Weekly PDA Newsletter - July 23, 2017

[Meghan Huber]

​

Dear MIT Postdocs,


Be sure to check out the message from the International Scholars Office
below!

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

Monday, August 14, 2017

12:00pm

Rm E25-401

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

Postdoc Volleyball

Hosted by MIT-PDA Sports Committee

Join us for outdoor volleyball every Thursday throughout the summer! Never
played before? Don’t worry! All abilities are welcome. If you are a
beginner, we encourage you to show up early to learn how to play and
improve skills. Afterwards, we’ll head to the Muddy for drinks (requires
ID) and occasionally pizzas. Anyone can join for the Muddy afterwards (you
just need to be with someone who has MIT ID) provided you are 21 or over.
Note the Muddy is cash only if you want to buy drinks. Please also add
yourself to our sports Facebook group
<https://www.facebook.com/groups/1499342643696472/>!

Date and Time Every Thursday starting 5:15 PM

Location Sand court between Buildings 62 and 64

***For Soccer, please check PDA sports Facebook group
<https://www.facebook.com/groups/1499342643696472/> for upcoming events.***

Basic Tips & Tricks for Data Visualization

Hosted by MIT-PDA Professional Development Committee

Whether you are writing a paper, designing a poster, or giving a talk,
effective data visualization is key. It is easy to be distracted by the
large amounts of data and statistical results, leading one to overlook the
importance of the figures that represent your data. This talk will help you
communicate your message more accurately and effectively and raise
awareness on the common mistakes in your production of basic graphs and
figures.

Topics will include:

• What is Data Visualization?

• Essential Attributes to Data Visualization

• Case Studies ... What Not To Do

• Perspectives of Data Visualization

Date and Time Tuesday, July 25th, 12:00 - 1:00 PM

Location 4-270

International Community Coffee Hour

Hosted by MIT-PDA Human Affairs Committee and MIT International Students
Office

Meet other international students & scholars through ice-breaker
activities. Ask your questions about MIT & American culture. Hear from
different representatives from other offices/departments and learn about
MIT resources at each coffee hour. Enjoy coffee and snacks

Date and Time Tuesday, July 25th, 3:00 - 5:00 PM

Location E19-202

Seminar on the NIH Loan Repayment Program

Hosted by MIT-PDA & Boston PDA

Join us to learn about the NIH Loan Repayment Programs, a set of programs
established by Congress and designed to recruit and retain highly qualified
health professionals into biomedical or biobehavioral research careers. The
escalating costs of advanced education and training in medicine and
clinical specialties are forcing some scientists to abandon their research
careers for higher-paying private industry or private practice careers. The
LRPs counteract the financial pressure of scientists by repaying up to
$35,000 annually of a researcher’s qualified educational debt in return for
a commitment to engage in NIH mission-relevant research. For more
information visit: https://www.lrp.nih.gov/.

Date and Time Thursday, July 27th, 11:00 - 1:00 PM

Location 4-270

Registration Register at https://bpda-nih- lrp-mit.eventbrite.com
<https://bpda-nih->

Join us for POWER Summer BBQ

Organized by the Postdoctoral Organization for Women Engaged in Research
(POWER)

Sponsored by the MIT Postdoc Association (PDA) Posdoc Initiative Grant
(PInG)

Celebrate summer with us!  Meet other postdocs over good food and
conversation.  We will be grilling hamburgers, turkey burgers, and veggie
burgers outside at the Kresge BBQ Pits.  Family and friends are welcome!
*The professional and socio-cultural activities of POWER are open to the
entire MIT community. POWER does not discriminate against individuals on
the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity,
religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, ancestry,
or national or ethnic origin.

Date and Time Friday, August 11, 4:00 - 7:00PM

Location Kresge BBQ Pits https://whereis.mit.edu/?go=G9

Registration Please RSVP: https://goo.gl/forms/Xk1x9z8rSMZAqM2e2

PDA and Strategic Games Society (SGS) Partnership

Hosted by MIT-PDA Community Building Committee

MIT-PDA is happy to announce a new partnership for the board games nights
with the MIT Strategic Games Society (MIT-SGS). It is now free for Postdocs
to join the weekly board games nights hosted by the MIT-SGS. Moreover, you
can bring your non-MIT friends for a small fee of $5 per year. SGS meets
every Friday at 7PM in MIT Building 50-316 (Walker Memorial Hall, Floor 3,
Room 16) for  board games and card games. Gaming sessions typically go
until around 12-2 AM. For more information about the board game branch of
SGS, contact the officers <sgs-officers at mit.edu>.


Message from the ISchO Office

If your Department, Laboratory, or Center (DLC) is visited by an officer
from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Officer (USCIS), the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS), or other federal agency representative asking
about an international scholar, you should refer the agent/officer directly
to the International Scholar’s Office (ISchO).  There is no need to be
alarmed, as such visits may be for routine verification of employment. You
have the right to see the badge of anyone presenting him/herself as a
government official. We recommend that you do not answer questions about
the immigration status or employment of anyone but yourself.

The most common campus visits are “H-1B site visits,” conducted by officers
from DHS or USCIS. In 2009, USCIS began conducting these visits at
employment sites of H-1B workers as part of the Fraud Detection and
National Security Directorate (FDNS).  These unannounced site visits are
conducted randomly and are meant to verify that the foreign national
actually works at MIT and does the job as described in the H-1B
application. Usually, the officer or agent meets with a staff member in
ISchO and then asks to meet with the international scholar. ISchO contacts
the scholar and asks him/her to come over to our office and meet briefly to
answer the officer’s questions. The visit does not usually take longer than
30 minutes.

If your DLC is visited by a federal government representative for any
reason other than the one indicated above, please contact Campus Police
immediately.

We encourage you to share this information with others in your DLC.

If you have questions, please contact us.

International Scholars Office

Building E18-209

(50 Ames Street, 2nd Floor)

(617) 253-2851

ischo at mit.edu

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 semester
are as follows: July 31, and August 14. 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

Now that spring has sprung, consider joining the Postdoc Jogging Club!
Those interested in joining club can sign up for the email list here
<https://mailman.mit.edu:444/mailman/listinfo/postdoc-jogging>.

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

Networking Skills

Hosted by MIT Human Resources Department

This class is designed to help you understand the importance of networking
in the job search process. It will show you how to prepare for and execute
effective networking practices that can lead to job related conversations.
It will offer tips and tools for building your networking list targeted to
your job search objectives.

Date and Time Tuesday, July 25, 1:00 - 3:00 PM

Location NE49-5145
Registration Registration is required here
<https://web.mit.edu/training/course.html?course=CEB0315c>.

Upcoming Deadlines

Postdoc Yoga

Hosted by Hadassah Segal

The next session of Postdoc Yoga begins July 26, 2017. This is an open
level, gentle yoga class for postdocs and spouses/partners of postdocs. It
meets Wednesdays, 7:30pm-8:30pm. Here are the dates for the next session/
10 classes: July 26, Aug. 2, Aug. 9, Aug. 16, Aug. 23, Aug. 30, Sept. 6,
Sept. 13, No class Sept. 20 (Rosh Hashana), Sept. 27, Oct. 4. Where: Marlar
Lounge, 37-252 on Vassar Street. Cost: The rate for the 10 class session is
$90/ per person (no makeups or single classes). If you are interested in
joining, please email Hadassah (hadassahsegal at hotmail.com) to reserve your
spot!

MASS-AWIS Mentoring Circle Program

Hosted by Association of Women in Science Massachusetts (MASS-AWIS)

Are you a grad student, postdoc, early stage career, nearing the end of
your training? Wondering about your​ ​next career steps? Would it help to
get guidance from researchers with years of experience in ​biotech / pharma
/ academia / consulting / law / scientific writing fields? Consider joining
​MASS AWIS Mentoring Circles ​program​! A mentoring circle is a small group
of women scientists committed to meeting monthly to support each other with
advice, encouragement and information. Each circle will consist of 3-5
peers and will be coordinated by at least one experienced mentor and one
connector. The MASS AWIS mentoring committee will review submitted surveys
and match you with a circle based on interests, career goals, geography and
other factors. Apply to the program online by filling out the Mentee
Application <https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/mentee2017-2018> by August
15th!

Mentor Advocate Program

Hosted by the Office of Minority Education

We pair MIT freshmen with an MIT staff, faculty, post-doc and graduate
student for a yearlong (September to May) mentoring relationship. They meet
one-on-one every month and also participate in group activities. Mentors
and Protégés must submit an application and complete required trainings.  The
MAP Mentor application is online and is open until August 1st. Visit
https://ome.mit.edu/programs-services/mentor-advocate-partnership-map for
more details and application.

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/>

MIT RESOURCES FOR POSTDOCS

MBTA Access

As a reminder, all postdoctoral fellows and postdoctoral associates on
MIT’s Cambridge campus are eligible for free, unrestricted subway and local
bus access. MIT is providing ID cards with a special MBTA* chip inside that
will provide this access. (*Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority). If
you received a new MIT ID card on or after June 21, 2016 (or after August
9, 2016 in the case of many postdoctoral fellows), check the back of your
ID card. If “Charlie INSIDE!” is written on it, you are all set, and
already have access. If not, you can visit the Card Office (E17-106) with
your current MIT ID card to swap it for one with the MBTA chip inside it.
The Card Office is open between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.

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 their website for more details:
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.

MIT Spouses&Partners Connect

Offers social and career-related groups and events for your
spouse/partner/family. For more information and event listings, visit
http://spouses.mit.edu/.

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

Free Membership for the National Postdoctoral Association

MIT is a Sustaining Member of the NPA, which means you can become an
affiliate member for free. This will help you network with other postdocs
across the country and gain access to members only resources that can help
further your career. To join, click on this Affiliate Memberships direct link
for MIT
<http://www.nationalpostdoc.org/general/register_start.asp?regkey=B87D7B9B-5C95-48F6-9ECA-A5014531B05D>
and follow the registration process, using your MIT email address. Once you
click “submit,” the NPA will review your request and confirm your
membership by email about a week later.
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