The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs provides access to activities throughout the year. If you have questions about any of the programs, contact postdocs@cornell.edu
Postdoc Leadership Program
Leadership involves effectively engaging people to work together to achieve organizational, political, or social goals. Skill in this arena is a critical factor in organizational and career success. Every postdoc, no matter what field of endeavor, will face complex leadership challenges. How these challenges are met will have a significant impact on the postdoc’s career and life.
Sponsored by the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, this highly interactive 8-module program for current Cornell postdoctoral associates and fellows uses lectures, discussions, simulations, and cases to introduce postdocs to key concepts and skills of leadership in today’s complex environment. It provides a practical forum to assess and develop personal leadership skills in self-knowledge, individual and group dynamics, power, the importance of organizational structure and context, and the role of communication in conflict resolution, team function, and change. This program runs each year in the fall.
Goals
Throughout the program, explore the responsibilities and challenges of leadership related to each of these topics:
- Create virtual network of Post Docs—help you build social capital
- Enhance awareness of your style and impact on others
- Explore decision-making strategies, resonance with your style and appropriateness of each style in different contexts (both cultural and organizational)
- Expand your awareness about how to create a high-functioning team
- Provide tested strategies for effective meetings
- Experience a framework to help you understand and resolve conflicts
- Heighten your awareness about conflict in work groups and ways to avoid/resolve it
- Set the stage for you to tailor your next steps in leadership development to your own style, career context and organizational level
One-on-One Tutoring on Writing, Presentations, and Pronunciation
Postdocs are eligible to receive one-on-one tutoring for any written document or prepared presentation. This service is sponsored by the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and available to postdocs at no cost through Cornell’s English Language Support Office (ELSO).
Tutors are trained and employed by ELSO and include Cornell faculty members and graduate students from a range of academic backgrounds. ELSO tutors will work with any type of project, including research articles, CVs, resumes, personal statements, statements of purpose, grant proposals, and conference presentations. Tutors can work with clients on all levels, from language to overall structure, and at any step, from brainstorming to finalizing. To make an appointment, visit the ELSO tutoring page and choose from options such as pronunciation, presenting and writing, and even GenAI writing assistance. Most appointments are online (i.e., synchronous). A few can be made face-to-face. Strategies for having a great tutoring session can be found here.
This program is coordinated by Director Dr. Nathan Lindberg (nwl26@cornell.edu)
Postdoc Support Group
Faculty Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) runs a small support group for postdocs each fall and spring. This group is facilitated by a licensed therapist and is designed for discussing challenges working together to find solutions for issues that arise during a postdoc’s time at Cornell.
Additional Resources
Some additional programs are available through the Graduate School’s Professional Development page. Be sure to check that the specific program is open to postdocs.