Each year, SOT sponsors a member of the SOT Postdoctoral Assembly (PDA) Executive Board to attend the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) Annual Conference. This opportunity enables our postdoctoral leadership to gather innovative ideas from peer organizations while showcasing PDA achievements on a national stage.
As a first-time postdoctoral representative, I was a bit nervous to attend the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) meeting. I had never attended a meeting that was not focused on presenting data, and I was not sure what to expect from the NPA 2026 Annual Conference. But I was completely blown away by all the opportunities and resources presented to postdocs at this meeting.
After landing in San Francisco, I made my way to the Hyatt Regency San Francisco, where the conference was being held. That evening, I attended the postdoctoral mixer to meet the other attendees. Being naturally introverted, I have to really force myself to join these events, but I was so glad that I did. At the mixer, I met several postdocs whom I would have the pleasure of interacting with throughout the meeting. These individuals shared about their work as a postdoc and also information about their postdoc organizations at their campuses or organizations. At the mixer, I was encouraged to attend the morning walks before the meeting. These walks were the most fruitful networking events I have ever attended. Plus, we were able to see some of the amazing sites that San Francisco has to offer, especially when we went to the pier where we could see the sea lions, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz. These walks were very informal, and I met so many people who shared about their experiences as either postdocs, faculty, or administration in postdoc offices. The meeting offered several other networking events, such as a dinner and lunches. Prior to attending the NPA conference, I knew how important networking was, but after the conference, I really see the value. I highly recommend that if you attend a meeting that offers either formal or informal networking events, take all the opportunities because you will meet so many people and have such great conversations that can give you ideas and benefit your career.
At the conference, I attended many talks ranging from using AI as a tool to advocating for yourself and teaching. The talks on AI use really stood out to me because this is a very hot topic and knowing how to use AI properly and in a beneficial manner is critical, especially when searching for jobs. These talks focused on understanding how using AI can help in forming a resume or cover letter. However, AI should not be used to write resumes or cover letters because it lacks the human experience to write these documents. When applying for jobs, the presenters really highlighted the need for networking to find jobs in this time where jobs are not readily available.
I also had the opportunity and privilege to present a poster representing the SOT Postdoctoral Assembly (PDA) during the meeting. I was able to share about all the experiences we offer the postdocs and trainees of SOT throughout the year and during the SOT Annual Meeting. I received very positive feedback on all the events that the SOT PDA provides to the trainees of SOT. The SOT PDA offers truly amazing opportunities from webinars during the year to a postdoctoral lunch, a career exploration event, and poster tours at the SOT Annual Meeting to promote career growth. These events and opportunities resonated with many of the attendees, and many of them wanted to take some ideas home with them to implement in their organizations.
Overall, the NPA Conference was an amazing experience. I left the meeting feeling energized and excited by the conversations I had and by the information I had received. If you ever have the chance to attend an NPA Conference, I highly recommend that you take it. It not only provides tools for professional development but also connections that will last a career.
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