Society of Fellows Enriches TSRI Experience for Junior Scientists
By Mika Ono
What do postdoctoral fellows (and some graduate students
and staff members) want? Along with the wish list that everyone
has, they seem to crave intellectual stimulation, help with
career development, and a chance to socialize with people
outside their lab. And that’s what The Scripps Research
Institute (TSRI) Society of Fellows provides.
“The Society of Fellows sponsors three kinds of events:
educational, professional, and social,” says Emily Burke,
the society’s president and research associate (a.k.a.
postdoc) in the Buchmeier lab. "In practice, that can mean
anything from bringing top-notch scientists to TSRI as lecturers
to organizing a whale watching expedition."
The Society of Fellows’ most high profile events fall
under the rubric of the Distinguished Lecture Series, which
recently brought Nobel laureate James Watson, president of
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, to TSRI. Other speakers coming
up include Nobel laureate Stanley Prusiner, professor at the
University of California at San Francisco; J. Craig Venter,
president of Celera Genomics; and Alfred Wittinghofer, director
of the Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Physiology in Germany.
"We invite outstanding scientists to campus," says Avron
Spier, research associate in the De Lecea lab who heads the
society’s lecture series committee, "and most accept
our invitation. We don’t seek out controversial figures,
but we don’t shy away from them either."
Lecturers not only give a keynote address open to the public,
but also meet in smaller groups and one-on-one with TSRI postdoctoral
fellows, graduate students, and others who express interest.
"It’s a wonderful opportunity for junior scientists to
ask those at the top of their fields for advice, as well as
to get a real feeling for who these famous people are," Spier
remarks.
Another regular feature of campus life sponsored by the
Society of Fellows is a symposium in the spring and fall,
at which postdocs and graduate students present their work.
In the fall, $800 travel scholarships—to be used to present
results from TSRI labs at scientific meetings—are awarded
to the authors of the best posters. Last fall’s winners
were: Chemistry Graduate Student Junko Tamiya, Molecular Biology
Research Associate Miguel A. Rodriguez, Cell Biology Research
Associate Gino Cingolani, and Neuropharmacology Research Associate
Noemi Sevilla. Molecular Biology Graduate Student Erika Saphire
Ollmann was awarded an honorable mention.
The Society of Fellows’ social events include parties,
beach picnics, wine tastings, and other outings. Postdoctoral
fellows and graduate students often come from afar and arrive
knowing few people in San Diego. These gatherings give them
a chance to meet each other—and to simply have fun.
The bulk of the society’s activities are funded by
a one-day vendor show, which is scheduled for May 23 this
year. Companies pay a fee to set up booths and display their
wares on campus. "It’s a lot of work for us to set up
the vendor show," Burke comments, "but it’s worth it.
We focus on raising money with this one event so the rest
of the time we can focus on spending it."
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The Society of Fellows sponsors professional,
educational, and social activities for TSRI postdocs and graduate
students—as well as selling a memorable T-shirt (design
above).
More Information:
Society of Fellows web page
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