Calling Dr. Seawolf: Postdoc Appreciation Week Recognizes Stony Brook PhDs

The Graduate School and Office of Postdoctoral Affairscelebrated National Postdoc Appreciation Week(NPAW) September 15-19, recognizing the invaluable contributions postdocs make to the university and the broader research community.

Throughout the week, Stony Brook postdocs participated in a series of engaging events designed to connect postdocs, promote wellness, and highlight the important role they play in advancing knowledge and innovation.

Since 2009, the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) has sponsored NPAW to recognize the significant contributions that postdoctoral scholars make to U.S. research and discovery.

"We celebrated NPAW this year with a slate of events designed to recognize our postdocs and all the work they do, while also enhancing their professional development for their next career steps," said Molly Lotz, director of research training initiatives in the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. "The theme for the week was 'communicating your research,' so a common theme at our events was how postdocs might be communicating their research to a variety of audiences."

A "Women in Research" pop-up mentoring session gave attendees a chance to talk to women leaders and researchers from across campus for an informal networking session and Q&A.

"The mentoring event was moving and meaningful, and it was inspirational to hear about some of the hurdles female faculty in STEM cleared to get where they are," said panelist Celia Marshik, dean of The Graduate School and professor in the Department of English. "Each speaker offered advice that I know will be of lasting benefit to our postdocs. As the Postdoc Office always says, 'postdocs drive research,' and NPAW events offered strategies, tools, and community to support our postdocs. Since postdocs are spread out across East and West campus, events that bring them together are so valuable, and we love seeing them get outside of their labs."

A virtual "Postdoc Career Panel" featured former Stony Brook postdocs sharing their career trajectories and discussing strategies for optimizing yourself with postdoctoral positions.

"When I was at Stony Brook, I worked in the pharmacology department and got my PhD in pharmacology," said Kaitlyn Thompson '19. "I was doing work with multiple sclerosis, looking at glial cells' roles and therapeutic targeting of glial cells, and I shifted into breast-to-brain metastasis work." Thompson is now a high school research teacher in Long Island's Copiague school district.

Jinnette Tolentino Collado '21, now an assistant professor at SUNY Farmingdale, worked on protein dynamics as a postdoc at Stony Brook. She currently teaches introductory chemistry and continues her research on protein dynamics and photoreceptors.

Katherine Gallagher, a postdoc at Stony Brook from 2022- 2025, holding postdoctoral positions with both Heather Lynch, a professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution working on penguins and Antarctic crow, and in SoMAS with Lesley Thorne, an associate professor and associate dean of research, working on marine robotics and whales. Gallagher's experience led her to the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, where she is currently a government contractor.

Discussions also covered salary expectations and negotiation, identifying transferable skills from postdoc and PhD experiences, and assessing whether one is overqualified or underqualified for a position just to name a few. Attendees also had the opportunity to ask questions and engage with the panelists.

A "Postdoc Resume Workshop" led by Jessica Roman, associate director of career development, provided current postdoctoral scholars with guidance on resume development tailored for those postdocs who are pursuing careers in industry. The attendees also learned strategies on how to strengthen their resumes and overall how to better position themselves for professional opportunities.

"The resume workshop was especially helpful; I learned a lot and have already updated my resume based on the presentation," said Bahman Khalvatifahlyani, a postdoctoral researcher in proteomics and metabolomics. "I met new friends and even kept in touch with one of them afterward. I also had great conversations with Molly Lotz and a colleague from HR, which I found very valuable. Everything was well-organized and I really enjoyed the postdoc appreciation events."

The week ended with attendees coming together for an NPAW Social and a Postdoc Association Coffee Chat. During the week, tote bags and hats emblazoned with the motto, "Postdocs Drive Research," were distributed to everyone who participated in the events.

"That small but powerful phrase solidifies our commitment to supporting and celebrating postdoctoral scholars and all they do to move our research enterprise forward here at Stony Brook," said Lotz. "NPAW is an opportunity to pause and recognize our postdocs, while also serving as a reminder that we need to do that far more often than once a year. We heard from incredible women faculty at Stony Brook who shared their insight and experience building robust research careers, as well as former postdocs who have found ways to translate their love of research to a range of jobs. We are thankful to the Graduate School and Office of Research and Innovation for the generous funding that made this possible."

- Robert Emproto