MIT PDA May newsletter

[Shen Wang]

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[cid:3728320b-b059-40ab-aa32-7b4a062f733b]

MIT PDA May General Meeting

Please join our general meeting to hear about updates from the PDA and the future events. Note that this month's meeting is on Friday, different than usual.

Friday, May 31st, 12:00pm-1:00pm.
In person (E25-140) and on Zoom (https://mit.zoom.us/j/99196631871)

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Event: U.S. Visa and Immigration Seminar
The MIT PDA<https://pda.mit.edu/> is excited to host Aaron Bloomberg, partner at Fragomen<https://www.fragomen.com/>, a leading immigration law practice in the US and internationally. Fragomen has specialized on immigration law for over 70 years and will discuss U.S. immigration and employment options for international postdocs and graduate students with us.

The event will be in-person with Aaron Bloomberg of Fragomen's Boston office! Lunch will be served for registered participants prior to the event!

Date:    Wednesday, June 5
Time:   11:30 am - 1:00 pm EST
Place:   32-155

Signup: Please fill out this form to register<https://forms.gle/zrNksM3kWKLZTTAB6> for the event and help us plan food for this seminar as well as organize future events. (Signup form: https://forms.gle/zrNksM3kWKLZTTAB6)

Schedule:
11:30-12:00 - Lunch served outside 32-155
12:00-1:00 - Seminar by Aaron Bloomberg
1:00 - 1:30 - Questions and free discussion for interested individuals

If you are interested in knowing more about the MIT PDA, please visit our website<https://pda.mit.edu/>. If you have any question regarding this event, please feel free to email pda-advocacy at mit.edu.

This seminar will focus on immigration questions outside the postdoctoral appointment. For questions relating to visa w.r.t. your postdoctoral appointment, please contact the International Scholars Office<https://ischo.mit.edu/>.

All the best,
Your MIT PDA Team
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Graduate Housing availability for postdocs
Some units of graduate housing are available each year to postdocs, and the selection process for these units opens this week on May 23rd.  In addition to the on-campus housing managed by MIT Housing and Residential Services, this year postdocs may separately consider the units in the new Graduate Junction building.  More information on graduate residences and Graduate Junction can be found below.

MIT graduate residences - available to postdoctoral scholars<https://graduatehousing.mit.edu/housing-for-visitors/?utm_source=PDA&utm_medium=email> (associates and fellows) - offer choice, convenience, and the opportunity to immerse yourself in a vibrant and dynamic living community. While space in graduate residences is prioritized for graduate students, postdoctoral scholars are invited to live on campus when availability permits and can select a unit beginning May 23. The license period runs for one year, typically from August 2024 until July 31, 2025, and is non-renewable.

Benefits of Living On Campus
If you're a postdoctoral scholar new to the greater Boston area or in need of short-term housing, our on-campus graduate residences offer unique advantages. You won't have to worry about upfront payments for rent, security deposit, or broker fees, and the cost of your unit<https://graduatehousing.mit.edu/residences-rates/?utm_source=PDA&utm_medium=email> includes all utilities. Living just a few minutes away from any campus building, you'll enjoy a host of amenities and a short commute to your lab or office.

Participating in Self-selection
To view available housing units, access the Housing Portal<https://mit.starrezhousing.com/StarRezPortalX/> by following the instructions on the homepage to create an account. Once your account is created, you will click MIT Touchstone Login to access the Housing Portal, where you can manage all aspects of on-campus housing, including selecting a unit through self-selection.

The self-selection process is designed to give potential residents full control over their on-campus housing search, as they can select the exact unit in the Housing Portal that they will move into. To start the process, log in to the Housing Portal<https://mit.starrezhousing.com/StarRezPortalX/>, navigate to Forms, and choose Visitor self-selection. From there, you will be asked a series of questions to determine your eligibility for family or individual housing and shown a range of housing options to match your family size. Once you've chosen your unit, you'll then sign a one-year license agreement, ending on July 31, 2025.

Available Units
For self-selection, Housing & Residential Services currently has the following available units:

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Westgate efficiencies<https://graduatehousing.mit.edu/westgate/?utm_source=PDA&utm_medium=email> for couples<https://graduatehousing.mit.edu/housing-for-families/?utm_source=PDA&utm_medium=email>.
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Single bedrooms within 2-, 3-, and 4-bedroom suites in Tang Hall<https://graduatehousing.mit.edu/tang-hall/?utm_source=PDA&utm_medium=email>.
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Single bedrooms within 2-bedroom suites in Sidney-Pacific<https://graduatehousing.mit.edu/sidney-pacific/?utm_source=PDA&utm_medium=email>.
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Single bedrooms within 3-bedroom suites in Ashdown House<https://graduatehousing.mit.edu/ashdown-house/?utm_source=PDA&utm_medium=email>.


Inventory changes as units are licensed, so the best opportunity to secure the units above is during the May 23 selection period.

Graduate Junction
There are also available units<https://www.americancampus.com/student-apartments/ma/cambridge/graduate-junction/floor-plans#/> in the brand new Graduate Junction<https://www.americancampus.com/student-apartments/ma/cambridge/graduate-junction> residence:

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Two-bedroom apartments for postdoctoral scholars with children<https://graduatehousing.mit.edu/housing-for-families/?utm_source=PDA&utm_medium=email>,
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Studio apartments, and
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Single bedrooms within 4-bedroom apartments.


Units in Graduate Junction are not chosen through the self-selection process and are now open for licensing, so we encourage you to reach out to the Graduate Junction team<https://www.americancampus.com/student-apartments/ma/cambridge/graduate-junction#contact-us> to license a unit today.

Questions?
Should you have any questions or need assistance throughout the self-selection process, the Housing & Residential Services (HRS) team is here to help at graduatehousing at mit.edu.

We look forward to seeing you on campus,
Housing & Residential Services
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The Slack channel. Connecting with Postdocs and the PDA
Please join the MIT postdoc channel to reach the PDA and connect with many other postdocs : https://mit-postdocs.slack.com/


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