MIT professors Laura Lewis and Jing Kong have been recognized with the MIT Postdoctoral Association’s Award for Excellence in Postdoctoral Mentoring. The award is given annually to faculty or other principal investigators (PIs) whose current and former postdoctoral scholars say they stand out in their efforts to create a supportive work environment for postdocs and support postdocs’ professional development.
This year, the award identified exceptional mentors in two categories. Lewis, the Athinoula A. Martinos Associate Professor in the Institute for Mechanical Engineering and Science and the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), was recognized as an early-career mentor. Kong, the Jerry McAfee (1940) Professor In Engineering in the Research Laboratory of Electronics and EECS, was recognized as an established mentor.
“It’s a very diverse kind of mentoring that you need for a postdoc,” said Vipindev Adat Vasudevan, who chaired the Postdoctoral Association committee organizing the award. “Every postdoc has different requirements. Some of the people will be going to industry, some of the people are going for academia… so everyone comes with a different objective.”
Vasudevan presented the award at a luncheon hosted by the Office of the Vice President for Research on Sept. 25 in recognition of National Postdoc Appreciation Week. The annual luncheon, celebrating the postdoctoral community’s contributions to MIT, is attended by hundreds of postdocs and faculty.
“The award recognizes faculty members who go above and beyond to create a professional, supportive, and inclusive environment to foster postdocs’ growth and success,” said Ian Waitz, vice president for research, who spoke at the luncheon. He noted the vital role postdocs play in advancing MIT research, mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, and connecting with colleagues from around the globe, while working toward launching independent research careers of their own.
“The best part of my job”
Nomination letters for Lewis spoke to her ability to create an inclusive and welcoming lab. In the words of one nominator, “She invests considerable time and effort in cultivating personalized mentoring relationships, ensuring each postdoc in her lab receives guidance and support tailored to their individual goals and circumstances.”
Other nominators commented on Lewis’ ability to facilitate collaborations that furthered postdocs’ research goals. Lewis encouraged them to work with other PIs to build their independence and professional development, and to develop their own research questions, they said. “I was never pushed to work on her projects — rather, she guided me towards finding and developing my own,” wrote one.
Lewis’ lab explores new ways to image the human brain, integrating engineering with neuroscience. Improving neuroimaging techniques can improve our understanding of the brain’s activity when asleep and awake, allowing researchers to understand sleep’s impact on brain health.
“I love working with my postdocs and trainees; it’s honestly the best part of my job,” Lewis says. “It’s important for any individual to be in an environment to help them grow toward what they want to do.”
Recognized as an early-career mentor, Lewis looks forward to seeing her postdocs’ career trajectories over time. Group members returning as collaborators come back with fresh ideas and creative approaches, she says, adding, “I view this mentoring relationship as lifelong.”
“No ego, no bias, just solid facts”
Kong’s nomination also speaks to the lifelong nature of the mentoring relationship. The 13 letters supporting Kong’s nomination came from past and current postdocs. Nearly all touched on Kong’s kindness and the culture of respect she maintains in the lab, alongside high expectations of scientific rigor.
“No ego, no bias, just solid facts and direct evidence,” wrote one nominator: “In discussions, she would ask you many questions that make you think ‘I should have asked that to myself’ or ‘why didn’t I think of this.’”
Kong was also praised for her ability to take the long view on projects and mentor postdocs through temporary challenges. One nominator wrote of a period when the results of a project were less promising than anticipated, saying, “Jing didn't push me to switch my direction; instead, she was always glad to listen and discuss the new results. Because of her encouragement and long-term support, I eventually got very good results on this project.”
Kong’s lab focuses on the chemical synthesis of nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes, with the goal of characterizing their structures and identifying applications. Kong says postdocs are instrumental in bringing new ideas into the lab.
“I learn a lot from each one of them. They always have a different perspective, and also, they each have their unique talents. So we learn from each other,” she says. As a mentor, she sees her role as developing postdocs’ individual talents, while encouraging them to collaborate with group members who have different strengths.
The collaborations that Kong facilitates extend beyond the postdocs’ time at MIT. She views the postdoctoral period as a key stage in developing a professional network: “Their networking starts from the first day they join the group. They already in this process establish connections with other group members, and also our collaborators, that will continue on for many years.”
About the award
The Award for Excellence in Postdoctoral Mentoring has been awarded since 2022. With support from Ann Skoczenski, director of Postdoctoral Services in the Office of the VPR, and the Faculty Postdoctoral Advisory Committee, nominations are reviewed on four criteria:
- excellence in fostering and encouraging professional skills development and growth toward independence;
- ability to foster an inclusive work environment where postdoctoral mentees across a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives are empowered to engage in the mentee-mentor relationship;
- ability to support postdoctoral mentees in their pursuit of a chosen career path; and
- a commitment to a continued professional mentoring relationship with mentees, beyond the limit of the postdoctoral term.
The Award for Excellence in Postdoctoral Mentoring provides a celebratory lunch for the recipient’s research group, as well as the opportunity to participate in a mentoring seminar or panel discussion for the postdoctoral community. Last year’s award was given to Jesse Kroll, the Peter de Florez Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, professor of chemical engineering, and director of the Ralph M. Parsons Laboratory.
