2026 National Postdoc Appreciation Week!
BPP & OPA Open House
STOP BY * PICK UP * CONNECT
Stop by the OPA and BPP offices to pick-up your 2026 NPAW swag, enjoy coffee and cookies, and connect with fellow postdocs and administrators. Then get ready for the exciting week of events!
2026 NPAW giveaways will be available for pickup.
Location:
- Biomedical Postdoctoral Programs - John Morgan Building, M101 (mezzanine floor)
- Office of Postdoctoral Affairs - College Hall, Room 118
No Registration Required
Open to Penn postdocs
The Indispensable Mindset: The Unwritten Rules for Building Trust, Influence, and Long-Term Career Success.
NAVIGATE * STRENGTHEN * BECOME INDISPENSABLE
Taking on a postdoctoral fellowship prepares you to conduct exceptional research as you move toward an independent career path. This keynote is designed to help you navigate the workplace dynamics that shape your professional reputation, relationships, and everyday experience at work.
Join Wharton Lecturer and Workplace Dynamics Speaker Ana Welsh as she shares the unwritten rules that help professionals become Indispensable by making work easier for others and for themselves.
Through relatable stories, practical strategies, and interactive reflection, you'll learn how to:
- Develop an Indispensable mindset and perspective.
- Strengthen your Signature Self™ - the professional identity you're intentionally creating.
- Manage up with confidence and navigate mentor relationships effectively.
- Depersonalize different personalities to strengthen collaboration and communication.
- Give and receive feedback in ways that build trust and credibility.
Whether you're collaborating in the lab, contributing to research, or preparing for what's next, you'll leave with practical tools you can immediately apply to strengthen your professional reputation and become the kind of colleague and collaborator others trust, respect, and seek out to work with.
About the speaker:
Ana Welsh is a Wharton Lecturer and Workplace Dynamics Speaker who helps high-performing professionals become Indispensable in today's evolving workplace. Before launching her speaking and coaching practice, she spent a decade as a Vice President within a high-growth healthcare organization, helping scale Schweiger Dermatology Group from two to 93 offices while building an award-winning culture and significantly reducing employee turnover.
Today, Ana serves as a Lecturer at the Wharton School, where she teaches Business Communication for Impact, a required sophomore leadership course that prepares students to communicate effectively, build influence, and navigate the interpersonal dynamics of the modern workplace.
In addition to teaching at Wharton, Ana partners with organizations across healthcare, higher education, finance, and technology. She has delivered professional development programming for researchers and PhD trainees at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine and works with organizations including Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Comcast, Lincoln Financial Group, Incyte and WSFS.
Through her engaging, story-driven approach, Ana equips audiences with the unwritten rules that strengthen professional identity, workplace relationships, and long-term career success.
2026 NPAW giveaways will NOT be available for pickup
Location: Abramson Research Center (CHOP), 123 ABC (virtual option available)
Registration Required: Click to register
Open to all postdocs
Coffee & Canines
RELAX * UNWIND * RECHARGE
Join us for a relaxing morning to help you unwind and recharge mid-week. A light breakfast and coffee will help you recharge, while certified therapy dogs from Comfort Caring Canines will help get you over that Wednesday morning hump and ready to face the rest of the week!
2026 NPAW giveaways will be available for pickup.
Location: McNeil Building, 2nd floor atrium
Registration Encouraged: Click to register
Open to Penn Postdocs Only
Annual NPAW Ice-cream Social!
COOL-OFF * SOCIALIZE * CELEBRATE
Come cool-off and enjoy some Philly treats during the annual NPAW ice cream social! It’s a great opportunity to meet fellow postdocs, catch-up with friends, and celebrate National Postdoc Appreciation Week!
2026 NPAW giveaways will NOT be available for pickup
Location: Curie Blvd (Blockely Hall), (rain location - KRB 14th, floor)
Registration Encouraged: Click to register
Open to all postdocs
Virtual Postdoc Networking Event
NETWORK * EXPLORE * BUILD
Network with former postdocs who have gone on to careers in academia, industry, and beyond. Gain practical advice, explore career paths, and build meaningful professional connections.
Location: Virtual via Handshake
Registration: Required will be required through Handshake
Open to all postdocs
Annual NPAW Barbeque
EAT * DRINK * ENJOY
Enjoy great food and good conversation at the NPAW barbeque!
All postdocs are invited to attend this annual tradition.
2026 NPAW giveaways will be available for pickup.
Location: CHOP Colket Translational Research Building (CTRB) Lobby
Registration Encouraged: Click to register
Open to all postdocs
2026 NPAW Closing Reception
EAT * DRINK * ENJOY ... some more!
Come wrap up NPAW 2026, and start your weekend off right, at the annual closing reception and happy hour.
2026 NPAW giveaways will NOT be available for pickup.
Location: Penn Live Arts, Class of 1994 Studio Lounge
Registration Encouraged: Click to register
Open to all postdocs