OPA's mission is to bring together OSU-affiliated postdocs in a social setting in order to build a postdoc community on campus, to identify needs for professional development and well-being, and to communicate those needs to the university.
Our charter can be downloaded here.
To mentor one another and forge professional and personal connections among all OSU postdocs.
To coordinate professional and personal development opportunities for all OSU postdocs.
To improve the campus environment for all OSU postdocs.
All postdocs, broadly defined, at Oregon State University are automatically members of OPA. This includes postdoctoral fellows, postdoctoral scholars, and research associates. Lecturers and instructors are encouraged to join by contacting us. All are welcome at any event and encouraged to become involved with a committee. Also you may join the National Post-Doctoral Association for free as a member of OPA.
You may opt out by contacting our membership chair.
OPA consists of a Board of Directors (BOD) and various committees to plan events and engage the university. Our BOD consists of four executive officers (President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer) and various committee chairs and coordinators. All of these positions are annually elected by the general OSU postdoctoral community. Contact us if you are interested in coming to a BOD meeting, looking to help out with a committee or interested in running for office. Any OSU postdoc is eligible to partcipate.
We also work together with the Office of Post-Doctoral Programs (OPP) in the Graduate School to enhance post-doctoral life at OSU. Right now, Steph Bernell is the Associate Dean we work most closely with.
You can find the most recent version of our bylaws here.