News and Events

Meet Dr. Michel Keersmaecker!

Dr. Michel Keersmaecker is a postdoc in the field of electrochemistry and materials science. After receiving his PhD from Ghent University in Belgium, Keersmaecker came to the University of Arizona to further explore his interest in different types of renewable technology and try to find better ways to reduce carbon emissions.

Congratulations to the Honorable Mentions for the 2021 Excellence in Postdoctoral Mentoring Award! 

We are pleased to recognize two dedicated postdoctoral mentors who received Honorable Mentions for the 2021 Excellence in Postdoctoral Mentoring Award! Dr. Erika Hamden, an Assistant Professor in Astronomy and the Steward Observatory, and Dr. Robin B. Harris, a Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

Congratulations to the recipient of the 2021 Excellence in Postdoctoral Mentoring Award!

The University of Arizona Postdoctoral Affairs would like to offer our congratulations to the recipient of the 2021 Excellence in Postdoctoral Mentoring Award Dr. George E. Gehrels, a University Distinguished Professor in the department of Geosciences.

Congratulations to the Honorable Mentions for the 2021 Outstanding Postdoctoral Scholar Award! 

We are pleased to recognize two accomplished postdoctoral scholars who received Honorable Mentions for the 2021 Outstanding Postdoctoral Scholar Award! Dr. Caroline Kopruszinski, Department of Pharmacology, and Dr. François Lanoë, Department of Anthropology.

Congratulations to the 2021 Outstanding Postdoctoral Scholar!

The University of Arizona Postdoctoral Affairs would like to offer our congratulations to the 2021 Outstanding Postdoctoral Scholar Award recipient Dr. Irene Shivaei. 

NIH Workshop

This free talk will focus on NIH Postdoctoral Awards, specifically the F32 and the K99/R00.

Health and Wellness Series

This 6-week series (1 hour/week), offered by Dr. Leslie Bosch, National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, is being offered free of charge to UArizona postdocs.

Meet Postdoc Brian Gill

Postdoc Brian Gill studies the diversity, distributions and interactions of different species. Gill has looked at large-scale trends in a variety of organisms from plants to insects to large mammals.

Stress Management Workshop

In an effort to provide health and wellness resources for postdocs, we are hosting an online workshop on stress management.

New Workshop Series!

We are pleased to announce this new series of online workshops for postdocs and graduate students! The workshops in this series will focus on providing tools for successful grant writing.

Call for nominations!

We invite you to submit your nominations for Outstanding Postdoctoral Scholar Award and Excellence in Postdoctoral Mentoring Award. These awards are important to the postdoc community as they highlight the incredible work done by postdocs and their mentors. 

Meet Postdoc Ian Robey

Dr. Ian Robey is a Research Assistant Professor within the Department of Medicine at the University of Arizona and a Full Investigator at the Arizona Cancer Center. His research specialty in grad school was antibodies and immunology and, as a postdoc, his specialty is tumor biology and microenvironment. Both specialties eventually led him to cancer research at the Arizona Cancer Center.

Partnership with CIRTL

CIRTL is an international network of almost 40 research universities across the U.S. and Canada that collaborate to provide free professional development opportunities for graduate students and postdocs interested in teaching as part of their academic careers. We invite postdoctoral scholars to take advantage of these incredible resources!

Postdoc Success Stories: Dr. Rachel Neville was awarded the 2020 Outstanding Postdoctoral Scholar Award!

This spring, Dr. Rachel Neville was awarded the 2020 Outstanding Postdoctoral Scholar Award. This award recognizes her contributions in research innovation and productivity in the area of mathematics, teaching and mentoring, and leadership and outreach during her years as a postdoc at the University of Arizona. 

Postdoc Success Stories: Drs. Ali Bramson and Michael Sori will be Assistant Professors at Purdue University!

Dr. Michael Sori (Ph.D. in Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and Dr. Ali Bramson (Ph.D. in Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona) are Postdoctoral Scholars in the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (LPL) at the University of Arizona. We want to share their story and congratulate them and they both have recently accepted positions as Assistant Professors in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences (EAPS) at Purdue University.

Updates on UArizona Reentry plan

As we prepare for the Fall 2020 semester, it is important to stay updated on university issued policies for reentry protocols. We have compiled a list with the most relevant information regarding the reentry plan at UArizona. 

Updates on Presidential Proclamations Regarding Nonimmigrant Visas

As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S government has issued a special proclamation to protect American jobs and regulate nonimmigrant visa programs. Below is a list of resources to help postdocs stay informed and understand this proclamation.

New Grant for Postdocs! Postdoctoral Small Event Grants

We are pleased to announce the new Postdoctoral Small Event Grants program. This grant has been created to provide postdoctoral scholars with opportunities to organize events that benefit the postdoc community.

Meet Postdoc Lauren O'Connor

Postdoc Lauren O’Connor, a member of the UArizona Department of Geosciences, studies Cretaceous paleoclimatology, the reconstruction of past climate and changes therein. O’Connor came to the University of Arizona after receiving her doctorate at The University of Oxford in Oxford, England.

Meet Postdoc Kelly Heilman

Postdoc Kelly Heilman sees the forest for the trees, both in her life and in her work. Heilman’s work assesses how trees in forests respond to climate change, rising carbon dioxide levels and the changing ways land is used.

Congratulations to our first Postdoc Speed Talk Competition winners!

Postdoctoral Affairs held its first ever Postdoc Speedtalk Competition. At this online event, postdocs gave 3-minute talks that targeted a diverse and nonspecialist audience. A team of judges chose three winners who were awarded $2000 (first place), $1000 (second) and $500 (third) and a plaque. 

Many Thanks and Congratulations to Maggie, Adriana, and Angel from Postdoctoral Affairs!

Here at Postdoctoral Affairs, we say goodbye to three wonderful Graduate Associates (GAs) who have made enormous contributions to support our mission of helping postdocs in their professional development and in cultivating community.

Postdoc Academy

Postdoc Academy is a comprehensive online and in-person program built on the National Postdoctoral Association core competencies to support skill development throughout postdoc training, from orientation to next career step. This is a free program specifically designed for postdocs and supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Meet Postdoc Waitsang Keung

Postdoc Waitsang Keung is interested in how people make their decisions. Waitsang has made many decisions in her life, such as choosing to come to the University of Arizona to pursue research in cognitive psychology after earning her doctorate in neuroscience at Princeton University in New Jersey.

Congratulations 2020 Postdoctoral Research Development Grant (PRDG) Awardees!

The Postdoctoral Research Development Grants are designed to foster independence and help advance the career goals of postdoctoral scholars by funding small research projects or training experiences that are outside the scope of their current postdoctoral appointments.

UArizona Economic Mitigation Plan Updates

Due to the financial crisis resulting from the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, The University of Arizona has implemented an economic mitigation plan that includes a furlough and pay reduction program. This is a list of resources where you can find more information about the measures and how they may affect Postdoctoral scholars.

Meet Postdoc Hamid Dashti

After earning his master’s degree in Iran and his doctorate from Boise State University, Dr. Hamid Dashti came to the University of Arizona to further his research on climate change. Dashti specializes in remote sensing and uses that to process satellite data of vegetation dynamics to predict the fate of the Arctic.

Meet Postdoc Tyler Doane

Down-to-earth postdoc Tyler Doane earned his doctoral degree in Geological and Earth Sciences from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. After graduating, Doane knew he had barely scratched the surface of the material he was studying and was eager to learn more.

Meet Postdoc Erin Maresh

Dr. Erin Maresh is anything but self-centered, but her research centers around the self and understanding its neural, behavioral, and clinical correlates. Erin is a postdoc in the Psychology Department in the Neuroscience of Emotion and Thought Lab.

Meet Postdoc Atal Ahmadzai

Originally from Afghanistan, Postdoctoral Research Associate Atal Ahmadzai has had
plenty of experience in the area of Global Affairs.

After earning his undergrad in health sciences at Kabul University in Afghanistan, and
his first Masters in Global Public Health from Thailand, Ahmadzai landed a job with the United
Nations as a researcher for the annual Human Development Report. 

Meet Postdoc Dong Yan

Dr. Dong Yan is a Postdoctoral Research Associate studying the functional and structural traits of dryland ecosystems using satellite images and other remotely sensed data. After receiving his master’s degree, Dong took a six-month break to travel and then went on to receive his doctorate in Geography from the University of Oklahoma in 2014.

Rapid Response and Novel Research in Earth Science

NASA is accepting applications to make innovative use of NASA satellite data to address regional-to-global environmental, economic, and/or societal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Proposals due MARCH 29, 2021

COVID-19 Updates

In response to the spread and impact of coronavirus (COVID-19),  the University of Arizona has announced a number of measures to keep everyone on campus healthy and safe. Here's a list of resources you can access to get more information on COVID-19 and the ongoing mitigation efforts.

Mellon-Fronteridades Creative Scholars

The Mellon-Fronteridades Creative Scholars program provides funding for postdoctoral scholars passionate about enriching understanding of the US-Mexico borderlands through scholarly projects. Applications are due April 1st, 2020. Awards will be granted to three creative scholars completing a research-based or scholarly project from August 2020 to April 2021.

Meet Postdoc Monica Yellowhair

Dr. Monica Yellowhair is an Assistant Research Scientist who takes great pride in the work that she does. After receiving her PhD in toxicology from the University of Arizona, Dr. Yellowhair began her research at the UA Cancer Center looking at depleted uranium and its effects on DNA, specifically its relation to cancer.

International Postdoc Potluck: A Grand Success

A convivial group of postdocs and some of their family members gathered to enjoy a potluck dinner together at the Postdoctoral Affairs building this week. The food was exceptional and included savory and sweet dishes (all homemade!) from Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, France, India, Iran, Italy, and the US. 

Dr. Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil Named a 2020 TED Senior Fellow

UArizona postdoc Burçin Mutlu Pakdil of Steward Observatory and the Department of Astronomy has been selected as a 2020 TED Senior Fellow. She joins a prestigious group of scientists, artists, activists, and others who have been recognized for their work to improve our world. 

Meet Postdoc Jenna Coalson

Dr. Jenna Coalson’s research may bug some people but as an epidemiologist of vector-borne diseases, she’s used to it. Currently an Assistant Professor of Practice at Notre Dame, Dr. Coalson was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Arizona from 2016-2019. While at the UA, Coalson’s research included looking at the system dynamics of people and their environment and how it affects health.

Postdoctoral Research Development Grants (PRDG)

Award Cycle: Annual 
Limit on Proposals per PI: An individual may apply for one PRDG per cycle and may be awarded only one PRDG while a postdoctoral scholar at UA. 
Next Due Date: March 28, 2020, 5pm MST
Earliest Start Date: July 1, 2020
Award Period: July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021
Applications: Opens January 17, 2020

Description: Postdoctoral Research Development Grants (PRDG) were established to support University of Arizona (UA) postdoctoral scholars in the development of their independent research skills to advance their career goals. 

Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program

The Intelligence Community (IC) Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program offers scientists and engineers from a wide variety of disciplines unique opportunities to conduct research in a wide range of topics relevant to the Intelligence Community. The research is conducted by the Postdocs, while working in partnership with a Research Advisor and collaborating with an advisor from the Intelligence Community.

Applications Accepted Jan. 6 - Feb. 28, 2020

Family Study Room now open in Weaver Science-Engineering Library

The family study room in the Weaver Library, 4th floor, room 438, is now open to all UA student parents/guardians, faculty, postdocs, staff and their children. This project, an initiative of the Graduate & Professional Student Council (GPSC), the Office of the Provost, and the Libraries, has been in progress for several months.

Postdoc Speed Talk Competition

This competition, inspired by the UArizona’s Grad Slam and UCSF’s Postdoc Slam, offers postdocs an opportunity to present their research to a diverse and non-specialist audience, receive feedback, and win prizes. Presentations must be 3 minutes or less and include no more than 6 slides.

Office of Instruction and Assessment: Three January Mini-Courses

The Office of Instruction and Assessment is offering three five-day mini-courses, January 6-10, 2020: Fine-Tuning Your Course as a Road Map for Learning, Course-Level Assessment, and Effective Online Discussions. 

Spotlight: Dr. Keaton Hamm

Keaton's research is in the mathematical foundations of analyzing large-scale, high-dimensional data. Dimensionality of data can be described as the number of parameters used to describe it.  For instance, an image from our phones has over 10 million pixels, each of which has a red, green, and blue color value.

Meet Postdoc Maria Vittoria Mazzamuto

As a wildlife ecologist, postdoc Maria Vittoria Mazzamuto studies the effects of habitat deterioration, resource exploitation and human-induced climate change on individuals and populations. Maria Vittoria conducts her research not only here at the University of Arizona, but also at the University of Insubria - UAGRA in Italy.

National Postdoc Survey (chance to win a $500 travel award)

Are you interested in winning a travel award, and in sharing your experiences as a postdoc to a large national postdoc survey? A newly published study has demonstrated the crucial role of postdocs in lab culture and in the training and mentorship experiences of graduate students, and we hope to capture your voice to draw attention to the unique needs of the postdoc population and reinforce the importance of training, policies, and compensation for postdocs.

Meet Postdoc Tiffany Jones

Postdoc Tiffany N. Jones’s passion for mathematics started at an early age with the encouragement of her parents and early educators and led her into teaching high school math and physics. Here at the University of Arizona, she continues to pursue her passion for mathematics and credits her enthusiasm to being a self-proclaimed “lifelong learner.” 

UA Campus Pantry

The mission of the UA Campus Pantry is to alleviate hunger in the UA Wildcat community by providing food assistance to those in need. Postdocs are welcome to use or donate to the UA Campus Pantry.

University Experts Taking Center Stage at TENWEST Impact Festival

Around 15,000 local, regional and national attendees are expected in downtown Tucson for the annual TENWEST Impact Festival, to be held Oct. 11-20. Approximately 250 speakers, including more than 50 from the University of Arizona, will discuss innovative solutions to social, environmental and economic issues.

Arizona Postdoctoral Research Conference Poster Awards

Congratulations to the following postdocs who were selected for the best poster awards at the first Arizona Postdoctoral Research Conference.

Spotlight: Dr. Linnea Honeker

Microbes are present everywhere, from the barren Atacama Desert to the mucous lining of our lungs and guts. Their interactions in the environment and within their hosts fascinate Linnea, which has lead her into the field of microbial ecology.

First Arizona Postdoctoral Research Conference

The first Arizona Postdoctoral Research Conference took place on September 18^th at the Virginia G. Piper Auditorium in Phoenix. This collaborative event between the University of Arizona and Arizona State University brought together postdoctoral scholars from the two universities as well as the Mayo Clinic. 

Postdoc Burcin Mutlu-Pakdil: AAAS IF/THEN Ambassador

Steward Observatory is proud to announce that Dr. Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil has been selected as one of the 125 AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) IF/THEN® Ambassadors. IF/THEN®, a national initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies, seeks to further women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) by empowering current innovators and inspiring the next generation of pioneers.

Spotlight: Dr. Maha Saber

Maha has specialized in studying traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer’s disease research for the last 8 years. Her goal is to determine the role of chronic increases of inflammation after brain injury and how it may induce dementias like Alzheimer’s disease. 

Meet Postdoc Mihailo Martinovic

Postdoc Mihailo Martinovic’s research is impressive: he seeks to understand the acceleration and heating mechanisms of solar wind. But perhaps even more impressive is his broader motivation behind his research: “In science, we should work to widen knowledge of all humans, I win, you win, everyone wins.” 

Giving Priorities: Student Support

Undergraduate, graduate students and postdoctoral scholars are an integral part of the team of astronomers, taking part in research leading to the significant discoveries.

Spotlight: Dr. Robert Jackson

Robert is absolutely fascinated by viruses and how they interact with their hosts via elegant molecular processes. To continue his scientific journey, last month he moved to Tucson from Canada to join as a postdoc in Dr. Koenraad Van Doorslaer’s lab at the BIO5 Institute.

New Postdoctoral Opportunities

BIO5 Postdoctoral Fellowship: Deadline September 16th

The BIO5 Postdoctoral Fellowship is now active on UA Competition Space. These grants are specifically designed to support and enhance the independent research goals of BIO5 postdoctoral researchers.

Postdoc Talk: Learn, Connect, Advance

Postdoctoral Affairs is pleased to announce a new “brown bag” series called Postdoc Talk which offers postdocs an opportunity to learn more about issues critical to their career advancement and success.

Arizona Postdoctoral Research Conference

Postdoctoral scholars from The University of Arizona are invited to submit an abstract to the first Arizona Postdoctoral Research Conference. Abstract submissions for research talks and posters will be accepted through July 29, 2019.

Congratulations to the BIO5 Postdoctoral Fellowship Awardees!

The BIO5 Postdoctoral Fellowship recognizes outstanding postdoctoral researchers at the University of Arizona who are engaging in multi-disciplinary research projects aligned with the foci of the BIO5 Institute. 

NEW! Postdoctoral Professional Development Certificate

Earn a Postdoctoral Professional Development Certificate by attending local workshops designed to enhance your professional skills and prepare you for a successful career.

Opportunity for a Postdoc to Join the UA Faculty Senate

In 2017, the UA Faculty Senate invited postdocs to join two standing committees. This was the first time that postdocs had served in the Senate and the outcome has been so successful that an invitation has been extended to have a postdoc join a third committee: the Student Affairs Policy committee. Applications must be received by 12 pm on Monday, July 15, 2019.

Congratulations to the 2019 PRDG Awardees!

Congratulations to the seven postdocs awarded the Postdoctoral Research Development Grants, specifically designed to help promote independence of postdoctoral scholars by providing funds for additional research training or experience that is outside the scope of their current postdoctoral appointments.

Thank you to UAPA for their amazing work during the 2018-2019 year!

"The University of Arizona Postdoctoral Association (UAPA) was formally established in 2017 to develop a framework of support for postdoctoral scholars at the University of Arizona. The goals of UAPA are to facilitate networking, professional development and service/outreach opportunities for UA postdocs."

Postdoctoral Orientation: January 21, 2021

Join us for the next Postdoctoral Orientation on May 6, 2020. Learn about Postdoctoral Affairs, meet other postdocs at the University of Arizona, and become acquainted with campus resources that can help make the postdoctoral years more productive and successful. Lunch and coffee will be provided. Orientation takes place in January, May, and September.

Meeting with ASU Postdoc Office

This week UA Postdoctoral Affairs and UAPA met with members of the postdoc office from Arizona State University to discuss potential collaborations. Pictured left to right: Grace Niemiro, Jenny Hoit, Wiley Larsen, Hope Lancaster, Maggie Berti, Priyanka Kushwaha, Christina Forbes, and Diana Ferro.

Postdoc Grant Camp

Postdoctoral Affairs will host Postdoc Grant Camp this summer. Postdoc Grant Camp, designed for postdocs who are in the process of applying for a grant, will consist of at least three in-person meetings between May and August 2019 (scheduled at the convenience of participants and located on campus) to discuss challenges and progress, as well as weekly online accountability reports. The goal is to help participants develop a successful grant proposal within an efficient time frame. The application process is competitive and enrollment is limited. Applications must be received by May 12, 2019 at 5:00 pm.

PA Awards in UA@Work

The annual UA Awards of Distinction Luncheon and Ceremony included two new awards: the Excellence in Postdoctoral Mentoring Award and the Outstanding Postdoctoral Scholar Award, which were presented by Postdoctoral Affairs on April 1st, 2019.

Spotlight: Dr. Mike Sori

​The planets, moons, and asteroids in our solar system offer a host of mysteries that if (when!) solved will enlighten us about processes occurring on Earth and throughout the universe.  As a planetary scientist, Mike studies the geology and physics of the solid worlds orbiting the Sun in an effort to explore Earth’s neighborhood and shed light on how planets evolve.

Congratulations to Dr. Michael M. Sori!

Dr. Michael M. Sori was presented with the Outstanding Postdoctoral Scholar Award at the 2019 Awards of Distinction Luncheon and Ceremony, on April 1st.

Congratulations to Dr. Joceline Lega!

Dr. Joceline Lega was presented with the Excellence in Postdoctoral Mentoring Award at the 2019 Awards of Distinction Luncheon and Ceremony, on April 1st.

Spotlight: Dr. Shaun Davis

Behavioral genetics is a growing field that seeks to explain how genes and neurons influence the behavior of an organism. Through a multi-disciplinary approach using genetic and neurobiological techniques, Shaun's ultimate research goal is to understand how organisms use their behavioral repertoire to enhance their survival, and to learn how these innate behaviors evolved.

Spotlight: Dr. Emily Bray

As an animal behavior researcher, Dr. Bray is fascinated by the decision-making and problem-solving processes of other organisms and enjoys investigating what contributes to individual differences in these abilities. The questions that she addresses in her research range from how stable dogs behaviors are over time to how heritable these behaviors are across generations to how predictive they are of eventual outcome.

David Kikuchi, Postdoc in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

David Kikuchi works in ecology and evolutionary biology, where he studies how different species communicate with one another. Currently he is investigating, with other University of Arizona researchers, how flowers evolve to communicate with their pollinators, what keeps cheaters from becoming too common in a population, and how bees respond to cheaters when they encounter them. 

PA Featured on UArizona's Lo Que Pasa

Featured in Lo Que Pasa Newsletter! "The new Postdoctoral Affairs and postdoc association connect postdoctoral scholars with resources – and each other. Both resulted from the work of Jenny Hoit, a professor of speech, language and hearing sciences, whose time as a postdoc led her to improve the postdoc experience. "We're a Research I university and the work postdocs do contributes significantly to that status," she says."

Spotlight: Dr. Irene Shivaei - Hubble Fellow

As an astronomy postdoc at Steward Observatory and a NASA Hubble Fellow, Dr. Shivaei studies early galaxies that were formed 10 billion years ago – only about 3 billion years after the Big Bang. The main questions that she tries to address in her research are: How do galaxies form and evolve throughout cosmic time? How does the stellar, gas, and dust content of galaxies evolve? How do early galaxies synthesis heavy elements and enrich their inter-stellar medium?

Weekly Postdoc Buzz: Friday Coffee Meetups

The Postdoc Coffee Buzz was a success in Fall 2018! These Friday coffee meetups will be offered again in Spring 2019, starting January 11.

Call for Nominations for Two Awards

Postdoctoral Affairs is pleased to issue a call for nominations to acknowledge the contributions and importance of outstanding faculty mentors and postdoctoral scholars at the University of Arizona. 

Thank you to our amazing UAPA Executive Board for all their great work during the 2017-2018 year!

"We aim to help connect fellow Postdocs at UA, support their professional development and engage with the wider university community advocating on their behalf. We are founded and run by Postdocs and hope this site will be useful for you during your time at UA."

PA Featured in the News

Thomas Moon, Postdoc at the Molecular Level at RDI

Get to know Thomas Moon, a postdoctoral scholar who studies how enzymes function and interact with each other. "There are a variety of factors that determine success, but I believe that one of the greatest predictors within one’s control would be the ability to break out of one’s comfort zone," says Moon.