Postdoctoral Association (PDA)
Our Mission
- Developing a sense of community through scientific and social interaction
- Promoting effective training and career development
- Representing and addressing issues relevant to postdoctoral researchers
- Easing the transition for new, particularly international, postdoctoral researchers
- Recommending standards of practice to the administration regarding the treatment of postdoctoral scholars at UT Southwestern
Committees
Executive Board
- President
- Vice Presidents
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Floating Members
Additional Committees
- Standards Committee
- International Committee
- Outreach Committee
- Postdoc Informer
- Symposium Committee
- Career Development Committee
- Social Committee
Postdoctoral Research Symposium
Each year the Postdoctoral Association and the Postdoctoral Affairs Office organize the Annual Postdoctoral Research Symposium to showcase the cutting-edge research of postdoctoral scholars at UT Southwestern. The symposium is held on campus and includes a poster session, career seminars, and a University Lecture, concluding with an award ceremony and reception.
Since its inception, the annual Postdoctoral Research Symposium has proved to be a valuable opportunity for postdoctoral scholars to present their scientific work to the UT Southwestern community.
Standards Committee
Professional development opportunities. Vacation rollover. Bigger email boxes. These are some of our favorite things, and luckily the Standards Committee exists to campaign for all those wonderful benefits and more! The mission of the Standards Committee is to bring about positive change for all postdocs at UTSW. They are your voice and advocate.
The Standards Committee evaluates national guidelines for postdoctoral salary, benefits, and training requirements as established by both the NIH and the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA). The Committee then works collaboratively with the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs to ensure that UTSW meets or exceeds those national standards for our postdoctoral community. In addition to serving as the postdoc community’s watchdog, the Standards Committee hosts informational seminars to help postdocs make the most of their benefits.
The Standards Committee is also involved in contributing to and evaluating the outcomes of the Six-Year Plan Steering Committee, which influences the direction and priorities of UTSW.
International Committee
There are more than 400 international postdocs at UTSW. That’s a lot! The International Committee eases the transition of international postdocs to UTSW by providing information and resources in collaboration with the International Office, PDA, and the Postdoctoral Affairs Office. It also hosts several social and cultural events throughout the year.
Outreach Committee
Scientists spend so much time in the lab we sometimes forget that we can share knowledge with our wider community. The Outreach Committee organizes a variety of activities, such as judging science fairs and small teaching labs, to help us interact with our wider scientific community, interested citizens, and younger students – to help inspire our next generation. If you would like to spend a little time helping others, please give us a shout and we will keep you posted about upcoming events.
Postdoc Informer
We’re always looking for more volunteers to help us produce this vibrant, monthly newsletter. If you have a flair for writing or illustration, and/or are an Adobe InDesign aficionado, you may be just what we need! In return, we offer a great bunch of fellow postdocs to work alongside, fascinating discussion, coffee, and the space for you to flex your creative muscle.
Symposium Committee
The annual Postdoctoral Research Symposium is an opportunity to showcase the cutting-edge research of postdoctoral scholars at UTSW. The on-campus symposium includes a poster session, seminars, workshops, and a University Lecture, concluding with an awards ceremony and reception. Each year the Symposium Committee organizes this special event in collaboration with the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. The Symposium Committee is a group of your peers, who work hard to deliver the yearly event.
Career Development Committee
The mission of the Career Development Committee (CDC) is to promote training of postdocs beyond the bench by organizing informative seminars, panel discussions, and workshops. These events ensure postdocs are aware of the various career options available for them to pursue and help them make informed decisions about what is best for them. By joining the CDC, postdocs gain valuable experience working with committees, one-on-one interaction with speakers, and the chance to significantly build their CV or résumé.
Social Committee
Social interactions can lead to scientific collaborations and intra- and interinstitutional networking as well as an overall sense of community. The PDA Social Committee fosters social interactions among postdocs and provides an avenue for those wishing to meet new people or learn a little about Dallas. Activities include monthly happy hours, ice cream socials, and morning coffee breaks.
