PDA Newsletter August 2026

[Danlei Chen]

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🥯 BAGEL HOUR with the PDA!

We’re switching things up with bagels this time! Join us for our last Bagel Hour of the academic year to enjoy some food and meet both our outgoing and incoming PDA officers. We hope to see you there!

When: 12:30pm-1:30pm, Tuesday, August 25th
Where: E25-401 (in person)

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🗳️ PDA Election Results!

Thank you all for voting during the 2026/2027 MIT Postdoctoral Association board elections!  We are happy to introduce the new cohort of elected PDA officers for the coming academic year who will be taking over on September 1st, 2026.

President: Megan Priestley
Vice-President: Vas Fotopoulos
Treasurer: Stefania Konstantinidi and James Dark (professed co-Chairs, who also received the exact same number of votes)
Corresponding Secretary: Florian Lindenbauer
Advocacy Committee Chair: Leonardo Capeleto de Andrade
Orientation Committee Chair: Xinran Zhao
Community Building Committee Chair: Jake Hoffman
Belonging and Outreach Committee Chair: May Almousa
Professional Development Committee Chair: Natalie Maus
Sports Committee Chair: Blake Madruga

We look forward to the initiatives, connections, and events this new cohort will be pursuing as they advocate on behalf of all postdocs at MIT and create opportunities for postdocs to find community and advance their careers. If you see any of them, kindly congratulate them!  Cheers to another great year ahead!

Best wishes,
Your current PDA officers and the MIT PDA 2026 Election Committee

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 🎤 Postdoc Karaoke Night!

Turns out postdocs CAN sing!  Last Karaoke night was an absolute blast.  Postdocs came, they sang, they conquered. We had Brits singing the Arctic Monkeys, all the German speakers singing 99 Luftballons, and EVERYONE closing out the night with some Bohemian Rhapsody.  And that's why you should come out THURSDAY, AUGUST 20TH for the second rendition of postdoc Karaoke night.

When: 7-11 pm, Thursday, August 20th
Where: Thirsty Ear Pub in Ashdown House<https://maps.app.goo.gl/bD8XeUtPT3ZAC1Gr8>
Bring: A STATE ISSUED ID - INTERNATIONAL POSTDOCS THIS MEANS YOUR PASSPORT. Also bring your MIT ID

We're just hoping you don't need your voice for lab meeting on Friday. Questions? Email  pda-community at mit.edu<mailto:pda-community at mit.edu>

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💛 Postdoc Buddy Scheme: Summer Edition!

The postdoc buddy scheme is underway and our groups have been drawn. If you signed up, you should have received an email from megp at mit.edu<mailto:megp at mit.edu> with your groupings. Reach out to pda-community at mit.edu<mailto:pda-community at mit.edu> if you haven’t received this email!

If you missed out on the registration window, feel free to join us at one of our coffee mornings as part of the scheme in E25-401:

  *
Thursday 13th August 10-11am
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Friday 11th September 10-11am

Make sure to sign up here:  https://forms.gle/LKRNdrzhhqLKRn1d8

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✨ MIT Postdoc Spotlight Series

Each month, we highlight two exceptional MIT postdocs whose research, leadership, mentorship, and personal journeys are shaping the future of science and our community.

Ayoub Belhadji
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Ayoub Belhadji is a postdoctoral researcher in LIDS at MIT, working with Professor Youssef Marzouk on making scientific and engineering research more computationally efficient. His research focuses on “numerical frugality”—developing mathematical and computational tools that extract as much information as possible from limited data or expensive simulations. By helping researchers learn more from fewer simulations and experiments, his work could accelerate scientific discovery while reducing computational and energy costs.
Beyond his research, Ayoub has embraced MIT’s highly collaborative environment, working with researchers across different fields and building a broad network of collaborators. He hopes to further develop his skills in communication, teaching, and community building while exploring opportunities to remain in Boston and eventually start his own company. He credits his advisor, Professor Youssef Marzouk, and former postdocs in his group for supporting his growth as an independent researcher.
Fun facts: Ayoub speaks five languages and has lived on four different continents! Outside the lab, he enjoys spending time along the Charles River and Esplanade, and if he weren't a researcher, he might be a tennis player, sailor, or composer.
Nathan Dennler
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Nathan Dennler is a postdoctoral researcher in MIT’s AeroAstro and CSAIL, working with Professor Andreea Bobu on developing assistive robots that can adapt to people’s individual preferences. His research uses human feedback to help robots learn how to perform everyday tasks such as hair combing, rehabilitation, and retrieving objects around the home. At its heart, his work is driven by a simple goal: using robotics to help restore independence and autonomy for people living with limited mobility.
Beyond research, Nathan enjoys mentoring PhD students and helping them develop their own research directions. He is also passionate about building community, working to connect postdocs in human-robot interaction who are spread across different departments and labs at MIT. Looking ahead, he hopes to become a tenure-track professor, lead his own research group, and continue developing a more inclusive robotics community.
Fun facts: Nathan competed as a pairs figure skater for many years and even trained alongside Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn! Outside the lab, he enjoys visiting Lamplighter, reading The Design of Everyday Things, and designing and constructing garments. If he weren't a researcher, he might be a figure-skating coach or pursue a career in design.
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💬 Join the Greater Boston Postdoc Whatsapp channel

Our colleagues across Boston have created a Whatsapp channel to connect postdocs in the Greater Boston area. The goal is to provide a platform for postdocs from different institutions to connect, exchange opportunities, and build a broader professional network. One of the ideas is to organize a monthly exchange to facilitate regular interaction beyond our individual universities, hospitals, and research institutes.

The aim is to build a strong and supportive community, foster collaborations, and create professional connections that extend beyond our time in Boston.

Feel free to invite fellow postdocs who may be interested. Join here:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/EB9MxG0cZ6VDBmfcFfBVKM?s=sw&p=i&mlu=3

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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 or MIT. Also established postdocs are welcome to join (again) and refresh their memory!

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

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/>

A personal note: this is my last newsletter as PDA Corresponding Secretary! Thank you for letting me bring you the news every month for the past two years. It's been such a joy and an honor to talk to you all this way!
- Love, Danlei

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