Upcoming Events!
Postdoc Happy Hour
Happy hour is cancelled for December and January. Instead we have a holiday party on Decemer 10. More information will appear.
BPA Monthly Board Meeting
Would you like to get involved in the Berkeley Postdoc Association? Do you have ideas about issues that affect postdocs, social events to recommend, or programs you'd like to start? Come join us! The BPA is holding regular monthly meetings the third Wednesday of every month, and the meeting is open to all UC Berkeley Postdocs. The next meeting is Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at 6 pm in 652 Barrows Hall. We'll bring pizza, you bring ideas! The BPA is a great way to meet other postdocs, gain leadership experience, and make a difference in the postdoc community. Come join us this month and bring all your great ideas!
Pub night at Blake’s on Telegraph
Postdoc social at Blake’s on Telegraph, December 17, located at 2367 Telegraph Ave next to Smart Alec’s! Meet new people and enjoy some free light snacks in the upper lounge from 6:30-7:30 PM - drinks and extra food can be purchased all night.
Orientation for new UC Berkeley postdoctoral scholars
The BPA, in conjunction with the VSPA, is organizing every month a half-day orientation session for new postdocs. 
Latest News!
Thanks for coming out to the Annual Postdoc Summer Social!
Thanks for joining the annual summer social party on June 18th! A big thanks also to organizers of the event. If you didn't make it to the party, we'll hope to see you at the next happy hour! Check out some pictures from the party here.Thanks for joining “San Francisco in a Nutshell” walking tou!
Thanks to everyone who joined us for the “San Francisco in a Nutshell” walking tour last Saturday. It was a beautiful day and we had a great turnout! Check out our group picture here. We’ll be planning another excursion soon so stay tuned!
Thanks for coming out to the Annual Postdoc Holiday Party!
Thanks for joining the BPA at the annual postdoc holiday party on December 11th! A big thanks to Abby, Helen, Bethany, Corinne and Oki for organizing the event. If you didn't make it to the party, we'll hope to see you at the next happy hour! Check out some pictures from the party here.Career Center services for Berkeley postdocs
Did you know that postdocs have full (and free) access to the UC Berkeley Career Center? Take advantage of this great resource! They offer job listings, workshops, career fairs, and even one-on-one counseling. To sign up for services, go to http://career.berkeley.edu/PhDs/Postdocs.stm, fill out the form and bring it in with a copy of your Cal ID.Thanks for coming out to the Postdoc Reception!
Thanks for joining the BPA and VSPA at the annual postdoc reception on October 9th! A big thanks to Sam Casteñeda and Helen Stimpson for organizing the event. If you didn't make it to the reception, we'll hope to see you at the next happy hour!Updated information on salary changes:
Issued to date by the Office of the President for selected academic titles to be effective October 1, 2008.**POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLARS:
The minimum salary rate for postdoctoral scholars is increasing from $34,752 to $35,508, effective October 1, 2008. Steps I and II of the current postdoctoral scholar scale will reflect this new rate. The total compensation provided to Postdoctoral-Fellows and Postdoctoral-Paid Directs should also reflect this new minimum. Further, PIs should plan for an additional increase to the minimum of the scale effective 10/1/09. The new minimum will either be $37,000 or the minimum of the NIH NRSA fellowship scale, whichever is higher.
Pay checks issued on October 31, 2008, for monthly employees and November 7, 2008, for hourly employees will reflect the new pay rates.
The updated salary scales are available at: http://apo.chance.berkeley.edu/10-01-08.Salary.Adjustments.html
Cell Phone Discount!
Did you know as a UC Berkeley employee, you can receive a discount on your cell phone plan (AT&T and Verizon)? Check out this website for more information: http://wireless.berkeley.edu/employee-discounts.htmlPostdoc Summer Social!
Thanks for coming out to our annual summer social on June 18, 2008! Over 250 postdocs and families joined us for food, drink, and a fun time in Memorial Glade. A big thanks to everyone that helped organize and setup the event, with special thanks to our two main organizers - Helen Stimpson and Sam Casteñeda! For a few pictures from the social, click here... If you didn't make it to the event, we'll hope to see you at the next happy hour!Second Industry Seminar was a huge success!
Our speaker was Dr. Marc Better, Executive Director for Process Development at Amgen. About 50 postdocs attended the seminar and about 15 had the opportunity to join the speaker for dinner. In his seminar, Marc talked about his early years as a postdoc in UC Berkeley, his successful transition to the biotech industry, and the working environment in Amgen. He also discussed the opportunities for postdocs at Amgen and the types of skills that postdocs need to be successful in private industry. The dinner offered an opportunity for several postdocs to have a more in-depth conversation with Dr. Better and to ask a number of questions. Dr. Better stressed the need to develop and maintain professional contacts throughout our career, and we intend for this seminar series to aid in our networking opportunities.Thanks for coming out hiking!
We are happy to report that the hiking trip on May 17th was terrific. More than 30 postdocs came for the 3 hr hike (~ 5 miles) which included the Wildcat gorge and Selby trails in Tilden park. It was a beautiful sunny day, 75F and breezy. After the hike, we gathered for snacks provided by the BPA and relaxed in the sun. We would like to thank Jianping Sun, who did a wonderful job organizing the event. To see a few pictures of the trip click here...Most postdocs are plagued with the question: "Is academia the only option?"....
In an attempt to introduce non-academic career options to postdocs, the BPA is organizing a seminar series with executives and leaders from alternative career paths. This series will be a great opportunity for postdocs to learn more about a career in private industry and to network with research leaders from Bay Area companies and other like-minded postdocs. To read about the successful flagship seminar click here...The document "General Tax Rules for Non-Employee Postdocs" (pdf file) is now available on the VSPA website.
Highlights from the Sigma XI postdoc survey are now available. The
report summarizes information gleaned from some 7,600 postdoctoral
investigators and illuminates this much-neglected tier of the scientific
workforce.
This page was last modified: Tuesday, 25-Mar-2008 21:41:57 PDT
