"Your name's not in the computer," the woman in Human Resources (HR) said. "I'm a postdoc in the biology department," I said. "I started December 1." "A postdoc?" "Yeah, I'm a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow." "Well, you're not in the system." I went back the next day with NSF letterhead in hand. "Nope, you're not in the computer and there's really nothing I can do until you are."...
Most postdocs work in high-powered labs in major research universities. Many others are scattered across government and the private sector. But no matter where they are, "high-powered" is the operative term. The postdoc is, after all, a research-intensive time when you're supposed to be beefing up your publications, establishing your research program, and developing your professional network--in ...
Images of the Greek goddess Athena--history's first mentor, a wise and trusted counselor and teacher--decorate the Web pages of the University of Alabama's Office of Postdoctoral Education (OPE). Athena seemed a fitting image, says Sadis Matalon, associate dean for postdoctoral education at UAB, since the research director plays such an important role in the life of a postdoctoral scientist. "Plu...
BACK TO FEATURE INDEX Networking is a vital component of career development, especially for early-career professionals on the tenure track. As they begin the struggle to get their careers off the ground, they are, very likely, in their peak child-bearing and early child-rearing years. So when a junior faculty member with a 1-year-old daughter is invited to speak at a prestigious international con...
Who is responsible for postdoc education? This was the focus of intense discussion at the first Postdoc Network national meeting. During a session for faculty and administrators, half of those in the room raised their hand when asked if their institution had a formal office assigned to postdoc affairs. The other half--some 30 people--"are trying to sort out what their options are," says Joan Lako...
BACK TO THE FEATURE INDEX Research institutions are experiencing a surge of innovative interdisciplinary initiatives aimed at bringing together students, postdocs, and faculty from different departments to solve complex problems in ways that they have never tried before. From Stanford University's fledgling Bio-X program to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT's) 17-year-old Biotechno...
In graduate school at the University of Vermont, I was invited to serve as grad student representative on a faculty search committee. My vote counted just as much as the next committee member's in deciding who would make the shortlist, who would be interviewed, and ultimately who would get the job. It was a wonderful opportunity to provide input on a decision that would have lasting impact on the...
