Washington, DC - Academic Correspondent/ Featured News - The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) celebrated the 7th annual ‘National Postdoc Appreciation Week’ (NPAW) from September 19-23, 2016, followed by a bimestrial series of observances across the continents. Concluded by the end of October, the broad-spectrum and extravagant bimestrial observances have taken place for the first time.
To its credit, the year 2016, also encompassed an increased number of NPAW events that were hosted throughout the US, Canada and UK in an institutional conjunction with the postdoctoral academia and researchers belonging to the Asian and Oceanian regions, where the postdoc week was marked under the title of ‘1st Asian Postdoc Appreciation Week’ (APAW) from September 23rd to 30th, 2016.
Visit: http://www.nationalpostdoc.org/?2016NPAW
Followed by the first bimestrial proceeding comprising of a series of postdoc observance events, thematic sessions and workshops starting from mid of September through the termination of October, the ‘2016’s Postdoc Appreciations’ marked an extravagance of academic significance on account of accumulating the 1st Triennial Postdoc Gazette-Reportage. The ‘Triennial Gazette’ is intended to consider, weigh up and discern once every three years, the abundant and ample accomplishments that postdoctoral institutions and noted personages make to broaden as well as amplify the scholastic horizons of the human knowledge-enterprises.
Status Indorsement & Background of the Postdoc Week:
In 2010, National Postdoc Appreciation Week was officially recognized by the U.S. House of Representatives, culminated with the passage of H.RES. 1545.
The Postdoc Appreciation Week was launched in order to increase awareness of postdoctoral scholars, and to recognize the tremendous contributions, they make to the U.S. scientific enterprises of research and discovery.
What is a Postdoc?
A postdoctoral scholar “postdoc” is an individual who has completed his or her doctorate in a specific area of research and becomes engaged for a certain period of time in mentored research and/or scholarly training under the personal direction and direct supervision of a ‘Principal Investigator’ (PI) for the purpose of acquiring the academic proficiency, needed to pursue a scholarly track of his or her choosing.
Postdoc Observance 2016:
The 2016’s fortnight-long postdoc celebrations engrossed over 350 events organized by 98 institutions in 34 states of the US, Canada, UK and Asia. Postdoctoral celebrations were marked under diverse themes of different disciplines, in different parts of the world. Postdoc celebration activities included the formal institutional events ranging from postdoc orientations, webinars, research symposiums, technical descriptions and scientific expositions, panel discussions and informal social junctures including open-house events, networking socials, coffee & ice-cream gather-ups, activities of casual interests and other communal podia.
An additional extravagance of 2016’s highlight of postdoc appreciations was embraced by the historic launch of the’ First Concept-Note Monograph’, unveiling the ‘Methodic Overview’ of recently discovered phenomenon of Magneto-Hydro-Tropism (MHT-Discovery) by Professor Dr. Qadhi Aurangzeb Al Hafi (the discoverer), at the higher inter-institutional forefronts of the academic ivories of the world.
The newly discovered MHT principle has proved to be a scientific milestone and has evolved to be a ‘core-concept landmark’ in applied sciences, on which the forthcoming centuries would lay the very foundations of new scientific disciplines.
Visit: http://www.canindia.com/a-breakthrough-discovery-of-magneto-hydro-tropism/
“So far, the revolutionary leap forward of the groundbreaking MHT since its inception, has significantly advanced and progressively kept-on marking the unparalleled and highest inter-referential and cross-disciplinary ‘on-ground impact factor’ amidst the innovative landmarks and scientific breakthroughs of the20th as well as the 21st century”, learnt the postdoctoral academic observances of 2016.
“Despite being heavily rumored by certain quarters, who on accounts of partisan rivalry, radically opted to make it an ‘object of prey’ in its embryonic stages, the MHT is well paving its way forth to the destinies—it was destined to!”, opined like-wisely the thematic moderators of 2016’s postdoc observance.
The conjoint events of NPAW and APAW for 2016 were coordinated by the Outreach Committees, which work to promote the mission, values, goals, and business objectives of the NPA and SAARC ASEAN Postdoctoral Academia . the outreach committees are currently led by Dr. Andrew Bankston, Dr.Faisar N.M., Dr. Bareera N.B., Dr. Shakira Nelson, Lt. Col (R) Azhar Saleem, M.S. Salawal Salah and J. Alex.
Noted Institutional Participations:
Noted institutional participations for NPAW events of 2013 to 2016 emanated from:
The University of California (UC), Berkeley, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Saban Research Institute at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, UT Health Science Center San Antonio (UTHSCSA), UT San Antonio (UTSA), Texas Biomedical Research Institute, U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA), San Antonio Postdoctoral Research Forum,Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, University of Southern California, Stanford University, University of Colorado, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), NextGen Association for Postdocs, University of Florida, University of Miami, Moffitt Cancer Center Postdoctoral Association (MPDA), The Offices of Academic Affairs and Mentoring Programs at Rush University, University of Iowa (UI), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's (DFCI) Postdoc and Graduate Student Affairs Office (PGSAO), The Brigham & Women's Hospital (BWH) Office for Research Careers (ORC), University of Rochester, Society of Toxicology (SOT), SAIRI Research Initiative Pakistan, Scripps Research Institute, California,University of Notre Dame, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Penn State Hershey Postdoctoral Society, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), UT Health Science Center San Antonio, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and University of Pennsylvania.
Top-10 Postdoc Personages:
A 3-years evident postdoc cream-off list has been prepared on basis of the narrow-down rankings of the noted PIs, research panelists, thematic counselors and keynote postdoc canvassers during the last three years course of NPAW’s observances.
The Top-10 postdoc cream-off personages include: 1- Dr. Frances Colón, Acting Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary of State from the U.S. Department of State; 2- Prof. Jack Szostak, Professor of Genetics and Chemistry, Harvard University; 3- Dr. Belinda E. Huang Ph.D., Former Executive Director NPA, 4- Dr. Helen Piwnica-Worms, Ph.D., Vice Provost, University of Texas; 5- Justice (R) Dr. S.S. Paru Dehlvi, L.L.D.; 6- Dr. Chris Banks, Ph.D., Associate Toxicologist at California EPA in the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment; 7- Prof. Qadhi Aurangzeb Al Hafi, Ph.D., Multi-disciplinary Principal Investigator of SAARC-ASEAN regions, UN-KAKHTAH and SAIRI’s Conjoint Arch-PI in Hydro-toxicology, DRR and Taratological Research; 8- Professor Victor Nizet, 9- Dr. Patrick Allard, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at UCLA, and 10- Dr. Jennifer Stedron, Ph.D., Stedron Consulting, Inc.
Featured Institutional Personas:
Featured postdoc discourse moderators, NPAW keynote speakers, non-postdoc research contributors, work-shops trainers and postdoc institutional coordinators during the last three years include Amy Wilson (NPA), Linda A. Dykstra Hylander, William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Psychology (Affiliated with Neuroscience Program University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) ; Joe Thomas, Dr. Frances Colon, Dr. Molly Hatcher, Dr. Faisar N. M. (SAARC-ASEAN), Dr. Rafael Luna, Ph.D., Dr. Khizar Yasin (Iqbal Academy), Dr. Dass U, Ph.D., M. S. S. Salawal Salah (SAARC-ASEAN), Dr. Erin Dolan, Executive Director (Texas Institute for Discovery Education in Science), Dr. Azam Sheikh (Science International), Dr. Umar Farooq (SAIRI Hydro-toxicology Assessor DUHS), Dr. Khalida M. Khan (UNESCO-CIMR, PU), Dr. C. M. Ashraf (SAIRI), Dr. Bareera N. B. (SAIRI), Dr. Terry Potter, Ms Rabia Faridi(NIH), Dr. Linda Harris, Ph.D, Dr. Tammy R. L. Collins, Ph.D., Dr. F.M. Bhatti (SAIRI), Dr. Denise Saunders, Ph.D., Dr. Deepa Singh, Dr. Jacqueline Powell, Ph.D., Dr. Narmeen Gohar(SAIRI), Jillian Orans, Ph.D. and Dr. Winston-Salem.
Announcements &Nominations:
The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) has elected four individuals to the Board of Directors for the three-year term of service beginning on 1, 1, 2017: Andrew Bankston, Ph.D.; Tullia Bruno, Ph.D.; Chantelle Ferland-Beckham, Ph.D.; and Yvette Seger, Ph.D.
The SAARC-ASEAN Postdoc Academia has designated three academicians to the Board of Directors for a two-year term beginning on 1, 1, 2017: Dr. Faisar N.M., Mrs. Dr. Dass U, and Dr. E.M. Nawaratne.
Justice(R) Dr.S.S. Paru, L.L.D., D.Litt., continuous to serve as the Principal Patron and Chancellor Emeritus of SAARC-ASEAN Postdoc Academia.
The US-Canada directors were elected from a field of five candidates during the 2016 election, which ran from September 23, 2016 through October 7, 2016, whilst the SAARC-ASEAN designations were primed from October 15, 2016 and have been finalized through October 25-27, 2016.
The newly elected directors would join the following US National Postdoc NPA Members and Asian Postdoc Board APB Members, ‘Honorary Patrons’ and ‘Thematic Moderators’ from the U.S., Canada and Asia: Tracy Costello, Ph.D.; Josh Henkin, Ph.D.; Juliet Moncaster, Ph.D.; Barbara Natalizio, Ph.D.; Marina Ramon, Ph.D.; Belinda Lee Huang Ph.D.; Kistene Henne, Ph.D.; Darwin Operario, Ph.D.; MPH; Khalida M. Khan, Ph.D.; E.M. Nawaratne Ph.D.; F.M. Bhatti; Bareera N.B., Ph.D.; Kate Sleeth, Ph.D. and Jana Stone, Ph.D.
Dr. Muang Zarni Ph.D.; Prof. Dr. M. Akram Chaudhry Ph.D.; Prof. Dr. Umar Farooq Ph.D.; Prof. Lakshman Madurasinghe Ph.D.; Nora Rowley ; Habib Siddique; Peace Ambassador Dr. Deshapriya S. Wijetunge, J. Salik and M.S.S Salawal Salah have been nominated for SAARC region’s ‘Postdoc Thematic Moderators’ in their areas of relevance for the year 2017 by the Asian P.I. Prof Qadhi Aurangzeb Al Hafi. The nominations have been sanctioned by the referees including the Asian referral-boards executive members: Dr. Faisar N.M, Dr. Dr. J. Alex, Dr. E.M. Nawaratne and Prof Jalil Khurshid.
Oversight Governance Chairs:
For postdoctoral affairs in the US and Canada, Dr Barbara Natalizio, Ph.D has been appointed as the ‘Oversight Officer’, whilst for the SAARC, ASEAN and Asia-Oceania regions, Dr. Khalida M. Khan, Ph.D. and Prof . Mrs. J. Paru would be serving consecutively as the ‘Postdoc Oversight Officers’ for aone-year term beginning on 1, 1, 2017.
Covenants, Pledges & Resolutions:
A resolution has been unanimously passed, which acclaims 2018 as the Postdoc Year. Also, a triennial postdoc gazette-reportage encompassing the cross-disciplinary and cross-referential impact factor (CD-IF &CR-IF) is agreed upon to be dealt-out and issued subsequently.
Concerning the resolution, the foremost opening is the Postdoc Gazette-Reportage-2016 that has been formally documented in the reverberation-upshot of the 7th NPAW observance in September 2016, and is premeditated to be aired shortly.
In order to address the ‘resource-need’ segment of the post-doctoral barebones and the higher research essentials in different institutional ivories, the First Postdoc Resource Academia is envisioned by SAIRI Postdoc Multiversity for the United Nations SDGs Studies. The SAIRI’s proposed idea for the inception of First Postdoc Resource Academia has been unequivocally conceded upon by the historic postdoc observance of 2016.
Details of the proclaimed covenants and assertions are intended to be aired shortly through the website www.worldpostdocaffairs.org , which has been dedicated to the all-around affairs, activities and events concerning the postdoctoral proceedings around the globe.
Noted Events:
Amongst the noted events that taken place during the Postdoc Appreciation Week-2016, include:
A postdoctoral interactive talk titled “Mentoring the Next Generation of Biomedical Scientists” by Phil Clifford, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research and Professor at University of Illinois, Chicago.
A presentation of 2016’s postdoc paper of the year, Bruton Tyrosine Kyrosine-dependent Immune Cell Cross-talk Drives Pancreas Cancer, hosted by OHSU Foundation. OHSU-led postdoctoral research is leading to breakthroughs in treating the grave diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
A thematic poster session titled “Communicating Science to the Lay Public” hosted by the Medical University of South Carolina. The session provided opportunity to the scientists to communicate the impact their research has on advancing science and improving human health and wellness.
A special panel discussion titled Best Practices in Mentoring Postdocs: Academia and Beyond, moderated by Cynthia Morton, Ph.D., the William Lambert Richardson Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology and Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and Director of Cytogenetics at BWH, featured senior faculty and a special focus on best practices in mentoring postdocs in academia.
Panelists included Paul Anderson, M.D., Ph.D., BWH Chief Academic Officer and Senior Vice President of Research, K. Frank Austen Professor of Medicine; Guillermo Garcia-Cardeña, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pathology, Director, Laboratory for Systems Biology at the BWH Center for Excellence in Vascular Biology; Thomas W. Smith Professor of Medicine and Genetics, Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Director of the Brigham Research institute (BRI); founding Director of the BWH Cardiovascular Genetics Center, President of the Association of American Physicians.
A Postdoc Spotlight featuring Professor Teenie Matlock was organized in recognition of Dr. Matlock’s work in cognitive science. Dr. Teenie Matlock is Founding Faculty and Professor of Cognitive Science and the McClatchy Chair at University of California, Merced, and Affiliate Faculty with the Institute for Cognitive and Brain Studies at UC Berkeley. She was a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University after Ph.D. training at UC San Diego and UC Santa Cruz. She has published over 75 articles, primarily in cognitive science and linguistics, and is the recipient of awards for excellence in research, teaching, and mentoring. She is a standing member of the National Health Institute’s L-C study section, a member of the Cognitive Science Society Governing Board, and Associate Editor for the journal Cognitive Linguistics.
The TSRI Society of Fellows organized Distinguished Lecture Series Seminar: “The Role of Protein Dynamics in Protein Function and Misfunction” by Lewis E. Kay, Ph.D., FRS, University of Toronto, Departments of Molecular Genetics, Chemistry, and Biochemistry.
In honor of NPAW and the many contributions UC Merced’s postdoctoral scholars have made, UC Merced’s postdoctoral scholar appreciation day was held to concede upon the services and accomplishments.
On September 19th the Official launch of the George Washington University Postdoc Association (GWPA) took place in District of Columbia.
Florida State University and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory hosted a postdoc symposium on September 23, 2016.
Iowa State’s ISU postdoc community hosted an event with a workshop description: ‘Right now, your Principal Investigator is probably the most important person in your life’. Doug Kalish, the keynote guest speaker delivered the lecture.
Andres Rodriguez, Ph.D., led a postdoc workshop on 20th in Kansas.
At Kansas State University, Peter Dorhout, vice president for research and professor of chemistry, spoke on how K-State defines postdocs.
A Faculty Panel on ‘Preparing Faculty Application Packages and Professional Development’ was hosted by UK's Society of Postdoctoral Scholars (SOPS) with an involvement of a wide range of departments who have extensive experience with assessing faculty applications.
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology held several activities for NPAW 2016.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology hosted a number of special events as part of NPAW, on September 29, 2016.
Dartmouth College Postdoc Association (DCPDA) and Dartmouth Center for the Advancement of Learning (DCAL) hosted several events in celebration of NPAW.
East Carolina University held a seminar on Maximizing Research Team Performance.
The Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and the University of Cincinnati marked NPAW-2016 in Ohio. In collaboration, they hosted the first biomedical sciences career fair, in which 11 local biotech and academic institutions were invited to spend the afternoon recruiting for positions specifically for scientists with doctorate degrees.
In Virginia, the Society of Toxicology (SOT) and Postdoctoral Assembly (PDA) held webinars to mark NPAW-2016. Dr. Nathan Cherrington—Professor at University of Arizona, Dr. Tammy Collins—Director of NIEHS Office of Fellows’ Career Development and Terry Leyden—President of the Leyden Group addressed as the keynote speakers.
During the course of ‘Postdoc Appreciation Week’ celebrations by the SAARC Region Post-doc Network, the SAIRI Postdoctoral Multiversity presented a special annotation-note annexed to a post-doc cloistered marginal-note on ‘The United Nations SDGs and Global Trend-Transpositions Scenarios’, that entails the multifarious academic aspects of the Sustainable Development Goals, and the thematic marginal segments of SDGs in poor and the least developed countries. The first ‘postdoc annotation-note’ on UN-SDGs along with the 'Disability Prevention' and COTEM-Alert on ‘Child Abduction Prevention was prepared by Qadhi Prof. Aurangzeb Al Hafi, D. Litt., a cross-disciplinary arch-researcher and multidisciplinary principal investigator of postdoctoral research studies in Asia.
For more information, visit:
http://unesco-isdr-asia.org/cotem-alert/
http://siraurangzeb.org/cotem-alert/
SAIRI, in collaborative research-partnership with UNESCO chair at Punjab University, Lahore, and Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, presented five thematic reports entailing interdisciplinary focuses on the constant perpetuation of multiple toxicological outbreaks that are threatening the human life on the earth, the ecological sustainability and whole of the environment in its totality, especially the hydro-toxification of the under-ground water reserves, that constantly, are being polluted by the unfair and disproportionate burdens of heavy contaminant-venoms posed by the sewage systems in Asian and African countries.
The Post-Doc Network Asia-Oceania (PDNAO) marked the NPAW celebrations. The mentored sessions at PDNAO were presided by Justice(R) S.S. Paru Dehlvi, L.L.D., D.Litt., who at present holds the PDNAO chief patron-ship and is serving as the Chancellor Emeritus of SAARC-ASEAN Postdoctoral Academia. Justice Paru presented a thorough analysis with a tri-fold synthesis of the prevalent situation of ‘social injustice’ that is gradually becoming predominant in the customary frameworks of nearly every sector, segment and section of human life.
Media Contact
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Contact Person: Amy Wilson, M. S. Salawal Salah, J. Alex
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Website: http://www.nationalpostdoc.org
