From September 16–20, 2024, the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus proudly joined institutions across the country in celebrating National Postdoc Appreciation Week (NPAW), marking the 15th year of this national tradition.
At CU Anschutz, approximately 300 postdoctoral scholars play a vital role in advancing research, enriching the academic community, and fostering innovation. While these scholars often work behind the scenes, NPAW offers an opportunity to place their contributions in the spotlight, honoring their essential role in the university’s research and educational missions.
Each year, the CU Anschutz Postdoctoral Association (PDA) leads the efforts to bring this national celebration to life on campus. This year’s planning committee, co-chaired by Dr. Sara Stoner, Dr. Sudikchya Shrestha, Dr. Nadine Koertel, and Dr. Lisa Golden, orchestrated a dynamic lineup of events designed to celebrate postdocs and strengthen their sense of community.
The week's events ranged from engaging social activities to valuable career development opportunities, with the ultimate goal of fostering connections among postdocs and providing support for their professional growth. Highlights included a scavenger hunt, an ice cream social, and a lively trivia night – won by a team that included two newly arrived postdocs, underscoring the welcoming nature of the event.
“We know that building a postdoc community can be difficult,” the planning committee noted in a joint statement. “Unlike graduate students, we don’t start our position with a cohort of our peers, and some of us are the only postdoc in our department. Through events like NPAW, we can strengthen the postdoc community and reinvigorate our spirits as we return to the daily challenges of research life.”
Several events, such as the capoeira session—a Brazilian martial art combining dance, acrobatics, and music—were open to the broader campus community, allowing postdocs to network with colleagues beyond their departments. These informal interactions created opportunities for cross-disciplinary connections, fostering new friendships and potential research collaborations.
In addition to social events, the Graduate School’s Postdoctoral Office (PDO) and Career Development Office (CDO) partnered with the PDA to provide a series of professional development opportunities. These included an alumni career panel and networking event, career coaching, and the ever-popular professional headshot service offered by the PDO. These resources were tailored to support postdocs as they navigate the next steps in their academic and professional careers.
A key moment during the week was the 2nd Annual Graduate School Dean’s Postdoctoral Research and Service Awards ceremony, where Dean Dr. Jennifer Richer recognized outstanding postdocs for their contributions to the CU Anschutz community:
- 1st Place Service Award: Dr. Katherine Ranard, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental Biology
- 1st Place Research Award: Dr. Emily Hill, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Nutrition
- 2nd Place Research Award: Dr. Evelyn Iriarte Parra, College of Nursing
- 3rd Place Research Award: Dr. Rebecca Keogh, Department of Immunology and Microbiology
Originally, the plan was to present one Research Award and one Service Award. However, due to an overwhelming number of exceptional research nominations, the committee expanded the Research Awards to recognize 2nd and 3rd place winners as well, underscoring the depth of talent within CU Anschutz’s postdoc community.
In total, the 11 events held over the five-day celebration attracted 392 participants, reflecting the strong engagement of the postdoc community.
Up next for the PDA is the second round of its innovative Shadow a Fellow Postdoc program, which allows postdocs from different fields to spend a half-day shadowing each other’s research activities. This initiative, which saw a successful pilot with 12 participants in May-June 2024, offers a unique opportunity for postdocs to gain fresh perspectives, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and further strengthen the sense of community among scholars at CU Anschutz.
Postdocs interested in participating can find out more and register here.
