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Welcome to the monthly Office of Postdoctoral Affairs newsletter! To learn more about our office and to see a complete events calendar, please visit our website. We also invite you to join our listserv to get timely communications about upcoming events. Feel free to email us at postdoctoralaffairs@utexas.edu with any questions.
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UT Austin NPAW Research Symposium
On Sept. 18, The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs hosted the inaugural UT Austin National Postdoc Appreciation Week Research Symposium at the JJ Pickle Research Campus. This exciting event included speakers, workshops, an interactive poster session, awards and a reception. 123 postdoctoral scholars, mentors and researchers registered for the event, kicking off a great start to the 2024 academic year. Special thank you to our speakers, including our keynote speaker Prof. Sherri Greenberg from the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Congratulations to our first, second and third place poster award winners, Louise Ince (School of Pharmacy), Alexis Campanile (School of Pharmacy) and Perianne Johnson (Jackson School of Geosciences)!
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Making the Most of the Postdoc Workshop
The Making the Most of Your Postdoc Workshop was held on Oct. 10 as part of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs Lunch Workshop series. The workshop was led by Dr. Jim Gould, Director of Postdoctoral Affairs for Harvard Medical School and author of Making the Most of Your Postdoc. 54 postdocs registered for this workshop and gained valuable insight into developing their story as a postdoctoral scholar from a leading expert in postdoctoral affairs. Dr. Gould has implemented research, career and professional development programs and policies for Harvard Medical School-affiliated trainees since 2011. Making the Most of Your Postdoc is a guide to support postdocs from the beginning to the end of their journey. It includes practical and actionable advice for postdocs to utilize as they undergo the natural highs and lows of navigating this transitionary period of their career.
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Outstanding Postdoctoral Mentoring Award
The Graduate School has a new award this year for postdoc mentors. Nominations are initiated by a postdoctoral scholar in a letter submitted to a department chair, Graduate Adviser or faculty member.
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Postdoc Scholar Wins HHS Award
Dr. Emily Hilz won Phase 2 of the Health and Human Services EDC Innovator Award Competition for Endoscreen, a program that increases awareness of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in personal care products.
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The New Postdoc Orientation is a full day, in-person session held on the first Thursday of September, November, February, April and June. Lunch will be provided. All postdoctoral scholars that can benefit from this orientation are welcome to attend!
In the morning session you will learn about postdoc-specific policies, benefits, and resources available to enhance your UT Austin experience. Representatives from Human Resources, Payroll, International Student and Scholar Services, Global Risk and Safety, Ombudsman, Center for Teaching and Learning, Texas Research, Discovery to Impact, and Texas Career Engagement will be there to introduce their offices, the services they provide, and answer questions. Following lunch, which is provided, the afternoon session will focus on the mentoring experience and on creating an individual development plan to enhance preparation with goal formulation and execution.
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Humanities PhDs at Work: Career Insights from Former Postdocs
Tuesday, Nov. 12, Noon, Virtual
This virtual panel will feature former humanities postdocs who will share their career journeys, challenges and successes after completing their postdoctoral training. Panelists will offer insights into their current roles, provide advice for navigating diverse career paths, and answer questions collected from participants in advance. Please register for this valuable opportunity to hear firsthand experiences and gain practical advice for shaping your own career beyond the postdoc stage. Hosted by the University of Tennessee Knoxville.
About the panelists:
Dr. Eleanor Mahoney, National Coordinator, National Park Service Mellon Humanities
Fellowship Program
Dr. Clare Mayo, Manager, Research Development, Office of Research and Creative
Activity, College of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Dr. Daniel K. Woo, Helen Zia Distinguished Lecturer in Asian American Studies and
Deputy Director of the Asian American Studies Program & Center at Hunter College
Dr. S. Kennedy Wright, Assistant Professor, History, University of Southern California
Register here
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Join us for an interactive workshop designed for postdocs to sharpen their storytelling skills for use in job applications. In this session, you’ll learn how to collect and craft meaningful stories from your professional and personal experiences, highlighting your skills, strengths, and values. These storytelling techniques will help you effectively communicate your unique qualifications in application documents like resumes, CVs, and cover letters, making your materials stand out to potential employers. This workshop has been adapted from materials in the Professional Development Hub (pd| hub) Collections, which were developed with NIH funding.
Register here
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This workshop is hosted by the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. Tips and suggestions for successful collaborations. Getting things done properly and efficiently in an intricate collaboration involving multiple PIs, multiple departments, and/or multiple institutions. Communicating in a research collaboration. Lunch will be provided.
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Importance of Professional Development in Mentoring
Incorporating Professional Development into Postdoctorial Training
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An essential need for effective training of postdoctoral scholars is development of skills beyond the technical focus of their scholarship. Networking, communication, career planning, teaching, grant writing and other professional development skills are essentials for postdocs to be competitive in any job market and excel in any professional career. Indeed the National Postdoc Association has deemed six critical professional competencies skills for postdocs:
#1. Discipline-specific conceptual knowledge
#2. Research skill development
#3. Communication skills
#4. Professionalism
#5. Leadership and management skills
#6. Responsible conduct of research
However, making time in a busy schedule is a challenge, and postdoctoral scholars typically face pressure to engage only on their scholarship during work hours. At the same time, other postdoctoral scholars are not comfortable asking for time to attend events that occur during the day. But with some strategic planning, postdocs can build in time to cultivate skills that will prepare them for future positions. And PIs and institutions that support postdoc professional development might even discover some benefits for themselves. Read more
The Four Golden Rules of Effective Menteeship
Postdoc Academy - Productive Postdoc Convesations: Mentoring
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Professional Development Tip
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| Have you created an Individual Development Plan (IDP) with your mentor, sponsor or members of your professional network? IDPs can be an invaluable tool for tracking your progress, reflecting on your goals, making collaborative plans and addressing challenges that arise in your work. Having a professional development plan is a great first step in your postdoctoral journey, and having an IDP creates a written record that you can revisit and revise at any time as you or your mentor’s needs change. Visit the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs’ sample IDPs for new and continuing postdocs.
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