|
Dear Postdoctoral Community,
As we embark on the final two months of 2023, I understand the anticipation surrounding approaching deadlines and projects. Given this time pressure, I encourage you to utilize the resources and support around you. Please take time to recharge as the holiday season approaches.
As a reminder, the 17th Annual VPA Symposium will be held this month on Friday, November 17, in the Student Life Center. The full schedule of events for the day is below. Please register if you have not already done so.
Finally, I would like to invite you to a holiday luncheon for our postdoc community. Please save the date of Monday, December 4, from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. This will be held in the Student Life Center ballrooms. A formal invitation and link to RSVP will be forthcoming. I look forward to seeing you there.
Best,
| |
|
C. André Christie-Mizell
Vice Provost for Graduate Education
Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
Dean of the Graduate School
Centennial Professor of Sociology
| |
| | VPA Symposium: Friday, November 17
| |
| The 17th Annual Vanderbilt Postdoc Symposium is scheduled for Friday, November 17 in the Student Life Center.
The symposium will include:
- Welcome Remarks from André Christie-Mizell, Vice Provost for Graduate Education, Dean of the Graduate School, and Director of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at Vanderbilt University
- Research Talk by Siru Liu, 2023 Postdoctoral Fellow of the Year
- Lunch & Keynote Address by Keivan Stassun, Stevenson Professor of Astrophysics, College of Arts & Science; Professor of Computer Science, Vanderbilt School of Engineering; Director, Frist Center for Autism and Innovation at Vanderbilt
- On Campus Resource Fair (Sessions A & B Available)
- Poster and Lightning Talk Presentations with Q&A
- Professional Development Session with Dr. Ashley Brady
- Academic and Non-Academic Track Alumni Panels
- Closing Remarks & Award Ceremony
Registration to attend is still open and will close on Friday, November 3 at 5:00 p.m. CDT. To register for the conference, please complete this form.
For more information on past symposia, please visit the VPA website.
| |
| Libraries' Digital Scholarship and Communications Office (DiSC)
The DiSC Office, Digital Commons, and Digital Humanities Center have joined forces in the Libraries’ new Digital Lab. This fall, the Digital Lab is sponsoring a two workshop series that will be offered as a hybrid, both in-person and zoom attendance options are available.
On Wednesdays from 1PM to 2PM, the Digital Lab is offering Beginner Python lessons. A new feature of these lessons is learning to code using an AI coding assistant, GitHub Copilot, which is free for educational users. Copilot uses the same technology as Chat GPT, but makes suggestions directly in the environment as you write. If you’ve already tried to code in Python but have gotten stuck, Copilot may be the tool you need to make progress. You can find more information about these lessons and register here.
On Wednesdays from 11AM to 12PM, the Digital Lab will be teaching an intermediate R series on data visualization with ggplot. This lesson series will be most useful for those who already have been introduced to coding in R, but even beginners may benefit from trying the examples that are presented. The last lesson in the series will introduce Shiny, a platform for making interactive visualizations online. You can find more information about this series and register here.
For more detailed information on DiSC programming and the office, visit their website here.
| |
| 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.
| |
| | Fall 2023: Peak Performance Series
| |
| This workshop series is designed to promote expert performance by exploring common issues impacting graduate and professional students and postdocs. During each session, we will briefly cover theory and research on the topic and provide a space for attendees to discuss their related experiences and to gain support and consultation.
Both Graduate Students and Postdocs are welcome to register. Sessions held in person only. Space is limited, RSVPs are required.
Finding Work/Life Balance
Thursday, November 9 | 4:00PM - 5:00 PM | Center for Student Wellbeing
This workshop is designed to explore your professional and personal values and responsibilities, to share experiences about how they affect your work, and to outline strategies to ensure that you are giving adequate time to your holistic needs.
| |
|
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:
| |
| 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 and by attending some of their upcoming events below!
| |
| Now Leasing: The Broadview at Vanderbilt
The Broadview at Vanderbilt has recently expanded its eligibility to include Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center postdoctoral fellows. The Broadview's ideal location on Broadway and 20th Avenue in midtown Nashville puts you just 2 blocks from the Vanderbilt campus and half a mile from VUMC, making your commute a breeze!
Be one of our first residents to live in a brand-new studio, one- and two-bedroom apartment. Each home is outfitted with upscale features and finishes including a fully equipped kitchen, stainless steel appliances, wood-style flooring, in-unit washer/dryer, and private bedrooms and bathrooms.
| |
|
| Connect with the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA)
| |
| Connect with the Vanderbilt Postdoc Association (VPA)
| |
| Postdoc Spotlight: Karin Steffen, Ph.D.
Karin Steffen is a postdoc in the Antonis Rokas Lab in Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt University where she works to understand the evolution of pathogenicity in fungi. Karin completed her studies in Germany and Sweden before moving to the U.S. to pursue her postdoctoral training. Read more about her work and her pathway into the field of biology and evolution in our November postdoc feature here.
| |
| Postdoc Spotlight: Jane Miller, Ph.D.
Jane Miller is a postdoc in the Law School at Vanderbilt University where she is a member of both the Climate Change Research Network and the Energy, Environment, and Land Use Group at Vanderbilt Law conducting research on how individuals adapt to climate change. Read more about how she spends her free time hiking with her dog and exploring Tennessee while photographing her experiences along the way in our November postdoc feature here.
| |
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!
| |
| 2022-2023 Annual Report
Be sure to check out our 2022-2023 Annual Report. This year was filled with growth and new opportunities for our postdoctoral fellows. The annual report highlights our collective accomplishments as well as OPA's vision for the future.
| |
|
National Postdoc Association
NPA SmartSkills: Leadership and Management in Scholarly Research
Graduate school and postdoctoral training are designed to make you an independent researcher or scientist, ready to tackle pressing questions and drive cutting-edge research. But running your own research projects and leading a team involves more than applying your scientific skills; it requires managing both people and projects. In this workshop we will discuss approaches to being a leader and a manager, and how to guide and mentor the students, postdocs, and staff that will eventually be part of your amazing, successful team! Register here for the December 19 virtual course.
| |
| 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.
| |
| 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/.
| |
|
