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Congratulations on completing another semester in your training! As you wrap up activities for this year and plan for the spring, we encourage you to pause and reflect on all that you have accomplished. If you are leaving us toward the end of December, we would love to hear in an email about your next steps (postdoctoralaffairs@utexas.edu). If you will be here in the spring, please continue to look for ways to engage with the broader community of postdocs on campus and to benefit from the professional and career opportunities offered through our office.
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 exciting updates of your accomplishments or with any questions. We would love to communicate your news to our broader community.
We hope you have a joyful and restful winter break!
Lydia and Del
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| | Dr. Vidhika Damani Selected as a Rising Star 2025 Speaker
Dr. Vidhika Damani was selected as a speaker for the prestigious Rising Stars in Soft and Biological Matter Symposium, organized by the University of Chicago and the University of California San Diego. The symposium provides a platform for exceptional early-career soft matter, energy materials and biological matter scientists to present their work. Symposium participants are selected based on a track record of research accomplishments.
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| | Second Annual UT Austin NPAW Research Symposium
UT Austin recently hosted the second annual Postdoctoral Appreciation Week Symposium at the Etter Harbin Alumni Center. The all-day event featured keynote speakers Dr. Mohit Tiwari, Associate Professor and Raytheon Company Faculty Fellow in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Janice Omadeke, the exited CEO and founder of The Mentor Method and author of "Mentorship Unlocked: The Science and Art of Setting Yourself Up for Success."
Postdocs presented their research during a poster session and several winners were announced. Congratulations to the following poster winners:
First place (tie): Natalie Nawarawong and Yiming Zhang
Second place (tie): Devika Divakar and Daeun Noh
Audience choice first place: Donghwan Kim
Audience choice second place: Paulina Serrano
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UT Postdocs participate in the UT System Research Symposium held at UT Arlington
Earlier this fall, UT Arlington hosted the second annual UT System Research Symposium in recognition of National Postdoc Appreciation Week. This event brought postdocs, faculty and leaders from The University of Texas System together to experience career development and to promote postdoctoral research contributions to higher education and the broader research enterprise.
Seven UT Austin postdoctoral scholars participated in panels, power chats and a poster session. Two UT Austin postdocs won for their poster presentations:
First place (tied): Vidhika Damani, McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering
Second place (tied): Chelsea Webber, Department of Neuroscience
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UT Postdoctoral Association End of Semester Celebration and Executive Committee Elections
The UT Postdoctoral Association (UTPDA) hosted an End of Semester Celebration at the Texas Union Underground. Postdocs came together for an afternoon of bowling, pool, table games and pizza to celebrate the end of the semester. Look for invitations to other social and networking events in the spring.
Additionally, the UTPDA held a town hall and selected two postdocs for leadership positions on its Executive Committee. Vidhika Damani was selected as Vice President and Roopa Ravichandar was selected as Secretary. The position of Communications is still open. If you are interested in serving in this position, please email postdoctoralaffairs@utexas.edu.
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We invite you to register for our spring 2026 monthly professional development workshops. Lunch will be served at all in-person workshops.
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Future-Proofing Your Career: Taking Control in Uncertain Times (Strategies for Early Career Scientists)
Thursday, Jan. 22, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Virtual
Please join the UT Austin Office of Postdoctoral Affairs for a virtual workshop "Future-Proofing Your Career" facilitated by Dr. James Gould, Director of the HMS/HSDM Office for Postdoctoral Fellows at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and author of the book “Making the Most of the Postdoc: Strategically Advancing Your Early Career.”
Register
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Effective Communication for Productive Collaborations
Thursday, Feb. 26, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Texas Union Quadrangle Room.
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. Facilitated by Sarah K. Sloan, Assistant Dean for Health Affairs and Clinical Associate Professor at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work.
Register
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More Than Your Research: Translating Skills into Impact
Thursday, March 26, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Texas Union Quadrangle Room
This workshop helps postdocs uncover, own and express the versatile strengths they bring to any career path. More Than Your Research: Translating Skills into Impact refers to the process of recognizing and communicating the value of academic and research-acquired skills for non-academic settings. This involves reframing your research story to resonate with audiences outside of academia, such as industry employers, policy makers, or the general public. Facilitated by the Office of Career and Life Design.
Register
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Highlighting the Details of Your Work in a Meaningful Way – Using Improv to Improve your Pitch
Thursday, April 23,11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Texas Union Quadrangle Room
Improv arms researchers with tools to break away from the traditional, jargon-filled presentations and embrace more accessible communication methods that involve articulating complex scientific concepts in a clear and relatable manner. The rules of improvisation offer valuable insights into enhancing networking within your academic circles, including colleagues and supervisors. Facilitating this workshop will be Jo Chauvin.
Register
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Book Review: Thriving as an International Scientist, Sonali Majumdar, PhD
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For foreign-born scientists holding temporary visas in the US, building a career while navigating the antiquated and restrictive American immigration system takes resilience and creativity. In this book, Sonali Majumdar, PhD, a fellow immigrant scientist and a professional development advisor for international doctoral students in engineering and the natural sciences, shares her expertise of how international scientists can be empowered to flourish in any career.
Unlike other professional development guides, Thriving as an International Scientist foregrounds the unique needs and skills of immigrant STEM PhDs at all career stages and across diverse sectors. Through recommendations for best practices of professional development and career design as well as stories of international scientists, this book also provides concrete, culturally appropriate tools for managers, faculty advisors and other mentors. With a combination of hard-nosed advice and nurturing encouragement, Majumdar delivers a much-needed guide to help these often overlooked scientists forge a successful career path.
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Incorporating Professional Development into Postdoctoral Training
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. 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.
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