BGS Career Development

Making It Count!

Seminars

Dr. Shai Silberberg (NINDS), ‘Assuring a bright future for biomedical research’

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Dr. Shai Silberberg, Program Director and Director of Research Quality at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) will be visiting Penn on Wednesday, June 5, 2019. Dr. Silberberg in his role with NINDS has an especially sophisticated understanding of what drives the emphasis by NIH on rigor and transparency. His institute, as well, has been particularly aggressive in experimenting with solutions through pre- and postdoctoral training venues. Dr. Silberberg’s talk, ‘Assuring a bright future for biomedical research’, will take place 10–11:30am in the Austrian Auditorium.

We have worked at Penn on issues of rigor and transparency for some time. Dr. Silberberg’s talk will reinforce much of what we do, but it will also provide specific insight into emerging thoughts and expectations of NIH. Those interested in familiarizing themselves with Dr. Silberberg’s work prior to the talk may read his important publication on reporting scientific outcomes (Landis et al., Nature 490 (2012) 187).

BGS Professional Skills Series

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This year’s BGS Professional Skills Series will conclude with, ‘Science & International Diplomacy’, presented by Dr. Mahlet Mesfin, Deputy Director of the Center for Science Diplomacy at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), on Thursday, May 16th, 4:00 – 5:30 PM in the Barchi Library (140 John Morgan). This event is co-sponsored by the Penn Science Policy and Diplomacy Group (PSPDG).

Dr. Mesfin will speak to the intersections of science, policy, and society. An alum of Penn (SEAS PhD ’11), Mesfin joined AAAS in May 2017.  She also serves as executive editor of the open-access policy journal Science & Diplomacy. Read more on her background here.

Light refreshments will be served! Please register here: https://forms.gle/wkibmCk5XbQjvNQs6
If you have any questions, please contact Rebecca Lopez.

SACNAS Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting 2019

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On Monday, June 10th 2019, the Penn SACNAS Chapter will host a day-long event of professional development workshops, as well as talks, poster presentations, and community building open to STEM undergraduate student, graduate student, postdoctoral, and faculty members. Their goal is to celebrate the power of diversity in STEM.

SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT:
Prizes will be given to top three Best Poster winners: 1st place: $250 gift card, 2nd place: $150 gift card, 3rd place: $75 gift card, sponsored by Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences (MINS).

Registration Deadline: April 22nd!

Register at: https://forms.gle/6UgN8mokCX3zZMUA7 and more details at: https://www.med.upenn.edu/sacnas/regionalmeeting.html

BGS Professional Skills Series: “Informational Interviews”

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Next up in the BGS Professional Skills Series: “Informational Interviews”! This talk will take place Tuesday, April 16, 2019  from 4:00 – 5:00 PM in Barchi Library (140 John Morgan). Co-hosted by PGWISE and EE Just. Light refreshments will be served!

Dr. Helen N. Pho, Associate Director at Penn Career Services, will address the following topics:

  • How to prepare for an informational interview, including what questions to ask
  • How to create a good impression when answering the “tell me about yourself” question
  • How to ensure that your networking conversation is beneficial to you and meaningful for the professional

To register, click here or copy and paste the URL below into your internet browser:

https://forms.gle/GtwJL5zcoeTMApy2A

If you have any questions, please contact Rebecca Lopez.

BGS Professional Skills Series: ‘Philanthropy & Fundaising’

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And now for something different! The next session in the BGS Professional Skills Series is, ‘Philanthropy & Fundraising.’ It will be led by Torren Blair, Senior Director of Development, Basic Science and Translational Science Programs, and Megan Osvath, Associate Director of Development for Biomedical Research on March 26, 2019 from 4-5 PM in the Barchi Library (140 John Morgan Building.)

For most, the talk will be a revelation, and certainly useful. Philanthropy and other forms of fundraising are central to the growth of institutions such as Penn, but they are relevant as well to numerous, smaller spheres of nonprofit activity. Importantly, these activities embrace a number of skills relevant to a variety of pursuits:  valuation of what we do, how to communicate with the public, creating win-win situations, and teamwork. Please join Torren and Megan as they describe the objectives and skills required in a behind-the-scenes look at how these activities are conducted at Penn.

Light refreshments will be served!

Please register here by March 22, 2019: https://goo.gl/forms/CAxW3SlWz1aVS1Zl1

If you have any questions, please contact Rebecca Lopez.

New iBioSeminar: Visual Communication in Biology

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“Scientists commonly use visual representation of data to show their results and ideas. In this seminar, Dr. Janet Iwasa provides an introduction to the field of molecular animation, and walks us through the process of using visualization tools to communicate scientific information. In her first video, Iwasa summarizes the common types of visualizations used in biology, explains the steps you should take to create a model figure, and summarizes key elements you should consider when creating your figures and models.

In her second and third videos, Iwasa provides an overview of the animation process. She shows different software that can be used to create molecular models (e.g. UCSF chimera), and illustrates the process of creating an animation and finalizing the video using software like Maya and Adobe After Effects. These videos will familiarize you with the process of creating an animation and show best practice techniques when using visual communication in biology.” (Via iBiology)

Watch Janet Iwasa’s iBioSeminar: Visual Communication in Biology