| Dear Postdoctoral Community,
I love Spring. The Spring weather makes me excited for new beginnings as everything pops back to life and bright colors emerge on campus.
I've commandeered this column from Vice Provost Christie-Mizell this month. I recently attended the National Postdoc Association Annual Conference in Chicago with Brianna Yamasaki and Daniel Fehrenbach, your Vanderbilt Postdoc Association Senior and Junior Co-Chairs. It was exciting to speak with postdocs and leadership from other institutions and think critically about our community at Vanderbilt. We presented a poster titled "A Framework for Effectively Overcoming the Challenges Associated with High Turnover Among Postdoctoral Association Officers", a model for continued engagement as we plan for the 2022-23 VPA Executive Committee upcoming elections.
As we move forward to finish out this academic year and plan for the next, I hope you will join me in strategically thinking about your goals, both short-term and long-term. Whether it is joining the Vanderbilt Postdoc Association or becoming a member of the National Postdoc Association to network among peers, looking for your next position, or thinking about your current research project, know the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs is here to support you. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Vice Provost Christie-Mizell or myself if we can provide guidance or connect you with resources to meet those goals.
I look forward to hearing about your success!
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Faith Bishop
Assistant Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
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| Postdoc Awards Ceremony and Reception May 24
The annual postdoc awards ceremony will take place on Tuesday, May 24 at 4:00 in Alumni Hall. A reception will follow on the terrace. RSVP here.
Please join us for the first in-person awards ceremony since 2019.
For more information on the awards or to see past winners visit the OPA website.
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| Nashville Sounds Baseball on May 7The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and the BRET Office are going to the Nashville Sounds Baseball game on May 7th at 6:30 p.m. The Nashville Triple-A affiliate baseball team of the Milwaukee Brewers will play the Norfolk Tides, the Triple-A affiliate team of the Baltimore Orioles.
Tickets are limited. Please RSVP at this link. Postdocs are allowed to bring one non-postdoc guest. Since tickets are limited, a waitlist will be collected in case tickets become available.
For questions, please email OPA@vanderbilt.edu.
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| Get Involved with the National Postdoc AssociationThe National Postdoc Association (NPA) provides many resources to postdocs around the country, as well as provides support to postdoc offices. Postdocs can get involved with the NPA by becoming a member, joining a committee, or taking part in webinars like the SmartSkills workshop.
As a Vanderbilt postdoc, membership is provided. Use this link to become a Vanderbilt affiliate member.
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Everybody Fails: Finding Your Own Path to Academic Success
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The webinar will be moderated by Felysha Jenkins, Ph.D. with the following panelists:
Larry Marnett, Ph.D. – Dean of Basic Sciences and Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research
Maureen Gannon, Ph.D. – Associate Dean for Faculty Development, Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation
Ege Kavalali, Ph.D. – William Stokes Professor of Experimental Therapeutics and Chair of the Department of Pharmacology
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Scientist in the Classroom
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| The Vanderbilt Collaborative for STEM Education and Outreach is recruiting science, math, and engineering postdocs for the Scientist in the Classroom Partnership program. The program is well suited for postdocs that are interested in a unique opportunity to engage K-12 teachers and students in weekly hands-on experiments. Selected fellows are partnered with a MNPS teacher to co-teach science lessons and experiments one day each week during the school year. A monthly stipend for the fellow’s time is awarded.
More information and the digital application can be found on the website.
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Academic Life Coach Corner
The Academic Life Coach is here to support you in your postdoctoral work - progress and productivity, communication and conflict coaching. Individual coaching appointments are available through the online calendar.
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Please see the Academic Life Coaches programming website for all info and RSVP links for these and any other programs we will be presenting!
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Upcoming Events Hosted by the BRET Office of Career Development ASPIRE Program
PhD Career Stories: Finance and Equity Research with Alex Nackenoff, PhD and Mike Nedelcovych, PhD
Friday, April 15, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. via Zoom. Register Here.
ASPIRE Job Search Series: Writing a Better Cover Letter
Thursday, April 21, 2022 at 11:00 a.m., Light Hall 214
ASPIRE Cafe: A Fair Look - How to Review a Paper
Thursday, April 28, 2022 at 11:00 a.m., Light Hall 214
SAVE THE DATE! 2022 ASPIRE Annual Career Symposium
Friday, June 3, 2022 via Zoom. Registration coming soon!
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| Margaret Cuninggim Women's Center Upcoming Programming
Parenting Group - Selecting Good Literature for Children
Wednesday, April 13, 12:00 p.m. via Zoom. Register here.
Inclusive Book Group: Hamnet
Wednesday, May 4, 12:00 p.m. via Zoom. Register here.
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Postdoc Spotlight: Jhanvi Sharma, Ph.D.
Jhanvi Sharma experienced a delayed start to her postdoc career due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Now she is thriving her in lab and in the Vanderbilt community. Read more about her postdoc experience in our April postdoc feature.
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Save the Date: 16th Annual Postdoc Symposium
The 16th Annual Postdoc Symposium has been scheduled for Thursday, October 27, 2022. Be on the lookout for more information.
If you would like to get involved with the symposium planning committee, please email postdoc@vanderbilt.edu.
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Gordon Research Seminar on Drug Resistance
The 2022 Drug Resistance GRS will be a 2-day conference on June 25-26 immediately before the Drug Resistance GRC being held from June 26-July 1 at Bryant University, Smithfield, RI.
Poster and short talk applications are open, apply here.
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TEDxVanderbiltUniversity
Limited ticket requests are now available or join the virtual live stream.
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Job and Funding Opportunties
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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.
To learn more about Employee Affinity Groups, 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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Updated Health and Safety Protocols
Vanderbilt University will no longer require masking or physical distancing indoors. Individuals will have the option of wearing a mask indoors, including in classrooms, offices, labs, dining, and community spaces. Testing for asymptomatic individuals continues to be available for all members of our community at the Vanderbilt Testing Center in the David Williams II Recreation and Wellness Center. For more information on University protocols, visit the Health and Wellness website.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center continues to require masking in clinical areas where patients and visitors are present. If fully vaccinated, masking is not required in non-clinical areas. Other information on Covid-19 can be viewed on the VUMC Clinician and Employee Guidance website.
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