Professional Development

Professional Development

Mission statement: The Professional Development Committee aims to empower postdocs through tailored professional development to excel in their roles and prepare for future challenges, fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth.

In the DUPA Slack channel ‘Professional Development,’ you’ll find information about our programs, workshops, and initiatives designed to enhance your skills, knowledge, and career prospects. We are dedicated to fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth at Duke. Explore our offerings, stay updated on upcoming events, and embark on a journey of personal and career advancement with us.

Current members: Aswathy (Ash) Shailaja (Chair, aswathy dot shailaja at duke dot edu), Rossie Clark-Cotton, Sharon Kunde, and Kat Blethen

CURRENT EVENTS

Mindfulness program
Networking events
Writing groups
Preprint review groups

ONGOING INITIATIVES AND RESOURCES

In addition to the resources described below, we highly recommend you visit the website for the Office of Postdoctoral Services, as one of their primary goals is providing resources for postdocs looking to advance to the next step in the academic or industry career track.

  • Practice Job Talk:  One of the main responsibilities for the DUPA Professional Development committee is to provide the opportunity for Duke postdocs to give practice job talks.  The practice job talks provide postdocs the opportunity to get valuable feedback from a diverse and intelligent audience of their fellow postdocs.  In particular, we focus on providing criticism of presentation skills (body language, slide layout, presentation flow) which are critical when presenting to a non-specialist audience.  For more information, email Rossie Clark-Cotton, (rossie dot clark dot cotton at duke dot edu) DUPA Professional Development Co-Chairs.
  • Preprint Review Program: This program aims to facilitate the rapid dissemination of research findings by providing authors with constructive feedback on their preprints before formal publication. By participating in this program, you will have the opportunity to engage with cutting-edge research, contribute to its improvement, and enhance the overall quality of scientific publications. The program is indeed a year-long initiative, and participants are typically paired based on their discipline and preferences for reviewing preprints. On average, you and your team members or fellow scientists are expected to review one or more manuscripts within a two-month period, providing constructive comments to the authors. Program Highlights: 1. Seminar on Manuscript Review and Reviewer Programs & 2. Panel Discussion featuring Journal Editors and Duke Library Experts. Please email Ash for more information.
  • Koru Mindfulness program, the evidence-based program aims to enhance well-being, reduce stress, and promote resilience through the practice of mindfulness. Koru Mindfulness is a four-session program that introduces participants to various mindfulness techniques. Through guided instruction, group discussions, and practice exercises, you will learn practical strategies to manage stress, increase self-awareness, and cultivate a sense of calm and focus. Please email Ash for more information.
  • 2- Weeks Postdoc Writing Challenge- Did you know that you can use the 2-Weeks Postdoc Writing Challenge Spring to make progress on your scholarly work? If you write for 60 minutes every weekday for 2-weeks, that’s 10 hours of dedicated time you will spend on your writing work. Writing refers to any scholarly activity ranging from a new idea to a completed project (article, grant proposal, SOP, exhibits, book chapter etc.)! Please email Sharon (sharon dot kunde at duke dot edu) for more information.
  • Career-Related Document Critique:  Molly at the Office of Postdoctoral Services will review various career-related documents (e.g. resumes, CVs, research/diversity/teaching statements), sit down with you, and suggest changes to better align the document with your chosen career path.  Please contact Molly Starback for more information.
  • Mock Interview:  Molly also conducts mock interviews.  (She does a lot, really:) )  Please contact Molly dot Starback at duke dot edu for more information.