National Postdoctoral Association
Poised to be "Voice of Change"

The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA), hosted at AAAS, the science society, announced that Alyson Reed has been appointed as the association's first Executive Director effective 4 September 2003. As Executive Director, Reed's top priorities will be building the membership of the NPA and educating the scientific community about the postdoctoral experience.

"Alyson Reed brings the experience needed to lay a strong foundation for the new NPA," said Claudina A. Stevenson, NPA Executive Board member. Reed was selected by the NPA Executive Board to run the fledgling NPA because of her experience as Executive Director at the Maryland Commission for Women and the National Committee on Pay Equity. "Alyson's experience with membership based organizations, strategic planning and fundraising will be important assets in guiding our organization toward a strong and independent future," added Arti C. Patel, NPA Executive Board Member.

The central aim of the NPA is to effect positive reform in postdoctoral policies, both at the national level and at research institutions nationwide. The NPA is not a union, but rather, a professional association that seeks to share information, to develop solutions, and to propose policy changes by working collaboratively with institutions making postdoctoral policies.

"I'm very excited about the arrival of an NPA executive director who has strong experience in working with non-profit boards and the skills to take the Association to the next level," said Shirley Malcom, head of the AAAS Directorate for Education and Human Resources, who has played a supporting role in the NPA's formation. "Alyson Reed's arrival will allow the NPA to make the critical transition from volunteer- to staff-run organization. This will free the volunteers from organizational burdens, so that they can now achieve an even greater degree of impact, to truly become a voice of change for postdocs nationwide."

Reed joins the organization committed to fulfilling the NPA's mission. "Postdoctoral researchers are a tremendous national scientific resource. I look forward to working with the postdoctoral community to ensure that this vital resource is nurtured and protected," said Reed. "Postdoctoral researchers face many challenges as they straddle the worlds of academia and professional scientific research. I intend to be an outspoken advocate in addressing these challenges."

Reed's office will be located in Washington, D.C., at AAAS, which hosts the NPA.

Established in January 2003, the NPA is a national organization of postdoctoral scientists, associations and other supporters dedicated toward improving the postdoctoral experience. The activities of the NPA are supported through the voluntary work of the NPA Executive Board, the NPA membership, and a $450,000 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation with the support of the AAAS. Approximately 50,000 domestic and foreign postdoctoral scholars reside in the United States today.

For more information on the NPA, see www.nationalpostdoc.org.

5 September 2003