Purdue hosts week of activities to recognize important role postdocs play in essential research

Looking for a postdoctoral opportunity to advance her research in pharmaceutical manufacturing four years ago, Hemalatha “Hema” Kilari wasn’t just picking Purdue University. She was wanting to work alongside a leading global researcher in her field, Zolton Nagy, the Arvind Varma Professor of Chemical Engineering.

“I chose Professor Nagy because of what it would mean to conduct research in his lab. And with the strong support system for postdoctoral researchers and the incredible community surrounding this big university, Purdue has been an amazing experience for me,” says Kilari, who, in addition to her research, is current vice president of the Purdue Postdoctoral Association.

Kilari is one of nearly 600 postdocs at Purdue working in over 80 different departments — changing the world through their focus in advancing research across a multitude of disciplines.

And this week, Purdue is joining major research universities across the nation in hosting activities and social gatherings to mark National Postdoc Appreciation Week. The theme for this year’s national event, now in its 16th year, centers on communicating science and research, acknowledging the major contributions postdocs have made to U.S. research and innovation.

“Purdue postdocs are some of the most dedicated and hardworking staff on campus, but they are also some of the most under-recognized. That’s why it is such an honor — and the highlight of my year — to spoil them with food and fun-filled events for National Postdoc Appreciation Week,” says Rachelle Swan, director of Postdoctoral Affairs at Purdue.

In addition to a pizza party Monday night, sponsored by Proteintech, Purdue is hosting the following events at the Postdoc Party Tent on the south lawn of Memorial Mall along Mitch Daniels Boulevard:

• Postdoc + PI Ice Cream and Cookies Social, sponsored Purdue’s College of Engineering, at 2-4 p.m. today (Wednesday)
• Coffee, Tea & Donuts at 8-10 a.m. Friday

Register for the week’s events here.

Also planned are prize drawings for 10 seats to an all-day grant writing seminar and tickets to three upcoming Purdue Convocations productions.

Purdue’s College of Science started the week of celebration by highlighting via social media its postdoctoral researchers and their contributions in advancing research. Take postdoc Gert Vercleyen, a Golomb Visiting Assistant Professor from the Department of Mathematics who is researching fusion categories and topological quantum computation.

“The most exciting part of my work is creating a user-friendly package to deal with abstract mathematics because it helps scientists to perform research without the need to get lost in a myriad of abstract papers and gruesome calculations,” Vercleyan says. “I’m proud to contribute to the College of Science and look forward to collaborating with amazing College of Science researchers in the future.”

In support of their efforts, Purdue continues to increase its investment in the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars, bolstering the number of staff assisting postdocs and their research spanning over 80 departments campuswide.

The division of Postdoctoral Affairs empowers postdoctoral scholars to advance their careers and contributions by connecting them to resources and community. Additionally, the Purdue Postdoctoral Association fosters professional and social interaction among postdocs and other scholars and staff.

“Postdocs are essential to the research done here at Purdue,” says Ginger Bolen, associate director for strategic initiatives for the College of Engineering. “We feel these types of events are important to recognize the contributions they make for the research and learning mission of our university.”

Since 2009, the National Postdoctoral Association has sponsored the annual event to recognize the significant contributions postdoctoral scholars make to U.S. research and discovery. In 2010, this week was officially recognized by the U.S. House of Representatives.