PDA Newsletter July 2025

[Danlei Chen]

Correction: Please note that the PDA election deadline is July 19th (not the 16th), and voting will take place from July 20th through July 30th. Apologies for the confusion!

On Jul 14, 2025, at 18:00, Danlei Chen <danlei at mit.edu> wrote:

[https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfyHVM_pP9SFXiid62ESZChtZXpDjU8_IdxfLTChdBIBVBplhjquGqN-AWPwFI1jPpUMpcRTC7atcFmXEYnjDZbvg1XDWL6LKuu35CBZAokvrYbpxYwHEB6RxX6oykj8mRr5wbn3tbvwoj0dlHttXw?key=lP5CpCKLqEjt2opjePpLgw]
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MIT PDA GENERAL MEETING AND COFFEE HOUR! ☕

Join us for this month’s PDA gathering! Enjoy coffee, snacks, and friendly conversations with fellow postdocs. Hear the latest updates from PDA officers and connect in a laid-back setting where we talk about research, careers, life—and everything in between.

Tuesday, July 29th, 12pm-1pm
In person @ 56-154
On Zoom @ https://mit.zoom.us/j/96221008860

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PDA Elections – Call for Nominations
The MIT Postdoctoral Association (PDA) board, which represents all postdocs across the Institute, is looking for a new leadership team for the 2025–2026 academic year. All current MIT postdoctoral fellows and associates are invited to apply for a position. This is a great opportunity to get involved, build leadership skills, and help shape the postdoc experience at MIT. We look forward to your nominations!
To nominate yourself, please complete the nomination form<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSczAVMyXyU7-YSy_VjLoot8pTTyvdj_BEES6zcoEy53CXsyDw/viewform> and include a brief statement (100–200 words) by July 16, 2025 at midnight EDT. You are welcome to apply for more than one position! If you do, please submit a separate nomination form for each role. Voting will be open from July 20 to July 31, 2025 at midnight EDT.
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Grad Student Council (GSC) Monthly Events
The Graduate Student Council has kindly put together a monthly event announcement just for postdocs! Many of their events are open to the entire MIT community, and they’ve put a lot of effort into making us feel welcome. It’s a great opportunity to connect with grad students and share interests. Let’s show our appreciation by joining their activities and building stronger ties across our communities!
Check it out here: GSC Event Announcements<http://gsc.mit.edu/current-anno>
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Postdoc Buddy Program Summer Coffee Hour! ☕

For those of you who made it to the large-group coffee hour on July 10th, we were so happy to see you! We hope you also enjoyed a break from the busy schedule, and it is even better if you made new friends who you can grab lunch/coffee with occasionally.

Our next large group meeting time is August 15th 10am. Email your postdoc buddy (group form here)<https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pc-HwgJxOLD_hBOrp3tjip1zJBIbMzo7Dym8iTdtQMY/edit?usp=sharing> today and sign up at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdy85UPsC1QeLzbgBLY3IL-Y30lo0PSMvgbqdfMPsnuIlPMyA/viewform?usp=dialog

If neither of these dates work for your group, you can switch to a small group meetup – just let us know by reply to this email, or by emailing pda-community at mit.edu<mailto:pda-community at mit.edu>. (The same goes for any group who wishes to transition from a small -> large meetup. Just let us know!)

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July Postdoc Board Games Nights

Looking for a new way to meet other postdocs in a relaxed but fun environment? Join the PDA for our new book club and board games nights! So far, we have hosted three lively board games nights full of chaos, laughter (and at times, betrayal). Join us to hang out with other postdocs in a lowkey and welcoming environment (as well as eat free pizza + snacks!) See below the details for our next Board Games Night:
When: 6pm, July 15th, Tuesday
Where: MIT Building 68-181
Sign up: https://forms.gle/RLR2suBKzzRpdsm48

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Art Break: Postdoc Painting & Craft Event! 🎨

Take a break, get creative, and connect with fellow postdocs! Because of the high interests in our painting and craft events, we are hosting another one in early to mid-August. Painting and craft materials will be provided. You are also welcome to bring your own and share with the group. Keep an eye for the sign-up email.
When: Early August, 4:30pm-6pm
Where: Dertouzos Amphitheater
Sign up: Coming up soon!

Come unwind and make something beautiful! For questions, please reach out to Danlei Chen (danlei at mit.edu<mailto:danlei at mit.edu>) or Yiqiao Zheng (yqzheng at mit.edu<mailto:yqzheng at mit.edu>).

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Travel Guidance

MIT has prepared travel guidance cards—one version for U.S. citizens and permanent residents, and another for non-citizens and non-residents. We encourage everyone to carry the appropriate version when traveling internationally, as a precaution for the foreseeable future. The reference cards can be found here<https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1YUdTqEYacl5rx8z5EqYXrXGQXm8FHymx?usp=share_link>. Additionally, Alex Yen at CAPD (alexyen at mit.edu<mailto:alexyen at mit.edu>) has kindly put together a handy, pocket-sized travel guide. You’re welcome to pick one up at the front desk in E17-294.
Other resources:
International Travel Guidance – IScho:
https://ischo.mit.edu/news/update-international-travel-guidance
Legal Considerations – Office of the General Counsel:
https://ogc.mit.edu/system/files?file=documents/guid_internat_trav_law_enforc_search_leav_enter_mar-2025.pdf&check_logged_in=1
On-Campus Guidance for Interactions with Immigration and Law Enforcement:
https://ogc.mit.edu/system/files/documents/guid_immigr_law_enforc_on_campus_mar-2025_2.pdf
Loaner Laptops for International Travel – IScho:
https://ist.mit.edu/secure-devices-travel

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Reach out to us through slack, email, and instagram!

💬 Join the Slack channel: mit-postdocs.slack.com<https://mit-postdocs.slack.com/>
📧 Email the PDA: contactpda at mit.edu<mailto:contactpda at mit.edu>
📸 Follow us on Instagram: @mitpda<https://www.instagram.com/mitpda/>

[https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXequIhtmmhodL8MARcPD9l2t185tt6jT7VLCrDsEOp1sfdT6s_uHlN51yF05wtVuuWpi_OO-_Jasb8R7A6XqWRFCyxSrKqcqSbK44ArnYiE_SorEJ2_jIbClgPQqZ5HWJ6o4OdiSARHMdBZVvQeWg?key=lP5CpCKLqEjt2opjePpLgw]



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