Weekly PDA Newsletter - May 22, 2016
Kathrin Graetz
graetz at mit.edu
Sun May 22 22:25:09 EDT 2016
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Dear MIT Postdocs,
It is the end of the semester and thus it gets more quiet at MIT (in regards of seminars and workshops). But as we postdocs are independent of semesters, our events like Sports Thursdays continue! And by the way, MIT is hosting the next meeting of the Boston Postdoctoral Association. So if you are interested in the activities of the Greater Boston Area Postdocs, just register for the meeting using the link below and come to the meeting on May 31st!
Wish you all a great week!
Best,
Kathrin
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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: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1969262336632168/\<https://www.facebook.com/groups/1969262336632168/%5C>
Next PDA meeting: June 13, 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
o Outdoor Volleyball, Soccer and Pizza @ Muddy's on Thursday, 5:30pm
o BPDA Meeting @MIT, May 31th New
* From the PDA Committees
o Call for Nominations: PDA Vice President New
o PDA Conference Travel Grants - open for application
o National Postdoc Survey New
o Lunch Dates
* Postdoc Orientation Sessions
* From the PDA PInG Initiatives
* Other Events at MIT
o Employee Resource Groups at MIT
o MIT+K12 Videos
o MIT Sailing Program
o Improv Comedy Workshop to Improve Communication and Interviewing Skills (Wednesday, 3pm)
o Backpack to Briefcase: Dating 101 (Friday, 12pm) New
o "distant future" events new events
o 2016 NextProf Fall Engineering Workshop (Application deadline: May 27th) New
o
Upcoming PDA Events:
PDA Sports:
Sports & Pizza Thursday - Outdoor
[cid:image002.png at 01D1B478.C861C1A0][cid:image004.png at 01D1B478.C861C1A0]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, May 26th
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
BPDA Meeting @ MIT, May 31th
The Boston Postdoctoral Association is a coalition of the PDAs from BCH, BU/BUMC, Brandeis, BWH, Broad, DFCI, HMS/HSDM, Chan, Harvard, Joslin, MGH, MIT, Tufts, and WIBR. Its aim is to foster a sense of community, encourage increased communication, and aid in creating a collaborative environment among postdocs by advocacy efforts and organizing social and career development events to bring together postdocs across the Greater Boston Area.
The next meeting will be held here at MIT and everyone is welcome to join!
The meeting agenda will be posted in the next newsletter.
Date and Time: Tuesday, May 31th, 5:30-7:00pm
Location: E25-401
Register here<http://goo.gl/forms/6ihyvE4syz>
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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).
Professional Development Committee: PDA Conference Travel Grants (Period July - December 2016) - Open For Application!
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 July 1st, 2016 to December 31, 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/61286619202959
The deadline for the online application is May 31, 2016, and awardees will be announced by the end-of-June 2016.
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.
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 www.ghamut.org<http://www.ghamut.org> 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:
Episode 9: Dr. Talar Tokatlian is a postdoc in Darrell Irvine's group. We discuss responsive materials, nanoparticles, HIV vaccines and testing hypotheses outside the lab!!
This is the first 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:
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.
This Week:
Improv Comedy Workshop to Improve Communication and Interviewing Skills (sponsored by MIT VPR and GECD)
Have you had that awkward moment in a presentation where someone asks a really weird question? Has an employer asked an unexpected question in a job interview? This improv workshop will help develop skills to respond to such situations. We will be doing improv comedy exercises to develop a comfort with engaging others. These skills help with job interviews, talks and working in groups. Participants should expect to participate in improv comedy exercises with attendees in a supportive and fun environment. About the facilitator: Jake Livengood has worked in higher education since 2002 and provides career counseling with PhD students at MIT Global Education and Career Development. He is also a graduate of the Improv Asylum Training Center in the North End of Boston. With the last name "Livengood," this career path is quite fitting. For more info: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakelivengood
Date and Time: Wednesday, May 25th, 3:00pm-4:00pm
FULL - To be added to the wait list, please email Jake Livengood livngood at mit.edu<mailto:livngood at mit.edu>
Backpack to Briefcase: Dating 101 (organized by MIT Alumni Association) New
Millennial Love Expert, Samantha Burns, LMHC is coming to MIT to kick start your love life.
Topics:
Online apps and sites (Is Tinder just for hook-ups?)
Creating a stand-out profile (Must-have content & photos)
That first message (Does it really matter what I say?)
How to take it from online to in-person
Meeting someone "organically"
Ghosting
Exclusivity (Is it OK to date multiple people at once?)
Date and Time: Friday, May 27 th, 12pm
Location: 32-141
Register here<http://alumic.mit.edu/s/1314/03-alumni/wide.aspx?sid=1314&pgid=32031&gid=13&cid=50772&ecid=50772&post_id=0>
In the "Distant" Future:
Postdoc - Employer Networking Evening (sponsored by MIT GECD with support from MIT VPR and PDA) New
Please join us for an evening to learn about Jobs and Opportunities for Postdocs outside of Academia.
Come hear what the following companies have to say about their industry, company, and roles for PhD/Postdocs:
Saint Gobain
QPID Health
Phillips
John Hopkins Applied Physics Lab
SSGX State Street Associates
Scientific Systems
5:00 - 6:00 Pizza
6:00 - 7:00 Company Information - Panel Format
7:00 - 8:00 Casual Networking with Employers
Date and Time: Wednesday, June 1st, 5:00-8:00pm
Location: 34-101
Register here<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1hstaHyk-LBo4NwKTDwZI0thIpcsMUyR7UTfVKK_LIRI/viewform>
Academic Career Panel and Speed Networking Event (organized by Boston PDA) UPDATE
Meet junior faculty and tenured professors and learn about their path to the tenure track. Listen to a panel discussion where faculty members discuss their time on the job market, interviewing, negotiating their starting packet, hiring and managing lab members, getting funding and getting tenure. We currently have 15 (!) faculty members joining us to discuss their experiences on the tenure track and post-tenure. These faculty members range from young, pre-tenure faculty to senior faculty who have decades of experience in their field. Many of these faculty members have experience on hiring committees and will be able to discuss their views on constructing a successful job packet. These faculty members come from a variety of institutions including: teaching intensive PUI institutions, R1 institutions and medical schools.
We will have a brief 30-45 minute panel discussion where faculty can introduce themselves and their backgrounds. Following the panel discussion, we will take a short break and then begin coordinated speed networking with the faculty. Attendees will have the opportunity to speak to faculty members for 10 minutes each for a total of an hour.
5:15pm Arrival and registration, light refreshments served
5:30 Panel discussion begins promptly
6pm End of panel discussion, light dinner served
6:15pm Beginning of speed networking
7:30pm End of speed networking
8pm Free networking
8:30pm Concluding remarks
Date and Time: Wednesday, June 1st, 5:30-7:30pm
Location: Tosteson Medical Education Center (260 Longwood Avenue Atrium, Boston)
Register here<bpdacareers-academia.eventbrite.com> (additional spots opened!)
How to Make a Powerful First Impression (organized by MASS AWIS*) New
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/>
Conflict Management Training (organized by Conflict Management at MIT)
Conflict Management at MIT offers a three-tiered conflict management training for all MIT affiliates three times per year, over the fall semester, over the spring semester, and for two weeks in August. The training is tiered at 16-hour, 28-hour, and 40-hour levels. After completion of each successive tier, participants will receive a Certificate of Participation in recognition of their efforts; those completing the 40-hour training will also receive a Mediation certificate. Please note that all Tiers take the training together in the same cohort. Participants may opt to take successive tiers at different times. There is no charge for current students; a fee applies to all faculty, staff, and others affiliated with MIT. Tuition reimbursement is available for MIT employees. MIT community members will be given priority. Non-MIT members please inquire for training rates. Deadline to apply: May 27th
Tier 1: Conflict Management for Self-Reflection (16 hours total) Monday, August 1st to Thursday, August 4th, 8:30am to 12:30pm weekdays
Tier 1 consists of 16 hours of conflict management training for those interested in learning more about their own orientation towards and engagement in conflict. The sessions provide tools and practice for engaging in conflict more efficiently and effectively. Topics include negotiation, active listening, giving and receiving feedback, cultural creation and frameworks, and personal conflict style.
Tier 2: Conflict Management for Leadership (28 hours total) Monday, August 1st to Thursday, August 4th (must complete Tier 1), then Friday, August 5th to Tuesday, August 9th, 8:30am to 12:30pm weekdays
Conflict Management for Leadership, the second tier in the Conflict Management training, requires the successful completion of the entirety of Tier 1, and is an additional 12 hours of in-class time. Topics include conflict coaching, de-escalation, mindfulness in conflict, and boundary-setting when supporting others.
Tier 3: Conflict Management for Advanced Practice (40 hours total) Monday, August 1st to Tuesday, August 9th, 8:30am to 12:30pm weekdays (must complete Tiers 1 and 2), then Wednesday, August 10th from 8:30am to 12:30pm and Thursday and Friday, August 11th and 12th, from 8:30am to 1:30pm.
Tier 3 is the entire 40-hour training, which includes Conflict Management for Self-Reflection and Conflict Management for Leadership, and adds an additional 10 hours of formal mediation instruction and practice. Participants will be coached throughout the Advanced Practice sessions by professional mediators and coaches.
If August doesn't work for you (or others), the training will run again over the fall semester (Tuesday and Thursday mornings, 10am to 12pm) and the spring semester (Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 5 to 7pm). See the website<http://studentlife.mit.edu/conflictmanagement> or e-mail me<mailto:lamaha at mit.edu?subject=Question%20about%20the%20conflict%20management%20trainings> for more information.
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/>
2016 NextProf
Fall Engineering Workshop
All expenses paid
Sept. 27-30, 2016
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Interested in pursuing an academic career?
We encourage applications from groups traditionally under-represented in engineering: senior-level PhD candidates and Postdocs
Applications are open until May 27, 2016
http://nextprof.engin.umich.edu/fallapply/
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