Archived Events

Archived events from 2010-2011

The Art of Science Writing

karen Wednesday, April 25, 1-2 pm, Humanities 3017. Speaker: Karen McNulty Walsh, Principal Media & Communications Specialist, BNL

Learn from seasoned BNL science writer Karen McNulty Walsh how to capture and hold readers’ attention while effectively communicating the science behind your research. For many scientists the ‘punch line first’ story structure and the use of the active voice directly contradict how they have been trained to write, but knowing how to build a story out of your science and understanding how to communicate why your research is important to both scientific and non-scientific audiences is crucial to your success in securing funding. Please register at googledocs. For questions you can email postdocs@stonybrook.edu. This workshop will cover:

* How to flip your story upside down and capture attention by giving the punch line first
* Tell your reader/listener what he/she wants to know: what you found, why it matters, why he/she should care
* The importance of defining key messages
* Tips for translating your discoveries into words and images that will resonate with non-scientists
* How using active voice can enliven your story (and show your personal interest in your work)
* Ways to eliminate scientific jargon; define tough terms with analogies, metaphors, and examples
* Specific tips for using different communication channels

Learn to Write a Research Statement

Wednesdays, April 11 & 18, 1-2 pm 4/11, 12:45-2:15 pm 4/18, Humanities 3017: Presenter: Associate Professor Michael Hadjiargyrou, Biomedical Engineering

In this workshop you will learn what elements should go into writing a research statement required as part of most applications to faculty positions. Please register at google.docs. For questions you can email postdocs@stonybrook.edu.

Bio Careers Virtual Job Fair: April 4-5, 2012

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs is a member of Biocareers.com, an online career service that provides an in-depth look at a variety of postgraduate career paths in the sciences. On April 4 & 5 they will be holding an online job fair where job seekers will have the chance to meet with employers from all over the globe in academia, industry and other fields. Starting February 1st you can examine the employer descriptions, download white papers, watch videos, leave a resume and, most importantly, converse with employers during their office hours. Register now for free at http://stonybrook.biocareers.com.

Below is a list of the past events presented by the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs during the current academic year. A list of events for previous years can be accessed above.

How to Win a K Award

k award Wednesday, March 21, 12:45-2:15 pm, Humanities 3017. Presenters: Assistant Professor Markus Seeliger, Pharmacological Sciences, Assistant Professor Jonathan Liu, Biomedical Engineering

Learn from established professors how they won their K99/R00 awards, how they responded to criticisms, and ask questions so you too can begin your path to independence. Please register at google.docs. For questions you can email postdocs@stonybrook.edu.

Life Lessons: Conversations with Faculty

acosta Wednesday, March 14, 1-2 pm, Humanities 3017. Speaker: Assistant Professor Maricedes Acosta-Martinez

TOPIC: Mentoring & Effective Career Plans

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs regularly sponsors an informal gathering where faculty members talk with Postdocs about all facets of their life’s journey … from transitioning to a faculty position to learning how to set up a lab to negotiating a career plan to balancing work and family. Come join us so you can ask questions of those who have traveled in your footsteps and moved on to be successful in their careers. Please register at google.docs. For questions, you can email postdocs@stonybrook.edu.

Mapping Talents to Trades: Preparing Scientists for Careers in Industry

ribaudo Friday, March 2, 12-3 pm, Wang Center Lecture Hall #2, Presenter: Randall Ribaudo, Co-founder SciPhD.com

Adapting to industry jobs can be challenging for scientists coming from academia. The ability to work in cross-matrixed environments, demonstrate competent tactical and strategic thinking, and to delegate, communicate and understand basic concepts of project management are common prerequisites for jobs in industry. Although these skills are not typically emphasized during academic training, many research activities do map to these competencies, and having an awareness of your skills and an ability to express those skills in business terms provides a significant competitive advantage in landing an industry job and being successful in your career.

This workshop introduces 24 business competencies valued in industry, relates them to Postdoc research experiences and demonstrates how to tie in those competencies to job ads and descriptions. We will also demystify job ads to identify the explicit and implicit information they contain; learn how to use that information in conjunction with smart networking to make you competitive in the job market; discuss industry's perception of academic scientists with regard to their assumed strengths and weaknesses; and talk about leveraging that knowledge along with understanding your own capabilities to advance your career. This workshop is free, but registration is limited. Please register at google.docs. For questions you can email postdocs@stonybrook.edu.

Learn to Write a Teaching Statement

Wednesdays, February 29 & March 7, 1-2 pm, Humanities 3017. Presenter: Associate Professor Gary Halada, Materials Science & Engineering Department

In this workshop you will learn what elements should go into a "teaching philosophy" or "teaching plan" statement required as part of most applications to faculty positions. We will also review what resources are available to you as you develop your teaching philosophy through the Teaching Learning Technology Department at Stony Brook University. Please register at google.docs. For questions you can email postdocs@stonybrook.edu.

Life Lessons: Conversations with Faculty

hajcak Wednesday, February 22, 1-2 pm, Humanities 3017. Speaker: Assistant Professor Greg Hajcak

TOPIC: Networking with Collaborators

Job Search Strategies for Postdocs

Wednesday, February 15, 1-2 pm, Humanities 3017. Presenter: Alfreda James, PhD, Career Center

Get Organized! Strategic actions can make the difference between frustration and progress. Learn how to maximize your research connections and personal values as you launch a professional job search. Workshop is free. Please register at google docs. For questions you can email postdocs@stonybrook.edu.

Interview Skills for Postdocs

Wednesday, February 8, 1-2 pm, Humanities 3017. Presenter: Alfreda James, PhD, Career Center

An interview is a conversation, not an inquisition. Learn how to manage questions, anticipate questions, and even talk about salary/relocation issues with a potential employer. Workshop is free. Please register at google docs. For questions you can email postdocs@stonybrook.edu.

Life Lessons: Conversations with Faculty

seeligers Wednesday, February 1, 1-2 pm, Humanities 3017. Speakers: Assistant Professors Jessica and Markus Seeliger

TOPIC: Dual Career Job Search

Density Functional Theory + Dynamical Mean Field Theory (DFT+DMFT): A FIRST PRINCIPLE APPROACH TO MATERIALS WITH STRONGLY CORRELATED ELECTRONS

Monday, January 30 1-2 pm, Wang Center, Room 301 Presenter Dr. Maria Pezzoli Department of Physics & Astronomy

One of the main objectives of materials science is to develop and synthesize new materials. Materials with strongly correlated electrons show a wide range of useful properties and therefore are objects of intense study by material scientists. In order to design a new material with desired properties it is crucial to understand the existing material. Density Functional Theory + Dynamical Mean Field Theory (DFT + DMFT) proves to be a unique tool to study materials with strongly correlated electrons. In fact DFT+DMFT allows one to compute the properties of a material considering the real chemical structure and at the same time treating the electron-electron correlation in an effective way. In this talk I will illustrate the main idea of DFT+DMFT and then I will show an application of this method. In particular I will discuss the properties of a few strongly correlated compounds in relation to high temperature super-conductivity.

Presenting the WOW factor, Next workshop Wednesday, December 21

Want to learn how to prepare and present a great scientific presentation? Most jobs in academia and industry require candidates to give a seminar describing their science, and given today’s fiercely competitive job market, it is now more important than ever to be able to set yourself apart from the competition. One way to do this is by giving a great and memorable presentation, and the key to a good oral presentation is preparation and delivery.

Dr. Thirumalini Vaithianathan, a Postdoc in Neurobiology and Behavior, will be the first to present in this series of monthly workshops designed to help speakers hone their presentation skills. The first ½ hour is dedicated to the speaker’s presentation, while the second ½ hour is given over to Professor Michael Hadjiargyrou who will lead the discussion to critique and constructively suggest improvements that can be made to the slides, to the delivery and to the construct of the content. Come join us and consider being the next speaker to practice presenting the WOW factor.

thiru

Dr. Thirumalini Vaithianathan

Transmission of Visual Information in the Retina, Wednesday, December 21, 1-2 pm, Melville Library E4315 Speaker: Dr. Thirumalini Vaithianathan, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior

The retina is the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye. It acts like the sensor in a digital camera — images come through the eye’s lens and are focused on the retina. The retina then converts these images to electrical signals and sends them via the optic nerve to the brain. My research goal is to understand how neurons in the retina are specialized to perform this complicated task.

All workshops in this series are free. Please see google.docs to register. For questions you can email postdocs@stonybrook.edu.

Provost's Postdoctoral Lecture Series

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs sponsors the Provost's Postdoctoral Lecture Series which is an opportunity for Postdocs to showcase their research conducted at either Stony Brook University or Brookhaven National Laboratory to the campus community. Below are the Postdocs who will be presenting this fall 2011. All lectures are open to the public and refreshments are served.

	Dr. Daesang Kim, Wednesday, November 30, 1:15-2:30 pm, Wang Center Room 301 Upscaling Geochemical Reaction Rates Accompanying Acidic CO2-saturated Brine Flow in Sandstone Aquifers
	Dr. Ping Jiang, Wednesday, December 7, 1-2:30 pm, Wang Center Chapel One Stone Three Birds: Studies of Genetic Recombination Converge Enterovirus Evolution with Global Polio Eradication and the Mechanism of Virion Morphogenesis

What to do with a PhD - CLOSED, Thursday September 22, 2:30-4:30 pm, Wang Center Theater Hall 2

To celebrate Postdoc Appreciation Week, the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs is hosting a panel of SBU alumni to discuss a variety of 'non-traditional' career paths for PhDs, from industry to law to writing. The discussion will be followed by a dinner reception for all attendees at the University Cafe from 4:30-7 pm. REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT IS NOW CLOSED. The panel speakers are:

Panelists

Dr. Ece Auffarth, Contract and Licensing Associate, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University
Dr. Amy Czura, Associate Professor Biology, Suffolk County Community College
Dr. Jonine Figueroa, Principal Investigator, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute
Dr. Thomas Triolo, Senior Counsel, Merck & Co.
Dr. Ingrid Yin, Executive Director, Oppenheimer & Co.
Dr. Kenneth Roberts, Staff Scientist, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University
Dr. Christopher Czura, Vice President Scientific Affairs, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research

Moderators

Dr. Katy Flint Ehm, Project Manager, National Postdoctoral Association
Dr. Alfreda James, Career Advisor, Stony Brook University Career Center

Scientific Teaching: Launching a Revolution in Science Education, Monday, September 26, 4 pm, SAC Ballroom A Presenter: Jo Handelsman

The United States needs a more scientifically literate workforce. President Obama has made meeting this need one of his top domestic priorities and academic scientists have a special responsibility to increase the body of outstanding students attracted to and retained in science majors. There is powerful evidence that many introductory college science courses drive away students who are quite able to be scientists but are bored by the way it is taught. To meet the nation’s needs for scientists, we must improve the introductory curriculum. This can be done through changes in content and using teaching methods that lead to more long-term learning and stimulate creative thinking. I will discuss “scientific teaching,” an evidence-based approach to science education and describe training programs in the theory and practice of scientific teaching for graduate students, postdocs, and faculty.

Dr. Handelsman is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor in the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at Yale University, where she also directs the Center for Scientific Teaching. She received her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1984, joined the faculty there in 1985, and moved to Yale in 2010. Her research deals with microbial communities and their role in infectious disease, focusing in particular on the genetic basis for community stability, the role of a gut community as a source of opportunistic pathogens, and the soil microbial community as a source of new antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes. In addition to her research, Dr. Handelsman is nationally known for her efforts to improve science education and increase the participation of women and minorities in science at the university level. She wants faculty to approach teaching and mentoring with the same rigor, spirit of experimentation, and creativity that they bring to their research, by incorporating problem-solving and other active learning techniques and assessing their success. She has received many awards for her scientific and educational work, including, most recently, the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring.

Bio Careers Virtual Job Fair: October 5-6, 2011

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs is a member of Biocareers.com, an online career service that provides an in-depth look at a variety of postgraduate career paths in the sciences. On October 5 & 6 they will be holding an online job fair where job seekers will have the chance to meet with employers from all over the globe in academia, industry and other fields. Starting August 1st you can examine the employer descriptions, download white papers, watch videos, leave a resume and, most importantly, converse with employers during their office hours. Register now for free at http://stonybrook.biocareers.com.

Communicating Science: Distilling Your Message, 4-session workshop: Tuesdays October 18, 25, November 1, 8, 12:30-2 pm, Melville N4043 Presenter: Christie Nicholson

This commsci four-session workshop will help scientists improve their ability to speak clearly, vividly and conversationally about their work and why it matters. We will practice speaking to different audiences at different levels of complexity, making content comprehensible to non-specialists without “dumbing it down.” As part of the workshop, participants will get a chance to do a video interview with a journalist so they can watch themselves answering questions about their work. Skills learned in this workshop can help scientists communicate more effectively with potential employers, funders, students and colleagues in other disciplines, as well as with public officials, the press and members of the general public. There is a $35 fee for this event, and seating is limited so please register early. To register, please visit SBU's secure registration site. For questions you can email postdocs@stonybrook.edu.

Christie Nicholson, a science writer and contributing editor to Scientific American Online, has led Distilling Your Message workshops at SBU, Brookhaven National Laboratory and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and has received enthusiastic reviews. Christie lectures widely and teaches at the Banff Centre’s Program in Science Communication.

Space-Time, Quantum Mechanics and the Large Hadron Collider: Wednesday, October 19, 4 pm, Berkner Hall, BNL

Nima Arkani-Hamed, a professor in the School of Natural Sciences at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, will give a BSA Distinguished Lecture titled "Space-Time, Quantum Mechanics and the Large Hadron Collider," on Wednesday, October 19, at 4 p.m. in Berkner Hall at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory. Arkani-Hamed will explain that fundamental physics started in the early 20th century with two revolutionary theories: Einstein's laws of general relativity, which explain that space and time are distorted by mass and energy; and quantum mechanics, which explains the behavior of atoms and molecules. Physicists confirmed these theories with exquisite precision through experiments over the last three decades, but they are still searching for an all-encompassing theoretical structure that unifies both of them. According to Arkani-Hamed, combining these two theories shows mathematically that space-time is doomed and the existence of the universe is implausible.

Nima Arkani-Hamed, a theoretical physicist, earned a B.Sc. in physics and mathematics from the University of Toronto in 1993 and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1997. He did postgraduate work at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center before joining the Berkeley faculty in 1999. In 2001, he joined Harvard University as a professor of physics, before moving to his current position at the Institute for Advanced Study in 2008. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Arkani-Hamed was awarded the Gribov Medal of the European Physical Society in 2003 and the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Prize awarded by Tel Aviv University in 2008.

The lecture is free, and no preregistration is required. All visitors to the Laboratory age 16 and older must bring a photo ID. For more information, call the Laboratory at (631) 344-2345.

Preparing for the Future: Immigration Issues for Postdocs, Wednesday, October 26, 1-2 pm, Humanities 3017 Presenters: Elizabeth A. Barnum, EdD, Visa and Immigration Services, and representatives from Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP

In this workshop we will discuss two common immigration options used on campus for permanent residency applications: National Interest Waivers (self-petitioned as a Postdoc) and Outstanding Researcher (SBU/ RF — petitioned as an employee with a permanent-type employment offer). Learn what you need to do to qualify in either of these categories. Planning your immigration future in relation to the J-1 home country residency requirement waivers will also be discussed. Workshop is free. Please see google.docs to register. For questions you can email postdocs@stonybrook.edu.

Medal of Science Winner to speak at BNL: Positron Emission Tomography and Diseases of Addiction, Thursday, October 27, 4 pm, Hamilton Seminar Room, Bldg. 555

Joanna Fowler, a senior chemist and director of radiotracer chemistry, instrumentation, and biological imaging at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, will give a talk titled "Positron Emission Tomography and Diseases of Addiction" on Thursday, October 27, at 4 p.m. in BNL's Hamilton Seminar Room, Bldg. 555. Sponsored by Brookhaven Women in Science, the public talk is free, and no registration is required. All visitors to the Laboratory age 16 and over must bring a photo ID. Fowler has made significant contributions to brain research and the understanding of diseases such as addiction, which she studies using positron emission tomography (PET), an imaging technique that measures the concentration and movement of a positron-emitting radioisotope in living tissue. When the radioisotope is incorporated into a molecule that is targeted to a specific element in a cell, such as an enzyme, or incorporated into a drug molecule, PET can provide information on biochemical changes or the movement of drugs in the living human body - including the brain, which is important for investigating addiction.

A member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), Fowler has won numerous awards for her research, including the American Chemical Society's Distinguished Women in Chemistry/Chemical Engineering Award in 2011; the National Medal of Science, the NAS Award in Chemical Sciences, the New York State Distinguished Woman Award, and induction into the Long Island Technology Hall of Fame, all in 2009; the Glen T. Seaborg Award for Nuclear and Radiochemistry in 2002; the Francis P. Garvan-John M. Olin Medal in 1998; the Society for Nuclear Medicine's Paul C. Aebersold Award and DOE's E. O. Lawrence Award in 1997; and the Esselen Award for Chemistry in the Public Interest in 1988.

Presenting the WOW Factor: How to Give a Great Science Seminar, Wednesday, November 2, 1-2 pm, Humanities 3017 Presenter: Professor Michael Hadjiargyrou, Department of Biomedical Engineering

Do you know how to prepare and present a great scientific presentation? Most jobs in academia and industry require candidates to give a seminar describing their science, and given today’s fiercely competitive job market, it is now more important than ever to be able to set yourself apart from the competition. One way to do this is by giving a great and memorable presentation, and the key to a good oral presentation is preparation and delivery. This seminar will highlight the nuts and bolts of both preparing and presenting a great scientific presentation. Workshop is free. Please see google.docs to register. For questions you can email postdocs@stonybrook.edu.

NYU Langone Medical Center Job Fair, November 5-6, 2011

The SBU Office of Postdoctoral Affairs in conjunction with the Graduate School has purchased a sponsorship at an upcoming job fair scheduled for November 5-6, 2011 in Manhattan. The event is being hosted by New York University Langone Medical Center and being sponsored by a consortium of NYC regional Partners. All SBU Graduate Students and Postdocs are eligible to register for the 2-day event for free. You can also attend all workshops for free, and lunch is included. You can see a full agenda of workshops, a description of employers who attend and directions to the event at: http://www.whatcanyoubewithaphd.net/. Please use your SBU email address to register.

A Step Closer to Understanding Alzheimer's Disease, Thursday, November 10, 4 pm, Berkner Hall Brookhaven National Laboratory

Ya Ha, an associate professor of pharmacology at the Yale University School of Medicine, will give a talk titled "A Step Closer to Understanding Alzheimer's Disease" at the Laboratory's Berkner Hall on Thursday, November 10, at 4 p.m. Sponsored by Brookhaven Women in Science, the public talk is free, and no registration is required. All visitors to the Laboratory age 16 and over must bring a photo ID.

Ha will explain that genetic mutations in presenilin are known to cause Alzheimer's disease. Presenilin is a protein that uses water to break membrane proteins inside the water-excluding environment of a cell's lipid bilayer - a barrier that keeps ions, protein, and other molecules where they are needed in a cell and prevents them from migrating to areas where they are not needed. How presenilin catalyzes this highly unusual reaction is yet unclear. Many researchers think that a product of the reaction, amyloid beta peptide, is toxic to neuronal cells and thus directly responsible for causing Alzheimer's disease. Knowing the atomic structure of presenilin would help to solve this puzzle and to explain the mutations that cause the disease.

Ha earned a B.S. in biochemistry from Nanjing University, China, in 1992 and a Ph.D. in biophysics from the University of Minnesota in 1998. He was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University from 1998 to 2001, and in 2001 he joined the faculty of Yale University. In addition to his position as associate professor, he is the director of the Macromolecular X-ray Crystallographic Facility, Yale University School of Medicine.

Etiquette Dinner for Postdocs, Thursday November 17 4-6 pm, Wang Center Chapel

Come enjoy a three-course meal while learning how to navigate a formal place setting, negotiate a waiter’s advance and make casual dinner-time conversation. This is the perfect event to help prepare you for attending business lunches and formal affairs. The customs associated with certain American holidays will also be discussed. There is a $15 fee for this event and seating is limited, but you are welcome to register a guest as well. Please sign up at http://naples.cc.sunysb.edu/secct/conference.nsf/postdoc. For questions you can email postdocs@stonybrook.edu.

Return to top of page

Networking Social, Thursday May 24, 2012, 4-7 pm, University Cafe

Tailor Your App, Friday June 8, 4-5:30, Wang Center Lecture Hall #2

Grants and Proposals, Online course offered through CPD

How to Give a Great Science Seminar, Wednesday, June 27 1-2 pm, Wang 201

Strategies for Grant Writing, July 12, 19 & 26, Melville E4340

Capital Ideas, August 7, 9, 14, 16, 21, Melville E4340

Postdoc Research Symposium, September 20, Wang Center

For events at BNL to which SBU Postdocs are invited, see calendar below

Recurring Events

Conversational English, May, June, July 2012, 5:00-7:00 pm, Melville Library Javits Room

Practice public speaking