Please enter your votes for the NextGen Association for Postdocs & Graduate students. Voting ends Sunday, September 24, 2017 at 11:59 PM. You can vote for up to two (2) candidates.
As a reminder: There are four positions: two co-chairs, and two vice-chair. The highest-ranking candidates will be offered the co-chair positions; the third and fourth ranking candidates will be offered the vice-chair position. Each position is to be held for a one-year term.
Please feel free to contact us if you any questions at aflorent@broadinstitute.org.
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Candidates
Joanne Cole
I am coming up on the start of my second year at the Broad as a postdoc co-mentored by Jose Florez and Joel Hirschhorn. My long term career aspiration is to become a professor at a smaller undergraduate university that emphasizes the importance of both research and teaching. There is so much more to do with a PhD than the traditional academic research career! This is one of the major reasons I want to play a bigger role in NextGen at the Broad. Nowadays, the tenure-track faculty position IS the alternative career, and I think it is really important to not only educate trainees about all the potential careers in science, but to help get them there via training, open discussions, and opportunities.
As a graduate student on a no-undergrad medical campus I found myself with limited teaching opportunities. I sought out experiences outside of my university first as a TA, then an instructor, and finally working as an adjunct professor at 2 different universities in Denver. I also ran a high school STEM club, took a NIH teaching workshop certification course, and got advice from professors with similar ambitions. I learned a lot about navigating a career outside of academic research with limited available resources, and I want to be involved in NextGen’s career development initiatives.
I also think NextGen social events are great for seeing old and new faces, and for keeping us sane, of course. I was an active member of my graduate school’s analogous organization throughout my time there and spent my final year as a Vice President.
Colles Price – incumbent
HI! I’M COLLES PRICE! LOOK AT ME! If you get that reference then congratulations! My name is Colles Price and I am a Broad-affiliated postdoc working in the Hahn lab as part of the Cancer Program. As part of the NextGen I have been honored to have serve you all this past year as part of the council. In this past year we have built amazing programs and partnerships which, if elected back to the council, I hope to continue to build. For example, we have partnered with many groups this past year including the research associates and staff scientists to continue to build a strong Broad trainee community. We have also majorly cosponsored several career building events and social events with the Boston PostDoctoral Association (BPDA). Importantly, we have had a stronger presence at Broad retreat helping make sure the ideas and representation of Broad trainees are strongly included. We have implemented a series to build knowledge and teaching experiences by helping trainees design and teach their own workshops to other trainees. That program has been a huge success and we will continue to develop that program. Really the total type of events we have done this past year has been staggering. We have done career networking events, small trainee-only forums with Eric Lander and George Church, science advocacy and the March for Science, social events including our monthly trainee social, trivia nights and BodaBorg night. I think moving forward that there are many ways we can continue to improve the trainee experience and continue to build a community between each other. We helped sponsor the B-SOCCS career building symposium and I want to build on that momentum to potentially have our own Broad trainee retreat, an opportunity to share our science with each other and network. Furthermore, I want to take all your ideas, whether they include a Broad library, nap room, trainee lounge, anything, and make them a reality. This is not just electing me, it’s about electing all of you so together we can make the Broad a better place! Always remember, we are in it together, and together WE CAN. Now, more than ever, I am excited for the opportunity to be elected to the council and be the best NextGen chair I can be!
Steven Poynter
The Broad Institute is easily one of the most collegial, collaborative, and diverse research institutions in the United States. For the last four years I have had the pleasure of conducting my dissertation research here at the Broad, and as a fellow Broadie, I recognize the importance of maintaining such a unique environment. I am running for the NextGen Association Co-Chair position to help continue the Broad tradition of integration and community through organizing social and training events. Moreover, as your representative, I would like to further expand career development opportunities for scientists of all disciplines and backgrounds.
Aside from completing Ph.D research in Chemical Biology at Harvard University, I am also a Business Development Fellow at the Harvard Office of Technology Development. In this position I lead efforts to identify market size, competition, and partnering strategies for a diverse portfolio of technologies developed at Harvard University. In my free time, I have helped organize numerous art events both locally and abroad. I am also the founder of a private scholarship aimed at advancing the education of students in the California community college system. As an undergraduate, I founded and served as President for the campus Biology Club. Furthermore, prior to attending college I worked for over three years at an aerospace company where I trained and managed a team of lathe machinists. My team regularly received bonuses for surpassing production quotas throughout my tenure with the company. With this diverse set of leadership and management experience, I am more than qualified for the position of NextGen Association Co-Chair, and I hope that I can serve as your representative.
Martine Therrien – incumbent
My name is Martine and I am a postdoc. For the past year, I have been a vice-chair of NextGen and I would like you to vote for me to continue in this position. In particular, I have worked to increase our connections with other institutions through the Boston Postdoctoral association. This collaboration has offered a multitude of new events to all trainees including, among others, trivia nights and a career development symposium.
NextGen is incredibly important for us, trainees, and is part of what makes a big difference in our success here at the Broad but also in our career. Moving forward I will work to foster a sense of community across all trainees by promoting professional development where we would learn from our peers, and, will organize working groups where trainees could develop networking, writing and presentation skills. I think we should learn from each other’s expertise and from previous Broadies.
I hope to have a chance to serve as a chair of NextGen and I look forward to being more involved within NextGen.
NextGen Association 