Thursday, August 10, 11 :30 am-1:15 pm
Organizers: Candan Soykan, Rohan Sadler

Many graduate students stress over finding a post-doc position after graduation. Numerous factors contribute to this stress including a need to focus on one's dissertation work in order to graduate, competition for positions, family/significant other considerations, a lack of knowledge of available opportunities, and limited understanding of how to apply for a position. This workshop aims to alleviate some of that stress by highlighting the range of available post-doc opportunities, providing basic guidance on how to apply for a post-doctoral position, and offering general information on expectations, timelines, and other considerations. The workshop will include a panel of individuals representing different career stages and employment opportunities. The panelists will open with a series of brief presentations to be followed by a question and answer period. Participants will come away with a better understanding of the post-doctoral application process, the range of post-doctoral positions available to ecologists, and realistic goals in terms of publications, research, teaching, and other experiences.

Panelists/Organizations
NCEAS – Jim Reichman
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center – Kim Sproat or an alternate
NSF International Research Fellowship Program – Susan Parris or alternate LTER - TBA
National Post-Doc Association – Amber Budden or an alternate
Smith Conservation Fellows Program – Shonda Gilliland Foster
AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship Program – Paul Higgins

* Some individuals have not yet decided whether they will be attending the annual meeting or not; in those cases we have written “TBA” or “an alternate.”

Proposed Schedule

11:30-11:45 – Pick up a grab and go lunch

11:45-12:30 – Panel presentations (5-10 minutes each)
Each panelist will introducing their organization and highlight the types of post-docs it offers and the skills / qualifications that it looks for in applicants. Additionally, they will discuss general topics such as:
The pros and cons of being a post-doc
How a post-doc differs from a graduate student
How to accommodate a significant other
Combining other activities with a research post-doc (i.e. teaching, mentoring, policy, etc.)
The merits and drawbacks of changing disciplines or sub-disciplines
Relations with your post-doc advisor/supervisor

12:30-1:00 – Question and Answer session

1:00-1:15 – Opportunities for one-on-one interaction with panelists