Graduate and Postdoctoral Resources
COVID-19 Communications Committee for Doctoral Students and Postdoctoral Researchers
We have formed a Communications Committee for Doctoral Students and Postdoctoral Researchers. This committee will meet as long as the COVID-19 crisis requires virtual operations, on a roughly biweekly basis. The names and contact information of all members are given in the directory, below. Committee membership includes representation of doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers, graduate coordinators and chair, and leading staff from Research and Academic Services, and from the Dean’s office. Please reach out to any of us with concerns.
The aim of this communications committee is to ensure strong communication and to identify needs and strategies to support doctoral student and postdoctoral researchers on several fronts during this crisis, including:
- Doctoral student and postdoctoral research community’s emotional and mental health.
- Doctoral student progress in programs and individual projects.
- Postdoctoral research progress in their projects.
- Interact with those who encounter challenges in climate, communication or support.
We will also foster discussions as senior doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars plan for their future endeavors in this new landscape. Further, we are open to responding to needs that arise and that are brought to light in discussions with our broader communities.
SLACK channel:
https://join.slack.com/t/upennseascomms/shared_invite/zt-deatokx0-3U4lvFbWQv0YpfDQc0Mc3Q
This link is the link for the default channel #general
- One can register to other channels. This is done in the left column, in the option “channel browser”
- There are six channels set up for each department. You can join the appropriate channels for your associated department/s and discuss departmental issues with your peers.
If you do not have slack installed on your PC you need to download it
Links here: mac: https://slack.com/downloads/mac
windows: https://slack.com/downloads/windows
linux: https://slack.com/downloads/linux
Directory of committee members
Doctoral student representatives
Doctoral student representatives include all members of the Dean’s Doctoral Advisory Committee and the Doctoral Board on Diversity and Inclusion. These boards include at least two students from each department, with some overlap between the boards. Lists of board membership and emails are below:
Dean’s Doctoral Advisory Board
| Jason Andrechak | BE | jandrech@seas.upenn.edu |
| Erin Berlew | BE | erinber@seas.upenn.edu |
| Divya Jain | BE | jdivya@seas.upenn.edu |
| Jessica O’Callaghan | CBE | jaoc@seas.upenn.edu |
| Bharath Venkatesh | CBE | rbharath@seas.upenn.edu |
| Yiyuan (Daniel) Zhang | CBE | yiz517@seas.upenn.edu |
| Meghna Gummadi | CIS | meghnag@seas.upenn.edu |
| Daphne Ippolito | CIS | daphnei@seas.upenn.edu |
| Zachary Schutzman | CIS | ianzach@seas.upenn.edu |
| Michael D’Agati | ESE | mdagati@seas.upenn.edu |
| Tzu-Yung Huang | ESE | tzuhuang@seas.upenn.edu |
| Kendall Queen | ESE | queen@seas.upenn.edu |
| Mohsen Azadi | MEAM | azadi@seas.upenn.edu |
| Chengyang Mo | MEAM | chengymo@seas.upenn.edu |
| Ranny Zhao | MEAM | rannyz@seas.upenn.edu |
| Ben Paren | MSE | bparen@seas.upenn.edu |
| Simeon Ristic | MSE | sristic@seas.upenn.edu |
| Antoine Verret | MSE | vverret@seas.upenn.edu |
Doctoral Board on Diversity and Inclusion
| Oladayo Adewole | BE | oadewole@seas.upenn.edu |
| Jonathan Nukpezah | BE | nukpezah@sas.upenn.edu |
| Wilfredo Mendez | CBE | wmendez@seas.upenn.edu |
| Alismari Read | CBE | aread@seas.upenn.edu |
| Phillip Hilliard | CIS | pdh@seas.upenn.edu |
| Joel Hypolite | CIS | jhypolit@seas.upenn.edu |
| Fernando Gama | ESE | fgama@seas.upenn.edu |
| Tzu-Yung Huang | ESE | tzuhuang@seas.upenn.edu |
| Raj Patel | ESE | rajnp@seas.upenn.edu |
| Kendall Queen | ESE | queen@seas.upenn.edu |
| Rossiny Beaucejour | MEAM | rossiny@seas.upenn.edu |
| Jason Christopher Jolly | MSE | chrjason@seas.upenn.edu |
| Larissa Woryk | MSE | lworyk@seas.upenn.edu |
Postdoctoral representative
Dimitrios C. Tzarouchis, ESE dtz@seas.upenn.edu
Graduate coordinator representatives
Maryeileen B. Griffith, MEAM, mebg@seas.upenn.edu
Kathleen Venit, BE, kvenit@seas.upenn.edu
Graduate Academic Council representatives
Yale Cohen, BE, ycohen@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Research and Academic Services and other SEAS representatives
Alyse Edwards (RAS) aedwards@seas.upenn.edu
Sonya Gwak (RAS) sgwak@seas.upenn.edu
Bradley Richards (SEAS) rbrad@upenn.edu
Dean’s office representatives
Boon Thau Loo, Associate Dean, boonloo@seas.upenn.edu
Professional Development Workshops
Throughout the academic year, the Office for Research and Innovation hosts a series of workshops designed to provide graduate students and postdocs with a richer understanding of what it is like pursuing careers both in academia and industry. Workshops featured include, “The Joy of Being Faculty: How I Devised my Research Program,” “Commercialization and How to Pursue a Career in Industry,” and, “The Joy of Being Faculty: How to Apply for a Faculty Position.”
Postdoctoral Fellow “Getting Started” Checklist
- Once you have checked in with your business office, they will tell you when it is okay to get your Penn Card and set up your PennKey at the PennCard Center.
- All foreign nationals should also visit the website for Penn’s International Student and Scholar Services.
- Please visit http://www.garnett-powers.com/pd/upenn/ for complete information on the Postdoctoral Insurance Plan.
- After you receive your PennKey, you should then create a SEAS email account with our CETS office.
- Please take the time to review the Postdoctoral Policies at the University of Pennsylvania
- In order to receive information on job searches and Penn Engineering postdoc events, please join the postdoc listserv by clicking here. If you have any questions regarding the listserv or professional development please contact the Associate Director for Research and Innovation.
Suggested Reading for Postdocs
Making the Right Moves: A Practical Guide to Scientific Management for Postdocs and New Faculty
Free book from a Howard Hughes Medical Institute course features presentations and discussions with practical advice and experiences from biomedical investigators and other professionals. For information about the book, visit HHMI.
Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience for Scientists and Engineers
This book offers its assessment of the postdoctoral experience and provides principles, action points, and recommendations for enhancing that experience. It is a practical guidebook that will be a “must read” for a variety of audiences. Get the book here.
The Academic Job Search Handbook
Co-authored by Julie Miller Vick and Jennifer S. Furlong of University of Pennsylvania’s Career Services, this book (now in its fourth edition) provides specific advice on all aspects of job-seeking in an increasingly tight academic market, from the appropriate timetable for the application process, to illegal or odd interview questions, to negotiating offers, starting a new job, seeking tenure, and everything in between. Get the book here.
Postdoctoral Positions
We do not post open postdoctoral positions. If you are interested, we suggest you explore our faculty directory and contact the faculty member directly for opportunities.
SEAS Postdocs can contact, Alicia Pickul, Executive Assistant to Senior Associate Dean, apickul@seas.upenn.edu with any questions, concerns, or suggestions.