How can we improve the postdoc experience? Notes from the NPA Annual Meeting!
NASA
Numerous institutions have their postdoctoral fellows and administrators returning this week from the National Postdoctoral Association Annual Meeting (April 12-14) in Orlando, Florida.
Postdoc leaders at the meeting, including the author (3rd from the left, holding the sign)
The meeting was a perfect balance of career development sessions, interactive workshops, and opportunities for meaningful networking, with presentations including "Did They Really Just Say That?! Responding to Bias at Work", "NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowships: Strategies for Success", and mealtime meetups for general or specific groups. The poster viewing session had us furiously scribbling down ideas to bring back to our respective campuses such as PENNView, a postdoctoral diversity initiative to expose Mid-Atlantic doctoral candidates to research at the University of Pennsylvania. Another poster by Ralph J. Hazlewood shared their successful methods for increasing postdoc engagement and attendance at Vanderbilt University. I know I speak for many attendees when I say I'm excited to share what I have learned and improve the postdoc experience! Hope to see y'all at the 2020 meeting in San Diego.