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Essential Skills Series 2022-2023

This intentionally-designed series blended OACD programming with top-rated virtual content to give Pitt trainees access to an expanded set of sessions covering skills that all doctoral students and postdoctoral trainees should learn as an essential part of your professional development (see this stage in the ADAPT model for more information). This series covered a range of topics critical to your success and the foundational content applies across all disciplines.

List of acronyms: BtP: Beyond the Professoriate; NPA: National Postdoctoral Association; OACD: Office of Academic Career Development

August 23, 2022
NPA:  Thriving as an International Postdoc in the United States

Provided via the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA)

Time and Location:

  • 3-4:15pm ET virtually through the NPA
  • 3-5pm ET NEWin-person option! BST S120. There was a watch party followed by an in-person discussion facilitated by the UPPDA's International Chair, Aru Gupta, PhD, and Kati Von Lehman, Assistant Director of Outreach and Assessment in the Office of International Services at the University of Pittsburgh.

NPA Panel Presentation
Description: Thriving as a postdoc in today’s competitive climate is tenuous. International postdocs in the United States may face additional challenges due to a lack of clarity of expectations (hidden curriculum) and disadvantages due to marginalization posed by intersectional factors (immigration, socio-economic factors, etc.). In this workshop, NPA will introduce a framework for thriving as international postdocs. This framework will provide approaches for seeking information, resources, mentorship, and communities of support to identify and achieve professional and personal goals.

After this workshop, international postdocs will be able to:

  • Appreciate how intersections of identities influence their experience
  • Identify challenges that they may experience
  • Utilize a framework of approaches for thriving
  • Cultivate communities of support and mentoring to achieve diverse goals

NPA's Presenter Bios: 

Natalie Chernets, Ph.D., director of postdoctoral affairs & professional development, associate director, MD/Ph.D. program, assistant professor, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Drexel University. 
Chernets is a director of postdoctoral affairs and professional development at Drexel University. Chernets developed a passion for enhancing career-related training for trainees when she was the first administrative postdoctoral fellow at Jefferson College of Biomedical Sciences Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at Thomas Jefferson University. With multidisciplinary training in physics, electrical engineering, and ibomedical sciences, she speaks the languages of medical doctors, biologists, physicists, and engineers. She excels in drawing ideas from multiple disciplines and enjoys creating opportunities by connecting different people. Chernets is committed to supporting the next generation of scientists through her service with the Philadelphia chapter of the Association for Women in Science, where she served in multiple roles, including president and mentoring co-chair. Lastly, she serves on the postdoctoral section of the National Steering Committee for the Group on Graduate Research, Education and Training (GREAT) by the American Association for Medical Colleges.

Olga Koutseridi, M.A., senior advanced degree coordinator for global mobility, University of Texas at Austin. 
Koutseridi is the senior advanced degree coordinator for global mobility at the University of Texas at Austin. She leads the design of international career and professional development programming, advising, and resource development that directly address the needs and challenges of international graduate students and postdoctoral scholars pursuing careers in academia and industry inside and outside of the United States.

Sonali Majumdar, Ph.D., assistant dean for professional development, Graduate School, Princeton University. 
Majumdar is assistant dean for professional development in the GradFUTURES team of Graduate School of Princeton University. Previously, she was the associate director of graduate professional development at the University of Virginia, where she lead development and implementation of PhD Plus, the university’s professional development program for doctorate students and postdocs. Nationally, she contributes to the field of graduate and postdoc professional development as communications officer and executive committee member of Graduate Career Consortium. An international scientist, she earned doctoral degree in biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Georgia and did postdoctoral training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, where she developed a passion for enhancing the professional development of graduate students and postdocs.

October 17-21, 2022
BtP:  Academic Career Success Conference for PhDs and Postdocs

Provided via Beyond the Professoriate

Time: Noon ET each day
Location: Zoom
Description: This year's Academic Career Success Conference will help unveil some of the hidden expectations and challenges graduate students and postdocs experience in academia. The conference will include panel discussions and advice on how to be successful during grad school and beyond.

Objectives:

  • Define goals for your degree or postdoc so you can set yourself up for success
  • Apply tips and strategies to get your dissertation done
  • Successfully network so you can build the professional relationships that will help you
  • Manage the stress and challenges inherent in the PhD and postdoc experience
  • Create a plan to gain the experience you'll need to be successful after your degree or postdoc
October 20, 2022
OACD: Wellness for Life

Time: 3:30-4:30pm ET
Location: Zoom
Presenters: Megan Stahl, MA, Office of Health Education and Promotion at the University of Pittsburgh; Claire Boykiw, LPC, University of Pittsburgh Counseling Center; Jason T. Miller, EdD, Department of Campus Recreation at the University of Pittsburgh; Thomas Koloc, Life Solutions
Description: Take control of your well-being and translate that to career success! Wellness is your overall well-being, or the act of living a healthy lifestyle. It is the balance of body, mind, and soul, which requires constant management to keep you feeling your best. In this interactive session, we will provide an overview of the "8 Dimensions of Wellness" and then you will learn about the vast range of services that are available through the university for free for Pitt faculty and trainees, to help you achieve wellness for life. New this year, there will be breakouts hosted by Thomas Koloc, who will speak about specific resources available to postdocs, and Megan Stahl, who will speak about resources available to graduate students.

Presenter Bios:

Claire Boykiw (she/her/hers) holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).  Claire specializes in working with clients dealing with substance use and addiction concerns but works with clients with a wide range of presenting concerns.  Claire has a trauma-informed approach to therapy, which is shaped by attachment work and a systems lens.  Above all, Claire operates under the core tenants of person-centered therapy, meeting each client with empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard.  Claire enjoys working with college students as they navigate a wide range of practical and existential concerns in what can be a rich and challenging time of life.

Thomas Koloc of Life Solutions will discuss the resources available to you through the University’s free faculty and staff assistance program. The mission of Life Solutions is to assist University employees and their household members to balance work and the stresses of daily life. Life Solutions offers personalized care services, 24-hour support, online resources, and tools. Life Solutions services include counseling and coaching services, substance use support, legal forms, health and fitness resources, financial guidance, free webinars, and more! He will also overview one-on-one health coaching services that are available onsite, over the phone, and online to help you define goals and make healthy lifestyle changes. 

Jason T. Miller, EdD, currently serves as the Associate Director, Wellness and Recreation Programs for the Department of Campus Recreation within the Division of Student Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. In this role he oversees the administration of all program-based services, which includes group fitness classes, personal training, intramurals, and competitive club sports. He is also responsible for all campus-wide marketing and promotion efforts for the department such as social media accounts, websites, and tabling events. In addition, Jason holds various leadership roles at the division and University level. He is the co-chair of the University’s Campus Well-being Consortium (CWBC), a group of faculty, staff, and students dedicated to advancing health and well-being throughout the campus community, and is the co-creator of Thrive@Pitt (thrive.pitt.edu), a University-branded website designed to educate students on the topic of well-being, while connecting them to campus resources for supporting and enhancing various aspects of their health and wellness. Jason’s dissertation is titled College Student Well-being: Using Websites as a Strategy for Campus-Wide Education and Support Efforts. He is passionate about the topic of well-being, the science behind our health and wellness, and behavioral strategies for pursuing and maintaining healthy lifestyles through the lifespan.

Megan Stahl (she/they) works in The Office of Health Education & Promotion, part of Student Health Services, where she has been leading health promotion efforts for nearly a decade. Megan earned a Master’s in Student Affairs in Higher Education from IUP, and also holds degrees in Psychology and Studio Art. Her past professional experiences include community treatment settings as well as health promotion and substance intervention programs in higher education. Presently, she coordinates various wellness programs and initiatives at Pitt including the PantherWELL peer educators, health promotion programs, substance education efforts, and the Collegiate Recovery Program. Megan is passionate about student well-being, and providing them with tools and support for individual growth and development.

October 25, 2022
NPA:  Public Speaking

Provided via the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA)

Time: 3-4:15pm ET
Location: Virtual
Presenter: Rob Pearson, PhD, Emory University
Description: Public speaking is an important way for scientists yto contribute to the scholarly conversations in their field. This workshop will prepare postdocs to become better public speakers.

October 27, 2022 
OACD: Overview of Career Development Resources for Postdocs at the University of Pittsburgh

Time: 4-5pm ET
Location: Zoom
Presenter: Darlene F. Zellers, PhD
Description: All postdocs in the schools of the health sciences attend an Orientation to Career Development seminar within the first three months of their training and are introduced to Pitt’s unique model of career development, that is, A Developmental Approach to Professional Training (ADAPT). This overview of career development resources is designed as a refresher that will cover the vast career development resources at your disposal and will provide you with an opportunity to discuss your career development challenges, opportunities, and plans with fellow postdocs.

Presenter Bio: Darlene F. Zellers, PhD, in her leadership role with the OACD, is responsible for supporting the academic health science community, including graduate and medical students, postdoctoral fellows, residents, clinical fellows, and faculty at every level of experience by providing full-spectrum academic career development guidance, programs, and services. With regard to postdoctoral affairs, she is additionally responsible for overseeing the postdoctoral appointment process and the professional career development of postdocs across the schools of the health sciences. University-wide, she is responsible for the Center for Doctoral and Postdoctoral Career Development, overseeing programs and resources that support the professional development of advanced-degree trainees across all academic centers.

November 2, 2022
BtP:  3 Ways to Improve Your Online Professional Presence

Provided via Beyond the Professoriate

Time: 12-1pm ET
Location: Virtual
Description: LinkedIn is one of the fastest growing social media platforms. It’s the number one place companies post jobs, and it’s where recruiters look for talent. You want to be on LinkedIn, confidently connecting with professionals, sharing resources, and connecting with recruiters. How can you make the most of your LinkedIn profile?

In this webinar, the Beyond the Professoriate team will share with you 3 action steps you can take today to build a LinkedIn profile that will get you noticed by and connected to professionals in career fields of interest. After attending this webinar, you will be able to:

  • Identify the purpose of an online professional profile.
  • Apply successful strategies to build your personal brand online.
  • Develop a plan to maintain and enhance your presence online.
  • Identify resources in the Beyond Prof Training Platform that can help you.

This webinar is sponsored by the Global Higher Education division of ETS®.

November 29, 2022
NPA:  Constructive Communication

Provided via the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA)

Time: 3-4:15pm ET
Location: Virtual
Presenter: Natalie Lundsteen, Ph.D.
Description: Navigating workplace communication can be challenging, especially when entering a new workplace. This session is designed to teach effective communication and interaction strategies for working with colleagues and teams. NPA will cover various modes of communication, and attendees will learn how to address some of the most common workplace communication challenges, including understanding email etiquette, giving and receiving feedback, and conducting difficult conversations.

Presenter Bio: Natalie Lundsteen, Ph.D., Assistant Dean for career and professional development, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, UT Southwestern Medical Center

Lundsteen is assistant dean for career and professional development and assistant professor of psychiatry, in the UT Southwestern Medical Center Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in Dallas. She manages career and professional development programs and resources for postdocs and graduate students. She has a doctoral degree in education from Oxford University, and has advised and taught postdocs, graduate students, and alumni at Boston University, MIT, Oxford University, and Stanford University. She is a doctorate career advice contributor to Inside Higher Ed’s weekly ‘Carpe Careers’ blog, which offers doctorate career advice every Monday, co-author of ReSearch: A Career Guide for Scientists, and can often be seen on the American Society for Cell Biology’s online ‘Ask Me Anything’ events providing career and professional development advice. Lundsteen is a past president of the Graduate Career Consortium (GCC), an international organization comprised of professionals leading career and professional development for postdocs and doctorates.

December 13, 2022
NPA:  Advocacy

Provided via the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA)

Time: 3-4:15pm ET
Location: Virtual
Presenter: Yvette Seger, PhD, and Jennifer Zeitzer, PhD
Description: Interested in working to improve the policy and legislative landscape affecting the research community? During this session, attendees will learn key skills to successfully engage in advocacy. Participants will learn about advocacy tactics, effective communication, and the application of scientific research skills to advocacy activities. Participants will also learn about ways that they can participate in policy and advocacy initiatives during their postdoctoral training and paths to pursuing a full-time career in government relations.

January 17, 2023
OACD: Maximizing the Mentee Experience

Time: 3-4:30pm
Location: Zoom
Presenters: Joseph Ayoob, PhD; Joel Brady, PhD; April Dukes, PhD
Description: Optimize your mentee experience! Mentoring relationships are an essential part of any career journey but they are not always easy to navigate, particularly in the role of the mentee. During this session, we will provide you with guidance regarding how to cultivate a mentoring network, what it means to be a mentee, how to identify and cultivate new mentors, what makes for a successful mentor/mentee relationship, and how to manage a multitude of difficult situations that may arise in these relationships. 

Presenter Bios: Dr. April Dukes is the director of the Faculty and Future Faculty Program for the Engineering Educational Research Center and the Institutional Co-administrator for Pitt’s Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning. Dr. Joel Brady is the Program Supervisor for the Graduate Student Teaching Initiative and staff liaison for the Center for Mentoring at the University Center for Teaching & Learning. Dr. Joseph Ayoob is a Faculty Fellow for the Center for Mentoring at the University Center for Teaching & Learning; and is an Associate Professor of Computational and Systems Biology in the School of Medicine.

March 14, 2023
OACD: Difficult Conversations

Time: 3:30-5pm
Location: Zoom
Presenter: Selina J. Shultz, Esq, LL.M.
Description: None of us can reach our full potential unless we learn how to have difficult conversations. This course helps people become more aware of how they inadvertently slip into “drama” to protect their sense of identity instead of solving the problem at hand. To counter this, this course provides a solid framework for how to have a conversation where everyone's identity is safe and only issues are attacked.  The framework to be shared includes several tools to prepare for the conversation, as well as a step-by-step process for structuring the conversation. Participants are given an opportunity to make a plan to apply these new skills.  The course brings self-awareness to how we misstep in conflict and how we can proactively apply new skills to become conflict competent. 

Presenter Bio: Selina J. Shultz, Esq, LL.M., is a highly experienced conflict and organizational consultant. Selina has spent twenty-five years serving as a Mediator, Consultant and Coach.

She provides trainings, conflict culture interventions, and leadership development to corporations and nonprofits which are either struggling with conflict or want to learn to leverage it to reach their full potential. She has mediated hundreds and worked with organizations such as Greenpeace International, FedEx, Home Depot, Nevada OSHA, AMG Research, Allies for Children, and The10/27 Healing Partnership.

Selina is active both locally and nationally in supporting efforts to promote thoughtful approaches to conflict. She has been active in both the Pennsylvania Council of Mediators and the Mediation Council of Western Pennsylvania.  She helped to form Just Mediation Pittsburgh, a local community mediation center and currently serves as Board President.  She is the recipient of the 2021 Sir Francis Bacon Award presented by the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the 2021 Pennsylvania Council of Mediators Most Valuable Peacemaker Award. 

Passionate about teaching, Selina provides both basic and advance mediation and conflict competency trainings, having provided trainings both locally and internationally for organizations and corporations, as well as at the law school level at The Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University School of Law, Duquesne University School of Law, and The Saltman Center at The UNLV School of Law.  In 2020, she won the Outstanding Adjunct Award from Pepperdine School of Law.

Although from the outside her work may appear quite varied, to her it is all fits neatly within her simple mission of helping people and organizations “do conflict better” so they can reach their full potential.

March 28, 2023
NPA:  Take Charge of Your Immigration Education

Provided via the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA)

Time: 3pm ET
Location: Virtual
Presenters: Natalie Chernets, PhD; Paola Cépeda, PhD
Description: Your career success as an international postdoc in the United States depends not only on your skills, credentials, and experience but also on your ability to obtain a work visa or permanent residency as fast as possible. To secure the proper immigration status, you need to assemble an immigration portfolio, similar to a job application package. An immigration portfolio helps you stand out and includes evidence of your credentials, work experience, international recognition, and the importance of your work. Unlike job packages, immigration portfolios are more robust and less understood. Preparing an immigration portfolio is like building a network--it takes time, effort, and knowledge. Come learn how to use your professional development activities to create an immigration portfolio by prioritizing activities that satisfy the immigration criteria for substantial merit or the National Interest Waiver while increasing competitiveness for diverse careers.

April 12, 2023
OACD: How to Negotiate for Your Next Opportunity *VIEW RECORDING*

Time: 3:30-5pm ET
Location: Zoom
Presenters: Jennifer E. Woodward, PhD
Description: Are you feeling nervous and unprepared to negotiate an opportunity for yourself? Whether you are seeking a job, a training opportunity, or just the chance to acquire more experience, effective negotiation skills are vital to your career, but don’t always come easily. Review this session, presented by Jennifer Woodward, PhD (Vice Chancellor for Sponsored Programs and Research Operations), to learn how to develop a negotiation strategy that will contribute to your future success. Tips and tricks for how to negotiate while maintaining positive relationships are covered, as well as guidance regarding how to become a more confident and successful negotiator.

Presenter Bio: Dr. Jennifer E. Woodward serves as Vice Chancellor for Sponsored Programs and Research Operations and Professor of Surgery and Immunology in the School of Medicine.

Previously, Dr. Woodward was Associate Vice Provost for Research Operations, Assistant Dean for Faculty Affairs in the School of Medicine, and Executive Director for Research and Academic Affairs at the Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute.

Dr. Woodward has extensive experience negotiating in an academic culture – sitting on both sides of the table. She is an alumna of ELAM, the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine program, which is a year-long fellowship for senior women faculty dedicated to developing the skills required to lead and manage in today's complex health care environment.

Dr. Woodward has received additional training in negotiation under Catherine Morrison, a nationally recognized negotiation consultant specializing in academic healthcare.

VIEW WEBINAR

April 20, 2023
OACD: Networking with Intention: Personalizing Your Style for Precision Results

Time: 3-4:30pm
Location: Zoom
Presenters: Cecelia C. Yates, PhD
Description: Of all the steps to grow your career, strategic networking may be the most intimidating. Yet networking is a necessary evil and considered foundational to developing a successful career. Networks are as valuable and necessary to academic career advancement as getting published and grants success. Academics’ networking can produce desirable opportunities for jobs and promotion applications, such as being invited to submit articles to special issues of journals, contributing book chapters, or speaking on plenary panels. This workshop will help you think strategically about building your network foundation with focus and precision, personalize your networking style, and develop your own brand.

Participate in a personalized networking and branding breakout session with a faculty coach:

  • Learn how to start when it comes to creating the right professional image.
  • Build your first relationship and start your network.
  • Discuss the right skills to talk and interact with people.
  • Look beyond your current environment to evolve your skills, career, and relationships in your industry.

Presenter Bios: Dr. Cecelia Yates is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Promotion & Development in the School of Nursing at the University of Pittsburgh and holds secondary appointments in the Departments of Bioengineering and Pathology as well as at the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and the McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine. Her research group investigates molecular pathways that drive tissue fibrosis and correlates them with patient-centric outcome measures of disease severity. Dr. Yates' research has been supported externally by funding from the National Institute of Nursing Research, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and internally continuously since its inception. Dr. Yates has shown a commitment to innovation and education throughout her career. She has shown a great interest in preparing and educating the next generation of researchers and scientific innovators. She is co-founder of several Pittsburgh-based start-up companies and in the last ten years, obtained 11 issued U.S. patents, several international patents, and licenses. She has successfully formed purposeful partnerships with biotech companies and academic investigators nationally.  Dr. Yates has mentored over 50 scholars, including Junior Faculty, Ph.D. and post-doctoral fellows, residents, nursing, medicine, pharmacy, dental medicine, health and rehabilitation, engineering, pathology scholars, and graduate and undergraduate research students at the University of Pittsburgh and institutions nationally. She is the Co-Director of the University of Pittsburgh Clinical and Translational Science Fellowship Program (NIH CTSA-TL1) and mentors pre- and post-doctoral fellows from over eight disciplines. The TL1 program aims to equip researchers with the skills to advance the translation of discoveries into improved patient outcomes and health policy. She has planned over 40 scientific and career development. She has been a role model, change agent, and national advocate for ASIP and FASEB members. Over the last 10 years, she has interacted, coached, sponsored, and encouraged over 80 trainees, many of whom she has developed long-term internal mentoring relationships in building effective networking and leadership skills.

April 25, 2023
NPA:  Unconscious Bias and Beyond

Provided via the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA)

Time: 3pm ET
Location: Virtual
Presenters: Srikant Iyer, PhD
Description: Biases and barriers at an interpersonal and systemic level impacts an individual's growth, successful interactions between teams, and mismatch in expectations. In this talk we will discuss the impact of compounding barriers, including unconscious bias, that affect the culture of science, society and innovation.

May 16, 2023
OACD: Tips for Newer Mentors Working with Novice Mentees 

Time: 4-5pm ET
Location: Virtual
Presenters: Joseph Ayoob, PhD
Description: This 1-hour session is designed to help support new and novice mentors at all stages who will be mentoring undergraduates and high school students in structured summer programs and related efforts.  The workshop will share strategies for both building a strong foundation to the mentor-mentee relationship and addressing unique challenges to working with less experienced trainees.  If you’re relatively new to mentoring or are just looking for ways to better engage your students, please spend an hour with us at this informative session. 

Presenter Bio: Dr. Joseph Ayoob is a Faculty Fellow for the Center for Mentoring at the University Center for Teaching & Learning; and is an Associate Professor of Computational and Systems Biology in the School of Medicine.

May 23, 2023
NPA:  Maximizing Your Time 

Provided via the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA)

Time: 3pm ET
Location: Virtual
Presenters: Wesley Marner II, PhD
Description: Postdoc appointments simultaneously offer great opportunities for growth and great demands on your time. How do you make sure you are using this limited window of opportunity effectively? In this class, we will cover time management at two different scales. First, you’ll learn how to balance the day-to-day demands for your attention. Second, you’ll gain insight into planning the trajectory of your training to make the most of a relatively short period in your career.