Date/Time: Friday, October 27, 2006
Our first Postdoctoberfest was a smashing success! Over 200 postdocs, faculty and staff feasted on bratwurst, knockwurst and tofuwurst while enjoying the lively bluegrass of the Big Fat Gap Band.
The highlight of the party was the presentation of awards to the Outstanding Postdoc and Outstanding Postdoc Mentor at Duke. Although only two awards were presented, everyone who was nominated (45 mentors and postdocs in all) received a congratulatory letter from the Office of Postdoctoral Services and the Duke University Postdoctoral Association (DUPA).
Dr. James Siedow, Vice Provost for Research, presented the award for Outstanding Postdoc Mentor to Dr. Farsh Guilak, Director of the Orthopaedic Bioengineering Laboratory. Dr. Guilak's nominators praised him as someone who mentors by example as a lab leader, a scientist, and a father.
Dr. Guilak manages a lab of 28 students, postdocs, and staff, is the Editor in Chief of a major journal, serves as the PI for numerous grants, and is in the midst of developing a start-up company. Despite these responsibilities, he has steadfastly supported, challenged, and encouraged his postdocs as they develop their own research paths. He meets with his postdocs regularly and provides annual reviews of their individual development plans, provides grant application recommendations and support (all five of his postdocs have their own funding), and he has an open-door policy that allows for frequent advice and discussion.
Dr. Sally Kornbluth, Vice Dean for the Basic Sciences, presented the award for Outstanding Postdoc to Dr. Xiaopeng Zhao of the Department of Biomedical Engineering.
Dr. Zhao received nominations from his mentor, from a student in one of his classes, and from an officer of Sigma Xi, the professional society he serves in. Dr. Zhao's research uses techniques of nonlinear dynamics to study the mechanisms underlying cardiac arrhythmias such as ventricular fibrillation, and he has established an excellent record of publication. All three of Dr. Zhao's nominators praised not only his research achievements, but also his service, teaching, and mentoring activities at Duke.
Finally, Dr. Siedow presented a surprise award for Outstanding Postdoc Leader to Dr. Elizabeth Johnson, president of the Duke University Postdoctoral Association. 
Dr. Siedow described Dr. Johnson as a force for positive change for postdocs on the Duke campus. He noted that Dr. Johnson has been instrumental in crafting the new postdoc policy, which mandates a minimum salary level and provides equal access to health insurance regardless of source of funding. Dr. Johnson also led the effort to establish the new postdoc office at Duke, and has built DUPA from a relatively small group into a well-organized team that hosts numerous professional and social events for Duke postdocs. Needless to say, Dr. Johnson has done all this while maintaining her own research in the Fitzpatrick Lab of the Department of Neurobiology.
After the awards ceremony, the party resumed until not a crumb of pretzel or drop of Märzenbier remained. Everyone had a good time, which was the point, but we want the larger point to extend beyond the month of October: at Duke, we value our postdocs. Their efforts, and those of the faculty mentors who guide and support them, are worthy of our respect, reward, recognition - and a really good party!