My career journey has been a blend of discovery, passion, and strategic growth. In graduate school, I believed I could balance having children with a career in academia. However, as a postdoc, I was torn because I felt pressure to prioritize my career over my family but also feared that choosing my family would mean sacrificing meaningful employment.
In the end, I decided to follow my husband to Pittsburgh. I’d identified my priority, which was my family, but I faced a lot of uncertainty because I didn’t have any plan other than that. I did something right, though: I began to explore my interests. I took a project management course, I started volunteering with a program that helped young people succeed in STEM, and I found a job that leveraged my strength in behavioral neuroscience, which got my foot in the door in academia. As the manager of a research core facility, I was able to dive into aspects of scientific research that I discovered I was truly passionate about, like helping faculty and trainees identify and execute experiments that could propel their research forward, and this was very rewarding. However, not every aspect of the job was ideal for me, such as sitting on the floor repairing broken equipment!
Recognizing this, I sought opportunities that aligned more closely with what I had found rewarding, which led me to managing an NIH-funded resource center. This role allowed me to support researchers nationwide and to implement important initiatives, and I had the privilege of working with and learning from a number of incredible individuals. Over time, however, I realized that my heart was set on making a more direct impact within my own institution.
As I gained clarity about my career drivers, the challenge became finding a role where my primary focus would be on helping Pitt researchers thrive. The opportunity arose when the position of Associate Director for the Office of Academic Career Development (OACD) opened up. It was the perfect next step, offering me the chance to work under the expert guidance of Dr. Darlene Zellers, the director at the time and a professional I greatly admired, and to directly impact my university's postdoc community. I also had been acquiring new skills along the way, which included taking MBA classes related to leadership and becoming a professional coach, skills that I could immediately apply in this role.
Stepping into Darlene's shoes following her retirement, even temporarily, has been incredibly rewarding. It has given me the opportunity to bring my full self to support a community I deeply believe in. To help postdocs not just survive the uncertainty of early-career life, but truly thrive and succeed, is both a responsibility and an honor I don’t take lightly.
2. Looking Back: If you were to give one message to your younger self, perhaps during your own postdoc years, what would it be?
If I could give one message to my younger self during my postdoc years, it would be this: trust the journey, even when it seems uncertain. But, more broadly, I would tell my younger self what I now tell my postdocs, using a rocket analogy: that a career is comprised of a series of strategic decisions, built upon what you’ve learned, what you value most, what interests you, and the options that are available to you at each step. You want to know your values, and you want to continue adding parts to your rocket to help steer it, otherwise known as “professional development”, which is a lifelong process. This could include gaining leadership skills, project management training, or even knowledge of accounting, if that’s something that interests you. And finally, to celebrate each decision, each position, as an accomplishment, not just a move in a long series of moves that will get you to an ultimate destination.
I can see in hindsight that I made strategic choices at every step, guided by my skills, values and interests, and that I learned new skills and added new parts to my rocket at every stage, which ultimately launched me to where I am today. This journey has been very rewarding, and it has shaped me into a more effective and empathetic leader for the postdocs I support.
3. Motivation for Involvement: What inspired you to become involved in postdoctoral leadership and advocacy work?
My inspiration for becoming more involved in postdoctoral leadership and advocacy is deeply personal. When I completed my own postdoc, I had little awareness of career paths available to me, and that experience of navigating an uncertain future without adequate guidance stayed with me. I never want another postdoc to feel that same sense of limitation or uncertainty simply because they don’t know what is possible. Additionally, I spent years observing the realities of academic life, which included witnessing talented, high-achieving young adults struggling to reach their full potential - not for lack of ability or drive, but because of dynamics largely outside their control. I also saw how difficult mentorship dynamics, when left unaddressed, could leave postdocs feeling trapped and unsupported, even when faculty mentors were acting in good faith but were stretched too thin by their own mounting pressures. That dual perspective, of understanding the vulnerability of the postdoc experience alongside the very real demands placed on faculty, made me want to do something constructive at this intersection.
What I find most rewarding is the opportunity to ensure that every postdoc at Pitt has access to the resources, support, and guidance they need to identify and succeed in whatever career path will be most fulfilling for them, and to leave their postdoc with clarity and confidence about their next steps. Also, bringing leadership, communication, and coaching skills to support individuals as well as the mentoring relationships themselves in a way that improves outcomes for both postdocs and faculty is deeply satisfying. There is real meaning in helping young adults gain confidence and to succeed, and equal satisfaction in knowing that stronger mentoring relationships translate directly into a more productive and resilient research community. I feel privileged to be part of an infrastructure that does meaningful work, not only for the people within it, but for the broader world that benefits from the scholarship and discoveries it produces. That sense of purpose and impact is what continues to drive my commitment to this work.
4. Defining the Role: How would you describe the core mission of your office, and how do you see your role evolving over time?
The core mission of the Office of Academic Career Development (OACD) is to empower the health sciences community at the University of Pittsburgh, from graduate students and postdocs through faculty, with the professional tools, resources, and support needed to achieve their full potential as leaders in biomedical research. What truly sets the OACD apart, and which is something that the National Postdoctoral Association recognized as a model worth highlighting, is that we are far more than a career services office for postdocs. We have centralized oversight of postdoctoral training across the health sciences, which means we have the authority and reach to establish procedures, shape policies, and enforce standards that directly protect and advance the postdoc experience. Critically, we do this not in isolation but in close collaboration with faculty because we understand that postdoc success and faculty success are inseparable. When mentoring relationships are strong, when expectations are clear, and when both parties have the support they need, postdocs excel and the entire research community thrives.
As for how I see my role evolving: I believe effective leadership means staying attuned to the shifting needs of the community you serve, and those needs have changed substantially in recent years. The postdoctoral experience today looks very different from what it did even five years ago. The aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic saw a disruption in traditional learning styles and intensified questions about work-life integration and mental health, generational shifts have brought new expectations around purpose and career flexibility, and the current funding landscape has created a new level of uncertainty that postdocs are navigating. My goal is to ensure that the OACD evolves in step with these realities by identifying gaps, responding to emerging needs, and building programs and supports that meet postdocs where they are. I don’t see my role as a static one. I see it as a continuous process of listening, adapting, and advocating so that every postdoc in the health sciences at Pitt has what they need to succeed, not just within academia but in whatever path is right for them.
5. Challenges Faced: What do you see as some of the biggest challenges postdocs face today - both at your institution and more broadly across academia?
Postdocs today are navigating a confluence of challenges. The National Academies held a summit in July of 2025 on Reimagining STEMM Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Career Development during which they called this period a ”polycrisis”, where multiple, interconnected crises have converged and have been amplified. In addition to what I mentioned above, this includes shifting immigration policies and, nationally, an interest in unionizing. That is precisely why the work of the OACD, meeting postdocs where they are, filling the gaps, and building responsive support, has never been more critical.
6. Strategic Responses: How have you and your team worked to address these challenges, and where have you seen meaningful progress or impact?
At the University of Pittsburgh, we are proud to say that many of the best practices and recommendations highlighted at the National Academies’ July summit are not aspirational goals for us-they are already embedded in how we train and support our postdocs. We have a robust infrastructure in the health sciences that includes attending a mandatory orientation, creating an individualized career development plan, and selecting a dedicated mentoring team within the first three months, which establishes clear expectations, professional goals, and a strong foundation to ensure that meaningful progress can be made throughout that critical first year. These are not one-time exercises. They are living documents and relationships, reviewed and renewed annually in collaboration with their mentor, to make sure they remain relevant and actionable as each postdoc’s career vision evolves.
Beyond that foundation, the OACD works in close partnership with faculty mentors to offer holistic, comprehensive training that extends well beyond the bench. We are committed to developing the whole professional-supporting excellence in research, grant writing, and scholarly communication, while equally investing in the professional skills, career clarity, and transition readiness that will define our postdocs’ long-term success. This is what it means to train the next generation of biomedical leaders: not simply producing excellent scientists, but equipping confident, capable professionals who are ready for whatever path lies ahead.
7. Systemic Improvements: If you could redesign one aspect of the postdoctoral system, what would it be, and why?
If I could redesign one aspect of the postdoctoral system, it would be how we define, support, and hold accountable the mentoring relationship. In academia, a postdoc’s wellbeing and career trajectory are profoundly shaped by the quality of the mentorship yet, at most institutions, the mentor-postdoc dynamic is undefined and lacks support. What I would advocate for is a fundamental shift at the national level: one that reframes mentorship from an informal concept to a faculty responsibility with defined standards and institutional accountability. This not only means training faculty in effective mentorship practices but also establishing clear and transparent expectations, tracking outcomes, and rewarding mentorship excellence. When mentorship works, it is transformative. When it doesn’t, the cost to the individual is significant, but it is also damaging to the broader scientific community even if the impact is less visible. We can and should do better, and I believe that by formalizing postdoc mentorship in academia, we can improve the lives of our postdocs and strengthen the scientific community overall.
8. Vision for the Future: Where do you see the postdoctoral landscape heading in the next five years? What changes, positive or negative, do you anticipate?
In the next five years, I see the postdoctoral landscape evolving into a more empowered and integral part of the research community. The voice of postdoctoral scholars has become significantly stronger since my own time as a postdoc, and I foresee this influence only continuing to grow. Today, postdocs are recognized as vital contributors to the research enterprise who bring specialized knowledge and skills that enrich the depth and breadth of their research programs, play a crucial role in mentoring graduate students and junior researchers, and significantly contribute to publications, grants, and research projects, thereby amplifying the productivity and impact of their institutions.
In parallel to this change, postdocs are increasingly collaborating with university leadership to ensure their concerns are heard and addressed. At the University of Pittsburgh, for example, the University of Pittsburgh Postdoctoral Association (UPPDA) president meets regularly with the Office of the Provost, a Faculty Advisory Board, and me, and holds a seat on a university-wide postdoctoral advisory board. This structure ensures that postdoctoral voices are not only heard but actively shape university policies and practices.
Looking ahead, I anticipate that this kind of representation will continue to increase nationwide, driven in concert with efforts from associations like the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) and similar platforms. As we move forward, I am inspired by the potential of postdocs to not only contribute to groundbreaking research but also to shape the future of academia. By growing an environment of empowerment, collaboration, and mutual respect at the university level nationally, we can ensure that postdoctoral scholars thrive.
9. Leadership Philosophy: How would you describe your leadership style? What principles guide your decision-making and interactions with postdocs?
My leadership style is deeply reflective of who I am: curious, collaborative, and always oriented toward what is possible. I am someone who genuinely believes that the best ideas emerge when you bring the right voices to the table, which is why my first instinct when facing a challenge is to listen. I seek out the perspectives of those closest to the work, ranging from postdocs and faculty to leadership, not as a formality but because I know that the most impactful solutions are built on the lived experiences of the people they are meant to serve.
From there, my energy goes into synthesis and possibility. I love taking diverse ideas and perspectives and finding within them something new, whether it’s a creative approach, an unexpected connection, or a better way forward. However, generating ideas is only the beginning. What drives me is the commitment to taking what I learn and maximizing its impact-to build not just something good, but something that is genuinely transformative for our research community. I am, at heart, a futurist: I lead with an eye toward what our postdoctoral community will need not just today, but in the years ahead, and I am energized by the opportunity to help shape that better future. My guiding principle is simple: every decision I make should leave our postdocs, our faculty, and our research community better positioned to succeed.
10. Beyond the Role: Outside of policy and programming, what do you think makes a postdoc’s experience truly fulfilling or meaningful?
Beyond policy and programming, I believe the most fulfilling postdoctoral experiences are grounded in a combination of self-awareness and intentionality, or in knowing what you value and making deliberate choices that reflect that. Our former director, Dr. Darlene Zellers, made this one cornerstone of her required orientation for new postdocs, and it is a philosophy I carry forward wholeheartedly. Postdocs are almost universally driven by a genuine love of science. However, when we survey them about the values that led them to choose Pitt, the answers are remarkably varied, and that is not surprising because values are deeply personal.
During orientation, we introduce our postdocs to institutional policies and the wide range of programming and resources we have available so they can succeed but, more importantly, we emphasize that when postdocs stay connected to their own values and make intentional decisions during their postdoctoral training that are aligned with what genuinely matters to them, they will find both personal and professional fulfillment. In other words, a fulfilling postdoctoral experience isn’t something that just happens, it’s something they can actively shape, and we are here to help them do just that.
