PDA Newsletter May 2025

[Danlei Chen]

[https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXemaRTCDvmA5vS70OD35BC5-FsbLPzAoU8NeyZyymLQnNrB5xN7MNvR7AnxeDs2I_3VRmrKSmdAyKiZ0SkuZqbcRH23sjIiLebmSoGsBOh3WR5oaUfelhHm-HqsaYI-Wfe2cBw-vPbA2iF9Ku9h2gw?key=4oF7aslTA-ic6sGipCGcqA]

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MIT PDA GENERAL MEETING AND COFFEE HOUR! ☕

Don’t miss our monthly PDA meetup! Come for the coffee and snacks, stay for the great conversations and insider updates from PDA officers. It’s a fun, relaxed way to connect with fellow postdocs and chat about life, work, and everything in between!

Tuesday, May 27th, 12pm-1pm
In person @ E25-117
On Zoom @ https://mit.zoom.us/j/96221008860

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Postdoc Poster Symposium on May 15th!

Have you been looking for opportunities to share your research, connect with peers, and engage with new ideas across disciplines? We invite you to the upcoming Interdepartmental Postdoc Poster Symposium<https://pda.mit.edu/calendar_event/postdoc-symposium/>. You can download the Book of Abstracts here<https://sites.mit.edu/pda/files/2025/05/PostdocSymposium2025_BookOfAbstract.pdf>.
This event is open to all postdocs, whether you’d like to present a poster or simply attend and enjoy the conversations. Everyone is invited to join us and be a part of this exciting interdisciplinary exchange!

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Date: Thursday, May 15
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Time: 4:00 – 6:00 PM
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Location: W20-307
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Refreshments: (fancy) Snacks and drinks provided - don’t miss it 😊.

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Travel Guidance

As summer approaches and many people begin planning travel, please take a moment to review MIT’s travel guidance, especially for international trips. The following resources may be helpful:

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

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.

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Interim Chair Needed – PDA IT & Information Committee

Our beloved PDA IT Chair, David Rohrbach, will soon be leaving MIT, and we are seeking an interim chair to take on the role and potentially continue in the position following the next election. The responsibilities of the IT Chair can be found here: https://pda.mit.edu/who-are-we/.

If you’re interested in getting involved with the PDA and contributing to the IT Committee, please reach out to David (drohr at mit.edu<mailto:drohr at mit.edu>) and plan to attend the next PDA general meeting on 5/27, where the interim chair will be voted in.

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Upcoming PDA board elections: Info sessions and nominations

The MIT Postdoctoral Association (PDA) board, which represents all postdocs across the institute, is looking for a new leadership team in 2025-2026 academic year and all postdocs are invited to apply for a position.

Nominations will open in June and the election will happen in July. The current PDA officers will host two info sessions before the elections where you can ask all your questions and get a better sense for what the positions entail. Stay tuned for the announcement of exact time and dates!

If you are looking for leadership opportunities at MIT and a way to connect with and make an impact on 1500  postdocs on our campus, please consider becoming a PDA officer for the 2025-2026 term!

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Postdoc Department Tour: McGovern Institute – May 13 & 14!

Join us for a guided tour of the McGovern Institute, a world-leading center dedicated to understanding the brain and advancing solutions for neurological diseases and human health. This is a great chance to explore state-of-the-art labs, connect with fellow postdocs, and get a behind-the-scenes look at one of MIT’s premier research institutes.


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Date: Tuesday, May 13 and Wednesday, May 14
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Time: 4:00 PM (tour lasts ~1 hour)
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Location: Main Entrance, 43 Vassar St, Cambridge, MA
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Capacity: ~20 participants per day

Please sign up using this link<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf1jTo9z3IKLppEpoUSlZ6HofraO6tSxcGKm1pEEbahzsMnOg/viewform> and select your preferred day. Note: You’ll receive a confirmation email by the Monday before the tour—please only attend if confirmed.
Contact the Sports and Community Building Committee Chairs Fabian (fmoeller at mit.edu<mailto:fmoeller at mit.edu>) or Yiqiao (yqzheng at mit.edu<mailto:yqzheng at mit.edu>) if you have any questions or suggestions.

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PDA Book Club + 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!

Book Club:
Thank you to those who attended our first book club event this month! It was a wholesome evening of meeting like-minded people. Mark your calendars to join us for the next book club, tentatively scheduled for the evening of 19th June. Book and location TBD! Join the book club slack channel for more information: https://mit.enterprise.slack.com/archives/C087A3K1T7C.

Board Games Night:
So far, we have hosted two lively board games nights full of chaos, laughter and betrayal. Join us to hang out with other postdocs in a lowkey and welcoming environment (as well as eat free pizza + snacks!) We are aiming to host these events once a month - keep your eyes peeled for emails/ slack messages for the date of our June event!

Contact the Community Building Committee co-chairs, Yiqiao (yqzheng at mit.edu<mailto:yqzheng at mit.edu>) and Megan (megp at mit.edu<mailto:megp at mit.edu>) if you have any questions or suggestions.

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Trip to Portland, Maine, on June 8th!
The spots—including the waitlist—filled up quickly, and registration is now closed. Due to the strong interest, we’ll be scheduling another session soon! The PDA will sponsor train tickets for the first 20 responders, but if you want to join the trip on your own expenses, we will leave Boston (North Station) to Portland ME at 8:50am and returning from Portland ME to Boston (North Station) at 6:33pm.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact the Community Building Committee co-chairs, Yiqiao (yqzheng at mit.edu<mailto:yqzheng at mit.edu>) and Megan (megp at mit.edu<mailto:megp at mit.edu>) or to Danlei (danlei at mit.edu<mailto:danlei at mit.edu>).
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Shoutout to our eight Postdoc teams who joined this year’s GetFit Challenge!
We loved seeing your energy and commitment throughout the competition. Thanks for being part of it! We hope to see even more of you in next year’s challenge! And shoutout to Sport Committee Chair Fabian for organizing!
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Postdoc Sailing is Back – First Event Coming Late May!
Ready to get out on the water? We’re excited to bring back Postdoc Sailing Events this season! Whether you're an experienced sailor or a total beginner, it's a great way to enjoy the Charles, meet fellow postdocs, and take a break from the lab.
Our first outing will take place in late May—exact date and sign-up details coming soon. Spots are limited, so keep an eye out and be ready to grab yours when registration opens!
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Reach out to us through slack, email, and instagram!
Join the Slack channel: https://mit-postdocs.slack.com/
Email the PDA: contactpda at mit.edu<mailto:contactpda at mit.edu>
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mitpda/

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