PDA Newsletter April 2026

[Danlei Chen]

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🍕 PIZZA HOUR with the PDA!

Take a break and join fellow postdocs for a relaxed lunchtime Pizza Hour hosted by the PDA! Catch up with colleagues, meet new postdocs, and hear brief updates from PDA officers about upcoming events and opportunities.

When: 12:30pm-1:30pm, Tuesday, April 28th
Where: In person E25-401

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💛 Say Goodbye to Alex Yen!

Dr. Alex Yen, career advisor for postdocs, is leaving MIT for a new opportunity. She has been a tireless champion in professional development for all postdocs, as well as a constant source of encouragement, warmth, and camaraderie to the PDA. She is a valued leader, colleague, and friend, and her impact on the MIT postdoc community will be deeply missed. If you see her around campus next week, be sure to wish her well and thank her for all she’s done!

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 🎲 Postdoc Board Games Night!

Our monthly event brings together postdocs from across MIT to relax and have some fun together. We gather after work to eat free food and play some games – everything from Jenga to Risk (you decide how intense an evening you’d like). We have a selection of games, but feel free to bring your own games from home to play!

When: 6pm-8pm, Thursday, April 23rd
Where: E25-401 (Note the new location!)
What: Board games + pizza
Sign up: https://forms.gle/VYK1qYLn9uGNJgg3A

For questions, please reach out to pda-community at mit.edu<mailto:pda-community at mit.edu>.

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🏃🚴 Come Celebrate Marathon Weekend with Us!

On Patriots' Day, April 20th, world-class runners will take over Boston's streets. The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon — 30,000 runners from 130+ countries racing 26.2 miles from Hopkinton all the way to Boylston Street.

Watching: We'll meet at 10:30am at the Boston College T stop, right at mile 22 — just past the infamous Heartbreak Hill, where runners hit the steepest climb of the race. Whether you're a runner or just here for the energy and good company — all are welcome!
Biking: We're also joining the Midnight Marathon Bike Ride on the night of April 19 — an unofficial Boston tradition where 2,000+ cyclists bike the entire marathon course in the dark. All the glory, (almost) none of the suffering.
Keep an eye on your inbox — a follow-up email with all the details and sign-up for the biking is coming soon!
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🏃🚴 Seminar - U.S. Immigration Options and Updates for International Postdocs and Students (Recording from February 2026 )

If you missed the seminar with Jim Arkell - Senior Counsel at Husch Blackwell Law firm in February, you can watch the recording of the seminar from this link<https://youtu.be/prZGNWM6HfY>.
*Please note that this seminar focused on immigration questions outside of the postdoctoral appointment. For questions relating to visa specifically related to your appointment at MIT please contact the International Scholars Office<https://ischo.mit.edu/>.

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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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 🎓 New to MIT? Join a Postdoc Orientation!

New postdocs are welcome to sign up for a <https://pda.mit.edu/pins/postdoc-orientation/> Postdoc Orientation<https://pda.mit.edu/pins/postdoc-orientation/>, hosted by the PDA in collaboration with Human Resources and Postdoctoral Services. It will be a great opportunity to meet other new postdocs, learn about postdoc-specific benefits, and ask any questions you may have about Boston MIT.

The orientation sessions are held monthly and you can sign up here<http://web.mit.edu/training/course.html?course=CDT21061c>. Bonus: Lunch and refreshments will be provided! Hope to see you there!

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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>.
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
📸 Follow us on Instagram: @mitpda<https://www.instagram.com/mitpda/>

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