SCD Postdoc Mentoring Robert Harris Fermilab All SCD Scientists - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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SCD Postdoc Mentoring

Robert Harris Fermilab All SCD Scientists’ Community Meeting

• Nov. 15, 2019

Outline

• Introduction to postdoc mentoring
• SCD postdocs
• SCD postdoc meeting
• Postdoc mentoring ideas
• Conclusions

Robert Harris, Fermilab 2

Introduction to Postdoc Mentoring

• I have been organizing postdoc mentoring in SCD

➨ I now report on this to the SCD Associate Head for Science, Adam Lyon

• Mentoring is needed to help postdocs succeed in their chosen career path

➨ Particularly if the postdoc plans to compete for a rare tenure-track position

• Every postdoc in SCD has a supervisor

➨ With line management responsibility for postdoc’s day-to-day activity ➨ May also be active in postdoc’s research and should also provide mentoring

• Every postdoc in SCD also has one or mentors

➨ Scientists who give the postdoc additional research and career advice ➨ Mentors need to be involved in their postdoc’s career events

➠ Attend presentations and practice talks. ➠ Give advice on conferences, publications, research directions, career decisions. ➠ Review and recommend references and job application materials.

Robert Harris, Fermilab 3

SCD Postdocs

• SCD currently has the following eight postdocs, listed in order of seniority.

➨ All but one in the Artificial Intelligence & Software for Physics Applications dept.

• They span the physics activities of the lab, and have mentors from multiple

divisions

Robert Harris, Fermilab 4

Postdoc Supervisor Mentor(s) Physics James Stapleton Lyon Casey Muons Leo Soplin Fields Norman, Plunkett Neutrinos Deepika Jena Fields Perdue Neutrinos Allison Hall Tran Canepa, Cerati, Jayatilaka CMS Maya Wospakrik Tran Ketchum, Brice Neutrinos Sophie Berkman Tran Cerati, Shanahan Neutrinos Joao Goncalves Caldiera Tran Nord, Perdue Cosmic Steve Gardiner Fields Zeller, Perdue Neutrinos

SCD postdoc meeting

• Lunch meeting 1st Tuesday of each month in Committium and on ZOOM

➨ Continuing the postdoc mentoring features of the former IF department meeting ➨ Similar to the postdoc meetings in the CMS department of PPD

• Meeting is for research talks which are crucial to postdoc mentoring

➨ Gives postdocs the opportunity to practice presenting research and plans ➨ Get constructive feedback and advice to benefit them in their research & career

• Informs scientific staff of the physics research of SCD postdocs

➨ Meeting is open to all SCD scientific staff and management ➨ Supervisors and mentors of the postdoc are especially encouraged to attend

• Please come and assist your postdocs in preparing their presentations

➨ I will invite the featured postdoc and their supervisor and mentors at least two

weeks in advance of each meeting.

Robert Harris, Fermilab 5

Postdoc Mentoring Ideas

• Postdoc mentoring in SCD is light and informal, but it could be extended
• Postdoc mentoring at Fermilab on CMS also includes the following

➨ Practice talks open to all CMS scientists (52) and postdocs (14) ➨ More formal roles than org-chart supervisor and mentor: like technical and

analysis guides, to identify the team of scientists that mentor a postdoc

➨ Expanding annual performance review discussions to include mentoring from

this team, not just a single org-chart supervisor

➨ Postdoc research plans written by the postdoc and their mentoring team ➨ An RA mentoring committee of scientists to review postdoc plans, updates of

postdoc status, and to advise the supervisors, mentors and postdocs

➨ Review of job applications by the mentoring committee prior to submission

• I welcome your input, publicly or privately, on these or other ideas you have

➨ It would especially like to hear from postdocs, their supervisors, and mentors ➨ All of these require additional time and effort from our scientists and postdocs

Robert Harris, Fermilab 6

Conclusions

• SCD provides postdocs with mentoring from lab scientific staff to help them

succeed in their careers

• Each of our eight postdocs currently have one or more mentors
• You are all invited to monthly meetings for postdoc research talks

➨ A regular physics event for our SCD scientists, in addition to postdoc mentoring

• SCD mentoring could remain light and informal or could be extended

➨ I welcome your thoughts, and appreciate your assistance in postdoc mentoring

Robert Harris, Fermilab 7