Jennifer Aumiller and Catherine Zander

The NPA is a great organization for postdoctoral fellows to learn new skills, network, and create meaningful connections that will benefit them in their career development. The Outreach Committee is starting a new series highlighting members of the NPA that have used these valuable connections and skills to move on to the next stage in their careers.

The NPA Outreach Committee (Outreach@nationalpostdoc.org) is interested in hearing about how your volunteer experience at the NPA affected your career trajectory. Outreach is collaborating with The POSTDOCket to publish a broad variety of career profiles with the goal of providing career guidance for interested postdocs through examples. We are beginning our series of profiles with Catherine Zander, PhD, current volunteering co-chair of the Advocacy Committee and vice chair on the Outreach Committee.

If you are interested in getting involved in the NPA, here are committees accepting new volunteers:

• The Advocacy Committee, addressing policy issues
• The Meetings Committee, planning the upcoming 2019 Annual Conference
• The Outreach Committee, promoting the public image of the NPA
• The Resource Development Committee, developing resources for postdocs
• The POSTDOCket Committee, planning and publishing The POSTDOCket
• International Officers, representing the needs of international postdocs
• Diversity Officers, promoting awareness of diversity issues and inclusion

Catherine Zander, PhD - From UAB to DC

When I started my first postdoc I wanted to create a support system down south, as I was very far away from home. So, I joined the University of Alabama at Birmingham postdoc association (UAB PDA). I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to do, but I have always been interested in politics and policy so I asked Jami Armbrester, the UAB Associate Director Career and Professional Development for advice. As part of the PDA, I was given the opportunity to attend the NPA Annual Meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Jami introduced me to Yvette Seger from the Board of Directors of the NPA, and the board liaison for the NPA Advocacy Committee.

Yvette gave me advice on how she thought I could transition into policy and steps I could take to become a better candidate. I took her advice and reached out to my professional societies, and joined the Advocacy Committee of the NPA. Reaching out to my professional societies lead to an opportunity to attend STEM on the Hill through the Biophysical Society. My first advocacy experience in Washington, DC was meeting with my congressional officials to advocate for research funding. To encourage other researchers to meet with their elected representatives I wrote a blog article for the BioPhysical Society about the experience. At every chance I had, and in my position in the UAB PDA I found opportunities to write about policy and postdoc issues. This eventually gave me the skills I needed to be chosen for my position as the vice chair of the Outreach Committee, and later the co-chair of the Advocacy Committee.

My mentor was supportive of my advocacy interests, and when the American Society of Hematology was looking to sponsor a fellow for the AAAS Science and Technology Fellowship program, he sent my the information and encouraged me to apply. I was able to showcase my interest in policy and advocacy with the evidence I had created through volunteering. Because of Jami and Yvette’s advice, and encouragement within my community, I was chosen to be the American Society of Hematology’s inaugural congressional fellow. I am currently a Fellow with the Energy and Commerce Committee, Energy and Environment Subcommittees. I am certain none of this would have happened without the support of the postdoctoral community, my advisor, and the NPA.

Your story: your voice

We ask volunteers past and present to, please send your profile detailing how volunteering for the NPA has benefitted you, including impacts on your career choices, your career network, your career skill set, your career opportunities, and your career outcome. We look forward to compiling data to support the importance of volunteering and publishing a broad selection of the profiles we receive at Outreach@nationalpostdoc.org.

Jennifer Aumiller, MEd, is the director of the Office of Postdoctoral Scholars and Career and Professional Development at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She is also the co-chair of the Outreach Committee for the NPA. Catherine B. Zander, PhD, is an American Society of Hematology/American Association for the Advancement of Science Science and Technology Congressional fellow. She is the co-chair of the Advocacy Committee for the NPA and the vice chair of the Outreach Committee for the NPA.