"Talk it Through" Topic of the Month:
A recommended topic for postdocs and their mentors to think about and discuss:
Belonging – Do you feel included and supported in your department and institution?
Below, every event or opportunity is hyperlinked for you to click and register. Mark your calendars!
UMBC EVENTS:
▶ Graduate Student & Postdoc Development (GSPD):
March 2, 2 PM: Research & Publication Webinar: CAHSS Faculty Perspective
March 4, 10 AM, ITE 238: How to Develop Your Lesson Plan - CIRTL event
Mar 24,12 PM, COMM 331: The Anatomy of Professionalism: Building Trust through Autonomy and Reliability
Mar 26, 2 PM, UC: 310: Strategic Science Communication: Mastering the Art of Presenting to a Lay Audience
▶ AOK Library:
Mar 9, 12 PM, Online: Creating an Academic Research Poster Using PowerPoint
Mar 10, 3 PM, Library and Gallery, Albin O. Kuhn : 259: Skills for Graduate Students: Systematic Reviews
Mar 23, 12 PM, Online: Creating an Academic Research Poster Using Canva
▶ Faculty Development Center (FDC) Webinars:
Mar 5, 12 PM, Online: Transparent Assignment Design Workshop
Mar 25, 12 PM, Engineering : 102: Teaching Through the Body: An Introduction to Embodied Learning
▶ Career Center:
Mar 4, 12 PM, Online: Graduate Career Consortium Virtual Career Expo
Find an internship, postdoc, fellowship or full-time role.
Mar 27, 10 AM, UC 312: International Student Career Conference
▶ Center for Ethics and Values:
Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Series:
1-2 PM, BIOL 120
March 4: Human Subjects Research
March 11: Authorship, Peer Review, and Publication
March 25: Mentor/Mentee Responsibilities and Relationships
▶ Center for Social Science Scholarship (CSSS) (None for this month)
FROM OUR PARTNERS WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND (USM):
▶ University of Maryland, Baltimore
** March is Career Development Month 2026! **
Month long series of webinars!
12:15 - 1:15 PM
REGISTER
March 2: Salary Negotiation
March 5: Executive Presence 101: Public Speaking for Career Success
March 9: Crafting the Perfect Resume & CV – Understanding the Key Differences
March 11: Strategies of Effective Interviewing
March 23: From Connection to Career: Mentoring and Networking for Emerging Scientists
March 24: AI to Supercharge Your Job Search
▶ CARTI @ UMMS Webinars:
March 5, 9 AM: Developing Your Research Question, Hypothesis, and Specific Aims
March 12, 9 AM: Developing Tables, Figures and Graphs for Your Research Paper
March 18, 1 PM: Pivoting to Private Foundation Funding
March 19, 9 AM: NIH Basics: Understanding Grant Mechanisms, Funding Announcements, and using NIH RePORTER
March 31, 1 PM: NIH Basics: Understanding Grant Mechanisms, Funding Announcements, and using NIH RePORTER
▶ University of Maryland School of Medicine:
New, free virtual course! March 25, 10 AM - 3 PM (Break between 12-1 PM): Introduction to Qualitative Research
WEBINARS FROM NATIONAL PARTNERS:
▶ CIRTL (the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching & Learning):
Reminder: UMBC is part of the national CIRTL network- open to all graduate students and postdocs. Earn a nationally recognized certificate that demonstrates your commitment to being an effective instructor.
Aug 1, 2025 - Aug 1, 2026: Self-Paced Teaching & Learning Courses (2025-2026 Academic Year) Learn more about and register for CIRTL's self-paced, asynchronous offerings for 2025-2026.
March 10, 4 PM: Finishing your Diss/ThesisMarch 12, 4 PM: Panel(s) of Careers Beyond Higher Education
▶ The Chronicle of Higher Education:
UMBC provides free access. Sign in today.
Check out The Chronicle's virtual events page, including On Demand recordings!
March 9, 2 PM: College Collaboration for a New Era of Enrollment
March 16, 2 PM: Preparing Students for the AI Work Force
March 17, 2 PM: Improving Retention in a Time of Enrollment Decline
March 19, 2 PM: Using Gen AI in Advising
▶ National Postdoctoral Association (NPA):
Reminder: UMBC has an institutional membership allowing you to get your Free NPA Affiliate Membership! Use your your institutional (UMBC) email address and attend events for FREE.
New: Join NPA's LinkedIn Group
Check here for NPA's calendar of events.
Fourth Tuesday of every month, 3 PM: SmartSkills - SmartSkills is a free, virtual course for postdocs who are members of the NPA. Monthly classes are taught by experts and focus on building skills critical to career and personal success. Postdocs can earn a certificate from the NPA by attending 10 out of the 12 skills classes.
Member Benefit for NPA Postdoc Members:
Are you deciding on the next step after your postdoc? Need help looking for jobs that excite you and then figuring out how to apply? The NPA is proud to partner with SciPhD and provide a free, permanent license for all NPA members to their online web application tool – Flamingo™. Sign up here.
▶ NCFDD (National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity):
Reminder: UMBC has an institutional membership with the NCFDD, an independent professional development, training, and mentoring community dedicated to supporting academics in making successful transitions throughout their careers. Sign up for free and join their email newsletter!
None for this month - stay updated! Must be signed in to see events.
Connect with NCFDD members: Join the new NCFDD community to connect with other faculty - whether it's getting help with a challenge you're facing or finding an accountability partner - it's a space to connect with others from Graduate Students through Department Chair. Check the events calendar for more information!
RESOURCES:
- Are you mentoring undergraduates? Consider using a mentor-mentee agreement to define expectations and ensure your undergrad stays motivated, understands how best to communicate with you, and succeeds! Here are some resources available!
- UMBC Library Research Guides
UMBC Office of International Students & Scholars (OISS):
INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS:
For detailed information regarding J-1 and H-1B visas, visit the ISSS website. You can always contact Diane Zeenny Ghorayeb (dianezg@umbc.edu) with additional questions.
Job Sites in Higher Ed:
Postdoc Opportunities Board
NPA Job Board
The Chronicle Job Page
HigherEd Jobs
Have suggestions for us? Put your thoughts into our new Office of Postdoctoral Affairs Suggestion Box!
By the Office of Graduate Student and Postdoc Development (GSPD) at UMBC.
Contact author Aubrie Zepp at azepp1@umbc.edu for questions or suggestions about the newslett