On October 11, four Argonne employees were recognized for their outstanding mentoring and supervisory efforts at an awards presentation during the 2013 Argonne Postdoctoral Research and Career Symposium. Nominations for the award were submitted anonymously by postdocs.  

2013 Outstanding Postdoctoral Mentor Award:
 

• Cristina Negri, Agronomist, Energy Systems (received Honorable Mention): “[Cristina] is always passionate and encouraging, both for work and life outside of work…and provides precious advice and suggestions when needed. She provides opportunities for me to connect with the world outside of Argonne and to communicate with other researchers.” – Anonymous, selection from award nomination
   
• Jimmy Proudfoot, Argonne Distinguished Fellow, High Energy Physics: “[Jimmy’s] door is always open and he…encourages and promotes the postdocs in his group, frequently advocating for us to give talks at conferences, encouraging our collaborations with outside universities and personally discussing long-term career strategy. He takes an active role in mentoring and is engaged in each of our careers and professional development.” – Anonymous, selection from award nomination

Both individuals were recognized for demonstrating strong advocacy for professional skills development, collaboration inside and outside the laboratory and providing guidance through career path decisions.

2013 Outstanding Postdoctoral Supervisor Award:
 

• Daniel Abraham, Materials Scientist, Chemical Sciences and Engineering: ​“As a result of his coaching, I have published 10 research papers in high quality scientific journals during my first two years at Argonne. Daniel encourages his postdoctoral staff to be competitive not only within the boundaries of Argonne but also nationally and internationally.” – Anonymous, selection from award nomination

• Igor Aronson, Physicist, Materials Science: ​“I have deep gratitude to Igor Aronson for creating and supporting a friendly environment. His help during my first and hardest few days in the U.S.A., including lodging, transportation, required paperwork and many other acts of kindness cannot be overemphasized.” – Anonymous, selection from award nomination

Both supervisors demonstrated outstanding qualities in mentoring and supervision of postdocs, including discussing career options, advocating inside and outside the laboratory and promoting postdoc achievements to enhance postdocs’ reputations within their disciplines and to a broader audience. These award recipients are also exemplars of strengthening the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) pipeline.

The Postdoctoral Society of Argonne, in conjunction with the Postdoctoral Program Office and the Office of the Director, developed the awards program. Representatives from these organizations, in addition to researchers and Argonne staff, participated as part of the awards selection committee.

Argonne is committed to mentoring its staff, in all career stages, promoting the development of individuals and their careers in order to conduct world-class research and achieve scientific excellence.

Images from the 2013 Postdoctoral Research and Career Symposium and the Outstanding Postdoctoral Mentoring Awards presentation are available online.