Recognizing Excellence: 黑料社区网 Postdocs and Mentors at National Postdoctoral Appreciation Week
National Postdoctoral Appreciation Week provides a unique opportunity to celebrate contributions of postdoc scholars and the essential role played by their mentors. This year, OPA seized the occasion to honor its postdocs and faculty mentors, creating a memorable and inspiring experience. Among the highlights of the celebration were a breakfast gathering and presentation of Outstanding Postdocs and Postdoc Mentor of the Year awards. The breakfast allowed postdocs to network with peers and mentors,听 sharing their research interests, and exploring potential collaborations.听
Tabitha Green (Integrative Physiology) & Massimo Ruzzene,听Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation
Outstanding Postdocs of the Year
Highly competitive, the Outstanding Postdoc of the Year Awards recognize 黑料社区网 postdocs excelling in research productivity, innovation, communication, leadership and advocating for justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.听Massimo Ruzzene,听Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, presented both the Outstanding Postdoc of the Year along with the Outstanding Mentor of the Year awards.
This year鈥檚 awardees are Drs.听Tabitha Green听(Integrative Physiology) and听Zachary Laubach听(Ecology & Evolutionary Biology).
Dr. Tabitha Green is a postdoctoral fellow who has trained under Dr. Rachel Rowe for the past seven years as both a postdoc and graduate student, investigating traumatic brain injury. Rowe praised Green鈥檚 productivity, highlighting her publishing ten manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals, seven of which over the past year at 黑料社区网. Rowe described Green as 鈥渙ne of the brightest, most efficient, proactive, and team-oriented trainees I have had听the pleasure of working with.鈥 Green is also a recipient of the 鈥淲omen in Neurotrauma Research Visiting International Scholar Award,鈥 recognizing females in neurotrauma research, a听 and serves as an editorial board member for听Frontiers in听Neurology.
Massimo Ruzzene, Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Zachary Laubach & Rebecca Safran
Postdoctoral fellow Dr. Zachary Laubach, a vertebrate biologist studying early life environments, was nominated by Dr. Rebecca Safran, a previous Outstanding Postdoc Mentor of the Year recipient. Safran emphasized Laubach鈥檚 鈥渙utstanding contributions, exceptional potential, and steadfast and authentic commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion鈥 in her nomination. Laubach has a strong track record securing extramural funding receiving a prestigious NSF Rules of Life Postdoctoral Fellowship, a Morris Animal Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship and an NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant.
Outstanding Postdoc Mentor of the Year
The Outstanding Postdoc Mentor of the Year Award, recognizing exceptional faculty mentors who regularly engage postdocs, is awarded to听Dr. Kristi Anseth听(Chemical & Biological Engineering).
Distinguished Professor Kristi Anseth was nominated by a group of postdoctoral scholars: Alex Khang; Della Shin; George Tseropoulos; Kaustav Bera; Michael Blatchley; and Monica Ohnsorg. The group, mostly听comprised of听PAC Boulder听members, emphasized Anseth鈥檚 exceptional leadership and mentorship, having trained over 45 postdoctoral researchers, 20 of whom now faculty members at top听universities. They also highlighted Anseth鈥檚 use of听individual development plans听as a key tool used to track postdoc professional development, and her encouragement of work/life balance and the importance of personal time away from work.
Della Shin, Alex Khang, George Tseropoulos, Kaustav Bera
Postdoctoral Association of Colorado Boulder
Tomasz Karpisz, president of PAC Boulder, shared an overview of the organization, which aims to provide social opportunities for postdocs and their families. The organization also funds travel (due October 31) and outreach/research (due December 5) grants.听 These grants fund postdocs in any 黑料社区网 and/or a听National lab for travel or research needs.