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Dear Postdoctoral Community,
As we near the end of the semester, I want to recognize your hard work and dedication to your research programs and to Vanderbilt. We will be celebrating postdocs at our Annual Postdoc Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, May 23. I invite you to join us as we recognize recipients of Postdoc of the Year, Postdoc Service, Postdoc Mentor of the Year, and Faculty Mentor of the Year awards. A time of celebration and networking opportunity will follow the ceremony.
Although the semester is wrapping up, there are still a few events that you can get involved with during the month of May including the Vanderbilt Postdoc Association's Speak Easy Talk Series on May 18. More details are below.
As always, do not hesitate to reach out if I can be of assistance.
Best,
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C. André Christie-Mizell
Vice Provost for Graduate Education
Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
Dean of the Graduate School
Centennial Professor of Sociology
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| Join Us! May 23: Annual Postdoc Awards
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| VPA Speak Easy - May 18 at 5:00 p.m.
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| Now Open! The Postdoc Academy
The Postdoc Academy: Building Skills for a Successful Career is a 7-week course launching June 5 on edX. To register for the course, please visit their site here. This course will help postdocs build foundational professional skills to launch them into their desired career pathway. Themes and topics explored include:
- Leadership
- Building & Supervising a Team
- Project Management
- Applying Teaching Skills Beyond the Classroom
- Strategic Communications
- Preparing Job Application Materials
Other highlights include two live discussions to engage and network with professionals from various fields. The project will also offer PALS (Postdoc Academy Learning Sessions), synchronous, weekly meetings for participants to further discuss course content.
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| Scientist in the Classroom - Applications Now Open
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Applications are now open for established postdocs to apply to the Scientist in the Classroom Partnership program. This program is a wonderful opportunity for scientists, engineers, and other STEM professionals that are interested in engaging local middle school teachers and students in weekly hands-on experiments. Selected fellows are partnered with a MNPS teacher to co-teach science lessons and conduct experiments one day each week during the school year. It’s a great way to gain teaching experience and build connection with the next generation of citizens and future scientists. A monthly stipend for the fellow’s time is awarded.
More information and the digital application can be found on the CSEO website.
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BRET Office of Career Development ASPIRE Program
The BRET Office Career Development ASPIRE Program provides career and professional development services and enrichment activities for PhD students and postdoctoral fellows in the biomedical sciences at VU and VUMC.
Upcoming Events Hosted by the BRET Office of Career Development:
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Graduate and Postdoc Academic SuccessThe Graduate & Postdoc Academic Success (GPAS) are here to support graduate students and postdocs with anything that keeps them from doing their best academic work. They provide strategies to address concerns around progress and productivity, as well as, navigating academic relationships. They address your needs through 1-on-1 consultations and success planning sessions. Additionally, both of their staff members are Gallup-Certified Strength Coaches and able to give you access to the CliftonStrengths Assessment to help you accomplish your best work utilizing an authentic approach to who you are and how you show up. If you are interested in meeting with one of the staff members, you can schedule an appointment here. If you ever feel like you are “stuck” in your writing and/or research, we hope that you will reach out and connect with them.
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| The Margaret Cuninggim Women's Center is an on-campus office and resource to help celebrate and empower women in both their professional and personal aspirations, helping to boast their overall lives as they navigate through their time at Vanderbilt University. You can read more about the Women's Center on their website.
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| Connect with the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA)
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| Connect with the Vanderbilt Postdoc Association (VPA)
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| Postdoc Spotlight: Matthew Plishka, Ph.D.
Matthew Plishka is a Collaborative Humanities Postdoc in the Environmental track at Vanderbilt working on the multispecies political ecology to examine the spread of Panama Disease on the island of Jamaica and the ways that smallholders, planters, and colonial officials responded to the disease. Read about their work and how he spends his free time with his dog Otter in our May postdoc feature here.
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Save the Date! 2023 Postdoc Symposium
The 2023 Postdoc Symposium will take place on Friday, November 17 in the Student Life Center. Look out for more information as we get closer to the event.
For more information on past symposia, please visit the VPA website.
Get involved by joining the Symposium Planning Committee.
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The Career Center is proud to present their free, self-service photo booth. Just step inside, pose, and share!
Located in the Student Life Center, this resource is free and available to the entire Vanderbilt community. The photo booth is available for use anytime the Student Life Center is open. Check out this flyer for more details!
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National Postdoc Association
NPA SmartSkills: Maximizing Your Time (As a Postdoc)
Postdoc appointments simultaneously offer great opportunities for growth and great demands on your time. How do you make sure you are using this limited window of opportunity effectively? In this class, we will cover time management at two different scales. Register here for the May 23 virtual course.
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Libraries' Digital Scholarship and Communications Office (DiSC)
The Libraries’ Digital Scholarship and Communications (DiSC) Office will present a variety of workshops and lesson series this spring to help you build your technical skills. For more detailed information and registration links, visit their website here.
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| Employee Affinity Groups
Employee Affinity Groups (EAGs) are open to all Vanderbilt employees, regardless of identity. Staff, faculty, and postdoctoral scholars who identify as part of or have a close affinity to these groups are encouraged to attend. You can learn more about which group you identify most with from our options below:
Association of Vanderbilt Black Faculty and Staff (AVBFS)
Women & Working Moms
To learn more about Employee Affinity Groups or to join, visit the EAG website.
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| Nature Masterclass
Nature Masterclasses are developed by Nature Research and provide professional development training for researchers by drawing on the expertise of Nature Research journal editors and experts. Faculty, staff, postdocs, and students of Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center are free to sign up at https://masterclasses.nature.com/.
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