Weekly PDA Newsletter - June 5, 2016

Sun Jun 5 16:36:15 EDT 2016

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Dear MIT Postdocs,

Yesterday, the academic year ended with big fireworks and now it is getting more quiet at MIT with a lot less events. But your PDA still gives you some opportunities to get out of the lab! On Thursday, we have our weekly Sports & Pizza Night and this Saturday, we have a Tango Introduction Class to get you moving! (No dance partner or experience needed.)

Wish you all a great week!

Best,
Kathrin

P.S. And please participate in the National Postdoc Survey! Your 15 minutes of invested time can help us to advocate for better salaries and benefits for all of us!

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Dr.-Ing. Kathrin Graetz
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>              Instagram (@mitpda)<https://www.instagram.com/mitpda/>                   LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/grps/MIT-Postdoc-2506720/about?>

Boston PDA: http://bostonpostdocs.org/

Next PDA meeting:  June 13, 12pm @E25-202      (next week)       register here<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-vT1gzgyik3JHFWaRgQwAVeVoiaoQFK7iP2MO4dtKwo/viewform>          Lunch will be provided!

This Week's Topics:

*       Upcoming PDA Events

o   Outdoor Volleyball, Soccer and Pizza @ Muddy's on Thursday, 5:30pm

o   Tango Introduction Class on Saturday!

*       From the PDA Committees

o   Call for Nominations: PDA Vice President

o   PDA Conference Travel Grants - open for application until Tuesday!

o   National Postdoc Survey

o   Lunch Dates

*       Postdoc Orientation Sessions

*       From the PDA PInG Initiatives

o   Glimpse - New Episode

*       Other Events at MIT

o   Writing & Communication Center (MIT)

o   How to Make a Powerful First Impression (Wednesday, 5:30pm)

Upcoming PDA Events:

Sports & Pizza Thursday - Outdoor
[cid:image003.png at 01D1BF48.5E93A560][cid:image006.png at 01D1BF48.5E93A560]PDA weekly sports event continues with 2 games this week! And we are moving outdoors so let's hope for great weather this Thursday. Join us for a friendly game of volleyball and/or soccer followed by pizza at Muddy's. Please, bring a valid ID and RSVP so we can order enough pizza
Date, Time and Location: Thursday, June 9th
Sand volleyball: 5:30 - 7:00 pm, sand pit between Buildings 62 and 64 (https://whereis.mit.edu/?go=62)
Outdoor soccer: 7:00 - 8:30 pm, Briggs Field (http://whereis.mit.edu/?go=G15)
Pizza at Muddy's: 8:30 pm MIT Building 50, 142 Memorial Drive, Cambridge (http://whereis.mit.edu/?go=50)
For all questions regarding the events, email the Sports Committee of PDA at jelenas at mit.edu<mailto:jelenas at mit.edu>
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Sport%20Activities%20for%20MIT%20Postdocs

Tango Introduction Class
In this introduction class, Eric Lindgren from the MIT Argentine Tango club<http://tango.mit.edu/> will get you from no dancing to Tango. No dance partner or experience needed. But due to limited spots (40 postdocs and guests), sign-up is required.
Date and Time: Saturday, June 11th, 2:00-4:00pm
Location: W20-201 (West lounge in the student center)
Register here<http://signup.mit.edu/710381250>

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>From the PDA Committees:

Call for Nominations: PDA Vice President
The MIT Postdoctoral Association (PDA) is seeking for nominations for the Vice President to serve in the 2016 term (until the end of September). This is a great chance to take on a leadership role and help shape the postdoctoral experience at MIT!

The vice president is part of the board of directors and his/her main duty is to assist the president.
Your responsibilities would include:

-          Co-chair PDA meetings

-          Support coordination of PDA activities

-          Attend meetings of MIT presidential committees together with the PDA president

-          Act as president in the absence of the president

If you are interested, or have further questions, please contact our president Wasifa (wjamal at mit.edu<mailto:wjamal at mit.edu>). The nominations close on June 8th and we will vote on the candidates during our next PDA monthly meeting (June 13, 12-2pm, E25-202).

Advocacy Committee: National Postdoc Survey
What are your thoughts and opinions on your postdoc experience so far? An unprecedented nationwide postdoc survey is currently underway to collect data on postdoc issues across the country. The results will be analyzed and compiled into a journal article by University of Chicago researchers later this year. They have asked for MIT postdocs to participate in the survey. Here is a link to the survey:
https://redcap.uchicago.edu/surveys/?s=W87XWMKHWE

This survey will take no longer than 15-20 minutes of your time and results will be completely anonymous.
Best of all: Enter into a drawing for $200 travel awards to a scientific meeting of your choice! Additionally, one participant from MIT will randomly be selected for a $50 Amazon gift card.

Human Affairs Committee: Lunch Dates
Interested in making friends with other postdocs over lunch or coffee?  Connect is a great way to make friends in the MIT postdoc community who share your interests and schedule. An MIT graduate student created this extremely popular program last year, and now postdocs can join.

How it works:
Sign up at mitconnect.com<http://mitconnect.com> by answering a few questions about your interests and schedule.  You will be matched with other interested postdocs and given a set of times when you are both available to meet one-on-one.  Then, be your wonderful self and start making meaningful connections with your fellow postdocs.

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Postdoc Orientation Sessions:

The PDA offers Postdoc Orientation Sessions open to all postdocs at MIT. Topics covered include:
*       Data on postdoc population at MIT

  *   MIT oversight of postdocs
  *   Defining postdoc expectations
  *   Differences between fellows and associates
  *   PDA structure and initiatives
*       How to get involved
The sessions will be typically the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month at 12pm (45-60min) in E19-306. Lunch will be provided.
The dates for the next six months are as follows: June 6, June 20

If you are interested in participating, you can register via Atlas or using this link<http://web.mit.edu/training/course.html?course=CDT21061c>.

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>From the PDA PInG Initiatives:

[[GLIMPSE logo]]Glimpse:

Dr. Asha Patel is a postdoctoral fellow in the labs of Robert Langer and Daniel Anderson. Here, we discuss how to engineer materials for guiding stem cell growth and designing polymers for delivering therapeutics. Also, bioengineering research needs more pharmacists!
This is the second of a three episode series focusing on research at MIT's Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research.For more information please visit:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Talar_Tokatlian
http://irvine-lab.mit.edu/

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/

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Other Events at MIT:

Writing & Communication Center (MIT)
Schedule one-on-one consulting sessions with professional writers<http://cmsw.mit.edu/writing-and-communication-center/>. The Center provides free professional advice from communication experts about all types of writing and speaking/oral presentations. Specialized help is available to non-native English speakers. It closes for part of the summer and reopens in the fall; see the note below. (Eligible: MIT undergraduate students, graduate students, postdocs, faculty, lecturers and staff members.)
Note from the Center: MIT's Writing and Communication Center's (WCC) scheduler for July is now open. [Once you have registered for an account ] Go to our scheduler, move it forward to July 6, and you can sign up for appointments. The WCC is only open for the month of July.

This Week:

How to Make a Powerful First Impression (organized by MASS AWIS*)
How you present yourself to prospective employers or clients makes a powerful statement about who you are and what you have to offer. In this session, Doreen will reveal valuable information about what your public image communicates about you, and tips to up-level your style and confidence opening more doors and career opportunities.
Speaker: Doreen Dove is an award-winning image consultant, speaker and author of "Confidence is Always in Style." She coaches women to use style to take strategic control of their image, personal and professional brand, and fully engage in the possibilities of their future.
Agenda:
5:30 - 6:00 pm: Registration & Networking
6:00 - 7:00 pm: Workshop & Makeover Prize Awarded!
7:00 - 8:00 pm: Refreshments & Networking
To Register: Early bird special: MASS AWIS members $10 * Non-members $15; Register after May 23rd for $12 or $18, respectively!
Date and Time: Wednesday, June 8th, 5:30pm-8:30pm
Location: The Harvard MCB Auditorium (16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA)
Register here<http://mass-awis.org/how-to-make-a-powerful-first-impression-wednesday-june-8th/>

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

*NOTE: MIT is a Collegiate Rep of AWIS, so the MIT community can attend Mass AWIS (http://mass-awis.org/) events at the member price.
First, apply for your free membership through the national AWIS website http://www.awis.org/ as a Collegiate Rep and select the Massachusetts Chapter. Do this prior to registering for any events.

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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MIT Employee Resource Groups
Join an Employee Resource Group (ERG) at MIT!
ERGs are employee-led groups formed around common interests, issues and/or a common bond or background. ERGs host activities such as lectures, socials, dinners, etc. Both Postdoctoral Fellows and Associates are invited to join.
Current ERGs include:
African, Black, American, Caribbean @MIT (ABAC at MIT) ERG
Asian Pacific American ERG
Latino ERG,
Lesbian, Gay, ,Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) ERG
Millennials ERG
Women in IT ERG
Check out the link for more information and upcoming events: http://hrweb.mit.edu/diversity/ergs/current

MIT+K12 Videos
MIT+K12 Videos<http://www.k12videos.mit.edu/> is an educational outreach media program. We produce original web series like Science Out Loud<https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzMhsCgGKd1hoofiKuifwy6qRXZs7NG6a> and #askMIT<https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzMhsCgGKd1j87LQK6UHs_YGiurvnvwXG> to spark curiosity about STEM among middle-high schoolers by showcasing the research and people of MIT. We are always looking for post-docs (of all disciplines) to be filmed for #askMIT (a video pen-pal/Q&A series), show visiting middle schoolers around labs, or serve as script content reviewers.
Please contact Elizabeth Choe (echoe) for more information or if you're interested in getting involved.

[cid:3EBF0234-8914-458A-B02B-6442DD6CB77E]MIT Sailing

Are you interested in sailing? The MIT sailing program offers you both dinghy sailing on the Charles, as well as bluewater sailing on X-Dimension, a 43-foot ocean racer-cruiser. X-Dimension offers trips to everyone in the MIT community (meaning you), including day trips around Boston harbor and longer trips to Provincetown, Martha's Vineyard, and summer cruises in Maine. No experience necessary, just an interest and the ability to swim. For more information visit http://sailing.mit.edu/bluewater/ and sign up for the mailing list at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/bluewater.

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