GSA is pleased to announce the recipients of the DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics for Fall 2022! Given twice a year to graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, DeLill Nasser Awards support attendance at meetings and laboratory courses.

The award is named in honor of DeLill Nasser, a long-time GSA supporter and National Science Foundation Program Director in Eukaryotic Genetics. Nasser was regarded by some as the “patron saint of real genetics,” shaping the field through more than two decades of leadership. She was especially supportive of young scientists, people who were beginning their careers, and those trying to open new areas of genetic inquiry. For more about Nasser, please see the tribute from Scott Hawley, published in the August 2001 issue of GENETICS.

Meareg Amare

University of Wisconsin-Madison

“Leveraging conserved inhibitor of apoptosis proteins to characterize the programmed cell death pathway in fungi.”

Puja Biswas

University of British Columbia

“Males and females have different levels of body fat storage which affect their lifespan and reproduction.”

Małgorzata Gazda

Institut Pasteur

“I study how biology is coded in the genome and how gene expression modulates phenotypical traits.”

Lydia Grmai

University of Pittsburgh/Duke University

“My research aims to leverage the power of Drosophila genetics to dissect the complex interorgan regulatory networks that link metabolism and reproduction.”

James Held

Vanderbilt University

“My research focuses on understanding how the quality of mitochondria, the cell’s energy producers, is maintained in healthy cells and under stressful conditions.”

Zoe Irons

University of Oregon

“My work centers around understanding the ways in which multiple tissues coordinate during development to form the correct body shape.”

Sarah Neuman

University of Wisconsin-Madison

“I study the role of lipid transport during animal development.”

Ana-Maria Raicu

Michigan State University

“I am studying how cancer-causing retinoblastoma proteins turn gene expression off in different cell types using the fruit fly.”

Carla Bautista Rodriguez

Université Laval

“Evolutionary dynamics of yeast hybrids facing harsh environments.”

Katheryn Rothenberg

University of Toronto

“I study how cells communicate and coordinate as a group to heal wounds.”

GSA is pleased to announce the recipients of the DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics for Spring 2022! Given twice a year to graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, DeLill Nasser Awards support attendance at meetings and laboratory courses.

The award is named in honor of DeLill Nasser, a long-time GSA supporter and National Science Foundation Program Director in Eukaryotic Genetics. Nasser was regarded by some as the “patron saint of real genetics,” shaping the field through more than two decades of leadership. She was especially supportive of young scientists, people who were beginning their careers, and those trying to open new areas of genetic inquiry. For more about Nasser, please see the tribute from Scott Hawley, published in the August 2001 issue of GENETICS.

Jon Hibshman

Postdoctoral fellow, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

“My research seeks to understand how some animals can survive extreme stresses like desiccation.”

Diedre Reitz

Postdoctoral fellow, University of California, Davis

“My research aims to understand the mechanisms responsible for preventing homologous recombination-mediated genome rearrangements between repetitive elements.”

Anna Moyer

Postdoctoral fellow, University of Alabama, Birmingham

“I use zebrafish to understand how the overexpression of chromosome 21 genes contributes to abnormal brain development in people with Down syndrome.”

Jennifer Chik

Postdoctoral fellow, University of California, San Diego

“My research focuses on identifying and characterizing multi-functional proteins with roles in two critical pathways: amino acid metabolism and chromatin regulation.”

Shannon Hateley

Postdoctoral fellow, Carnegie Institution for Science

“I use computational biology and ecological genomics methods to investigate how plants will adapt to climate change.”

Maria Sterrett

PhD candidate, Emory University

“We study human disease mutations that impact conserved RNA regulatory pathways by modeling the mutations in yeast and assessing the functional and molecular consequences using genetics and biochemistry techniques.”

Emily Hendricks

Master’s student, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville

“My research uses Drosophila to study the molecular mechanisms of synaptic dysregulation in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases.”

Uzezi Okinedo

PhD candidate, University of Massachusetts, Boston

“I study the genetic basis of adaptation in African rice (Oryza glaberrima) to identify and characterize domestication loci for potential genetic improvement.”

Sophia Sanchez

PhD candidate, University of Texas, Austin

“We leverage C. elegans to understand the individual contribution of Hsa21 genes to cellular and molecular phenotypes that could be important in Down syndrome.”

Vladimir Lazetic

Postdoctoral fellow, University of California, San Diego

“My research focuses on uncovering novel mechanisms that regulate an immune response against viral and fungal pathogens.”

By Nathaniel Noblett

In the Paths to Science Policy series, we talk to individuals who have a passion for science policy and are active in advocacy through their various roles and careers. The series aims to inform and guide early career scientists interested in science policy. This series is brought to you by the GSA Early Career Scientist Policy and Advocacy Subcommittee.

We interviewed Farah Qaiser last year, prior to her appointment as the Director of Research and Policy at Evidence for Democracy (E4D). Farah also currently serves as a member of the Chief Science Advisor’s Youth Council (CSA-YC). During her graduate education in molecular genetics, she co-founded the Toronto Science Policy Network and ran workshops with ComSciConCAN (a national science communication workshop series for graduate students). She has also been awarded GSA’s Presidential Membership Initiative award. Here, we talk with Farah about her journey working in science policy, the opportunities available to Canadian scientists and how early career researchers can get involved. 

Nathaniel: When looking across the work you have done alongside your studies at the University of Toronto, a key theme that emerges is your interest in communicating science policy between different platforms. What first interested you in these opportunities?

Farah: I started my master’s at the Department of Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto, where I used whole genome sequencing to better understand genetic variation in neurological disorders. I looked at a couple of different disorders, including epilepsy, ataxia and autism spectrum disorder. At the same time, I still wanted to keep writing about science for my university campus newspaper. I had noticed that during my writing that there were a couple of common issues that kept popping up. There was an issue of diversity in science, and that science was locked behind paywalls. 

Nathaniel: On top of your job as a research analyst, you also lead a project with E4D, and are an instructor at NSERC PermafrostNet. What drew you to these two other opportunities? 

Farah: I graduated in the summer of 2020, which was right in the middle of the pandemic. Everyone was sent home and all academic institutions were closed down. It was not the way I expected to graduate, but I was very fortunate because I had been volunteering, writing and communicating about science throughout my master’s. This created another challenge because each job opportunity was forcing me to choose between being a researcher, being engaged in science education, or working with science policy. I ended up taking on a research analyst role at the University Health Network’s Epilepsy Genetics Clinic. By coincidence, E4D, a national policy non-profit that is based in Ottawa, approached me about participating in a project to determine how federal experts can better share the science advice that they’re providing during impact assessment processes. I decided to split my time between genomics research and science policy research. Around the same time, I started teaching workshops at PermafrostNet, a basic science research network for national and international researchers studying permafrost thaw and its consequences, with Dr. Tristan MacLean and Dr. Alana Wilcox. Becoming involved in multiple spaces has made me a better researcher, a better science communicator, and a better science policy expert. For someone who has interest in both academia and science policy, you can build the roles and career that you want. 

Nathaniel: How has your time with the Chief Science Advisor’s Youth Council fit into your science policy career? Can you tell us about the work you are doing there? 

Farah: The Canadian Chief Science Advisor’s Youth Council was launched in March 2020; about a week before the pandemic shut down institutions in Canada. The council consists of 20 scientists, undergraduate and graduate students, recent graduates and people who are working in academia and industry. The aim had been to recruit a wide variety of people who represent different communities and have different perspectives. It has been very interesting to be on the Youth Council during a pandemic, because we get to see in real time how Dr. Mona Nemer approaches her role as a science advisor responding to different issues. We get asked our thoughts about certain aspects of vaccination or are asked to weigh in on the impacts of COVID-19. I challenge other organizations, academic institutions, non-profits, and anyone in the science space to build in those youth council structures and provide that space for young researchers and trainees to provide their perspective and help inform decision making. 

Nathaniel: It seems like science policy training in Canada is relatively low compared to the US. In your opinion, what challenges and opportunities do you see as interesting in Canadian science policy training?

Farah: I think that a lot of knowledge is hidden or not accessible. It’s one of the reasons why I wrote The Beginner’s Guide to Science Communication Opportunities Across Canada and published it as an open access resource. Supervisors and departments can definitely play a bigger role in helping connect their students to overcome tunnel vision while we’re focused on completing our degrees. This makes groups like the Science and Policy Exchange, E4D, Toronto Science Policy Network, or the Canadian Science Policy Center, which offer volunteer opportunities, an important part of policy training. Then, you could always take a course or program at one of many institutions across Canada. For example, there’s Science Outside the Lab North, which is a one-week deep dive into science policy in both Ottawa and Montreal. We have some fellowships, like the Mitacs Canadian Science Policy Fellowship, the Action Canada public fellowship, and a couple of specific policy recruitment programs, such as the Recruitment of Policy Leaders. 

Compared to the US, there aren’t as many opportunities as in Canada. One of the challenges is the fact that because there are such few opportunities, they’re not as well known and not a lot of people know that science policy exists as a viable career. So often the first hurdle is just helping people realize that science policy is out there as a career. Getting your foot in the door often means volunteering, but also trying to apply to these very selective programs. 

Nathaniel: What do you think could be done to improve this science policy landscape? 

Farah: We could have more fellowships or science policy groups, but there are also different ways to go about it. For example, the Chief Science Advisor launched the Youth Council, which could be replicated by other folks across the federal government. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), has done just that with a couple of youth councils that they’ve launched, including one for the Institute of Child Health and Development. I would challenge other federal government departments and organizations, such as Genome Canada, to build youth councils and have representation on their board. They will not only get trainees’ input, but will also give trainees a chance to get science policy experience. I would also challenge trainees who are reading this to start a science policy group. I know that it’s very daunting and it’s a big idea; but the issue is that we need researchers like you, who have different perspectives and different expertise, to help fill in the gap. 

Nathaniel: Do you have any closing thoughts that you think early career scientists interested in science policy could take away from this conversation?

Farah: Don’t be so focused on that end goal of your career that you miss out on the opportunities that might help you to grow as a scientist, a professional or just as a person. So, plan less and worry less, because you never know what’s going to work out.

To connect with Farah:

Personal Website

Twitter

LinkedIn

As part of the Genetics Society of America’s renewed focus on early career members, Director of Engagement and Development Sonia Hall has created an innovative Early Career Scientist Leadership Program for graduate student and postdoc GSA members. Now that the Program is in full swing, Sonia talks about how it’s going and what has surprised her about working with the early career leaders and their advisors.

What inspired you to create the Early Career Scientist Leadership and Professional Development Program?

I had a very meaningful leadership experience with the GSA when I was a Trainee Advisory Representative for the Board of Directors. The Society’s leaders invested lots of time and energy in my professional development, and I was given tremendous opportunities. But I was one of very few people able to have this chance, so I wanted to share the opportunity with more of our graduate student and postdoc members.

At the same time, I’ve been a strong advocate for giving early career scientists a voice in the larger scientific community. I wanted to find a way to create leadership opportunities for them in a time efficient program that could combine service with professional skill development. This program is the result.

What are you passionate about right now?

I want to show that graduate students and postdocs can advance the scientific enterprise both at the research bench and away from it. We have great leaders in the GSA who want to see early career scientists succeed, and I want this commitment to become more visible. I truly believe that we’re stronger together than we are apart. I want early career scientists to know that there’s an entire community around them that wants them to succeed and that values their contributions.

What do you hope the participants get out of the Leadership Program?

So many things! I want them to realize that they are competent and capable individuals with tremendous opportunities in front of them. Each committee designs projects that challenge them to refine professional skills that are important for success in all career paths. From these projects, they create products that demonstrate their strengths as professional scientists. This allows them to step into the job market with evidence of their professional skills. We also hope to foster a sense of belonging to the GSA community—so that no matter what career path they take, they continue to feel connected to the society.

What do you hope the genetics community will get out of the program?

Participants choose projects they feel will address unmet needs in our community. The Communication & Outreach Subcommittee is working to demonstrate the impact the model organism community has had on the larger scientific enterprise. They aim to tell stories that send a clear message about why funding model organism research is valuable. The Policy Subcommittee is developing resources to help early career scientists to engage in advocacy or pursue careers in policy. The Career Development Subcommittee is highlighting the diverse career pathways of people who train in our community. They want to demonstrate the versatility of PhD training and to remind professional scientists that they remain part of our community regardless of which career path they have pursued.

What do the leaders do during their time in the program?

It depends! Each participant serves on a committee, and each committee has different goals. The activities of all the groups are guided by the Steering Committee, which is a hub for gathering and disseminating information, both to the subcommittees and the GSA Board of Directors. There are four subcommittees working with the Steering Committee: Career Development, Communication and Outreach, Diversity, and Policy.

All the committees meet virtually, which gives them a lot of flexibility. They are joined by a team of advisors made up of both leaders from the GSA community and experts with experience related to the projects. Some of these advisors come from outside of the genetics community. I think this is really important because it shows how we can achieve our goals better by diversifying the expertise of the group.

I am also currently working on pairing each participant with an individual mentor. I’m trying to match them with professionals who can provide career guidance tailored to their needs and interests. This is really challenging, but I think it’s important.

How’s it been going so far?

Amazing! It’s moving at a much faster pace than I expected. It has been really exciting to see the response from the community. I certainly see the value in the products of their projects but the part I love the most is recalling all of the steps they took to make that deliverable product a reality. It’s really been exciting to see the participants grow as professionals and as a community. Many of them have developed friendships and have even found ways to meet in person at various meetings. The professional friendships are one of the things I really hoped would happen but wasn’t sure would be realistic with virtual meetings. Fortunately, we appointed some truly exceptional people that really value each other, so it has worked well.

Have there been any surprises?

Other than the speed, I was surprised how great it has been for committees to work with two different advisors with different backgrounds. I knew having advisors would be beneficial, but having two different angles has made the advice so much richer. The other thing I was surprised by was how quickly participants switched from their initial hesitation—from asking permission for everything—to suddenly taking ownership of their projects and feeling empowered.

What’s happening next?

We’re onboarding our second cohort of leaders, and several committees have projects that will be public soon. We’re also starting to work on implementing new activities at GSA conferences.

Our members come from all over the globe—nearly 60 countries—so we need more Leadership Program participants from places other than North America. I would love to learn more about the training situation in other parts of the world. I would also like more representation across different institution types and regions. I know that the challenges faced by early career scientists vary from place to place. Bringing in this diverse perspective will allow us to continue to develop innovative projects.

Guest post by Bob Dolan

In a highly competitive market it is important to distinguish yourself. To do so, you need to create your personal brand. While a “brand” might sound like something that only applies to a commercial product, this is just another way of saying your message should be clear so people understand who you are, what you stand for, and what skills you bring to your profession. Developing your personal brand may help to enhance your professional opportunities today and in the future, and your brand can grow as you develop as a professional. Creating your own brand will help you shape people’s initial impressions of you, and first impressions are lasting.

 Things to consider:

• How do you distinguish yourself?
• How do you want to present yourself to your target audiences, including others in your profession?
• How do you get your message out?

To begin, identify the top skills that you want potential employers to know you have. Consider the following:

• Behavioral – Working in a team/collaborative environment, Leadership, Conflict resolution
• Achievements
• Research skills
• Verbal/written communication skills
• Technical – discipline-specific skills/tools

How do you get your message out?   

1.  Written – Resume/CV, Cover Letters, Research and Teaching Statements
2. Verbal – Interviewing and Networking
3. Virtual – LinkedIn, Website, other Social Media

All three methods should deliver a consistent message!

Written

Resume/CV, Cover Letters, Research and Teaching Statements

Your written communications are often what people see first. Whether you are applying for a faculty position, an industry job, a grant or attendance at a conference, your writing will precede you.

• Resume/CV –  These documents should be focused on the information needs of the readers. Your Resume/CV serves many purposes. It is a marketing tool that highlights your skills, attributes, and accomplishments, and it must be easy to read.
• Cover Letters – This document is generally one page in length. It includes an introduction, followed by a message that aligns with your audience, followed by your closing statement. It allows you to express how your skills, interests, and experiences meet the needs of the position, both technically and behaviorally, and certainly will highlight your ability to communicate in written form.
• Research and Teaching Statements – These documents will always accompany an academic job application. The research statement provides you with the opportunity to deliver a more in-depth explanation of your work that is only briefly mentioned on your CV. Often this document has a past, current, and future component that highlights your history, your growth, and the impact of your research in the future. Your research statement will also highlight your collaborations and ability to get funding, if need be. Depending upon the lab/department you are targeting, this document should be tailored to align with the reader. Much like the cover letter, it will highlight your ability to communicate in written form. The teaching statement will be shorter than your research statement (generally 1-2 pages) and will highlight your ability to teach certain undergraduate and graduate courses. Often times it begins with your teaching philosophy and how you would make a positive impact on students. This document may also include a diversity statement to highlight how you would attract underrepresented minorities into your lab/classroom.  

Verbal 

Interviewing and Networking

How you talk to people, and what you say, should be consistent with your intended message.

• Interviewing – Interviews vary by institution/industry/company. For PhDs there is often a presentation component of the interview process. These can last anywhere from 30-60 minutes and must convey your skills and credibility to the audience.  There will also be one-on-one sessions where you will be expected to answer questions about your abilities. One of the most common questions is “Tell me about yourself”, or “Tell me about your research.” A recommended strategy is to research the lab/department; know what they do, know what they want, and create a response that shows you fit their environment. Consider this response structure: 
  • I am a…
  • With expertise/experience in…
  • I have had project work on, led teams, had internships…
  • My strengths include skill, skill, skill

Here is an actual response from a postdoctoral scholar, and many of the skills were listed in the lab’s job description:

“I am a postdoctoral scholar at MIT with expertise as an analytical biochemist specializing in chemical analysis methods.

My areas of interest are in the synthesis and characterization of metallic nanoparticles and improved diagnostic ability in cancer.

I have worked in several labs and have led multidisciplinary teams to design photosynthetic system-based bio solar cells. The team screened antibodies targeting markers for tropical diseases for use in an efficient platform for diagnosis. We also generated four serotypes of dengue NSI protein by gene expression of transfected RNA into eukaryotic cells.

I also have additional skills and am proficient in the execution of biochemical assays, including ELISA, western blot, cell-based assays, flow cytometry, FACS, and HPLC”

• Networking – Networking is something that we do every day, yet sometimes may not realize it. Every work conversation you have is a way of learning and aligning with the people you work with, and an opportunity for you to share your contributions to your team. Networking is a huge part of conferences because you meet people from other institutions along with potential future collaborators and employers.

 Virtual

Lab/Company Website, LinkedIn, and other Social Media

Your online presence is becoming a major resource for employers. If your lab/department has a website, ensure that your profile is rich with details of your work. For industry positions, Jobvite survey (n=800) reported the following percentages for employers who use social media:

• Searching for candidates = 96%
• Contacting candidates = 94%
• Following potential candidates = 93%
• Vetting candidates pre interview = 92%
• Posting jobs = 91%

Social media is a fundamental shift in the way we communicate. In general, you should use caution and be professional. LinkedIn dominates social media recruiting. When developing your profile, consider including the following:

• Your full name
• A professional photo
• Summary that highlights your 4-5 major skills/contributions
• Detailed list of accomplishments – current and previous institutions
• Links to publications
• Any patents/trademarks
• Volunteer work
• You should also join groups and follow institutions that align with your profession

Your Branding strategy— written, verbal, and virtual—should differentiate you from others in your field and should position you clearly in the minds of others. By focusing on your message and your mission, you will project credibility, develop loyalty in your profession, and create connections to others in your field.

Bob Dolan

About the author: Bob Dolan provides career counseling and professional development workshops for the Postdoctoral Scholars program at MIT. He is a Certified Job Search and Career Transition Consultant with experience in the field of Career Management since 2001. Before joining academia, Bob had a private Career Consulting practice and worked with clients across multiple industries, as well as providing career consulting services for a global Career Management firm.

It’s National Postdoc Appreciation Week, which celebrates the vital contribution of postdoctoral scholars to advancing our understanding of the world. This week is the perfect time for lab heads to thank postdocs for all their hard work, for students to thank postdocs for their training and mentorship, and for everyone to thank postdocs for their dedication to science!

The GSA is grateful to its postdoc members for all their contributions, particularly to those who serve on our committees and as advisory representatives to the board. We continue to seek energetic postdoc and students to help guide the GSA’s initiatives and set our priorities. By volunteering for leadership opportunities with the GSA, you can make sure the voices of early career researchers are heard. We also welcome your ideas for new ways GSA can organize postdoc and trainee participation not just in GSA, but within our communities. Register your interest now by sending an email with your name and institution to mapd@genetics-gsa.org and we will notify you when application opportunities arise.

Postdocs looking for leadership and service opportunities should also consider applying for a GSA trainee-organized symposium. GSA provides funding for student and postdoctoral members to organize symposia in subject areas relevant to the GSA mission. Requests can include—but are not limited to—meetings that center on a scientific topic or model organism, focus on teaching or outreach, discuss a topic of policy or broader interest, or advance attendee career development.

Other GSA resources of interest to postdocs:

• Joint membership in GSA and the National Postdoctoral Association, providing a 20% discount off of both rates
• DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics, funding for students and postdocs to attend meetings and courses
• GeneticsCareers.org—a free jobs board provided by GSA and ASHG
• A variety of career resources at our meetings and elsewhere
• Opportunities to write guest posts here at Genes to Genomes. If you have an idea for a post, please email cgelling [at] thegsajournals.org and include details of your proposed topic, as well as a little about yourself. We can’t accept all guest post proposals, but are always interested to hear your ideas.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has issued a Dear Colleague Letter inviting those with current research support to request supplemental funding to enhance the training experience of graduate students.

Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO)

PIs supported by NSF’s Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB) may request additional support for their PhD students in ways that enhance their professional development without negatively impacting dissertation research or increasing the time to degree.

Funding is available to support two types of activities. First, funding may be requested to support student participation in experiences that extend beyond their discipline and/or broaden their career options. For example, funds may be used to support the student for a brief internship period in the private, non-profit or academic arena, or to obtain specialized skills in a cross-disciplinary setting. Second, funds may be requested to compensate trainees to attend professional development courses (not formal degree programs) that enhance skills needed to be competitive in the job market. Courses with special emphasis on training in quantitative biology and/or acquiring skills that improve broader impacts (e.g., communicating science to the public) will be considered a priority.

MCB expects to make no more than 15 awards per year of $6,000–12,000 each, and requests will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis. Please contact one of the cognizant program directors for more information as soon as possible. All requests must be received by May 20, 2016.

Other programs within the BIO Directorate are not participating at this time.

Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR)

Grantees from EHR—as well as other Directorates—may apply for supplemental funding to support doctoral student participation in “education-related training experiences that broaden their skill sets and their career options, preparing them for a variety of STEM-related careers.” Specifically, EHR will support three types of activities:

• Participation in internships, training experiences, or collaborative research with private, non-profit, government, or academic organizations that promote informal STEM learning (e.g., museums; film, broadcast media, and science journalism; digital media and gaming; citizen science; school and community programs). Opportunities can include, but are not limited to, communication and media training programs that prepare students to be effective communicators to public audiences, internships focused on informal STEM learning research and evaluation, and training in exhibit and program design and delivery.

• Participation in internships, training experiences, or research and development activities in collaboration with education researchers and/or social science learning scholars to acquire new teaching skills and competencies, to gain exposure to new STEM educational research areas, or to test novel approaches for improving the engagement of K-12 or undergraduate students in authentic, career-relevant experiences. For example, doctoral students might spend a visiting term with a discipline-based education research group to learn about its research foci and relevant methodologies.

• Development and piloting of new and innovative programs for groups of graduate students focusing on (a) specific transferable professional skills or (b) career development and preparation for a variety of STEM career pathways. For this activity, projects must include active NSF Graduate Research Fellowship awardees and Honorable Mentions from a single campus or from several institutions within a region, including minority-serving institutions. Programs should include a plan to ensure participation by Fellows and Honorable Mention recipients who are women, members of underrepresented minority groups, persons with disabilities, and veterans. (This opportunity is limited to lead investigators of Graduate Research Fellowship Program institutional awards.)

The first two opportunities noted above should benefit individual students but may be requested by PIs on any active NSF award.

Requests will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis. Please contact the cognizant program director for more information as soon as possible. All requests must be received by May 31, 2016.

Other Directorates

Information about opportunities from other NSF directorates may be found in the Dear Colleague Letter.

Additional Information:

• “Dear Colleague Letter: Improving Graduate Student Preparedness for Entering the Workforce, Opportunities for Supplemental Support” (NSF 16-067), April 15, 2016.
• “New Funding Opportunity,” MCB Blog, April 22, 2016.

Inaugural class sets high standards for a growing program.

Mentoring Matters

The Genetics Society of America takes an active and collaborative role in the Promoting Active Learning & Mentoring (PALM) Network, along with our partners: the American Society for Cell Biology and the American Society of Plant Biologists. PALM funds one-on-one, long-term mentorships for faculty or postdocs new to the effective biology education approaches outlined in the Vision and Change recommendations. PALM Fellows work with mentors to develop, use and evaluate evidence-based active learning strategies in their own classroom. Fellows also will disseminate their new resources in their own professional networks as well as via our Society’s outlets, including GSA PREP, the CourseSource Genetics course, and education events at The Allied Genetics Conference. The longer term goal is for Fellows to catalyze enduring change that will positively influence the teaching culture at their institution.

Congratulations to the Spring 2016 Class of PALM Fellows!

Using real-time response questions in small-group, active learning exercises to assess and enhance student understanding of meiotic recombination and its critical role in the process of evolution.

Mentee: Christopher L. Baker, PhD
Position: Postdoctoral Fellow
Institution: The Jackson Laboratory
PALM Partner Affiliation: GSA

Mentor: Michelle K. Smith, PhD
Position: Assistant Professor
Institution: University of Maine
PALM Partner Affiliation: GSA

Using the model roundworm C. elegans, students will conduct authentic research and generate data investigating how epigenetic information is inherited through generations

Mentee: Teresa W. Lee, PhD
Position: Postdoctoral IRACDA Fellow
Institution: Emory University School of Medicine
PALM Partner Affiliation: GSA

Mentor: Karen L. Schmeichel, PhD
Position: Associate Professor
Institution: Oglethorpe University
PALM Partner Affiliation: ASCB

Using the Online Macromolecular Museum, case studies, and a new assessment tool to engage students in hands-on learning about the biology of Sickle Cell Anemia

Mentee: Stephanie Levi, PhD
Position: Adjunct Professor
Institution: Oakton Community College & Northeastern Illinois University
PALM Partner Affiliation: ASCB

Mentor: David J. Marcey, PhD
Position: Fletcher Jones Professor of Developmental Biology
Institution: California Lutheran University
PALM Partner Affiliation: ASCB

The Future of PALM is in Your Hands

To learn more about the PALM Network and how to become a PALM Fellow, Mentor, or Network Partner, please see http://www.ascb.org/PALM/.

GSA member Krista Dobi, new faculty and former Trainee Advisory Representative to the GSA Board of Directors, tells Genes to Genomes about the importance of an Individual Development Plan (IDP).

January: a time to consider resolutions for the upcoming calendar year. Since it’s the midpoint of the academic year, it’s also a great time to assess where you stand in relationship to career and professional goals. That’s where an IDP comes in.

What’s an IDP?

Don’t let the acronym fool you. Despite being used by business managers, the Individual Development Plan has been embraced by the scientific community. IDPs are being incorporated into graduate and postdoctoral training programs, and have become an integral component of some funding mechanisms (for example, NIH requires a discussion of the use of IDPs in annual progress reports for all T, F, K, R13, R25, D43 and other awards).

But the real reason to use an IDP is not to satisfy a funding requirement; IDPs are an important tool for helping you identify your strengths and weaknesses, and planning for future career success.

In essence, an IDP asks you to do three things:

1)  Determine your known skills and strengths;

2)  Identify skills to learn and areas for improvement; and

3)  Make a plan to fill in any gaps so you’re ready for your next career step.

The IDP relies on self-assessment, but will be stronger with feedback from your mentor or advisor. Ideally, the process of assembling the IDP will be part of an ongoing conversation about your career development. Input can also come from committee members, career counselors, recent graduates, peers, alumni and others who have already moved on in their careers.

Although common in other sectors, the IDP framework for scientists was first launched by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) in 2003.

What should I include?

While it’s important to include landmarks like passing an exam, writing a paper, or submitting a grant application, it’s good to think about other skills you are—or should be—developing as part of your training. Both laboratory (molecular cloning) and technical (programming in R) skills are important to consider. And don’t forget expertise in broader skills: mentoring students, managing a project, organizing a database, giving a presentation, collaborating with a team of researchers. These skills are often more important for career success, as potential employers may expect you to come already armed with these capabilities.

Comparing your current strengths and skills to your future needs allows you to bridge the gap. For example, you could plan to attend a workshop or learn a protocol to bring you up to speed.

Do I need an IDP?

Perhaps a better question is: who doesn’t need an IDP? Whether you’re a graduate student looking to pass her qualifying exam, a postdoc transitioning to a job in the pharmaceutical industry, or a new faculty member hoping for tenure, an IDP can give you a roadmap for your next steps. If an IDP is not already an integral component of your training program, you can develop your own with the help of online resources like the interactive web tool myIDP, hosted on the Science Careers website.

The views expressed in guest posts are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Genetics Society of America.

Many of us have been there: you’ve attended seminars and workshops focused on transforming the way you teach, and you can’t wait to use what you’ve learned. However, examining the evidence behind evidence-based teaching and actually using the evidence-based teaching methods are very different beasts. If you aren’t quite sure how to incorporate active learning techniques into your classroom, consider applying to be a Promoting Active Learning & Mentoring (PALM) Network Fellow.

The PALM Network was established by GSA, the American Society for Cell Biology, and the American Society for Plant Biologists to spark sustained biology education reform at diverse institutions through one-on-one long-term mentorships for faculty new to approaches based on recommendations from the Vision and Change report. PALM provides faculty and postdoctoral scholars with resources that allow them to gain hands-on experience and long-term mentorship support to bring evidence-based, active learning strategies into their own classrooms. PALM offers up to $2,000 per Fellow; a $500 mentor stipend; and up to $1,000 for network meeting travel (for each Fellow and mentor).

The PALM Fellow application website opens on January 1, 2016; however, you can begin working on your application now! Use the guidelines available at www.ascb.org/PALM. The application deadline is January 15, 2016.

Applicants must:

• Be or become members of organizations that belong to the PALM Network.
• Demonstrate an abiding/sustainable interest in undergraduate biology education.
• Establish a mentor relationship before formally applying.
  • Mentors must be skilled in active learning strategies and evidence-based teaching that align with Vision and Change principles. See http://www.visionandchange.org.
  • Mentors must belong to (or join) one of the PALM Network organizations.
  • Assistance with mentor matching is available (PALM Steering Committee can make recommendations based on geography and specific teaching interests).
• Explain alternatives if they have no immediate access to their own teaching setting.

Become a Mentor

If you are already skilled in the active learning strategies and evidence-based teaching that align with Vision and Change principles, volunteer to become a mentor! Mentors receive a $500 stipend to help implement effective teaching strategies, as well as network meeting travel support. Be a part of true education reform by becoming a PALM Network Mentor!

Questions? Please email grant PI Sue Wick at swick@umn.edu or Beth Ruedi at eruedi@genetics-gsa.org.

Funded by NSF Research Coordination Network in Undergraduate Biology Education grant #1539870