Patricia A. Champion, Ph.D., Professor of Biological Sciences, has been appointed the inaugural Director of Postdoctoral Studies in the College of Science. In this role, Champion is responsible for creating a training curriculum for postdoctoral scholars that provides skills to help them thrive in their future careers. Champion will also help to coordinate postdoctoral career mentoring and serve as an advocate for postdoc issues with faculty and administration leadership.
With Champion’s appointment, Santiago Schnell, William K. Warren Foundation Dean of the College of Science, has prioritized and placed new focus on the contributions that postdoctoral scholars’ bring to research and teaching endeavors at the University. “Postdoctoral scholars are instrumental partners in our faculty research programs, and provide an important role in our teaching and training mission.” Schnell said. “Postdocs rely on the experience gained in the lab to prepare and equip them for career success, whether in academia or in industry. My vision is to create a program of excellence that attracts postdoctoral scholars to the College of Science and prepares them to become exceptional faculty or scientific leaders in industry,” Schnell said.
Champion will help shepherd College of Science Postdoctoral Scholars across five departments through their time at Notre Dame, ensuring they are getting the most out of the experience. This includes recruiting and coordinating faculty who will present career development modules and mentor the postdoctoral scholars.
“I am excited about my new role and am enjoying interacting with the postdoctoral scholars,” said Champion. “I was inspired by Dean Schnell’s vision for the postdoctoral community, and am passionate about developing an inclusive training and mentoring program for postdocs within the College of Science.”
“Our postdoctoral program will play a crucial role developing and nurturing the postdoctoral community. We are creating a program of excellence that garners a reputation of bolstering careers in which postdoctoral researchers clamor to be accepted into it,” Schnell said. “That is the goal for this program.”
Originally published by at science.nd.edu on March 08, 2022.