Duke's third annual Postdoctoberfest was a blast! In keeping with Postdoctoberfest tradition, it rained, but that didn't stop postdocs, faculty and staff from enjoying over 400 bratwursts and veggie dogs, supplemented by giant pretzels and Red Hook ESB on draft. For entertainment, The Big Fat Gap Band delivered toe-tapping bluegrass, and for dessert, local favorite Maple View Farm supplied four flavors of ice cream. Postdocs were excited to receive this year's appreciation gifts, a 4 GB(!) flash drive and a t-shirt featuring the new Duke University Postdoctoral Association (DUPA) logo.
As always, the cornerstone of the event was the presentation of awards to the Outstanding Postdoc and Outstanding Postdoc Mentor at Duke. Dr. Alan Dorval, President of the Duke University Postdoctoral Association, presented the award for Outstanding Postdoc Mentor to Dr. Emily Bernhardt, 
Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology. In her short time at Duke, Emily has served as mentor for four postdocs. They praised her for: "going out of her way to help us develop as scientists, challenging us to describe the larger significance of our research, and always emphasizing the importance of making our work relevant to science and society, which increases the chances of our manuscripts getting published in high-profile journals." Dr Bernhardt was also praised for her support for women in science and her commitment to increasing the numbers of minorities in ecology. In short, Dr Bernhardt exemplifies what it means to be an Outstanding Postdoc Mentor at Duke.
Dr. Sally Kornbluth, Vice Dean for Basic Sciences, presented the award for Outstanding Postdoc to Dr. Joshua Carter from the Department of Chemistry. 
Dr Carter's mentor, Dr. Thomas LaBean, wrote: "Josh possesses an impressive range of interdisciplinary research skills, including materials characterization and molecular biology, as well as synthetic and analytical chemistry. I have repeatedly been impressed with Josh's ability to reach outside his previous experience and implement new solutions to difficult experimental challenges. In addition to his bench science prowess, Dr. Carter displays a relaxed, easy leadership style with the younger members of the group, and has acted as lead mentor for the research projects of local high school students from Project SEED. Despite the costs in time and effort, Dr. Carter cheerfully gives of himself to provide a profitable research experience for these young students."
Not only did Josh's labmates provide written testimonials praising his excellence in teaching, mentoring, and research, they were so enthusiastic about him that they created a video in his honor! Josh's nominations demonstrate that he is truly an outstanding postdoc, whose success in research is complemented by his service to the University and the larger community.
The faculty, administration, and staff of Duke University extend a hearty THANK YOU to all of our postdocs. We are proud to honor your achievements in research, mentoring, and teaching. You play a key role at Duke University!
