Below are some of our most recent articles. Please click through and explore the work of our Communications Committee!
Boston and Beyond: Fun in Boston
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While some things in Boston leave more to be desired (as already mentioned in several other articles here), there are perks that the city has to offer. Boston on a budget can be tricky, but if you know where to look, there are fun things to do. Some require transportation outside of walking or public transit, but others can be reached pretty easily by bus or car! Below is just a partial list of fun things in Boston and the surrounding area divided by ways you can get there from our central hub at BWH.
Walking or city transit
Freedom Trail
Method of transit: Green line to Park Street.
For those of you who are new to Boston and have never experienced the Freedom Trail, I absolutely recommend it. It gives you the opportunity to travel through many neighborhoods in the Boston area and showcases a lot of the history that exists throughout the city. You can opt for a free self-guided tour starting at Faneuil Hall near the Quincy Market following the red brick line throughout the city, through the North End, and ending at Bunker Hill. You can also pay to do a tour that will explain many of the historic landmarks on the trial, as well as often dress up in period-accurate attire. Right off the beaten path of the Freedom Trial is my all-time favorite place in the city: Brattle Bookstore. It has what seems like an endless supply of old books in many languages covering topics like history, cooking, fiction books, art, and more. Other highlights include: The USS Constitution, the Old North Church (the path takes you past the two rival cannoli shops in the city) as well as the Boston Commons. If you enjoy walking and history, this is the perfect introduction to Boston, especially on a nice day.
Harvard Arboretum:
Method of transit: #39 bus to JP, walk from there. Also reachable by the bike path of the Emerald Necklace Parks with some riding on the street required.
The Harvard Arboretum is an expansive preserve of land within the city limits. It is a collection of trees, flowers, and bushes compiled by many prominent biologists and botanists over the history of Harvard and contains ongoing research. It has miles of walking and paved biking paths and is open year-round. The arboretum offers programming that explores different aspects of the facility including identifying trees, natural history of the location, and birding expeditions. The Arboretum also has plants that are constantly blooming regardless of the season.
Museum of Fine Arts:
Method of transit: Green line
The MFA is a short trip on the green line from the hospital and has a lot to offer. The museum itself is surprisingly large considering and covers a wide array of art from all periods of human history, as well as a wide variety of locations throughout the world. You can easily spend several hours there exploring several Asian art exhibits, Italian Renaissance paintings, mummies, and even some Monet’s. Finally, the museum has a plethora of rotating exhibits, many of which leave in October so be sure to check them out!
New England Aquarium
Method of transit: Green line to Government Center transfer to the Blue Line (outbound to Wonderland) and get off at the Aquarium stop. (Can also get out and walk if you prefer)
NOTE: One of the perks of working at BWH is access to discount tickets, and the Aquarium is included.
The New England Aquarium houses a large number of African Penguins as well as a Sea Turtle that swims in a giant central tank. The aquarium is several stories high and has many floors of diverse fish, as well as some other aquatic life. There is also a touch tank with sharks and rays, which is a ton of fun, especially for kids. Depending on the speed that you decide to walk through, you could definitely spend a couple of hours admiring the colorful sea creatures and then buy lunch in the area.
Harvard Museum of Natural History
Method of transit: Take the green line to Park Street and transfer to the red line. Take the red line to Harvard.
Home to the “Glass Flowers” exhibit, this museum has a lot of really cool exhibits and often can get forgotten with all of the other activities to do in the city. It runs as a regular museum with exhibits focused on wildlife and natural habitats throughout the world. The museum also offers a variety of classes for adults and children including art and nature journaling classes and insect preservation classes. The other added benefit is the museum is free with a Harvard ID for you and one guest!
Commuter Rail/Ferry/Amtrack
Provincetown
Method of transit: Green Line to Park Street, Red line to South Station, and take the 7 and 4 bus and then take the ferry across the harbor.
Known for its colorful buildings, nightlife, and thriving LGBTQIA community, Provincetown (or P- town) has lots of small-town charm. It offers restaurants and bars off the main stretch of the road, as well as Race Point Beach, and during the late spring and summer whale watching tours. It also has an art museum (Provincetown Art Association and Museum or PAAM). Overall, it has a lot of beach town charm and can give you access to Cape Cod without needing a car. P-town makes for a great day trip in the spring and fall months while it is still warm, but not overly crowded.
Salem
Method of transit: From BWH, take the green line to North Station and transfer to the Newburyport/Rockport commuter rail line, exit at Salem
Salem is a cute little town known for its Halloween spirit and for Disney movies like Halloweentown and Hocus Pocus, as well as for its darker history in the execution of women accused of witchcraft. Salem treats the entire year like it is Halloween, so spooky museums and haunted tours are a year-round feature. Salem is also home to a shockingly vast art museum called the Peabody Essex Museum. The art museum is home to an entire house brought over from China and reassembled in the heart of the museum. It is also home to rotating exhibits as well as permanent works of art. It also has one of the oldest candy shops still in operation, which specializes in making classic candies from around the early 1800s. Finally, Salem embraces its history as a port town with some preserved land that is managed by the National Parks system for preservation. Beware of trying to go during the month of October as it becomes a popular tourist destination, but during the rest of the year, it has a lot of charm and fun things to do for a reasonable price.
Ipswich
Method of transit: From BWH, take the green line to North Station and transfer to the Newburyport/Rockport commuter rail line, exit at Ipswich
Ipswich is a quiet town with a lot of history. The town has a lot of cute shops that line the main road, as well as a pretty good brewery that has great food. The surrounding area has plenty of hiking, as well as apple orchards during the fall season. Ipswich is also home to the Crane Estate run by the Massachusetts Trustees organization, which manages a lot of historic land throughout the state. Castle Hill is an awesome time capsule of wealth and technological development during the early 1900s and is a great experience. I realistically could have spent a whole day just on the grounds of the estate walking around. There is a 2 mile or so walk from the house to the beach which is lined partially with marble statues. The Trustees also have a land preserve not far from the Crane Estate that has great bird watching and hiking. For a day trip, especially in the fall while the weather is still nice, Ipswich is a great place to visit.
Providence, RI
Method of transit: Commuter rail
Providence is a small city with still a lot to offer. Providence has its own zoo (Roger Williams Park Zoo), as well as some cute shopping centers and restaurants. It is also home to children’s museum, Brown University, and an art museum. Providence also has lots of tours including ghost tours and boat tours of the city. There are also lots of small group walking tours around Providence. Not a bad day trip if you are looking for a way out of the big city, but don’t quite want to escape into nature.
Portland, ME
Method of transit: Take the green line to North Station and walk to Amtrak station.
Portland is either an Amtrak trip or a 2-hour drive away from the city, and it has lots to offer. It has a lot of locally run small businesses and has restaurants that offer food with the famous Maine blueberries. Portland also has amazing food and breweries. There are also historic tours and lots of lighthouses nearby, as well as lots of opportunities for outdoor activities in the summer and early fall while the weather is still nice.
Car
If you have a car, the world, and especially the entirety of the Northeast is your oyster. However, I am highlighting two places within Massachusetts that are definitely worth a visit if you haven’t been there already.
Plymouth
The original landing site of the Mayflower, this historic tiny town has all of the appeal of a usual tourist town. Plymouth has several museums in the “downtown” area that describe the history of the town. During the spring and summer, there are lots to do with activities like whale watching, the Plimoth Patuxet Museum (would HIGHLY recommend it, especially if you have kids, but fun for adults as well), great food/ice cream, and lots of hiking/camping in the area (Miles Standish has great camping and biking, as well as good hiking). Plymouth Rock is also in the “downtown” proper area but can be underwhelming, so don’t go in with high expectations. There are also a few antique stores that have some really old and interesting stuff, and can be a great activity if antiquing is something that you enjoy. I actually was able to purchase a really old Hope Chest that was made from old ship parts from the 1800s at one of these stores. This is a really fun day trip and is only an hour from the city by car. Not far from Plymouth are some great state parks and beaches, as well as some incredible hole-in-the-wall seafood places that are open during the summer and early fall months.
Amherst
Amherst is a cute college town, home to the 5 colleges. It has a shockingly great natural history museum (Amherst College Museum of Natural History) and is home to the Emily Dickinson Museum. However, the real appeal of Amherst is the great hiking areas in and around the area. Amherst is home to the Kestrel Land Trust, which works to preserve natural habitats in the area. There is also the Amethyst Brook Conservation area with a 2-mile trail loop around a beautiful stream. The Kestrel Land Trust House also offers programming like mushroom IDing and seasonal yoga! This is the perfect day trip out of the city to enjoy nature and some cute college town atmosphere!
Bonus: MA beer run
If you enjoy beer, Massachusetts has a surprising number of good breweries (especially if you have a car to get there). I have experienced some good places in every town I’ve been to in MA. Many of these places are small microbreweries with the charm and personal touch of brewers in the business. While this is not something that is applicable to everyone, I wanted to just share a few favorites for those who like beer or are interested in finding something new to try.
Treehouse Brewing
Treehouse brewing is AN EXPERIENCE. This brewery is family-friendly as it has a massive outdoor component. There are food trucks on the property that rotate out, and the beer and cocktails here are some of the best I’ve had. They do have a unique system where you purchase drink tickets online and you receive a QR code that you scan at the bar. Because of this, the system feels a little like you are going to an amusement park, but they do make getting beer pretty efficient, despite the longer lines. There is ample parking and seating outside, and they do brew everything on-site. The key with Treehouse is that they barely ship anywhere so this is basically the only place to get their beer. There is also a covered pavilion where they often have live music. If you are looking for great beer and a relaxing time outdoors, this brewery is about a 1 hour drive from Boston.
Trillium (North Shore)
The tasting room of Trillium right up the street from BWH is a great place to spend a Friday during the summer. The beer at Trillium is always good. The food is a little pricy, but the quality of both the beer and the food is worth it. They also have an extensive selection of cans to go, so if you don’t feel like sticking around in the North Shore, make sure to get some beer to go.
Nightshift (Boston Proper or beer garden in Watertown in the summer months)
Nightshift has some really awesome seasonal beer and is a local favorite. They often have cans at the liquor stores around the city, so it is not completely necessary to go to their locations, but it is definitely worth it. They have a lot of good IPAs and regular ales that fit the summer season, as well as a few good porters once we hit fall.
Notch (Watertown)
I went to Notch when I actually did my interview for my current position. The location is not necessarily the most convenient, but it does have an open seating area and is close to a lot of really great food near Watertown. The beer was good, but not the best I’ve had in Boston. Still worth it.
Indie Ferm (Plymouth)
This small microbrewery has a wide variety of beers to choose from, and the staff there is always super friendly and ready to talk ‘beer’. Started initially by some locals in the Plymouth area, it has started to ship cans to some of the local stores within Plymouth.
Second Wind
Second Wind is found in downtown Plymouth and has some shockingly good beer for its size. Fair warning that the seating area is kind of small but well worth it. Mostly serves IPAs and ales with a few darker beers later in the year.
Exhibit A (Framingham)
Exhibit A is a cute smaller brewery that I think often gets overshadowed by Jack’s Abby (which is also good). The names of their beer often are pop culture references and are very punny which is a plus, especially because the beer lives up to the hype. They serve a variety of beers, but the brewery doesn’t have a full kitchen, so make sure you bring something with you or eat beforehand.
Strategies for Faculty Position Applications: Insights and Tips
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With the start of the semester and an influx of job postings, many members of our academic community are embarking on the journey of applying for faculty positions. To navigate this competitive process effectively, it’s essential to gather insights and tips from experienced professionals. Earlier this summer, the Boston Postdoc Association organized several panel seminars, offering valuable advice on applying for faculty positions. While each school and application is unique, this article aims to distill some key takeaways from these seminars, providing you with a solid foundation to enhance your application strategy.
1. Research Statements: Crafting Your Vision
For most academic institutions, the research statement is a pivotal factor in the faculty hiring process. Here are some key tips to consider:
- Soliciting Feedback: It’s crucial to have as many individuals as possible review your research statement and the entire application package. Different perspectives can help refine your statement.
- Think Big Picture: Your research statement should go beyond a simple project description. Think of it as outlining your vision for the lab and research. This should not be enough for an R01 grant, but enough for 3 R01 grants
- Highlight Collaboration: Mention potential collaborators, especially those already associated with the institution you’re applying to. Demonstrating synergy with current faculty members can be a strong selling point.
- Show Uniqueness: Emphasize what unique skill you bring to the table and why the questions you’re asking are distinctive. Clearly communicate how your research fits into the broader scientific landscape. Sell yourself and your work.
- Clarity Matters: Begin with a summary section that succinctly conveys your initial ideas. The simpler and more concise you can make your initial ideas, the easier it will be for the hiring committee to understand and consider your application.
2. Teaching Statements: Demonstrating Pedagogical Commitment
The importance of your teaching statement can vary depending on the type of institution you’re applying to. Here are some tips to make it stand out:
- Use Concrete Examples: Incorporate specific examples, such as certificates or classes related to teaching. These serve as tangible evidence of your commitment to pedagogy.
- Show Initiative: Highlight any efforts you’ve made to develop your teaching pedagogy. Showcase your dedication to becoming an effective educator.
- Alignment with Department: Research what classes you could potentially teach in the department or explore how you can connect your research to the development of a class or laboratory.
3. Diversity Statements: Embracing Inclusivity
Diversity statements have gained significance in recent years. Here’s how to approach them effectively:
- Use Templates: Consider utilizing rubrics like the one provided by UC Berkeley (https://ofew.berkeley.edu/recruitment/contributions-diversity/rubric-assessing-candidate-contributions-diversity-equity) to structure your diversity statement. This can guide your discussion points and ensure you cover key aspects.
- Incorporate in Cover Letter: Your cover letter will be incredibly important for getting your foot in the door. Don’t hesitate to mention your plans for improving diversity within the institution in this section.
- Integrate into Other Statements: Even if a specific diversity statement isn’t required, weaving diversity and inclusion principles into your teaching and research statements can set your application apart.
In conclusion, the path to securing a faculty position is multifaceted and competitive. These insights and tips gleaned from the Boston Postdoc Association’s seminars should serve as a valuable starting point for your application journey. Remember that while these guidelines are broadly applicable, tailoring your approach to the specific institution and position is essential. Best of luck as you embark on this exciting academic career pursuit!
Meet the PLC: the PLC Year-End Review
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The BWH Postdoctoral Leadership Council (PLC) consists of several different committees who work hard to advocate for post docs, organize seminars, celebrate the community, and increase post doc visibility within BWH. The PLC works hard throughout the year, and the Communications Committee is taking time to recognize all of the accomplishments of the PLC over the past year. This year has been particularly successful and I want to take some time to highlight the hard work and dedication of the PLC as a whole with the hope to highlight the individual members of the committees in the coming months. Two general things that the PLC has developed is the Travel Grant Program where post docs can apply for small funding grant to attend conferences, as well as developing a post doc resource page. While this is not a comprehensive list of all of the activities and changes made by our committees, it does emphasize the strides we have made over the past year.
Advocacy
As many of you are aware, the Advocacy Committee has been hard at work over the last year, expressing the need for better benefits and higher wages for post docs at BWH. The work from this committee has led to the recent 20% above NIH minimum pay bump that will become ubiquitous for all post docs at BWH starting in October 2024, a 2% default contribution to a 403b account, and 100% subsidization of the basic healthcare plan. Additionally, BWH is going to implement a system for automatic increases in salary each year, as the current system does not always increase pay. While this provides a much needed pay increase for post docs, the new changes are a huge success for the Advocacy Committee. Over the last year, the Advocacy Committee also conducted its first ever pilot survey of the post doc community, gauging general happiness of the post docs, as well as some basic demographic information, and how prepared post docs feel for the next stage in their careers. Overall, the results from this survey provided the foundation for advocating the benefits above that we received as well as implementation of a BWH online system to ensure annual performance reviews are required and convenient to fill out. Over the next year, the committee hopes to continue to improve the environment for all post docs in the community as well as conduct another survey in October of this year so be on the lookout! If you have questions or are interested in joining the committee, please contact Hadas Pahima (hpahima@bwh.harvard.edu) or Kisha Sivanathan (ksivanathan@bwh.harvard.edu)
Career Development
In the past year, the Career Development Committee has organized 5 different seminars. Three of which have focused on alternative career pathways with a STEM degree, and two have focused on tips for writing. One of the writing panels has focused on tips for writing grants through a variety of different government institutions, and the second writing panel was tips for preparing a teaching statement. Additionally, the Career Development team has started a new seminar series for post docs: the Journal Club Series. The goal of the Journal Club Series is to provide a platform for post docs to present either recent publications from themselves/their labs or to present groundbreaking research in their respective fields. If you have ideas for events or if you are interested in helping to organize more events like these, the Career Development Committee is actively recruiting new members. Contact Mingyu Ye for more information (mye@bwh.harvard.edu).
Communications
The Communications committee has had a lot of turnover in the last year, meaning that there is room to grow and revamp the committee. For the last year, the Communications Committee has focused mostly on increasing awareness of events by advertising them on several social media channels including X, Instagram, and LinkedIn. However, over the next “transition” year, the committee is hoping to expand into several new roles. These positions include: documenting events with pictures and summaries to report to the post doc community, writers to complete articles like the ones you are reading in this newsletter, and a webmaster to maintain the PLC website and help to advertise events. If you are interested in any of these positions, or have anything you want to communicate to the post doc community at large, please contact Allison Williams (awilliams118@bwh.harvard.edu).
Mentoring Circles Program (MCP)
The Mentoring Circles Program (MCP) has been around for 10 years now and is primarily a platform to provide peer-to-peer mentorship amongst the post doc community at BWH. The program offers junior postdocs a platform to network outside of their respective research fields and find mentorship on issues outside of scientific research. It has grown since its inception, initially starting as 3 groups of 6-7 post docs led by two senior post docs, it has ballooned to 9 groups consisting of about 49 mentees and 18 mentors. The groups are matched based on the interests of the mentees and focus strengthening soft skills and different aspects of career development including circles for academic tracks, industry tracks, residency tracks, as well as diversity focused circles such as discussing difficulties as women in STEM and how to best approach career development from that perspective. MCP begins taking applications starting now through September 22 (link to applications here), with the mentoring circles starting in October. Over the course of the year, groups will meet once a month to discuss different topics of their interest. Additionally, each group is required to host a speaker from outside academia as a way to explore alternative career paths. Overall, the goal for this year is to increase retention of mentees as well as develop a new writing focused mentoring circle. If you have any questions about the program, email the new chairs: Lien Nguyen (lnguyen53@bwh.harvard.edu) or Camila Zanella (czanella@bwh.harvard.edu).
Networking
Networking has provided several opportunities over the past year to meet other post docs within the BWH community. In previous years, Networking has hosted events such as Zoom trivia, hiking, river walks, and museum visits. More recently, Networking has started hosting regular happy hours once a month to help provide a relaxed environment and food to members of our community. These happy hours have been a huge success with an attendance of 80-100 people per event over the last several months. The happy hours have also had different themes to provide either activities or talking points. Networking also hosted two social events in the early fall of last year with a trip to Salem as well as a potluck dinner within the post doc community. Over the next year, Networking hopes to organize more events like these, as well as continue the happy hours. If you are interested in proposing ideas for social events or organizing future events, reach out to members of Networking, or the new chair Agustina Mena (hamena@bwh.harvard.edu).
NEW ad hoc committee: Committee for Cultural Inclusivity and Representation
In May of this year, the PLC elected to begin an ad hoc committee to increase awareness of the diversity of our post doc community and facilitate connections between our unique identities. The Committee for Cultural Inclusivity and Representation currently is made up of a small group of devoted members of our community (and is actively recruiting new members!!!). The committee has hosted an event for pride month, providing food and drinks, as well as a safe space to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ members of BWH, and enhance visibility for LGBTQIA+ in STEM. The event also hosted activities such as yard games, tie-dyeing, a photo booth and face painting. The event had a small break out session with members of the community who identify as LGBTQIA+ to share some of their thoughts and experiences as post docs at BWH. Overall, the first event hosted by the committee was a success, and demonstrated a need not only for a way to bring together a specific community, but also a need to introduce other post docs to communities with which they share an identity.
The current chair of the Committee for Cultural Inclusivity and Representation, Stecia-Marie Fletcher, as well as the members serving on the committee are striving to break the isolation often felt by post docs and provide a platform, not just to bring a sense of community between people who identify with a specific group, but find leaders willing to initiate social events.
The Committee for Cultural Inclusivity and Representation is also organizing a Mid-Autumn festival event which will take place in late September. The event will have a lantern making contest, moon cakes, and music. Make sure to stop by this event and join in on the fun!
If you identify with a particular group including but not limited to cultural or racial identity, sex or gender identity, marital or parental identity, or if you have a hobby or interest that you are particularly passionate about and you want to find your people, contact the Committee to Enhance Cultural Inclusivity and Representation. They will provide you with potential contacts of others in that community or platforms to host events. Stay tuned for an upcoming August event where they plan to have a community “open house” to help you identify colleagues going through a similar experience. And if you are not willing to become a group “initiator”, that’s ok, still let them know who you are and what types of groups or identities you think have a need or a want for a platform.
Interested in joining the editorial team or becoming a contributor? Do you have a question, comment, or ideas for our next issue or an article? Let us know! Please contact Allison Williams on the Communications Committee.
