PDA Newsletter October 2026: Lunch Hour, Board Games, Sailing, Buddy Program and more!

Tue Oct 13 10:44:01 EDT 2026

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🥐LUNCH (DESSERT) HOUR with the MIT Postdoctoral Association (PDA)!

Join us for the second Postdoc Lunch Hour of the academic year to enjoy refreshments, connect with fellow postdocs, and chat with your PDA officers for 2026/2027, who volunteer their time to help make your postdoc experience at MIT even better! We hope to see you there!

When: 1:30pm-2:30pm, Wednesday, October 14th
Where: E25-401 (in person)

(Save the date: Next meeting on Tuesday, November 10, 12:30 - 1:30 pm)
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🎲 Board games night

The next BGN event is coming on Thursday, October 22! This 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 up to Mario Kart and Smash Bros. We have a selection of games, but feel free to bring your own games from home to play! You can find more information on the Whatsapp<https://chat.whatsapp.com/Gu7ujbjDfCmBLsjY0TCBKE?mode=gi_t> group

When: 6-8 pm, Thursday, October 22
Where: E25-401
Sign up: https://forms.gle/AdGSNTjWteR1FcsG9

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

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⛵ PDA Sailing and BBQ

Join your fellow postdocs this Saturday afternoon, spent cruising around the Charles! BBQ will follow.
Date: Oct 17 2026
Time: 1:00-3:30pm
Sign up: https://forms.gle/JdHPbTxR1YkqiRsd8

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💬 Sign up for the fall postdoc buddy program:

The PDA Buddy Program is a great way to do just that! Designed to help postdocs build academically and mentally supportive communities, the buddy scheme will group postdocs with like-minded individuals to meet for coffee/tea and get to know one another. Whether you’ve just joined MIT or been here for years, the buddy scheme is a great way to meet new people and make friends.

One hour of support from someone who is in the same shoes can be more valuable than 100 pages of documents and lists of resources. 😊

For this chapter of the program, you can opt to either meet in a larger social gathering or small-group meetups:

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 The large group gathering will be a coffee meeting on campus (date TBD, coffee and pastries provided), where you can meet your buddy group, as well as mingle with other postdocs at the event.
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In a small group meetup, you will meet your buddy group on your own time for coffee/tea and receive a reimbursement for your expenses!

Register here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe4D9zhDNt2yjzJTXDj2dx5K7Kd0F2cU4bQ4GsYx2AREaUktQ/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=103013344294345737105

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🎓 New to MIT? Join a Postdoc Orientation!

We encourage new postdocs 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. This event is for new postdocs only!

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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💬 Join the MIT Postdoc WhatsApp group for announcements

Our community building committee is creating a WhatsApp group to better inform you about our upcoming events, in addition to Slack and email. Please join if you’re interested:

https://chat.whatsapp.com/Gu7ujbjDfCmBLsjY0TCBKE?mode=gi_t

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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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🌍 Travel Guidance

Before any international travel, it is recommended to check with the International Scholars Office (ISchO) and inform them about your travel plans.
Additionally, 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/travel-and-visa-renewal/travel-advisory
Legal Considerations – Office of the General Counsel:
https://ogc.mit.edu/practice-areas/international-activities/special-topics-immigration-and-international-travel/ogc
On-Campus Guidance for Interactions with Immigration and Law Enforcement:
https://ogc.mit.edu/practice-areas/international-activities/special-topics-immigration-and-international-travel/mit
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/>
💬Join the MIT Postdoc WhatsApp group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/Gu7ujbjDfCmBLsjY0TCBKE?mode=gi_t

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