The purpose of the WISEST Postdoctoral Fellowship is to increase the number of underrepresented minority women entering STEM academia in tenure-track positions. This unique two-year comprehensive career-building fellowship will prepare aspiring under-represented women scientists in the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics disciplines, to achieve a faculty position. This fellowship offers a match with a research advisor, senior faculty mentors, and monthly seminars to address research, publications preparation, teaching, and a personal development career plan. An annual stipend is provided for travel to a scientific meeting. See details.

Summer 2006 The National Postdoc Association was contacted to assist WISEST with developing a model postdoctoral fellowship for underrepresented minority women in STEM. Several conference calls with members of the NPA Diversity Committee helped to establish necessary program elements. A contract was negotiated whereby NPA would provide WISEST with the following deliverables: annotated list of postdoc “best practices”, illustrative content for monthly postdoc seminars and workshops, recommended fellowship structure based on successful models, prototype Department RFA, sample application, sample MOU between fellow and research advisor, research plan template, Individual Career Development Plan template, recruitment plan. Developing the application materials for the postdoc fellowship and launching the announcement nationally was a priority activity.

Nov 2006 The WISEST Postdoctoral Fellowship advertising was launched.
Department facilitators proactively identified potential candidates. Potential advisors worked collaboratively with candidates to develop outstanding research projects. WISEST was keenly aware of the challenge we face in attracting five of the few underrepresented minority women in STEM who might be interested in a post-doc and an academic career, especially being disadvantaged by a late start. However, a process was developed that did identify a surprising number of viable candidates, in addition to the ones who responded to the ads. Fifty accomplished URM women in STEM areas appropriate to the 11 STEM departments of UIC were discovered in a pro-active search. Although many had commitments (post-docs or faculty positions) by the time we contacted them, the process of identification was illuminating for the WISEST team. We now have a ready response when we hear “there aren’t any qualified underrepresented minority women out there.”

April 2007, we selected 4 applicants (Belinda Akpa, Lauren Pintor, Yaniria Sanchez de Leon, Helena Puche) and one more candidate (Evilene Bowley) was added shortly thereafter. See tab WISEST INITIATIVES / POST-DOC PROGRAM/The UIC WISEST Post-docs for profiles of WISEST post-docs.

Aug 15, 2007 the WISEST post-docs arrived on campus and met with the advisers, heads, facilitators and the WISEST team. First draft of 2-year plan for career-development monthly workshops made available by Cynthia J. Jameson, Facilitator-at-large. The workshops that constitute this 2-year plan has been established as the WISEST Post-doc Institute. Prof. Cynthia Jameson has developed each of the workshops and STEM faculty at UIC (and a few others from Argonne National Laboratory and other institutions have made presentations, participated in panels, reviewed manuscripts and proposals, served as mock search committees for applications, chalk-talks, and individual interviews. See the summary of monthly workshops and the faculty who participated in them.

Oct 24, 2007 Opening day of The Post Doctoral Career Development Institute (PDI). Session 1 Setting goals and objectives; balancing personal and professional life. Profs. Mary Ashley (BioS), Olga Barannikova (Phys), Tanya Berger-Wolf (CS), Mitra Dutta (Head ECE), and Dr. Roser Matamala-Paradeda ecologist from Argonne National Lab.

Nov 28, 2007, PDI Session 2 Research integrity; data management, managing your research project. Profs. Brenda Russell (Biophysics, Research Standards Officer of UIC) and Brian Kay (Head BioS).

?, 2007, Individual Career Development Plan (ICDP) submitted to WISEST by postdocs

Dec 7, 2007, PDI Session 3 Getting the mentoring you need; finding networking opportunities; cultivating your sponsors; setting up collaborations. Profs. Isabel Cruz (CS), Cynthia Jameson (Chem, ChemE), Christopher Comer (BioS, Dean of LAS).

Jan 18, 2008, PDI Session 4 Preparing for the job search; finding the right match (Research I university, snall college, national lab, or industry). Profs. Cynthia Jameson (Chem, ChemE), Anne E. Houde (BioS, Lake Forest College), Monica C. Regalbuto (Argonne National Lab)

Feb 15, 2008, PDI Session 5 Getting funded: the federal funding agencies overview. Profs. John R. Regalbuto (ChemE, National Science Foundation program officer), Leslie Fung (Biochem, formerly NIH Study Section BBCB), Michael Stroscio (ECE, former program manager DOE, AFOSR and advisory board for DARPA, DoD)

Mar 13, 2008, PDI Session 6 Getting published and increasing your visibility. Profs. Mary Lou Soffa (U. Virginia Cheatham Prof. Computer Sci), Lynn Walter (Geol. Sci., U. Michigan). Review of manuscripts. (anonymous reviewers, Profs. Mary Ashley (BioS), Cynthia Jameson (Chem, ChemE).

May 1, 2008, PDI Session 7 Review of submitted proposals. Anonymous expert reviewers. Panel review Profs. Christopher M. Comer (BioS, Dean LAS), Robert Paul Malchow (BioS).

May 7 &12, 2008, PDI Session 8 Preparing an application package: cover letter, CV, research statement, teaching philosophy. Prof. Cynthia Jameson (Chem, ChemE).

June 2, 2008, PDI Session 9 Draft application package, finding a suitable niche: meeting of post-doc with faculty advisers Profs. Ludwig C. Nitsche (ChemE), Neil Sturchio(Head, Ea&ES), Joel Brown (BioS), Miquel Gonzalez-Meler (BioS), David H. Wise (BioS), Mary Ashley (BioS) on draft application package, followed by meeting of all advisers with Prof. Jameson and WISEST Director Siebert

Jul 10, 2008, PDI Session 10 Mock search committee review of application package. Profs. Mary Ashley (BioS), Isabel F. Cruz (CS), Mitra Dutta (Head ECE), Cynthia Jameson (Chem, ChemE)

Aug 28, 2008, PDI Session 11 Preparing for the campus interview, negotiating an offer. Profs. Martin Newcomb (Chem. LAS Distinguished Prof.), Peter Nelson (Dean Engg).

Sep 2008, Mid-program progress assessment of each post-doc, meeting with her entire mentoring team, Prof. Jameson and Director Siebert, followed by meeting of team with Jameson and Siebert: Sept 19 Belinda Akpa, Profs. Ludwig C. Nitsche (ChemE), Lewis Wedgewood (ChemE), Cynthia J. Jameson (Chem, ChemE); Sept 23 Evilene Bowley, Profs. Neil Sturchio (Head Ea&ES), Roy Plotnick (Ea&ES), Kathryn Nagy (Ea&ES); Sept 24 Lauren Pintor, Profs. Joel Brown (BioS), Mary Ashley (BioS); Sept 24 Helena Puche, Profs. Mary Ashley (BioS), Henry Howe (BioS), Joel Brown (BioS); Sept 18 Yaniria Sanchez de Leon, Profs. Miquel Gonzalez-Meler (BioS), David H. Wise (BioS), Mary Ashley (BioS).

Sep 23, 2008, PDI Session 12 Proposal talk to mock search committee. Profs. David Featherstone (BioS), John Leonard (BioS), Dennis Nyberg (BioS), Roy Plotnick (Ea&ES), Jennifer Schmidt (BioS).

Oct 2008, PDI Session 13 One-on-one 30-minute interview during a campus visit. Prof. R. Paul Malchow (BioS)

Nov 14, 2008, Meeting of faculty advisers, Profs. Joel Brown, Miquel Gonzalez-Meler, David H. Wise, Mary Ashley, of BioS post-docs with Prof. Brian Kay (Head BioS), Prof. Jameson for just-in-case Year 3 support plan.

Dec 2 & 9, 2008, PDI Session 14 The formal job seminar in a typical hiring department. Seminar announcements and introductions by Prof. Cynthia Jameson.

Dec TBD, 2008, PDI Session 15 Anatomy of an NSF proposal, preparing a proposal budget; NSF CAREER proposal. Prof. Cynthia Jameson (Chem, ChemE), Asst. Director Amneh Kiswani (ORS).

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