Weekly PDA Newsletter - October 23, 2016

[Meghan Huber]

​


Dear MIT Postdocs,

There are lots of exciting events on campus this week for professional
development, as well as some fun activities, so be sure to check them out.
Also check out PDA’s monthly coffee hour this Thursday, October 27, 4-5:30
pm in One Community Room (8-219)! We’d love to see you there.

Enjoy your week!

Cheers,

Meghan

-----

Dr. Meghan Huber

Corresponding Secretary

Postdoctoral Association of MIT (PDA)


Follow the MIT-PDA on social media!

MIT-PDA

website <http://pda.mit.edu>

Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/groups/44093460815/>

Twitter <https://twitter.com/MITPDA>

Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/mitpda/>

LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/groups/2506720/profile>

Boston-PDA

website <http://bostonpostdocs.org/>


NEXT MIT-PDA MEETING

November 14, 2016

12:00pm

Rm E25-202

Lunch will be provided!

REGISTER HERE
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-vT1gzgyik3JHFWaRgQwAVeVoiaoQFK7iP2MO4dtKwo/viewform>

Please join us for our monthly MIT-PDA meeting! Get involved with any of
the various committees (e.g., sports, advocacy, committee, community
building) and have your voice heard. This is a great opportunity meet your
fellow postdocs on campus!


MIT-PDA NEWS AND EVENTS

Upcoming MIT-PDA Events

Postdoc Coffee Hour

Hosted by the MIT-PDA

Do you have questions about life as a PD at MIT?  Would you like to meet
other PDs over a cup of coffee? Would you like to learn more about what the
PDA can do for you? If so, please join us for the monthly postdoc coffee
hour! We will have fresh coffee, fruit, and snacks for you to enjoy!

Date and Time Thursday, October 27, 4-5:30 pm

Location One Community Room (8-219)


Halloween Bash 2.0

Hosted in collaboration with the Boston Postdoctoral Association

Celebrate Halloween with your fellow postdocs from across Boston! Due to
last year's popularity and early close-out, we are going to a bigger
venue!  Come dressed up, there will be prizes for best costumes!  Some
appetizers provided!

Date and Time Thursday, October 27, 6:30-9:00pm

Location North Star (222 Friend Street, Boston)

TICKETS ARE SOLD OUT!

Also join Afterparty at Club Ascension immediate after the Halloween Bash
2.0!

Hosted in collaboration with the Boston Postdoctoral Association

Date and Time Thursday, October 27, 10:00-2:00am

Location Ascend Nightclub (295 Franklin Street, Boston)

Registration Register beforehand here
<http://www.eventbrite.com/e/killer-kitty-at-scend-102716-21-tickets-28347238353?aff=BPDA>
and use the promocode BPDA for $5 special BPDA tickets

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 E49-5145. Lunch will be provided. The dates for the next six
months are as follows: November 7, November 21, December 5, December 19. If
you are interested in participating, you can register via Atlas or here
<http://web.mit.edu/training/course.html?course=CDT21061c>.

Postdoc Jogging Club (PDA PInG Initiative)

Interested in meeting new people and experiencing the outdoors? Join the
postdoc jogging club. Email aklotz at mit.edu if interested. All speeds and
levels of experience welcome.

GLIMPSE (PDA PInG Initiative)

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. For more information, please visit us at:
http://glimpse.mit.edu/

OTHER MIT AND LOCAL EVENTS

This Week

Lady Bosses: Women in Leadership & Entrepreneurship

Hosted by The Grad Women (GW at MIT) and Postdoc Women (POWER) groups at MIT

We invite you to this year's Leadership Conference: "Lady Bosses: Women in
Leadership & Entrepreneurship" taking place October 24 - 28, with LOTS of
free food. More information can be found here
<https://gwamitlead2016.wordpress.com/>. RSVP to ensure yourself a seat!
Events are open to the entire MIT community.

POWER is specifically hosting two exciting speakers this year for panel on
Succeeding in Male-Dominated Fields.

   -

   Paulina Hill is a Principal at Polaris with a focus on investments in
   healthcare. She founded the MIT Postdoctoral Association (PDA) during her
   time as a postdoc in the Langer Lab.
   -

   Jenny Oliver is a scientific diver for the Department of Conservation.
   She’s been featured in “Sharks of the Shadowland” during Shark Week on the
   Discovery Channel. She is currently serving as a Fisheries Analyst for the
   Ministry for Primary Industries New Zealand


List of events -- See our website <https://gwamitlead2016.wordpress.com/>
or the attached flyer for more details!

   -

   Entrepreneurship Without Borders (Keynote by Christine Souffrant Ntim)
   -

   A panel on: Succeeding in Male-Dominated Fields
   -

   VMS Workshop: Taking Control of a Meeting
   -

   Negotiating Your First Job Offer: A Workshop by David Nino
   -

   Designing the World Through Entrepreneurship (Panel)
   -

   Spitfire: Engineering and Entrepreneurship (Keynote by Nidhi Kulkarni)
   -

   MIT Student Alumnae Mixer at R&D Pub
   -

   Strictly Strength Training Class at Wang Fitness Center
   -

   Movie night! MAKERS: Women in Politics, Women in Business


An Introduction to R

Hosted by MIT Libraries

Get an introduction to R, the open-source system for statistical
computation and graphics. With hands-on exercises, learn how to import and
manage datasets, create R objects, install and load R packages, conduct
basic statistical analyses, and create common graphical displays. This
workshop is appropriate for those with little or no prior experience with
R. A limited number of computers will be available to use in the classroom.
You can also bring your own laptop.

Date and Time Monday, October 24, 1:00-4:00pm

Location 14N-132 DIRC

Registration http://libcal.mit.edu/event/2818847

Basic R Programming for Data Analysis

Hosted by MIT Libraries

This hands-on, intermediate course will guide you through a variety of
programming functions in the open-source statistical software program R. It
is intended for those already comfortable with using R for data analysis
who wish to move on to writing their own functions. To the extent possible,
this workshop uses real-world examples. Concepts will be introduced as they
are needed for a realistic analysis task. In the course of working through
a realistic project, learn about interacting with web services, regular
expressions, iteration, functions, control flow, and more. Prerequisite:
basic familiarity with R, such as acquired from an introductory R workshop.
A limited number of computers will be available to use in the classroom.
You can also bring your own laptop.

Date and Time Wednesday, October 26, 1:00-4:00pm

Location 14N-132 DIRC

Registration http://libcal.mit.edu/event/2818851

Mindbugs: The Ordinary Origins of Bias

Hosted by Teaching and Learning Laboratory and Office of the Dean for
Undergraduate Education

Conscious experience provides an immediate, compelling, and incomplete
account of mental life. Much of perception, thinking, and action is shaped
by mental activity that occurs outside of conscious awareness or conscious
control. Because of that, judgment and action can be unintentionally
influenced by factors that we do not recognize, and may not value. There
will be three parts to the session: (1) demonstrations of perceptual and
cognitive illusions illustrating that we don't have complete access to or
control over our own minds, (2) examples of how this can translate to
social judgment of ourselves and others, and (3) research evidence and
implications for diversity and inclusion in teaching. Humans use a variety
of effective strategies for translating the world outside the mind into a
mental representation inside the mind. However, these processes are not
direct translations of reality. Experience is a combination of the
immediate input and our expectations and theories of how the world operates
derived from previous experience. These processes are highly efficient,
largely unconscious, and prone to surprising, sometimes amusing, 'errors.'
Research in cognition and perception reveals some of the basic processes
that occur outside of awareness to manage interpretation and interaction
with reality. Speaker: Calvin Lai, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of
Psychology (Harvard).

Date and Time Wednesday, October 26, 10:30am–12:00pm

Location 3-133

Data Management: File Organization

Hosted by MIT Libraries

Do you struggle with organizing your research data? Wonder if there’s a
better way to arrange and name your data files to optimize your work? This
workshop will teach you practical techniques for organizing your data
files. Topics will include: file and folder organizational structures and
file naming. The session will include hands-on exercises to apply the
concepts to your particular data project.

Date and Time Thursday, October 27, 3:00-4:00pm

Location 14N-132 DIRC

Registration http://libcal.mit.edu/event/2822746

Presentation Skills

Hosted by MIT Global Education & Career Development

Do you present your work to your lab, at conferences, or to a faculty or
industry hiring committee? If so, this workshop is designed to provide you
with tips and strategies for delivering an effective presentation, and one
that aligns you with your audience. The more prepared you are, the more
confident you will be. Discussions will include room set-up, proper dress,
room management, and actual professional delivery to your audience. Whether
you are targeting academia or industry, all employers will expect you to be
able communicate effectively.

Date and Time Thursday, October 27, 1:00 - 2:30 pm

Location 35-225

Registration Advanced registration requested via CareerBridge
<http://www.myinterfase.com/mit/student>

MIT Rare Books Edit-a-thon

Hosted by MIT Libraries

Interested in rare books? Interested in Wikipedia? Come to this edit-a-thon
to learn about rare books at MIT and edit Wikipedia. There will be a
selection of rare books from the MIT collection for participants to look
at, read, and use to edit Wikipedia. MIT is home to thousands of rare
books, from the 1493 Nuremberg Chronicle to a first edition of Whitman's
Leaves of Grass. Electricity, telegraphy, magnetism, popular science – even
witchcraft and mesmerism – are among the topics covered in MIT's rare
collections. Join us for an afternoon in the MIT archives to learn about
rare books and how you can use them to contribute to Wikipedia. Feel free
to drop in throughout the day.

Date and Time Friday, October 28, 12:00-4:00pm

Location 14N-132 DIRC

Registration <http://libcal.mit.edu/event/2822746>
http://libcal.mit.edu/event/2825474

Ghostbusters (FREE admission and popcorn)

Hosted by MIT Lecture Series Committee

Join for a free viewing of the movie, Ghostbuster, sponsored by the de
Florez Fund for Humor. Two paranormal researchers (Kristen Wiig and Melissa
McCarthy) join forces with a nuclear engineer (Kate McKinnon) and a subway
attendant (Leslie Jones) to fight off a slew of ghosts that have invaded
New York City. Eventually, they come face-to-face with an evil entity who
can control human beings. (from allmovie.net)

Date and Times

Friday, October 28, 2016 at 8:00 pm

Saturday, October 29, 2016 8:00 pm

Location 26-100

Innoskate 2016

The Smithsonian's Innoskate program travels the country celebrating
inventive creativity in skate culture. In collaboration with the
Lemelson-MIT Program, Innoskate 2016 comes to the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology (MIT) and Lynch Family Skatepark in Cambridge to spark the
imagination of skaters and non-skaters of all ages through skate
demonstrations, discussions with skaters and inventors, hands-on invention
educational activities, and other fun activities.

Dates Friday, October 28 - Saturday, October 29

Check out this website for details on all of the various activities:
http://invention.si.edu/innoskate/p/479-2016-cambridge-ma

How to Make a Super Hero

Hosted by MIT Museum

Have you ever wondered what goes into becoming a superhero? What is a
supersuit made out of and how hard it is to maintain a secret identity?
Join us for a evening of "speed geeking" and engaging conversations with
super researchers who know a bit about the gadgets, materials, and psyche
of superheroes. Ticket ($20 online, $25 at the door) includes admission and
two drinks. Costumes encouraged! This is a 21+ event.

Date and Time Saturday, October 29, 7-10pm. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Location MIT Museum, 265 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge

Registration <http://libcal.mit.edu/event/2822746>
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-make-a-superhero-tickets-28402248891

Next Week

A Guide to Financial Planning

Hosted by de La Femme

Many people spend more time preparing for their dream vacations rather than
their dream retirement.  We all talk about what we want to do when we
retire, whether it be pursuing a hobby, volunteering for a worthy cause,
moving to a beachfront property, or the bucket list of vacations that we’ve
been dreaming of. But, do you have what you need to retire comfortably and
pursue these dreams? Our event in November will be a guide toward educating
yourself on financial planning. Scot and Briana will be on deck to answer
some of the following basic financial questions: What to prioritize first
savings vs. investments? What are 401K, IRA, Roth IRA? What is a financial
portfolio? How can you diversify your investments? How much should you set
aside each month toward saving? What are a couple of approaches you can do
daily to save more? Does it mean you need to cut down on your early morning
coffee run? What does it mean to invest in a tax efficient way? How can you
approach it? What are some available options to paying off your loans
(student, car payment, etc.)? These and many other topics which include
ways to save up for rainy days will be covered at the event. This will be
an interactive discussion about your questions on saving and achieving your
financial goals without overstretching your budget. With our guest speakers
Scot Reynolds and Briana Willander combined experiences in the financial
planning field, they will cover ways to plan for your retirement in a way
that not only fits your budgets, but also gives you knowledge you can take
away to start your financial planning.

Date and Time Tuesday, November 1, 6:00pm

Location The Broad Institute, Kendall Sq, Cambridge, MA

Registration Register at here
<http://www.eventbrite.com/e/de-la-femmes-a-guide-to-financial-planning-tickets-28513072367>
by October 25!

Appetizers and wine will be provided.  Registration is required, sign-in
upon arrival.

Patent Searching Fundamentals

Hosted by MIT Libraries

This session will enable you to successfully find patent references from
all over the world, and obtain patent text and diagrams. This hands-on
session will help de-mystify the patent literature and show key resources
for finding patents.

Date and Time Wednesday, November 2, 12:00-1:00pm

Location 14N-132 DIRC

Registration <http://libcal.mit.edu/event/2822746>
http://libcal.mit.edu/event/2842909

MIT The Campus Guide - Book Talk and Signing

Hosted by MIT Museum

Join us for a book-talk and signing with Douglass Shand-Tucci, author of
MIT: The Campus Guide. MIT: The Campus Guide details the architectural
history of the institution, from its founding in Boston's Back Bay (and
subsequent move across the Charles River) to the present. With the school's
emphasis on science, engineering, and mathematics, MIT sheds light on how
the campus has played a role in the evolution of the school by highlighting
the many innovators (including William Barton Rogers, Steven Holl, Frank
Gehry, and more) that have transformed the campus. With stunning
photography by John Horner and eight featured walking tours, MIT is a
comprehensive, visual guide of this great institution.

Date and Time Wednesday, November 2, 12:00-1:00pm

Location MIT Museum, 265 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge

Registration
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mit-the-campus-guide-book-talk-and-signing-tickets-28295478538

Manage Your PDFs and Citations: Zotero & Mendeley

Hosted by MIT Libraries

Using citation management software to create and maintain a collection of
references or PDFs is common and important in today’s academic world. These
tools will help you to save citations from your favorite databases and
websites, store related PDFs or attachments, and quickly build a
bibliography for your papers and publications. We’ll review Zotero and
Mendeley and show how to use them together to help your manage your PDF's
and citations.

Date and Time Thursday, November 3, 11:00am-12:00pm

Location 14N-132 DIRC

Registration <http://libcal.mit.edu/event/2822746>
http://libcal.mit.edu/event/2824058

Negotiating Job Offers

Hosted by MIT Global Education & Career Development

Examine the many variables that exist during the evaluation and negotiation
process of job offers. Knowing how, when and why you should negotiate will
be reviewed. Salary vs. Total Compensation will be examined. Strategies on
the negotiation process will be discussed along with "Should You
Negotiate?" and "What Can" and "What Can Not" be negotiated. These
strategies can be used throughout your career.

Date and Time Thursday, November 3, 2:00 - 3:30 pm

Location E39-040

Registration Advanced registration requested via CareerBridge
<http://www.myinterfase.com/mit/student>

Captain America: Civil War

Hosted by MIT Lecture Series Committee

Join for a viewing of the movie, Captain America: Civil War. In this
superhero epic, the denizens of the Marvel Universe are forced to pick
sides when Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.)
come to blows over ideological differences. After a mission involving a new
Avengers squad led by Cap ends with several civilian casualties in Lagos,
the team are asked to sign an agreement that would force them to take
orders from a United Nations panel. Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) pressures Cap
to accept this new arrangement, in part because he feels deeply guilty
about his own past recklessness; Captain America, however, fears that the
Avengers will only be corrupted by bureaucracy. Their disagreement
eventually escalates into all-out war when Cap's old friend Bucky Barnes
(Sebastian Stan), now a brainwashed assassin known as the Winter Soldier,
reenters the picture.

Date and Times

Friday, November 4, 2016 at 8:00 pm

Saturday, November 5, 2016 8:00 pm

Location 26-100

Tickets can be purchased at the door, see
http://lsc.mit.edu/info/tickets.shtml for more details

CHECK OUT THESE SITES FOR ADDITIONAL EVENTS

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/>

Boston PDA Events <http://bostonpostdocs.org/events-calendar/>

Mass-AWIS Events <http://mass-awis.org/category/events-calendar/>*

*NOTE: Association of Women in Science Massachusetts Chapter (
http://mass-awis.org/): Since MIT is a Collegiate Rep of AWIS, the MIT
community can attend Mass AWIS 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.

MIT RESOURCES FOR POSTDOCS

FREE Mindfulness and Meditation Classes from MIT Medical

Find Some Om Under the Dome

MIT Libraries is offering drop-in meditation and relaxation sessions.
Please join us for silent meditation in the Barker reading room. Sit for a
minute, or 30. Beginners welcome - no experience necessary. Every Monday at
noon in the Barker Dome of Barker Engineering Library (10-500). Please
arrive promptly. Registration is required.
<https://medical.mit.edu/community/wellness/classes/mindfulness-meditation>

Meditation for your Wellbeing

Community Wellness at MIT Medical offers drop-in meditation and relaxation
sessions. Sit back and relax - no experience necessary. Please arrive
promptly. A short talk and guided meditation begins at 12:10 pm. This class
is held every 2nd Wednesday of the month, 12:10 pm-12:40 pm. Led by Seth
Monk. Registration is required.
<https://medical.mit.edu/community/wellness/classes/mindfulness-meditation>

MIT Writing & Communication Center

The Center provides free professional advice about all types of writing and
speaking/oral presentations, including specialized help for non-native
English speakers. See. http://cmsw.mit.edu/writing-and-communication-center/

MyLife Services

MyLife Services
<http://o6os.mj.am/link/o6os/xlkt8jnnqpg8/1/-kBne3WjUT8Ww6LEA98gxw/aHR0cDovL2hyd2ViLm1pdC5lZHUvd29ya2xpZmUvbWl0bXlsaWZlc2VydmljZXM>
is
a free, confidential, 24/7 counseling, consultation, and work-life referral
service provided by KGA, Inc., a trusted external provider of employee
assistance programs. Postdoc Associates and Fellows are eligible for
services provided by KGA, Inc. through the MIT Work-Life Center and MyLife
Services. You can now access a network of experts who can help with the
challenges of life and work, such as:

   -

   Financial planning, debt management, and legal issues
   -

   Personal and work relationships
   -

   Sleep and nutrition
   -

   Stress, anxiety, depression, and other emotional concerns
   -

   Child and elder care

This includes 5 FREE confidential mental health counseling sessions, as
well as access to 24/7 confidential counseling services. We encourage you
to learn more about MyLife Services by calling 1-844-405-LIFE
(1-844-405-5433) or going online
<http://o6os.mj.am/link/o6os/xlkt8jnnqpg8/2/y46EmaQ0aMF6d85vixaLTg/aHR0cDovL2hyd2ViLm1pdC5lZHUvd29ya2xpZmUvbWl0bXlsaWZlc2VydmljZXM>.
For more information or to provide feedback, please contact the MIT
Work-Life Center.

Spouses&Partners Connect

Offers social and career-related groups and events for your
spouse/partner/family. http://spouses.mit.edu/. Here are some of this
week’s of events for spouses and partners:

   -

   Pumpkin Carving Come carve traditional jack-o-lanterns for Halloween!
   Bring your own pumpkin, and we will provide the carving supplies. Babies
   and children are welcome in our meetings, and free optional childcare is
   available in the Westgate playroom next door during our meetings.

Date and Time Wednesday, Oct 26, 3:00 -5:00pm

Location W85 - Westgate Lounge

           For more information, contact Jennifer Recklet Tassi

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

OTHER RESOURCES

Save Science

Please take 30 seconds of your time right now to help ensure science
funding and prevent government shutdown using our super easy online email
tool at http://save-science.org/.  The fate of next year's science budget
is your hands during this critical week. You can read more about the
federal budget and 2017 science funding on our blog
http://goo.gl/CDFRxZ. Please
also forward this email to any list serves that might help get the word out
particularly at institutions in other states. Your voice really does count.

Thanks for doing your part for science funding.

Free Membership for the National Postdoctoral Association

The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) is a member-driven organization
that provides a unique, national voice for postdoctoral scholars. Since
2003, we have taken on the ambitious agenda to enhance the quality of the
postdoctoral experience in the United States. We have assumed a leadership
role in addressing the many issues confronting the postdoctoral community
that are national in scope and requiring action beyond the local level. Get
your free affiliate membership with the National Postdoctoral Association
here: http://www.nationalpostdoc.org/?page=individual_members
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