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Postdoctoral Association
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About

The Caltech Postdoctoral Association (CPA) seeks to foster a sense of community, provide resources for career and personal development, and provide a framework for representation on campus and in the local community for postdoctoral scholars from all departments of the Institute. 

We are a dynamic organization, administered by active postdocs and mandated to enhance the postdoctoral experience at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Jet Propulsion Laboratories (JPL). CPA membership includes the more than 650 postdoctoral scholars at both Caltech and JPL. CPA activities are directed by a board of directors that are elected each year. All postdocs who are interested in shaping their postdoc experience are highly encouraged to get involved and make a difference for all. Contact the board for more information.

Our activities, workshops, and events are designed to fill long-neglected niches of a postdoc's work and life. While postdocs at Caltech and JPL have always benefited from working with many of the world's most prolific faculty, several key areas involving professional and personal development have historically been underrepresented. Along with providing a strong voice advocating positive change, the CPA has successfully offered postdocs a multitude of programs to supplement their research agendas. The CPA has made significant progress in bettering the postdoctoral experience at Caltech and JPL by working closely with the Postdoctoral Scholars/Visitors Services (PDS) located within the Office of Human Resources, and the Office of the Provost.

The CPA has established a strong tradition of community by bringing postdocs together from all divisions for numerous career and social events. The CPA also works in close partnership with its campus partners to host multiple events for the professional and personal development of postdocs.

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