Advising is a critical area of focus for the University and a key ingredient for a successful postdoc experience.
Each year, the Office of Postdoctoral Initiatives recognizes two outstanding faculty members who demonstrate excellence in their advising of Postdoctoral Fellows and Associates with the Faculty Award for Excellence in Postdoctoral Advising.
Learn more about nominee eligibility and selection criteria.
Past Awardees of the Faculty Award for Excellence in Postdoctoral Advising
2023 Awardees
Jeffrey Gralnick, Professor, Plant and Microbial Biology
"Being a postdoc should be one of the most enjoyable positions in one’s career, as you can be truly focused on science without the plethora of distractions that working in industry, academia or government will have. However, as I tell my postdocs when they join my lab - their primary job is to get a job. Early on I encourage postdocs in my lab to begin looking for positions, to network and to gain experience in areas that will help them achieve this goal. Discussing career aspirations is the first step, but identifying training opportunities both inside and outside of the lab is equally important. Participation in developmental experiences should not simply be permitted, but enthusiastically encouraged. Having fun and doing cool science also helps!"
Suzanne McGaugh, Associate Professor, Ecology, Evolution and Behavior
"My postdoctoral mentor was one of the most encouraging, kind, and engaged scientists I've ever known, and my postdoc was easily a highlight in my career. I felt immensely supported, and, as a result, my postdoc was a time of lightning scientific growth and productivity for me. His example, and its impact on my career and my perception of my abilities, has inspired me to emulate high expectations, high encouragement approach with my mentees. While I don’t always meet my own expectations in mentoring and have learned from past mistakes, I try to instill in my mentees just how incredibly talented and valued they are and that they are capable of the very best science if given the proper scaffolding of support."
2022 Awardees
Marla Eisenberg, Professor, Department of Pediatrics
"The academic life can be hard, but I have found through my own experience that a supportive mentor can make it easier. My goal in mentoring postdocs is to encourage them to carve out an area of our shared research that they are passionate about and can take the lead on. Then they use that energy and enthusiasm to learn new skills and branch off even further to new ideas that are all their own, developing their own programs of research. I want to support my postdoc colleagues in building satisfying careers in areas that are meaningful to them, while also achieving a reasonable level of balance with life outside of work."
Georgios B. Giannakis, Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
"After 35 years in academia, it has become crystal-clear to me that among the great legacies of a faculty member is advising-and-mentoring students and postdoctoral researchers. I consider myself lucky to have my professional career (and soon thereafter personal-life) path crossed with more than 26 postdocs, who after 2-3 years with my research group have pursued outstanding careers. They are my points of pride, and my ambassadors of diversity and excellence they attained in the universities, government agencies, and industry they joined; more than a third from underrepresented groups. Diversity broadly includes gender, race, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, and sexuality; but also embraces different backgrounds, philosophies, and perspectives, thus fostering a culture of equity and inclusion in an ecosystem, where all voices are heard, and practices are respected. My approach to postdoctoral advising simply leverages the model of their follow-on career, namely teaching/mentoring, professional service, and/or research, and fundraising."