While society continues to wrestle with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UVM Postdoctoral Association (PDA) heads into the 2021-2022 academic year with a strong sense of purpose and optimism. The UVM PDA held its annual election and is pleased to announce a new executive committee for the coming academic year: Brandon Bensel will serve as Co-chair, Kirsten Tracy as Secretary, Mikaela Fudolig as Webmaster, Michelle Kloc as Treasurer, and John Meluso as Public Relations Officer. The UVM PDA will also continue to have representation on the Research, Scholarship, and Creative Arts Committees of the Faculty Senate, with the aim of finding the best ways postdoctoral scholars can contribute to the overall vibrancy and success of UVM programs in these areas.

Much like the rest of the UVM community and academia as a whole, the UVM Postdoctoral Association has spent the past months finding ways to be innovative and get the best out of the new and changing normal. While many are grateful to return to typical activities at the bench, in the studio, or in front of a computer, fostering a sense of community in the age of Zoom meetings and physical distancing has been a challenge. In spite of this, the UVM PDA has been capitalizing on the natural beauty of Vermont by taking social programming outdoors. This summer, the PDA enjoyed a group hike at nearby Mount Philo State Park as well as a barbeque at Oak Ledge Park, organized to welcome new postdocs to the UVM community. Getting to spend some time together in person was a welcome treat, and the PDA plans to capitalize on the beautiful fall weather by organizing additional outdoor events.

The UVM PDA continues to take full advantage of tools like Zoom to maintain postdoctoral engagement in a remote setting. Perhaps the most successful PDA virtual event was the Fellowship Writing Workshop, a professional development event held this past spring. Dr. Heidi Malaby and Dr. Christopher Berger graciously donated their time to conduct a seminar focused on writing fellowships such as the NIH F31/32 funding mechanism for graduate students and postdocs. This workshop was open to both graduate students and postdocs, and it was very well-attended, despite being virtual. The PDA plans to continue this momentum and offer another virtual professional development event in the fall. The UVM PDA also hosts virtual social events on a monthly basis, including virtual happy hours, which provide an opportunity to chat with colleagues, and activities like trivia or Pictionary™. These events help to maintain a sense of community and camaraderie, even when in-person interaction is not feasible.

In addition to continuing the established virtual interactions, the UVM PDA is excited to announce the new postdoc Slack! Any UVM postdocs interested in joining should connect with PDA using the contact form or email noted on the UVM PDA website.