News and Events

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: September 11th, 2019

Did you miss today's orientation? Join us for the next Postdoctoral Orientation on September 11th. 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.

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 New 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."

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.