Tracy Costello

Ten years ago when I started my first term on the NPA Board of Directors, I would not have predicted that eventually I would be serving as Chair or that my career path would have landed me in a position of being able to positively impact the postdoctoral experience each and every day. However, as I reflect on my career path and the different steps I have taken, I recognize key elements that have propelled me forward. By sharing, I hope to inspire you to also reflect on your own experience, recognize what drives you, and catalyze your own individual growth.

I’ve had strong mentors who encouraged me to venture beyond what was comfortable and who recognized talents and potential that I did not yet see. I became involved with the MD Anderson Cancer Center Postdoctoral Association (PDA) when I learned that postdoctoral scholars could not be single authors. This policy clearly needed changing to allow recent graduates to write review articles from their dissertations! That initial involvement led to my becoming chair of our PDA, attending my first NPA Annual Meeting in 2005, joining the NPA Meetings Committee, and running for the Board in 2006.

These activities allowed me to network, building relationships that have provided additional mentors, colleagues, and even mentees. These individuals have challenged me to learn and grow, for which I’m grateful. Perhaps the most vital component of my career trajectory has been the ability to teach, coach, and sponsor a number of individuals. Watching them succeed feeds my soul.

The opportunity to lead the NPA for the 2018 calendar year is both exciting and terrifying. I am fortunate to be surrounded by very talented board members, extremely dedicated committee leaders, and dozens of amazing volunteers. Together we are greater than the sum of our individual efforts, and in the past 15 years, we have impacted the postdoc experience in numerous ways. Today, we are working to build upon the projects of last year, evaluating the landscape and assessing how we can positively impact postdoctoral training in the United States and abroad.

The NPA had an extremely busy 2017! We conducted a large-scale survey on sexual harassment among postdocs, presented the preliminary data of that survey at the National Academies of Sciences, and recently supported the revised stance of the NSF on harassment. In addition, we conducted and published the results of a follow-up survey of our institutional members examining the policies and practices of postdoctoral training nationwide. Last, we’ve updated the strategic plan of the NPA and will be presenting the updated plan at the upcoming Annual Conference in Cleveland, OH.

Priorities for this year include

• Publication of the full results of our 2017 survey on sexual harassment
• Review and revision of the NPA core competencies
• Continuation of the myPostdoc and myPDO webinar series
• Launching of new projects out of the updated NPA strategic plan

Our upcoming Annual Conference offers a unique opportunity for professional career development and networking with current and potential colleagues. Additionally, there are opportunities to develop and hone your leadership skills, expand your professional network, advance the mission of the NPA, and collaborate with volunteers across the United States.

I frequently say, “You never know how who you meet today will impact your career track in the future.” With this in mind, I also urge you to pay attention to opportunities that come across your radar.

The perfect career may not be something you have fully defined until you see it.