The voting has started for the Special PSA election for Vice President and Social Liaison. You can cast your link using this link (https://forms.office.com/g/0c845rHGXH) until 6th of June, 11.45 PM. To prevent casting multiple votes you need to sign in with your organization, however, your information is not recorded. Thank you all in advance for participating in the election!
You can find the short bios of our candidates below.
Vice President
- Progna Banerjee
Progna Banerjee is currently a NST division-center postdoctoral appointee at Argonne National Laboratory, working on the experimental materials chemistry and physics aspects in high-throughout nanomaterial synthesis aided by AI/ML theory collaborations. She formed and lead the 2015-2017 Dean’s Graduate advisory sub-committee on mentoring at her doctoral institute UIUC, volunteered for panelist and judge services in several Universities and currently through the Argonne Educational outreach office. She was chosen as the TECHWOMEN mentor in 2019 and 2021 through the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and she advised female emerging tech leaders in STEM who were chosen from a global pool to participate in this program and advance as tech leaders. Her work in post-synthetic ion exchange induced design of emergent physicochemical properties in nanomaterials has garnered international recognition (2022 CAS Future Leaders) and numerous national (India, US) awards and fellowships throughout the years. - Sixbert P. Muhoza
Sixbert Muhoza was born and raised in Rwanda. Obtained his BS in Chemistry at Belhaven University (Jackson, MS) and PhD in Materials Chemistry at Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, NC). Currently, a Postdoctoral Appointee at ANL and envisions using his ANL training to grow into a scientist who develops solutions to society’s most pressing challenges. Passionate about advancing green energy-related technologies and envisions empowering Rwandan STEM students and professionals to develop high-quality research, technologies, and products so to
strengthen the manufacturing industry there. Likes sports, comedy, and booze. - Joshua Christopher
I joined Argonne as a Postdoc in December of 2021, and have had the pleasure of meeting many of you at the various PSA events. I want to ensure that the PSA continues to provide the support you need during your time as a postdoc at Argonne, from providing a support group to new members of our community, to assisting with the transition to a career. My primary interests within PSA are to create networking and collaboration opportunities for you and ensure that the PSA supports your career development through workshops, seminars, and connections with employers. Lastly, a big concern I have heard from several postdocs is in the visa policies of Argonne. To remedy this, I would like to see Argonne extend its support to postdocs with applying for and obtaining the visas they need to visit their families abroad and re-enter the United States. - Pawan Chaugule
I joined Argonne as a postdoc in January 2022. Prior to joining I graduated in December 2021 from Texas A&M University with a doctoral degree in Aerospace Engineering. During my graduate studies, I have been a teaching assistant for a couple of years which has been an experience in responsibility and leadership. Whereas in my undergrad program, I had taken up positions of responsibility while organizing cultural and technical festivals. On joining Argonne, and getting in touch with the President and members of the PSA, I have attended a PSA Board meeting, an immigration help session, and social meets, and realized the ways in which PSA helps out postdocs all over the lab. Getting involved with the PSA members and other postdocs has been one of the most fun parts of my experience at Argonne. Hence, I intend to continue being involved and supporting the duties and activities of the group by nominating myself for the post of Vice President of the PSA. I intend to commit to the position by regularly attending the PSA meetings, contributing my time, ideas, and opinions to the ongoing tasks, helping the President and Secretary with their duties, and interacting with postdocs whenever I get the opportunity.
Social Liaison
- Claire Chang
I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Chemical Science and Engineering Division. My research focuses on fundamental mechanisms for solar energy conversion in photosynthesis and biohybrid complexes for solar driven fuel production. I received my PhD in Biomedical Engineering from University of Illinois at Chicago, working on crosstalk between transmembrane proteins and inflammation-related diseases. As your social liaison, I will be dedicated to help our postdoctoral community navigate career and life choices. I will organize career networking events and bring in past postdocs to share their insight and experience. Also, it is important to improve communication skills, overcome language barriers, and encourage collaboration. Therefore, we will support each other through regular communication workshops and social gatherings. While I was an ORISE research fellow at the FDA, I was in a social committee and organized several events with 50-100 attendees. I am ready to bring my experience to serve the PSA. - Sydney Lavan
Hi PSA Team! My name is Sydney Lavan. I am a postdoctoral appointee in the MSD/JCESR division under Dr. Justin Connell. I am excited about these openings/opportunities to join the Postdoctoral Society of Argonne. I am specifically interested in the Social Liaison position. I have a tremendous passion for science, and connecting/socializing with others. In my everyday life I take value in providing a space for others to be heard and seen. This has allowed me to develop phenomenal relationships throughout my entire life. I also was a student athlete growing up and played soccer in college as well. This has well-rounded me not just in the science community but personally as well. I have gained leadership skills, communication skills, time-management skills, team skills, social skills etc. This opportunity is of high interest to me and I would love to be a part of the Postdoctoral Society of Argonne Team! - Tyra Douglas
My research as Postdoctoral Appointee in the X-ray Science Division focuses on developing methods to analyze high-temperature reaction kinetics at beamline 11-ID-C at the Advanced Photon Source. I received my Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of Alabama, where I investigated connections between structural and electronic properties of inorganic compounds. During this time, I served as the President and Secretary of the Chemistry Graduate Student Organization and Vice President of the Student Chapter of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers. Experiences throughout my career have shown that proactive reach out to the community, and the provision of social support are vital for success in STEM. Currently, I am leading the Community Engagement Committee for the 2022 Postdoctoral Research and Career Symposium. As PSA Social Liaison, I would use the knowledge gained from these experiences to organize social events to foster community engagement among our diverse postdocs.