Postdoctoral Professional Development Events
Office of Postdoctoral Affairs is organizing the following professional and career development events for postdocs and assistant research professors.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
14th ANNUAL POSTDOC RESEARCH EXHIBITION
Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and Penn State Postdoc Society is proud to present 2021 Annual Postdoc Research Exhibition on September 30 and October 1st 2021.
Panel discussions on careers outside industry; round table discussions on diversity, mental health and wellness, immigration issues; Keynote by invited Speaker; Deep Dive into getting Teaching Experience as a postdoc; Lightning Talk and Short Talk Competitions( hybrid mode); Reception; PSPS Outstanding Faculty and Postdoc Mentor Awards are being planned. Registration and further details and times will be shared in the coming weeks.
2021 Planning Committee: Teresa Aditya, Nuclear Engineering; Allison Gicking, Biomedical Engineering; Margarita Orlova, Entomology and Pallavi Eswara, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
July 30 from 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.
New and Recent Postdoc Info Session
July 30 from 12:45 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Individual Development Plan online workshop
Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and Penn State Postdoc Society will be presenting a seminar on Resources and Information for new and recently appointed postdoctoral scholars and fellows. This will be followed by an online workshop by the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs on Individual Development Plan to reflect on strengths, gaps, interests and values, setting SMART goals. Attending the workshop will help you create a plan to better inform your postdoc training and transition to the desired career.
Zoom link will be emailed to those registered at https://forms.gle/LaVnQve6HA7Xa5V59
July 27, 2021, 11:00 a.m. to noon.
Townhall for postdocs
Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) is organizing a town hall meeting for all postdoctoral scholars and fellows.
The goal of the town hall is to discuss the impact of the pandemic on postdoctoral training and career development. We understand that in addition to research and education challenges, there has been significant impact on the career advancement. This discussion will provide guidance to the OPA in designing future activities that best align with the needs of our postdoctoral community. We would like to listen about your challenges from past year and how this has impacted your career. We also want to listen to your suggestions on the activities that OPA should focus in future. In addition to OPA, members from OSVPR will attend the discussion to gain a better understanding of the ongoing challenges. Postdoctoral scholars, fellows at Penn State University Park who were recently promoted to Assistant Research Professor in the last 1 year are also invited to share their experiences.
Pallavi Eswara, Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs will facilitate the session. Zoom information will be posted on the listserve. If you have any questions regarding this event, please contact postdocaffairs@psu.edu
BEHAVIORAL QUESTIONS IN INTERVIEWS
Friday, July 16, 2021
12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
A strong application, matching skills to the job ad get you an interview call. However, interviews be it for academic or non-academic positions involve questions that are not always about the technical expertise, yet play a significant role in getting selected for the job or the next stage of the interview process. What is the best way to answer the common ones and the tricky or illegal questions that get asked? An interactive webinar that will go over the commonly asked behavioral questions in interviews at various stages will be presented by Pallavi Eswara, Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs.
PREPARING FOR SUCCESS AND DEALING WITH DISAPPOINTMENTS
July 9, 2021
Noon to 1:00 p.m. ET
Presented by Dr. Jamie Chen, Senior Chemist, DuPont
Office of Postdoctoral Affairs is pleased to invite Penn State postdoc alum Dr. Jamie Chen to share her journey and advice with all of you. These alumni presentations allow postdocs to learn from those who have walked on a similar path as them, learn about the skills needed to be in that specific career.
Come for the presentation and stay for the discussion!
Talk Description: “The path to your first job in industry – and the considerations you have to make along the way – is different for everyone. I will share my no-so-straightforward journey that included doing a second post-doc and dealing with a two-body problem, as well as some lessons I learned during my job search. Once you do land your first job, everyone’s experience will be even more varied depending on the type of technology, the size of your business, your work culture, and more. My first 2.5 years at DuPont has taken my team close to the commercialization of a new product (fingers crossed) from inception, but the progress we made so far didn’t come without failures and disappointments. I will discuss what I have learned about effective project management, as well as what you can do early in your career to help set yourself up for success in the long run.
Speaker Bio: Jamie grew up in Taiwan and moved to the US when she was 12. She received her BA in chemistry from Carleton College, and her Ph.D in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin – Madison where she developed electrocatalysts for water oxidation. She then moved to PSU for a postdoc with Prof. Ray Schaak where she learned to synthesize & characterize nano- & bulk inorganic materials. Subsequently, Jamie completed a second postdoc at MIT and worked on the electrosynthesis of organic molecules. Currently, she’s a senior chemist at DuPont’s Electronics & Industrial business and works on developing electroplating formulations for electronic connectors. Outside of work, she enjoys classical music, being out in the woods (running & biking), and cooking with friends & family.
INTRODUCTION TO GRANT WRITING
July 8, 1 to 2:00 p.m.
Presented by Dr. Lisa Nielsen, Purdue University
Postdocs interested in viewing the recording and slides can email postdocaffairs@psu.edu
Participants of the Introduction to Grant Writing webinar will learn fundamental processes for organizing a grant proposal as well as how to search for postdoc funding opportunities. The main components of a grant will be featured along with advice for how to avoid common mistakes and build your grant writing skills for your future career.
Dr. Lisa Nielsen is the Postdoc Office Director and a grant writer at Purdue University where she uses the combination of her two positions to share her strategies for writing effective grants with postdocs. Dr. Lisa Nielsen is the Postdoc Office Director and a grant writer at Purdue University where she uses the combination of her two positions to share her strategies for writing effective grants with postdocs. Before coming to Purdue, Lisa worked in sales and technical support for a laboratory equipment manufacturer, where she learned how to apply persuasion to research proposals. Although she was originally a materials scientist, Lisa now works with postdocs from all over the Purdue campus, including social science, agriculture, pharmacy, engineering, technology, and liberal arts.