ASU celebrates National Postdoc Appreciation Week

For the second year, ASU’s Postdoctoral Affairs Office participated in National Postdoc Appreciation Week 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’,” said Tamara Underiner, associate dean for Academic Affairs at the Graduate College, which oversees the Postdoctoral Affairs Office, “Postdocs are such an important part of the research enterprise at ASU. This is a great way to recognize their hard work and their importance to the institution.”

Highlighting the week was the Postdoc Appreciation Breakfast on Tuesday, Sept 18. The breakfast keynote featured Cynthia Sagers, ASU’s new Vice President for Research. She presented on the future vision of the research enterprise at ASU. Sagers told the audience that research involves a lot of failures and that they should not get discouraged, because it is part of the discovery process. She gave examples of research discoveries that had evolved from failed experiments and talked about how important it is to be persistent. She thanked the postdocs for their hard work and encouraged them to collaborate together whenever possible.

The week also included Lunch ‘n’ 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 who are looking for research experience.

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 or contact Wiley Larsen.