Postdoctoral Association
The Boston College Postdoctoral Association (BCPDA) promotes the professional, social, and family well-being of postdoctoral fellows from all BC departments. The purpose of the BCPDA is:
To promote the professional training and career preparation of its members
To promote peer interactions and support among the BC postdoctoral community
To serve as liaison between its members and the administration of BC
To introduce new postdoctoral fellows to the BC community
To provide liaison between BC postdoctoral fellows and other postdoctoral associations in Massachusetts and in the United States
The BCPDA regularly organizes conferences and talks on topics of interest to its membership. In addition, the BCPDA has an ongoing Knowledge Dissemination Program to financially support the dissemination of its members’ original and independent scholarly work.
BCPDA Activities and Affiliated Programs
BCPDA Lunch Talk Series: A series of 5-6 talks during the academic year designed to address topics that the BCPDA membership has expressed interest in. Topics will include grant writing, academic and industry jobs, immigration issues, etc., and speakers will include PhDs working in academia and industry, members of the BC academic community and administration, and other invited speakers. Lunch provided!
Recordings of Previous Talks
- 3/4/2021: Navigating the industry job search with Victoria Wobber
- 3/17/2020: Advice on the industry job market from those on the inside
- 5/6/2020: Advice on the academic job market from recent applicants
- 10/29/2020: The behind-the-scenes details on the academic job search from department administration
- 11/19/2020: Adapting your job search during the COVID19 pandemic, Lauren Celano of Propel Careers
BCPDA Knowledge Dissemination Program (KDP): Postdocs can apply to the BCPDA to receive funding for presentations at conferences, attending workshops, etc. We hold three award cycles per academic year. Opening and closing dates will be provided via the BCPDA listserv.
BCPDA Listserv: We aim to regularly share BC-based and external professional and social events relevant to the postdoctoral community, including events hosted by the larger Boston Postdoctoral Association. If you would like to be added to the listserv, please email us at bcpda.admin@bc.edu.
Apprenticeship in College Teaching Program (BC Center for Teaching Excellence): The ACT program is a free, non-credit-bearing program that prepares graduate students and postdoctoral fellows for teaching careers in higher education. The program invites participants to attend seminars, engage in classroom observations, and create a teaching portfolio. ACT seminars bring participants together across disciplines to engage important pedagogical questions. Classroom observations allow for discipline-specific discussion with faculty mentors in participants' departments. And the final Teaching Portfolio and reflective essay encourage participants to synthesize what they’re learning. The program can be completed at the participant’s own pace, and successful completion of the program results in a robust teaching portfolio and certificate issued by the Office of the Provost. For more information, and to register for the program, please visit bc.edu/act. Questions about the program can be sent to centerforteaching@bc.edu.
The BCPDA is a member of local and national postdoctoral organizations, which provide additional resources and opportunities for networking and professional development.
Boston Postdoctoral Association National Postdoctoral Association National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity