The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs

In today's rapidly evolving higher education landscape, fostering a culture of inclusivity, civil discourse, and collaboration is more important than ever in our heterogenous labs, studios, and other research spaces. Restorative Practices (RP) offer a transformative approach to building strong relationships, resolving conflicts, and promoting a sense of belonging within research groups. For a truly restorative culture, labs/departments, etc. need practical strategies for immediate application that help everyone feel valued, heard, and empowered, especially when differences of opinion threaten to stall progress. Implementing RP can not only enhance communication and teamwork, it cultivates a sense of community that transcends physical boundaries for postdocs, faculty, and the graduate students they mentor.

Please note: Completion of the Restorative Practices Part 1 Training is required for participation in Part 2.

This training empowers participants to:

• Apply restorative practices to the Penn State research group setting
• Use restorative practices to guide emotionally intelligent conversations
• Support those harmed and those who caused harm with equal dignity
• Recognize when a full restorative conference is appropriate—and when it's not

The Penn State Postdoctoral Research Symposium returns for its 19th year, showcasing postdoctoral research across many disciplines.

Please stay tuned for further details and a registration link.

A panel of Penn State assistant professors and will share insights in response to postdocs' top-of-mind questions in preparation for tenure-track interviews.

Following the panel discussion, small-group roundtable discussions (adding a few senior faculty to the mix) will offer more targeted career guidance.

Negotiation is often thought of as daunting but it doesn’t need to be. This workshop will demonstrate the preparation required to remove the frightening and unknown aspects of it and turn it into a skill to be leveraged appropriately. Many people consider negotiation the act of advocating for oneself whilst attempting to persuade others to pay more for one's skill set. Whilst that may be somewhat true, to negotiate successfully one needs to know what information to utilize and when to use it. Did you know the negotiation begins before you even apply for a job? In this workshop you will be shown practical ways to prepare for a job application and subsequent negotiations including where to find salary information and final take home pay, how to know your potential worth and what you need to earn, setting your negotiation limits, and understanding what you actually cost to your employer. While the workshop will provide the basics of negotiation theory it will primarily be focused on free, practical steps to be utilized for an effective negotiation.