Campus-wide Resource for Postdocs Professional Development and Postdoctoral Affairs Celebrates First Year

The Professional Development & Postdoctoral Affairs Office (PDPA) recently celebrated its first full year of operations. During the 2016 fiscal year the office advised 116 postdoctoral fellows, responded to postdoctoral skill needs by offering ten in-person and three online professional development opportunities attended by 175 BU postdocs and 71 BU graduate students, awarded seven travel awards to support postdoctoral presentations at national and international conferences, supported postdoc networking by supplying 67 postdocs with business cards, actively participated in three University committees focused on the development of new policies and guidelines, and applied for four sponsored awards to fund new collaborative professional development programs.

With the goal of providing a supportive and competitive environment for postdoctoral fellows, PDPA offers professional development opportunities and advising services to postdocs and their faculty mentors. Upcoming events include a “Managing Research Staff” bootcamp for faculty members, and a “Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement” workshop for postdoctoral fellows and graduate students. To learn about and RSVP for upcoming professional development events, please visit the PDPA website.

PDPA is led by Director Sarah Hokanson sch1@bu.edu, 617-358-2111 and in August Administrative Manager Kate Baker khbaker@bu.edu, 617-638-5229 joined the Office.

Sarah Hokanson
Sarah Hokanson
Kate Baker
Kate Baker

Hokanson oversees all services and programming PDPA provides for postdoctoral scholars at the University, as well as supporting the development of policies related to postdoctoral scholarship. Baker oversees the administrative infrastructure necessary to support postdoctoral fellows and manages day-to-day operations, including coordinating orientation sessions for incoming postdocs and synchronizing communications.

PDPA is housed in the Office of the Vice President and Associate Provost for Research on the Charles River Campus, and the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences on the Medical Campus. Baker and Hokanson can be reached on either campus by postdocs@bu.edu.

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