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Upcoming Postdoctoral Professional Development Events
CURRENT EVENTS
DECEMBER 2019
Webinar on Faculty Interviews
December 12, 2019, Noon to 1:00 p.m.
Presented by Dr. Guangsheng Zhang.
Dr. Guangsheng Zhang, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alabama, Huntsville will present his experiences and advice on interview preparation for faculty positions. r. His research focuses on in situ diagnosis and thermal management of batteries and fuel cells for electric vehicle, aerospace, and renewable energy storage applications. Before joining UAH, Dr. Zhang was a Research Associate (2013-2017) and a Postdoctoral Fellow (2011-2013) at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park and a Postdoctoral Fellow (2010-2011) at Rochester Institute of Technology. He received his Ph.D. in Power Engineering and Engineering Thermophysics (2010) from Xi’an Jiaotong University, China. Since 2010, he has participated in several projects funded by federal and state agencies including Department of Energy (DOE) and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). He has also collaborated with many industrial partners including BMW, EC Power, FORD, GM, and Johnson Controls.
Those interested can sign up here: https://forms.gle/pmD2HppJ6nX97RsQ9
Seminar on Careers in Data Science
Dec 12, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. in MSC W203
Organized by Prof. Christina Grozinger and Department of Entomology
Dr. Rong Ma, will be presenting a seminar on careers in data. He was an NSF Graduate Research Fellow in the Department of Integrative Biology at University of Texas, and joined Penn State as a postdoc, focusing on bee sociogenomics. He recently completed a data science bootcamp and secured a position in data sciences subsequently.
Data science is one of the fastest growing job markets out there, and there are great job opportunities for biologists with a quantitative background. However, the path to becoming a data scientist can seem amorphous and non-intuitive. Dr. Ma will attempt to demystify data science career paths and boot camps by sharing my experiences in making the transition. This will be an open discussion about what it means to be a data scientist and the necessary skills/perspectives to become one.
Interviewing for Non Academic Jobs
December 13, 2019 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. in 131 HUB
Presented by Pallavi Eswara, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
This seminar will present on preparing for interviews in non-academic careers including responding to questions from HR, Hiring Manager and others. There will also be an interactive portion where attendees can prepare responses for behavior questions. This seminar will provide an opportunity to respond to questions around ideal work environment, strengths and weaknesses, overcoming challenges or questions that are outside of research expertise.
Those interested can sign up here: https://forms.gle/
Resources and Services Available to Postdocs
December 18, 2019 from Noon to 12:45 p.m. in 131 HUB
Presented by Pallavi Eswara, Director Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
Learn about Resources and Services available to postdocs at University Park. Walk-in, no registration necessary.
Individual Development Plan
December 18, 2019 from 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. in 131 HUB
Know your strengths, interests, values and explore career options through this interactive session. Start building your own Individual Development Plan. Explore myIDP and Imagine PhD and other tools for creating Individual Development Plans and explore career paths. Open to postdoctoral fellows, scholars, assistant research professors from all disciplines.
Those interested in attending the workshop on Individual Development Plan can register here: https://forms.gle/
PAST EVENTS
NOVEMBER 2019
Sessions on Grant Writing
You may select any or all of the sessions to attend and register at https://forms.gle/
Seminars on NSF and NIH Grant writing
November 14, 2019, noon to 1:30 p.m. at 233 A HUB
Presented by
Dr. Erica Smithwick, Professor, Geography (NSF grants)
Dr. Scott Showalter, professor, Department of Chemistry (NIH grants, specifically R21 Tech and how the review committee works)
Webinar on Applying for Fellowships to Foundations
November 20, 2019 at 11:30 a.m.
by Dr. Raghav Poudyal, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Chemistry
Office of Postdoctoral Affairs will provide resources on fellowships and grants that international postdocs can apply.
Zoom link will be sent to those registered for the webinar.
Webinar on NIH Fellowships and Grants-F32, K99/ R00
November 21, 2019 at 11:30 a.m.
by Dr. Anna Stanhewicz, Assistant Professor, Human physiology, University of Iowa. Dr. Stanhewicz is a Penn State postdoc alum and a recipient of F32, K99 awards from NIH
Zoom link will be sent to those registered for the webinar.
OCTOBER 2019
Careers in Research Administration & Grant Writing
Wednesday, October 16 at 12:00 PM
Speaker is Dr. Shashank Priya, Associate VP for Research & Director of Strategic Interdisciplinary Office (SIRO); Professor, Material Science and Engineering
The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and Strategic Interdisciplinary Research Office (SIRO) are offering a seminar about careers in research administration, grant writing and creating strategic collaborations in higher education institutions. The seminar will talk about what such positions involve, what skill sets one would need and impact of such positions in high education. Learn about working in SIRO at Penn State and career in research administration and grant writing.
