Postdoc Appreciation Day 2025
Join us, September 25, 2025, from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, room B1270 in SEAS (Science and Engineering Hall) as we celebrate the vital contributions of our postdoctoral fellows at GW! Postdoc Appreciation Day is a full-day event packed with opportunities to learn, connect, and be inspired. Join us in-person, virtually, all day, or part of the day. RSVP is strongly encouraged.
Event Highlights:
- Keynote Speaker — Hear from Dr. Robert H. Miller, who will inspire and energize our postdoc community.
- Featured Speakers — Two expert-led presentations designed to boost your skills and career prospects.
- Raffles- Win one of three $50 gift cards during one of our raffles. Must be present to win.
- Lightning Talks: The 3-Slide Showdown — A fast-paced competition where postdocs present their research in 5 minutes using 3 slides, judged by a faculty/staff panel and the audience. Cash prizes awarded.
- Round Table Info Sessions — Brief, focused discussions on a variety of topics, including benefits, teaching, academic writing, and more.
- Deans' Remarks — Throughout the day, several deans from different schools will share words of encouragement and appreciation.
Networking Lunch — Enjoy a complimentary lunch with your colleagues, with accommodations for dietary restrictions.
General Schedule of Events
Date: September 25, 2025
Location: Room B1270 in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 800 22nd St. NW, Washington, DC 20052
More details to come soon!
Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 8:30 to 9:00 | Check in, coffee, pastries, and GW Swag. |
| 9:00 to 9:10 | Welcome Remarks by Dr. Suresh Subramainam, Vice Provost of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs and Dr. John Lach, Interim Provost |
| 9:10 to 10:00 | Keynote Address by Dr. Robert H. Miller, Interim Vice Provost of Research. |
| 10:00 to 10:45 | Featured Speaker: Professor Peter Loge: "What Comes Next? Life and Career Choices After Your Postdoc." |
| 10:45 to 11:30 | Featured Speaker: Dr. Ana Teslik, "Funding from Non-Government Resources" |
| 11:30 to 11:40 | Break |
| 11:40 to 12:40 | Postdoc Town Hall |
| 12:40 to 12:45 | Dean's Remarks: Dr. Evie Downie, CCAS |
| 12:45 to 1:10 | Lunch |
| 1:10 to 2:10 | Round Table Discussions |
| 2:10 to 2:15 | Transition/Break |
| 2:15 to 2:20 | Dean's remarks: Dean Barbara Bass, SHMS |
| 2:20 to 3:15 | Lightning Talks Round 1 |
| 3:15 to 3:30 | Ice Cream Break |
| 3:30 to 3:35 | Dean's remarks: Associate Research Dean Grace Zhang, SEAS |
| 3:35 to 4:30 | Lightning Talks Round 2 |
| 4:30 to 4:50 | People’s Choice Voting, Group photo, and Break |
| 4:50 to 4:55 | President's Remarks |
| 4:55 to 5:00 | Lightning Talks Awards and Closing Remarks |
Lightning Talks: The 3-Slide Showdown
Registration has been extended!
Get ready for a fast-paced, high-energy research showcase! In the Lightning Talks competition, postdocs have just 5 minutes and 3 slides to clearly explain their research to a general audience. Virtual and in-person presentations are accepted. Presenters will be judged by a panel of GW faculty and staff, as well as the audience, on the following criteria:
- Clear explanation of the background and significance of the research
- Well-defined hypothesis and research strategy
- Clear description of key findings and conclusions
- Slide design and audience engagement
- Presentation delivery
- Appropriateness of language for a lay audience
Prizes:
🏆 1st Place: $500
🥈 2nd Place: $350
🥉 3rd Place: $250
🎉 People’s Choice: $250
Think you can inform, inspire, and impress in just five minutes? Step up to the mic and show us what you’ve got! Applications are due September 19th.
Register To Attend- In Person
Please let us know if you'll be joining us all day, or part of the day!
Register to Attend- Virtually
Unable to make it in person? Please join us virtually!
Speaker Bios
Keynote Speaker
Robert H. Miller, PhD
Robert H. Miller, PhD
Interim Vice Provost for Research
Robert H. Miller is currently the Interim Vice Provost for Research. He is also the Vice Dean at The George Washington University’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and the Vivian Gill Distinguished Research Professor. Prior to joining GW, Dr. Miller was the Vice President for Research at Case Western Reserve University. He served as Vice President for Research at The George Washington University from August 2018 to September 2020. He obtained both his B.Sc. and Ph.D. from University College London, England.
Dr. Miller has published more than 200 papers in the areas of neural development and identification of therapeutic targets for neurological disease, with a particular interest in the spinal cord. He has served on multiple review groups, including as chair of NIH study sections. He was a founding member of the Myelin Repair Foundation and is currently the chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of Convelo Therapeutics, chair of the Independent Review Committee at Target ALS, and a member of the board. He is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for Shriners Hospital and has served on the advisory board for the Maryland Stem Cell Foundation. Dr. Miller serves on the Editorial board of multiple neurobiological and developmental journals.
Dr Miller has won numerous awards, including the Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship Award, Jacob Javits Neuroscience Merit Award from the NIH, and the Charles Judson Herrick Award from the American Association of Anatomists. He is also a member of the National Academy of Inventors.
Dr. Miller has a primary interest in the cellular and molecular mechanisms mediating CNS neural development and the development of novel therapeutic approaches for neurodegenerative diseases, including multiple sclerosis, ALS, and dementia.
Featured Speaker
Peter Loge
Director, School of Media and Public Affairs, CCAS
Peter Lodge has more than 30 years of experience in politics and communications, including a presidential appointment at the Food and Drug Administration and senior positions for Sen. Edward Kennedy and three members of the U.S. House of Representatives. He currently leads the Project on Ethics in Political Communication at SMPA.
He regularly lectures on strategic communication and ethics at national and International universities and organizations. He regularly appears in national and international media including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, AP, Fox, Al Jazeera and elsewhere. Loge is an Associate Fellow in Timothy Dwight College at Yale University, and a senior fellow at the Agirre Lehendakaria Center in Bilbao in the Basque Country in northern Spain.
Featured Speaker
Dr. Ana Teslik
Associate Director, Foundation Relations
Ana Teslik has over 10 years of fundraising experience, specializing in foundation relations, proposal management, and prospect research. Prior to joining GW, Ana served as a consultant for a wide array of organizations seeking funding for capital campaigns, centers of research, expansion of education programs, and research projects. Before that, Ana served as a fundraiser for cultural and arts organizations in Washington, D.C. and Miami, FL, where she worked to align programmatic activities to foundation priorities. Ana earned her Ph.D. in International Studies from the University of Miami, where she also received a Master’s degree in Public Administration
Speaker- Dean's Remarks
Evangeline J. Downie, PhD
Associate Dean of Research and Strategic Initiatives, Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
Speaker- Dean's Remarks
Lijie Grace Zhang, PhD
Associate Dean for Research, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Speaker- Dean's Remarks
Barbara L. Bass, MD, RESD
Dean, School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Round Table Presenter
Erin Lavin
GW Benefits
Get a brief refresh on the benefits available to GW Postdoctoral Fellows, and bring any questions to be answered on the spot.
Round Table Presenter
Robin Pokorski, PhD
Center for Teaching Excellence
Do you want to build teaching skills and explore how teaching can support your career goals? We'll cover the top three ways you can connect with the CTE, answer your teaching questions, and find out what teaching support you need most.
Round Table Presenter
Emily Blumenthal, PhD
Sara Hoover, MLIS
LJ Johnson, MLIS
GW Libraries and Academic Innovation
Need help processing your raw data? Learn about the services available to GW's research community.
Round Table Presenter
Jessica Vodilka
Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship (OIE) provides programming around innovation, education, venture creation, and making connections to support GW entrepreneurs and the Mid-Atlantic startup community.
Round Table Presenter
Technology Commercialization Office
TCO helps our experts move their inventions and ideas from the lab or classroom to the marketplace by supporting them throughout the commercialization journey. We also help companies and entrepreneurs find and access the GW technologies they need to grow their business and be successful. In this way, GW research can have an even greater impact on the world.
Round Table Presenter
GW Trustworthy AI Initiative
GW TAI brings together a collection of research and educational efforts across our university to deliver timely education, foster problem-driven research, and inform policy founded in deep scientific understanding.