Berkeley Lab Postdoc Association

The Berkeley Lab Postdoc Association is an organization run by and for about 1000 postdocs and early career scientists working at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. We organize many activities to strengthen our ties to the Lab, to each other and to the (Berkeley) Bay Area. Our goal is to facilitate social interactions, scientific exchanges, seminars and general orientation.
 
Berkeley Lab Postdoc Association

Berkeley Lab Postdoc Association

News and Upcoming Events

Dinner & Pub Night

Time/Venue: Friday, 10/6 @6.30 PM /Jupiter

This month’s BLPA dinner & pub night will be taking place Friday (10/6) at 6.30 pm at Jupiter (2181 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704, next to Downtown BART shuttle stop) followed by Spats (1974 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley) or Triple Rock Brewing (1920 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley) later in the evening. Come for food and fun with your fellow postdocs and make awesome new friends (older than 21). Hope to see you there!

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Hike: Expedition X-Treme

When/Where: October 14th/Mt Tallac

Are you ready to push your limits and experience the thrill of conquering one of California’s most challenging hikes? If you crave the adrenaline rush of high-intensity trekking and possess the skills of an experienced hiker, then our “Mt. Tallac Expedition X-treme” is tailor-made for you!

This day trip is not for the faint of heart. We will be covering a strenuous 15.6-kilometer trail to the summit of Mt. Tallac, a journey filled with rugged terrain and breathtaking vistas. Please be aware that this hike is not for novices.

Spaces for “Mt. Tallac Expedition X-treme” are limited, and demand is high. Secure your spot now by filling up the registration form available here. Please RSVP by filling up the form by Monday, noon, October 2nd to secure your spot.

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Halloween Camping

Time/Venue: October 28-29/Mount Diablo

Get ready for an unforgettable outdoor experience! The Berkeley Lab Postdoc Association (BLPA) is excited to invite you to an overnight camping trip at Mount Diablo State Park on October 28th-29th, 2023.

Please RSVP here by 12:00 PM, October 18th to secure your spot. If you have any questions or need further information, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at postdoc@lbl.gov.This camping trip is a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow postdocs, enjoy the beauty of nature, and unwind from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

Let’s come together for a memorable camping adventure at Mount Diablo State Park. We look forward to sharing this experience with you!

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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.

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Past events

Hiking: Muir Woods

On Sunday 9th April, several postdocs went for a hike in the Muir Woods National parks, near Marin County, California. It is part of the...
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Bouldering

On Saturday March 25th, many postdocs went to the Pacific Pipe to practice bouldering, a style of rock climbing. The event was well attended and...
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Hiking: Inspiration Point

On Saturday March 18th, several postdocs went for a hike in the Inspiration Point to Wildcat Peak, near Kensington. The hike was fun and hiking...
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Hiking: Tennessee valley and Muir beach

On Saturday February 11st, several postdocs went for a hike in the Tennessee Valley to Muir Beach via Coastal Trail, near Mill valley. The hike...
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Bouldering

On Saturday January 28th, many postdocs went to the Pacific Pipe gym to practice bouldering, a style of rock climbing. The event was well attended...
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Hiking: Coyote Hills Regional Park

On Saturday January 21st, several postdocs went for a hike in the Coyote Hills Regional Park, near Fremont. The hike was fun and it was...
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Hiking: Christmas Holidays Lights

On Friday December 16th, LBNL postdocs met in the evening for an urban walk in west Berkeley to have a look at the funny and...
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Hot Chocolate Event

What is it better than gathering with friends for a hot chocolate before the Christmas holidays? On Wednesday December 14th, postdocs met onsite at 50C...
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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!

 

Weronika Wolszczak

Co-chair

Nuclear Science Division

Rajiv Ramanujam Prabhakar, Committee Coordinator
Outreach

Chemical Sciences Division


Kshitiz Gupta, Committee Coordinator
Social

The Joint BioEnergy Institute

David Halat
Secretary

Materials Sciences Division

Fatima H. Garcia
Treasurer

Nuclear Science Division

Emil Rofors
Board Member

Nuclear Science Division

Soumyadeep Ghosh, Webmaster
Board Member

The Joint BioEnergy Institute

Trisha Kishore Bhagde
Board Member

Energy Storage & Distributed Resources

Mauricio Lopez Luna
Board Member

Chemical Sciences Division/ALS

Maher Alghalayini
Board Member

Energy Technologies Area

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.