe they had a lapse in judgement. I still get angry about it but I pushed for changes that should have made a positive impact. They likely wouldn't credit me if my proposals were made into policy. Universities love to cover things up.

Just thought I'd share that little gem for those of you who had to deal with academia and its unique values.