Get Involved!

Empower Your Postdoc Experience: Join the PPDA Council!

Every Purdue Postdoc is automatically a member of the Purdue Postdoctoral Association (PPDA), which grants you exposure and access to a wealth of professional opportunities, engaging community events, and a vibrant network of fellow postdocs. For those eager to take a more active role, PPDA Council Members are elected by the postdoc community to lead the association’s efforts and shape the postdoc experience at Purdue.

Why Become a PPDA Council Member?

Joining the PPDA Council offers a unique opportunity to develop crucial skills and make a tangible impact:

• Leadership & Representation: You will gain invaluable leadership experience by representing the PPDA community and serving as a vital liaison between postdocs and key stakeholders, including Purdue faculty and the broader Purdue administration.

• Collaborative Impact: Collaborate closely with our esteemed PPDA faculty advisor, Dr. Rachelle Swan, and the Office of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Scholars (OGSPS) on various impactful departmental initiatives.

• Networking & Program Development: Externally, you will have opportunities to interact with other postdoc associations at BIG10 universities and national organizations. Council members also lead and implement essential professional development and community activities that directly benefit Purdue postdocs.

How to Join the PPDA Council:

Becoming a Council Member is a straightforward process:

1. Nomination: The PPDA Council hosts general elections, typically in the early fall semester, which are open to the entire postdoc community. Interested postdocs can self-nominate or nominate a fellow postdoc (assuming they are aware and willing to participate) by completing and submitting an electronic nomination form before the period closes.

2. Voting: After the nomination period, the curated forms are distributed, and the wider postdoc community casts their votes to select new Council Members.

Officer Positions:

Council Members have the opportunity to further elevate their involvement by becoming an officer. Officer positions, which include President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Public Relations Officer, are filled through internal elections for vacant roles.

Commitment:

While an annual term on the PPDA Council is expected to ensure continuity and impact, we understand that circumstances can change. Should a member need to depart early from this commitment, they may do so by informing the PPDA Council through a formal resignation.

We always need more hands to help us at our large, annual events! If you are inclined to help, just keep an eye out for our requests when we advertise our events on the Postdoc Listserv.

If you have an idea for an event, we’d love to hear from you! Please email us at ppda@purdue.edu.