PDA formation update...

Recently, Mary Anne With met with a handful of postdocs for ideas to move forward with the formation of a PDA. It was decided that rather than be overly concerned at this time with the details of the organization, ie., bylaws, constitution, etc., it would be better to bring postdocs together in more social environments in order to plant the seeds of a community. Once a group of interested people begin to come together, then we can work on the details of organization.

Along those lines, three ideas for the start of a community were presented and steps for the path forward were initiated:

1) It seems that a number of divisions, if not each division, each have their own postdoc events, for example, the "Tea and Cookies" seminar of MST and the Postdoc Seminar Series of C-division. In order to facilitate postdoctoral interdivisional communication through the LANL infrastructure, it would be beneficial if all LANL postdocs were informed of the divisional postdoc events. This would not only increase communication and knowledge of diverse postdoc activities at the lab, but also help increase the attendance at these too often poorly attended events.

After the pizza party social at Fuller Lodge, a list of interested postdocs contacted Mary Anne to inform her of their interest in forming a PDA. From this list, Mary Anne will choose representatives from the different divisions to email her when a postdoc event is scheduled to occur. Mary Anne will then distribute the information to the LANL postdoc listserv.

2) Conversion to TSM is an issue that most postdocs think about at some point during their postdoctoral time at LANL. It is also an issue that has the potential to be a huge mystery. In order to alleviate some of that mystery, our (as of now) loosely affiliated PDA will gather information from recently converted postdocs (RCPs) as well as postdocs presently going through the experience. We will ask each of these RCPs to write a short summary of their experience which we will collect into booklet form and make available in electronic format on the web. In addition, we will invite some of the RCPs to sit in at a Roundtable discussion where interested postdocs can come ask questions about the conversion process. We may also institute a RCP seminar series where RCPs can share their stories with a live audience.

In order to move forward with this item, we need RCPs who are willing to work with us. Therefore, if you know of anyone that has been recently converted, or is in the process of conversion, ask them if they would provide us with a short 1 or 2 page summary of their experience, and whether or not they would be willing to participate in the Roundtable Discussion and/or seminar series. As you find people willing to participate, forward their names and information onto Mary Anne, for now, until we have our own organized infrastructure (PDA) for dealing with such details.

3) The final idea is one that has been mentioned here previously. Postdoc night at the Central Avenue Grill. Mary Anne will be talking to the owner of the grill who has expressed interest in the past of "reviving our scientific community" with a monthly postdoc night (possibly offering reduced prices on wine and beer). We are considering the third Thursday of every month, but are open to suggestions.

Mary Anne is contacting the owner of the Grill to begin working out the details.

If you were not present at the meeting where these ideas were discussed, please use this forum to share with everyone your thoughts about these three ideas, or to present any additional ideas you might have by making a comment to this post.

We are planning on having another meeting next week where the entire list of postdocs interested in starting a PDA will be invited. The list presently contains the names of 21 postdocs. If you know of other postdocs that would be interested in becoming involved through the formation of a PDA so that we can move forward with ideas like the ones above as well any you might have, then bring them with you to the meeting and we can start to make being a postdoc at LANL about more than just work.

The meeting will cover the first steps to forming a PDA. If you plan on bringing additional postdocs email Mary Anne so that she will be able to schedule a room to accommodate everyone. The time and place of the meeting will be posted here (as well as emailed) so check back.

UPDATE: The general meeting concerning the formation of the PDA will be held toward the end of next week, instead of this week. When a date, time and place are set, you will most likely receive emails, if you are on Mary Anne's list, and I will post the information here in a new post.