Hi folks – With the new academic year looming, most of us are surely wondering how another summer slipped by so quickly. But time flies when you’re having fun, right? This has been a great year for UBC postdocs, who will be heading into the fall with expanded benefits for fellowship holders and the full support of the recently established Postdoctoral Fellows Office (PDFO) and Work-Life Centre. The PDA has spent this summer working closely with the PDFO to put together some exciting new initiatives for the coming year, including a world-class professional development series, postdoctoral orientation events, and travel awards, just to name a few. We’ve also hosted a number of social gatherings around the city that have given both on- and off-campus postdocs a chance to meet and get to know each other. Of course, summer isn’t over yet! If you haven’t been able to join us, don’t worry – we’re planning new events for the upcoming weeks, including a day hike, a campus lunch, and (maybe) a beach BBQ.

This fall, the PDA will be having its Annual General Meeting, where we’ll ratify our constitution and nominate new executive members. We’ll also be organizing a series of formal networking events at St. John’s College, at which postdocs can present their work, share career advice and nominate guest speakers for future events. These sessions will culminate in a “Postdoc Research Day” to be held early next year, which will feature some nice awards for the best presentations. Altogether, the upcoming year is shaping up to be an amazing one for UBC postdocs. So keep an eye out for details, and be sure to spread the word among the postdoc community – the more of us that get involved, the more we can do to make UBC a great place to postdoc!

Follow