News and Upcoming Events
Tech Talk
Tech Talk: January 26th, 3pm, Solactron, Dave Palm
Join the Berkeley Lab Postdoc Association in welcoming solar innovation engineer Dave Palm to give a perspective on his career thus far. After formative undergraduate experiences in Pittsburgh, Australia, and Brazil, Dave started his solar research while earning a Master’s in Chemistry at the University of Cambridge. This culminated in a PhD in Chemical Engineering at Stanford University investigating ultrathin coatings for enhanced solar-driven hydrogen fuel production. Upon completing these academic pursuits, Dave joined San Jose-based solar panel startup Solactron as Senior Process Engineer and Scientist. He is currently leading the technology development as the company builds toward its goal of becoming a world leader in thin film solar panel manufacturing.
Bouldering
Bouldering at Pacific Pipe: Saturday, January 28th, 10am
BLPA social bouldering is back! Bouldering is a style of rock climbing that is performed without the use of ropes or harnesses. Bouldering walls are low enough that climbers can leap (or tumble) onto the mats without getting hurt. All you need is a pair of climbing shoes, which can be rented at the gym. Newcomers and seasoned climbers are welcome. Come climb and have a “rocking” good time! Sign up here. The sign up closes at 5 pm Friday 27th!
BLPA Board Elections
January 30th – February 5th, BLPA Board Elections
Looking to gain leadership skills? Want to become more involved in postdoc events around the lab? The BLPA is happy to announce the upcoming elections for board members, which will take place from Monday, January 30, 2023 to Sunday, February 5, 2023.
According to the bylaws, all LBL employed and affiliated postdocs are eligible to hold a board seat if they: are a BLPA volunteer (sign up here with your LBL email address); and have attended at least one Committee and one Board meeting (check out the calendar); and have co-lead a BLPA event or activity, The application form will be sent out by the Election Committee in January. All interested candidates should fill out the application form by Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at 5:00 PM. If you wish to join the board, but don’t think you meet the requirements for board membership, please reach out to us at postdoc@lbl.gov and we can try to arrange something for you.
Upcoming board and committee meetings (all over zoom): Board Meeting, January 17, 2023 at 6 PM, Social Committee, January 23, 2023 at 6 PM
Slack Fun Space
We have launched a new Slack “fun space” for all LBNL and affiliated postdocs.
We have dedicated spaces to chat about housing, healthcare, taxes, COVID-19 & vaccination, hobbies & events, food, movies & tv, childcare, sell or buy stuff and even to post photos of your pets! Sign up here and join the conversation.
Past events
Potluck Cultural Lunch
On Friday, October 21st, several postdocs gathered on the B91 patio at LBNL for the first in-person Potluck Cultural Lunch, where they contributed with homemade...
Read More "Potluck Cultural Lunch"
Hiking: Point Reyes Hill
On Sunday, October 16th, several Berkeley Lab postdocs went to Point Reyes Hill and hiked the Muddy Hollow & Coastal Trail. Despite the cloudy weather,...
Read More "Hiking: Point Reyes Hill"
Hiking: Pinnacles National Park
On Sunday, September 25th, a group of LBNL postdocs went for a day-trip in the Pinnacles National Park, in Central California. There they hiked the...
Read More "Hiking: Pinnacles National Park"
Hiking: Lake Anza
On Saturday, August 13th, some Berkeley Lab postdocs visited Lake Anza in the Tilden Regional Park. The hike to the like was nice and everybody...
Read More "Hiking: Lake Anza"
Cultural Lunch: National Parks of the US
On Friday, July 15th, Weronika Wolszczak, a postdoc in the Materials Sciences Division and a board member of BLPA, gave a cultural lunch about the...
Read More "Cultural Lunch: National Parks of the US"
Hiking: Greenbelt trail
On Sunday, July 10th, LBNL postdocs went for a hike to the Greenbelt trail near Hayward, CA. The trail was enjoyable with a lot of...
Read More "Hiking: Greenbelt trail"
4th of July BBQ
Several LBNL postdocs celebrated the Independence day with a BBQ at Live Oak Park, in Berkeley. It was a great day, with music, games and...
Read More "4th of July BBQ"
Cultural Lunch: Swedish Midsummer
On Wednesday June 15th, Emil Rofors, a postdoc in the Nuclear Science Division, and his family told us about Swedish Midsummer and the traditions related...
Read More "Cultural Lunch: Swedish Midsummer"
Resources
BLPA Board
BLPA is made up of volunteers – and we are always looking to grow! Are you interested? Do you want to know about the inner workings of BLPA and contribute to the postdoc community, building a larger network? Please contact us (postdoc (at) lbl.gov) or sign up to check out one of our many committees!
Elle Barnes
Co-chair
Alexander Pattison
Co-chair
Maximilian Bremer, Committee Leader
Lab-Industry Networking Connection (LINC)
Christian Messe, Committee Leader
Social
Alice Gatti
Secretary
Fatima H. Garcia
Treasurer
Shwetha Acharya
Board Member
David Halat
Board Member
Emil Rofors
Board Member
Moniruzzaman Shaikh
Board Member
Weronika Wolszczak
Board Member
Jibran Zuberi
Board Member
Sarvesh Kumar
Board Member
Jonelle Basso
Board Member
Trisha Kishore Bhagde
Board Member
Raul Flores
Board Member
BLPA Committees
We are always on the lookout for new events that could be fun and that we can bring to the postdoc community together as well as enthusiastic individuals interested in serving the postdoc community. If you have any ideas for events, please let us know by email to postdoc@lbl.gov or by dropping a line to a board member you know. If you’d like to volunteer with BLPA, please fill out this form.
Social Committee
Social Committee puts together a wide variety of events to enrich the postdocs’ personal lives and support networking among postdocs in a social context. We organize social events and outdoor activities including movie nights, game nights, hikes, pub nights, meet & greet events as well as a labmate program for new postdocs and we are happy to include new ideas. Join us to support social interactions among postdocs at Berkeley Lab.
Outreach Committee
Outreach Committee focuses on self development and diversity & inclusion activities including brown bag seminars (postdoc-to-postdoc, science café, cultural lunch) as well as coffee with postdocs blogs, outreach events and workshops. We also enhance communication between the BLPA Board and nation-wide postdoc community and foster networking and collaborative communication across divisions. Join us in preparing seminars, workshops, blog posts, newsletters while improving your science communication and public speaking skills.
Lab-Industry Networking Connection (LINC) Committee
LINC committee organizes tech talks, company site visits, networking events and career fairs to educate postdocs about careers beyond academia and facilitate effective networking between postdocs and industry partners. Join us if you are interested in expanding your professional network and exploring opportunities beyond academia while improving your communication, networking, leadership, time and project management skills.
