Weekly PDA Newsletter - Nov 22, 2015

Sun Nov 22 17:45:12 EST 2015

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Dear MIT Postdocs,

It is Thanksgiving week and only four weeks until Christmas! My first thought: "Did we forget a month?"  But although the upcoming weeks are usually very stressful because we want to finish so much before the year is over, don't forget to take a break every once in a while. One great opportunity for that is our ice skating event on November 30!

Have a great week and a stress free holiday!

Best,
Kathrin Graetz
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Corresponding Secretary
Postdoctoral Association of MIT (PDA)
pda.mit.edu<http://pda.mit.edu/>                        Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/groups/44093460815/>                      Twitter (@MITPDA)<https://twitter.com/MITPDA>                      LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/grps/MIT-Postdoc-2506720/about?>

Next PDA meeting:   December 14, 12pm @E25-202                     register here<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-vT1gzgyik3JHFWaRgQwAVeVoiaoQFK7iP2MO4dtKwo/viewform>       Lunch will be provided!

This Week's Topics:

*         Upcoming PDA events

*         Call for a Recording Secretary

*         Application for PDA Conference Travel Grants (Period January - June 2016)

*         Feature on PDA committees:

o   Addition to the previously presented committees

o   Community Building Committee

*         From the PDA PInG Initiatives (new Glimpse episode!)

*         Other events at MIT

Upcoming PDA Events:

Ice Skating with the PDA and S&P
Come ice skating with MIT PDA and S&P next Monday, November 30, from 5:30-8pm at Community Ice Skating on Kendall Square (300 Athenaeum Street, Cambridge). There will be free ice skating lessons from 6:30-8pm, in addition to skating and warm snacks for all. More details to come!

PDA Sports:    https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Sport%20Activities%20for%20MIT%20Postdocs

Call for a Recording Secretary:
The MIT Postdoctoral Association (PDA) is seeking nominations for a Recording Secretary to serve in the 2015-2016 term. This is a great chance to take on a leadership role and help shape the postdoctoral experience at MIT!
The Recording Secretary is part of the Board of Directors (BOD). Responsibilities include attending official PDA meetings, keeping the minutes from meetings and other records, assisting the Corresponding Secretary, and maintaining a list of MIT active members, postdoctoral alumni, and BOD members of the PDA. Self-nominations are accepted. Current BOD and committee chairs are not eligible.

We will vote on the candidates during our next PDA monthly meeting (Dec 14, Monday, 12-2pm, E25-202) so please come if you are interested in running for the position!
To apply, click here<http://goo.gl/forms/cXkxnL6KjB>. Applications will close on December 1.

Application for PDA Conference Travel Grants
The PDA Conference Travel Grants, covering the period from January 1st, 2016 to June 30th, 2016, is now open for application.
The deadline for the online application is December 10th, 2015 and awardees will be announced by the end-of-December 2015.
The grants will be in the amount of up to $1000 for international travel and up to $600 for domestic travel.

We encourage postdoc applicants from all disciplines to participate, as per the eligibility criteria specified below:
1.     Applicant must be a current MIT post-doc.
2.     Must be presenting a talk/poster at a conference scheduled between January 1st, 2016 to June 30th, 2016.
3.     Have not received a past travel grant from the MIT PDA.
4.     Submit application only for a single conference.
5.     At least, a part of the presented work MUST have been carried out at MIT, and the MIT PI should be a co-author.
6.     Officers of the MIT PDA are not eligible.
To apply, please fill out properly every section of the following form: https://form.jotform.com/53233666367966
Travel grants will be paid upon submission of all conference-related receipts to the Treasurer of the PDA (registration fee; travel, lodging, on site transportation, and food). If there are expenses that are being reimbursed by the department or other sources, please indicate this when submitting receipts. Travel grant funds will only cover amounts not already being reimbursed. PI's and departmental administrators will be notified of the award.
Evaluation will be based exclusively on the scientific merits and originality of the submitted work. Therefore, a compelling description of the significance and impact of the presented project is particularly important.
The PDA Travel Grant Program is made possible through funding from the MIT Postdoctoral Association. The MIT PDA is funded in part by the Office of the Vice President for Research.

Feature on PDA Committees:

Addition to the previously presented committees: (I forgot to give you the e-mail addresses...)
Advocacy Committee (Co-Chairs: Martin Stewart (martstew at mit.edu<mailto:martstew at mit.edu>), Murat Yildrim (muraty at mit.edu)<mailto:muraty at mit.edu)>)
Human Affairs Committee (Chair: Claudia Wehrspaun (ccwehrsp at mit.edu<mailto:ccwehrsp at mit.edu>)
Professional Development (Chair: Dinesh Kumar (dineshk at mit.edu)<mailto:dineshk at mit.edu)>)

Community Building Committee (Co-Chairs: Virginia Burger (virgy at mit.edu<mailto:virgy at mit.edu>), Paulo Garcia (pagarcia at mit.edu<mailto:pagarcia at mit.edu>), Farrokh Sheibani (farrokh at mit.edu<mailto:farrokh at mit.edu>))
If you enjoy planning or helping with events that bring postdocs together with each other and other members of the Greater Boston Community, join our committee!

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>From the PDA PInG Initiatives:

[[GLIMPSE logo]]

Are you curious about other people's research at MIT? The MIT Postdoctoral Association (PDA) is proud to present GLIMPSE podcast. GLIMPSE is a series of one-on-one interviews with postdocs across MIT campus. Next time you are running a long mundane experiment, throw on some headphones and meet your peers! Get a glimpse into their journey, research, and outlook. If you would like to be interviewed by GLIMPSE podcast or would like to help with the podcast (music, logo, artwork), please contact us at glimpse.podcast at gmail.com<mailto:glimpse.podcast at gmail.com>. For more information, please visit us at: http://glimpse.mit.edu/

Episode 3, third time's a charm! Dr. Elizabeth Sterner  is a postdoctoral associate in Prof. Timothy Swager's group.  Elizabeth is a polymer chemist who is working on bullet-proof materials and sensors that can detect airborne benzene. We also discuss "Minnesota nice", young pyromaniac chemists, mysterious humdinger boxes, and why we should say "yes" to scary things!

Yoga Classes
on Wednesdays at 7:30pm at Marlar Lounge 37-252. Tickets and more info are available here.<https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-mit-yoga-postdoctoral-initiative-mypi-tickets-17836512489>
If you are interested in further classes starting the week of Nov. 18th (same location and time), our instructor is suggesting a reduced rate for postdocs and their spouses or partners: a 10 class session for $80 for the following dates:

Nov. 18, no class for Thanksgiving, Dec. 2, Dec. 9, Dec. 16, 2 weeks break for Christmas and New Year's, Jan. 6, Jan. 13, Jan. 20, Jan. 27, Feb. 3, Feb. 10

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Other Events:

Application for Spring 2016 Kaufman Teaching Certificate Program (KTCP)
This workshop series is for students interested in developing their teaching skills to support their teaching at MIT, as well as those who are planning careers in academe. To earn a certificate, participants must participate in 7 classroom workshops + 2 videotaped teaching/lesson presentations--see program requirements<http://tll.mit.edu/help/requirements>. Online application forms will be accepted through Friday, December 4th: http://tll.mit.edu/kaufman-teaching-certificate-program-ktcp-application.  Those admitted to the spring program will be notified on or before Monday, December 21st.

Maximizing the Postdoctoral Period (Sponsored by the Office of the VPR)
How can you optimize your postdoctoral experience at MIT? Professor Hazel Sive and two seasoned postdoctoral scholars will offer their insight and suggestions and answer your questions. Our speakers will share diverse perspectives. Professor Sive is passionate about teaching, research, and mentoring. Dr. Markita Landry has recently secured a faculty position, and Dr. Andrea Fanelli is currently keeping all pathways open, including entrepreneurship.
Date and Time: Monday, November 23, 3 - 4:30 pm
Location: Singleton Auditorium, Building 46-3002<http://whereis.mit.edu/?go=46>
Register: http://goo.gl/forms/cte895LMd7

Getting Published (Sponsored by MIT CEE)
The event provides a unique opportunity to meet experienced professionals, gain insights into the editorial processes, and discuss where scientific publishing is heading. The panel will also cover aspects of open access publishing, innovative models of peer review and publishing, and related aspects. Join for an exciting networking event and maximize your research impact.
Confirmed Panelists:
Dr. Stewart Bland (http://www.materialstoday.com/the-team/), Senior Publisher and Editor, Materials Today (Elsevier)
Dr. Amy Brand (https://mitpress.mit.edu/blog/meet-new-press-director-amy-brand-part-one), Director, The MIT Press
Dr. Rosamund Daw (http://www.nature.com/nature/about/editors/), Senior Editor, Nature (Physical, Chemical and Earth Sciences)
Dr. Anna Demming (http://www.annademming.com/), Editor at the UK-based Institute of Physics Publishing (IOP)
Dr. Quincey Justman (http://www.cell.com/cell-systems/home), Scientific Editor, Cell Systems
Dr. Corie Lok (http://www.nature.com/nature/about/editors/), Research Highlights Editor, Nature
Date and Time: Monday, November 30, 2 - 4 pm
Location: MIT Student Center<http://whereis.mit.edu/?go=W20>, W20 - 3rd Floor Coffee House Lounge

Enriching Your Mentoring Relationships (Sponsored by the Office of the VPR)
see http://postdocs.mit.edu/news/enriching-your-mentoring-relationships
Speaker: Joanne Kamens, Executive Director, Addgene
Date and Time: Monday, December 7, 2015, from 3 - 4:30 pm
Location: Singleton Auditorium, Building 46-3002<http://whereis.mit.edu/?go=46>

Data Science-Big Data Meet Up (Sponsored by GECD)
Join this Meet Up with alums and representatives working in Data Science-Big Data, and learn about jobs and careers in this rapidly growing field. Here's your chance to ask about the work, career paths, skills needed, trends in the field, and whatever else you would like to know.

Date and Time: Monday, December 7, 5:30 - 6:30 pm

Location: 10-105

Register via CareerBridge<https://www.myinterfase.com/mit/student>

Mindfulness for Stress Reduction (Sponsored by MIT Work-Life)
see http://hrweb.mit.edu/worklife/seminars/professionals
December 11, at Noon

Free affiliate membership with the National Postdoctoral Association: http://www.nationalpostdoc.org/?page=individual_members

Other helpful sites:
postdocs.mit.edu (Office VPR)
MIT GECD Events<https://gecd.mit.edu/mit-events>
MIT Spouses&Partners Events<http://spouses.mit.edu/mit-events>
MIT Events<http://events.mit.edu/>
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