$686 million strong and growing: ASU celebrates National Postdoc Appreciation Week

For the second straight year, ASU’s Postdoctoral Affairs Office has participated in National Postdoc Appreciation Week, September 17-21, in partnership with the National Postdoc Association.

The Office planned activities for each day of the week, to show appreciation and recognition of the individuals who show so much commitment to the academy and to learning more about their area.

“We like to say that ‘Innovation runs on postdoc power,’”  Tamara Underiner, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the Graduate College, said. “This year, we have the figures to prove it: Over the past 10 years, postdocs at ASU have participated in over $676 million worth of  sponsored research at ASU, or more than a fifth of our total. Postdoc Appreciation Week is a great way to recognize their hard work and their importance to the institution.”

Highlighting the week this year was the Postdoc Appreciation Breakfast on Tuesday, Sept 18. The breakfast keynote featured Cynthia Sagers, ASU’s new Vice President for Research. Postdocs and their PIs heard Sager’s comments about the present and future vision of the research enterprise at ASU. Sagers told the audience that research involves a lot of failure, and not to be discouraged, as it is part of the discovery process.     

The week also included Lunch & Learns, social mixers, and the second Research Blitz showcase of postdoc projects at ASU, where postdocs had the chance to connect with other postdocs, PIs, and undergraduate researchers.   

National Postdoc Appreciation Week also marked the one-year anniversary of the ASU Postdoctoral Affairs Office and its activities. The office focuses on professional development and community building for postdocs at all ASU campuses and sponsors activities year-round.

To learn more about the ASU Postdoctoral Affairs Office and its activities, visit graduate.asu.edu/postdocs.