The Postdoc Teaching Opportunities Program

The Postdoc Teaching Opportunities Program (PTOP) is a volunteer organization of postdocs and others working to advocate for UC Berkeley postdocs across all disciplines to acquire experience and expertise in teaching college-level courses at community colleges, liberal arts colleges, and universities in the Bay Area. The PTOP program also aims to address transparency issues regarding postdoc teaching positions and improve teaching opportunities for postdocs at UC Berkeley.

Join Us:

  • We are looking for new members! Feel free to contact us at ptop-vspa@berkeley.edu if you're interested in joining the PTOP borad.
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Upcoming Events:

Check back for more upcoming events soon! (last updated 1st December 2025)

Past Event(s)

  •  SLAM presents: Teaching in the California Community College system- a career option. Nov. 10 2025,  5:30 pm. 177 Stanley Hall 

  •  Grant Writing Workshop, virtual zoom ,October 9, 16, and 30, 2025 @1-3 pm

  • Insider’s View of the Faculty Search (hosted by QB3-Berkeley) --Teaching-focused institutions. October 22, 2025 4pm -15:15 pm, virtual zoom
  • Insider’s View of the Faculty Search (hosted by QB3-Berkeley) --Research-focused institutions. October 8, 2025 11:30 am -12:45 pm, virtual zoom
  • Teaching statement: write, share, and teach! (Thursday, September 25th, 4:00-5:00 pm, 309 Sproul Hall) 
  • Navigating Teaching in U.S. Higer Education System (Tuesday, August 26th, 2:00-4:00 pm, 309 Sproul Hall) 
  • Academic Job Search Series in STEM Disciplines (Monday, August 7th, 14th, and 21st 4:00-5:15 pm, via zoom.)
  • Pathways to Scientific Teaching （May 7 and 8, 2025 9 am - 1 pm. Limited spaces, via zoom.)
  • 2025 Teaching & Learning Conference (May 9, 2025.)
  • Teaching and the Academic Job Search ( April 25th 2025 10-11:30am,via zoom) 
  • Postdoc Teaching Opportunities at Berkeley: Introduction to PTOP ( April 17th 2025 12pm - 1pm, @ 309 Sproul Hall). If you missed it, check out the information slides here: 4-17-25_ptop_info_session.pdf

Teaching Resources for Postdocs at UCB：

Contact Us

ptop-vspa@berkeley.edu

join our mailist : )  (click "join group" next to the PTOP Mailing List)

submit your anonymous feedback here. 

                   Meet Us    ── 

                

Current Board Members

Yifeng Shi

President

Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Yifeng is a postdoctoral researcher at Ti lab, UC Berkeley. Her postdoctoral research focuses on the design and synthesis of DNA nanostructures, along with their hybridizations with inorganic nanocrystals to create functional materials with customized properties. Outside research, she enjoys reading, gardening, and making crafts. More about her can be found at findyifeng.com.

M. Fernanda (feña) Palominos

Vice-President

Integrative Biology

Feña is a National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) K99/R00 Postdoctoral fellow in the Martin lab at UC Berkeley. Her postdoctoral research focuses on understanding the genomic basis of craniofacial and sensory diversity using pupfish adaptive radiations as her study systems. In her spare time, feña enjoys biking, dancing, painting, and hiking. You can learn more about her at fishfena.github.io

Sam Lewin

Secretary

Mechanical Engineering

Sam is a postdoctoral researcher in the Kaminski lab working on the fundamental fluid dynamics of geophysical and environmental flows, with applications to models of small-scale ocean processes. He enjoys cycling in the Berkeley Hills, running, and cooking.

Collin Steen

Treasurer

Chemistry and QB3

Collin is a postdoctoral researcher in the Ke Xu lab in the College of Chemistry. His postdoctoral research employs methods from optical and single-molecule microscopy to uncover the design principles of photosynthetic membranes. Outside of the lab, Collin enjoys hiking, listening to podcasts, and traveling.

Adriana Jeckel

General Board Member

Integrative Biology

Adriana is a postdoctoral researcher at the Tarvin Lab from the Department of Integrative Biology and Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. Her research focuses on uncovering the causes and consequences of chemical diversity in frogs, as well as the mechanisms of resistance and sequestration of dietary compounds in diverse organisms such as amphibians and insects. Outside of the lab, she enjoys baking, hiking, and traveling to new destinations. Check her personal website to learn more.

Anuradha Mukherjee

General Board Member

IMolecular & Cell Biology

Anu is a postdoctoral researcher in the Heald lab from the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology. Her research employs the Xenopus frog model to explore why early embryos often develop aneuploid cells—cells with an abnormal number of chromosomes—and how embryos manage these cells to preserve their full developmental potential during embryogenesis. Outside the lab, she enjoys singing, travelling to new locations, and creative activities.

Alumni