Postdoc Conference for Future Faculty

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 12:07:02 -0400

The University System of Maryland's AGEP Promise Academy is hosting an inaugural postdoc conference for future faculty on Friday, September 24, 2021 and Friday, October 8, 2021 from 10:30am-2:15pm. This virtual conference is being held during the National Postdoc Appreciation Week, and is focused on professional development, encouragement, motivation, career advice, peer support, and camaraderie, particularly for underrepresented postdocs from the University of Maryland System (USM) in STEM fields. While the main focus is transitioning from a postdoc into tenure track faculty positions, all postdocs are invited to attend. The event is sponsored by the NSF AGEP Promise Academy Alliance, which is composed of the University of Maryland, Baltimore; University of Maryland College Park, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Salisbury University and Towson University.

***UMBC Registrants have the option to submit any of their tenure track application materials (i.e. CV, research statement, teaching statement, diversity statement) by September 17th. A review team of experts will add comments, and will give registrants a 1:1 15 minute meeting with a reviewer during the conference ***

Day 1 Agenda – Friday, September 24, 2021 (register here)

10:30-10:45 – Welcome

10:45-11:45 – Developing Collaborations

Developing collaborations can be pivotal for academic research, but we often don't know where or how to begin building these relationships. This session will begin with a panel of experts in creating research teams, providing tips on how to establish successful collaborations. The session will continue with practicing networking and how to talk about yourself and your research with new people. We’ll challenge you to practice talking about your research interests with a broad, multidisciplinary audience--other graduate students and postdocs!

12:00-1:00 – Damani White-Lewis Keynote

Prioritizing Racial Equity throughout the Faculty Hiring Process

1:15-2:15 – Faculty Interview Panel

A strong faculty interview is key to landing a tenure-track faculty position. This session will guide you to best practices for preparing to meet students and future faculty colleagues, delivering your research and teaching presentations and debriefing with the search committee. Attendees will learn how to prepare for and complete the faculty interview with professionalism and poise.

Day 2 Agenda - October 8, 2021 (more details & registration link forthcoming)

10:30-10:45 – Welcome Back

10:45-11:45 – Expectations for Publications

12:00-1:00 – Negotiating Start Up

1:15-2:15 – Grant and Editorial Board Reviews

Please join us. Register for Sept 24 sessions and the keynote talk.

About Keynote Speaker Damani White-Lewis:

Dr. Damani White-Lewis is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Counseling, Higher Education and Special Education. He studies racial equity issues in postsecondary faculty careers and broader academic terrains using theories and methods from organizational behavior and social psychology. Dr. White-Lewis’ research on faculty hiring has received several national awards and honors from the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), American Educational Research Association (AERA), American Association of Blacks in Higher Education (AABHE), and the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE). His research has appeared in prominent education and science journals, such as The Journal of Higher Education, Teachers College Record, and Biomed Central [BMC] Proceedings.

Dr. White-Lewis received his Ph.D. in Higher Education & Organizational Change (HEOC) from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he was also a research analyst at the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI). Prior to completing his doctoral work, Dr. White-Lewis worked in higher education policy in Washington, D.C., and received his BA in Political Science from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).

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