It has been one of the busier times for us as we are planning the fifth annual post-doc-retreat! Our goal is to organize a two-day retreat at a resort off campus that is open to all post-docs at RU. This “mini-symposium” traditionally includes a mix of post-doc presentations, a talk and formal discussion with our keynote speaker, and social activities. It really helps to finally meet with and talk to the people that one usually only crosses paths with in the elevator or on the way to a seminar. And it is a way to find out what people are doing on a daily basis while hidden behind their benches. Registration closed early July and we are happy to count approximately 80 registered participants.

This year’s retreat will be on August 4th and 5th. This is much earlier than the traditional fall retreats that we have had in the past. There is a reason for this: our President’s busy schedule! Paul Nurse has been very supportive of, and eager to join, our retreats in the past, but couldn’t make it due to prior engagements. This time, we turned it around and had him suggest dates that would work for him.

Unfortunately, it turns out that Paul won’t be able to join us, a fact that he deeply regrets. On the good side, we will have Nobel laureate Richard Axel from Columbia University as our keynote speaker and we are looking forward to an exciting lecture. We will also have Mike Young join our retreat to extend the panel of outstanding faculty for our round table discussion (we also heard rumors of a talk show)!

The first big task during these past months was to find a great retreat location. This was not easy, as this year we were picky: First of all, we wanted to have a location near a water body. We all know how hot August can be and to be able to jump into refreshing liquid between talks would just be great. Second, we wanted to get somewhere reasonably close. We prefer spending time for science and fun rather than being stuck in a bus for hours. We also wanted to be close to a bus or train station for those who could not come for two days and needed to arrive late or leave early. And the final factor was the cost. The drastic budget cuts in recent years forced us to find something that was affordable without eating up the whole year’s budget! Water, distance, costs and off we went, calling around to find our dream place.

We quickly figured out that we were not the only ones to plan a trip during this time of year—it is summer vacation high season, after all. With that comes the fact that resorts are already booked, prices are significantly higher than in the off-season, and managers are less flexible in accommodating our needs. But finally, we came down to our top three: Skytop Lodge in PA, Mohonk Mountain House in Upstate NY, and The Shawnee Inn in PA. But which one? Luckily, Memorial day weekend was around the corner, which allowed one of us, Ruchi, to go on an adventure to check out the places. Her advice: if you have ever considered The Shawnee Inn for a get away—don’t! The rooms are small, the service is not friendly, and the food was not only inedible, but they served completely different dishes than those we were offered in their quote. So, Shawnee Inn was out very fast. The decision between Mohonk and Skytop was not so easy. Both places are really beautiful, with nice rooms, fully equipped seminar rooms, great service, delicious food, water for a swim, and space for partying at night. Ruchi was happy. The difference was that Mohonk is more of a family vacation place than a retreat center and that it was approximately $10,000 more expensive than Skytop. We could not argue with that—Skytop won.

Currently, we are planning the details. The registration has opened and we are hoping for upwards of 100 participants. The applications will help us decide if we should resurrect the poster session. Besides the talks, the traditional games-at-the dinner-table, the round-table with the three faculty, and the party with DJ and Karaoke at night, we also hope make time for social activities. There are lakes and waterfalls for swimming and kayaking, and for those that like to move a bit more, there are plenty of opportunities for hiking and running.

Finally, while it takes up a good chunk of our spare time, the retreat is not the only thing we are working on. We are trying to work on some issues that came up regarding the Childcare and Family Center (CFC). It appears that waiting lists for people are extremely long and it seems that getting a spot is challenging. To really gauge the situation objectively (none of us on the PDA have kids!), we conducted a survey in June to assess the situation. The results will help us to approach the administration to negotiate possible solutions and changes. The outcome of the survey and what we will be doing with it, will be the subject of the next issue.