Words by Nicole Parada
Edited by Jessica Sharrock

​There is nothing like being in New York during the holiday season. Here are five things to do in the city with you family and friends to get into the holiday spirit…

1. Instagram-able Christmas Trees

• While the Rockefeller tree is world-famous (and totally worth seeing), we have a couple of other favorites to see.
• If you want to see a less traditional tree, there is the American Museum of Natural History Origami tree. If you want to see a more traditional tree, the nativity scene decorates the base of the Christmas tree at the MET.
• If you are looking to venture into Brooklyn, the tree in Downtown MetroTech is beautiful and right next to the NYU Tandon campus.
• Also, don’t forget about the holiday window displays at major department stores like Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue.

 

1. Holiday Train Show

Every year the New York Botanical Garden hosts a holiday train show that roams through the hall. This is a family friendly event. However, if you still want to see the train but with less kids around, maybe try one of their Bar Car Nights. If you are not into the train (or the Bronx might be too far), maybe try Gingerbread land. It’s a best-kept holiday secret and hosted by the New York Hall of Science.

1. Holiday Markets

If any of you are last minute holiday shopping and looking for something unique for that special someone, then the holiday markets are the place to look. Both parks transform into a maze of shops at the Union Square Holiday Market and at the Bryant Park Holiday Shops.

1. Ice Skating Rinks

There is nothing more romantic than gliding on ice, or frequently falling but then being helped up by that special someone. A few of our favorite rinks include, Wollman Rink at the heart of Central Park, the rink at Rockefeller Center, and pop-up rink at Bryant Park, and the hidden rink overlooking the Hudson river at Brookfield Place. If you are looking for something totally new and fancy a trip to Brooklyn, Industry City also has an Ice Rink open.

1. Light up the night sky

While the Manhattan streets have been decorated with twinkle lights, nothing compares to the massive light shows outside of the island. Go on the Christmas lights tour in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, where there are houses (and even mansions) decorated beautifully with holiday lights. Another is the Winter Wonderland in Staten Island.

1. One more favorite: Warm-up with a holiday inspired cocktail (or two)

Huddle in one of the heated igloos at the 230 Fifth Igloo Bar with a view of the Empire State Building or gather together in a holiday gem like Rolf’s.
 
Happy Holidays from all at INet-NYC!

Words by Anna Pimenova and Jessica Sharrock
Edited by Jessica Sharrock
 
Helena Schnell and Anna Amelianchik sat down with Ariola and Mike to discuss all things INet NYC. 
​
Ariola and Mike both completed their PhDs at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and are now work as consultants at ClearView Healthcare Partners and IQVIA Consulting Services, respectively. In this interview, we learn about their determination to unite international scientists in New York in a community that allows them to thrive.
 
How did INet NYC start?
After attending a career event during Graduate School, Mike realized that a lot of the information given about successfully obtaining a job after completing a PhD program rarely applied to international scholars due to limitations in visas and work authorization. This problem was further highlighted by the limited experience of invited experts to answer questions raised by foreign students. In October 2014, Ariola and Mike came up with a plan to bridge this gap and pitched the idea of starting an international networking group to Yaihara Fortis Santiago (at the time, the Science Alliance Program Manager at The New York Academy of Sciences, NYAS), who acknowledged the need for such a group and fully supported the idea.
 
The first few months comprised of a lot of hard work to get the organization off the ground, identifying the main needs of the scientific community and coming up with event ideas that were specifically tailored to those needs. At first progress was slow, but soon Ariola and Mike recruited other like-minded students and formed the INet NYC executive board to support international scientists in New York. A survey of international scientists in NYC carried out by INet NYC showed that there was huge interest in the resources that INet NYC was aiming to provide for the community and from here INet NYC began to network and plan events around the city.  From day one, INet NYC has had continual support from the NYAS, which has led to the organization of numerous international-oriented events together including ‘Career Fair for Scientists’, ‘Non-Academic Career Tracks for International Scientists’ and ‘Immigration Info Session for Advanced Degree Holders in STEM’. Over time, INet NYC has gone on to gain increasing visibility from different Graduate Schools and Postdoctoral Offices in New York leading to increased collaboration, event planning and popularity.
 
How did the experience of running INet NYC help your career?
Running INet NYC taught Ariola and Mike many things, specifically about bringing an idea to life, learning how to network and fundraise efficiently and how to plan each event to be a success. As the awareness and interest in INet NYC grew, the challenges shifted to recruiting the right people who could understand their vision and wanted to take the organization to the next level. While more people became involved in INet NYC, Ariola and Mike also had to transition into more leadership positions, where they focused on managing people, motivating the growing team and dedicating more of their time to think about the bigger picture for INet NYC and the resources they wanted to offer to international scientists. Additionally, having INet NYC on their CVs helped them land offers to advance their careers outside of academia, including consulting internships with BCG, The Solution Lab and numerous job interviews. The wide range of skills they developed helped them to progress professionally and the INet NYC experience was very valuable for them to pursue consulting careers immediately after graduate school. However, the organization aims to help all of their members develop any of the skills they need to land their dream jobs.
 
What did INet NYC bring to your life and what are you most proud of?
Being involved with INet NYC brought Ariola and Mike a great sense of accomplishment, as there were clear goals and a quantifiable output in the number of events held and the people who joined the organization. It didn’t feel like hard work when they could work with fun, hard-working and ambitious people. Since 2014, the number of members has grown to over 900, and the advisory board has been increasingly impressed with the work being done. INet NYC continues to celebrate the diversity of people’s experiences and provides a supportive social network to connect people facing similar challenges on their path to success as international scientists.
 
What do you wish for the future of INet NYC?
The possibilities for INet NYC are enormous and good leaders should envision the organization’s development beyond its current boundaries. INet NYC could potentially become a non-profit organization offering support to international students coming to the US. INet NYC could also help by providing immigration advice, insights into day-to-day living in NYC and offer scholarships. Hired professionals would run these operations, while volunteer students and postdocs would continue to organize social and professional events around the city. INet NYC operations could also be expanded to other cities (including Boston, Chicago and San Diego), providing a similar role to INet NYC. Such expansion could bring the organization to national and potentially international levels in the future. At the national level, a conference could be held yearly to facilitate professional education, networking, and information exchange among international scholars. All these ideas converge on the need to obtain financial support, which may prove difficult from the legal perspective. Nonetheless, INet NYC keeps growing and moving forward because of motivated individuals that are passionate about the goals of INet NYC. As long as there are people willing to volunteer their time because they care about the mission, INet NYC will thrive!
 
Can you share any tips for your success?
Although the work of a graduate student or postdoc is very demanding, it’s important to try to enjoy these years by taking small breaks or engaging in different activities outside the lab. Working over weekends or holidays will not make a difference in the long run, but if you make time for yourself, it will certainly increase your quality of life. Making time for your personal and professional development will be important for your future career path, especially if it is not in academia. Everyone feels pressure to work and has guilt if they do not want to stay in academia, but this should not stop you from exploring all the exciting opportunities New York can offer.
 
We would like to thank Ariola and Mike for taking the time to talk to us about INet NYC. 

By Chiara Bertipaglia, CUPS
     Jaime Jurado, INet NYC
    Advisory team of ECUSA-NYC
​
On Wednesday May 17th the Columbia University Postdoctoral Society organized an Info Session about Immigration at Columbia University. The event was co-organized by Columbia University Postdoctoral Society (CUPS), INet NYC, ECUSA (Spanish Scientists in USA), Einstein Postdoctoral Association (EPA), Postdoc Executive Committee at ISMMS and co-sponsored by Columbia University Postdoctoral Society (CUPS), Columbia University Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA), Rockefeller University Dean's Office, NYU School of Medicine Postdoctoral Affairs through their BEST grant and Graduate School of Medical Sciences (at Weill Cornell Medicine) Postdoctoral Affair office. The idea was to provide the large community of New York postdocs with information on how to transition from non-immigrant to permanent resident status, or immigrant, in the United States.

The event got fully booked within 24 hours. The massive attendance of 185 people from 9 different institutions (Columbia University, Cornell University, NYU, Mount Sinai, Albert Einstein, The Rockefeller University, CUNY, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Rutgers, among others) speaks loud and clear about the discomfort of the time that we are living and the uncertainties that we, the international scientific community, face here in the United States.

Research in the U.S. is carried out and progresses thanks to many outstanding international PhD students, Postdocs and associate researchers on non-immigrant visas, who seek to become permanent residents to be able to stay and do the their best Science. According to the National Science Foundation (NSF), the current number of international scientists and engineers in the U.S. workforce is estimated to be 5.2 millions, constituting almost 20% of the sector. This number has increased 2.5 fold in just the last decade.

The session started with a presentation about the main categories of visa given by attorney Aviva Meerschwam from Fragomen. Then, a panel of researchers that have successfully applied for and obtained an H-1B visa or a Green Card introduced their case and answered questions collected from the public, discussing the alternatives that students and postdocs have to apply for permanent residency.
 
Panelists included:
- Sophie Colombo, from Columbia University, H-1B (academic, professional);
- Kiran Kumar Andra, from Cornell University, EB-1A Green Card (obtained with the help of a lawyer);
- Hourinaz Behesti, from The Rockfeller University, EB-1B Green Card (obtained without the help of a lawyer);
- Chamara Senevirathne, from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, EB-2 Green Card (obtained without the help of a lawyer);
- Wissam Hamou, from Mount Sinai, EB-2 Green Card (obtained with the help of a lawyer);
- Alicia Perez-Porro, from the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC, Green Card through marriage (with a pro-bono lawyer);
- Jose Ignacio Garzón, from Columbia University, Green Card through lottery.
 
The session was broadcasted live for people who could not attend and the video can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR9_-vvWQIQ 
 
Let’s summarize the information gathered during the meeting.
 
The status of non-immigrants is for foreign nationals that come to the U.S. temporarily and keep their residence abroad. In the field of academic research, common categories of visas include:

• F-1, for academic students;
• J-1, for exchange visitors;
• H-1B, for professionals. In particular, TN for Canadian and Mexican citizens, E-3 for Australians and H-1B1 for Singaporeans and Chileans;
• O-1, for foreign nationals of extraordinary ability.

 
F-1 visa is available to foreign nationals entering the USA for academic studies and are eligible to work 12 months under the Optional Practical Training (OPT), either pre- or post-graduation in the field related to their studies. STEM degrees students may apply for a 24-months extension.
 
J-1 visa allows foreign nationals to participate in an approved exchange program to gain experience, study or do research in their field. Examples of exchange visitors include, but are not limited to, trainees, interns, teachers, professors, research scholars, specialists, students and foreign medical graduates.
 
H-1B visa types are open to professionals that work in a “specialty occupation” and are going to remain in the U.S. for a minimum of 6 years. 65,000 H-1B visas can be issued annually, beginning each year on April 1st. However, certain employers are exempt from this quota (e.g. non-profit and governmental research organizations). Premium processing for this visa type have been temporarily suspended under the current administration.
 
O-1 visas are open to foreign nationals of extraordinary ability in the sciences, education, arts, business or athletics. Applicants have to meet certain requirements such as:

• having risen to the top of their field,
• having a publication record,
• being internationally recognized for their achievements in the field,
• having collected awards and membership in associations.

 
Most of foreign Postdocs enter the U.S. with a J-1 visa, stay for 5 years and then shift to a H-1B type of visa for another 6 years. This can be done as long as they remain in academia. Eventually, as non-immigrants, they may decide to pursue the status of permanent residence while in the U.S. territory. Many do it because they do not want to deal with visa bureaucracy and paperwork every few years. Plus, being a permanent resident is definitely an advantage when transitioning from academia to industry. This change of status from non-immigrant to permanent resident can be done either from an F-1, J-1 or an H-1B visa.
 
The way to become a permanent resident, or immigrant, is by obtaining a Green Card.
A maximum of 650,000 Green Cards can be given each year, and they are distributed through the following different application processes:

• 480,000 cap for family-based Green Cards, where a family member who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident sponsors the applicant;
• 140,000 cap for employment-based Green Cards, where an employer sponsors the applicant;
• 50,000 cap for lottery Green Cards.

 
The employment based Green Card application is a two or three-step process, where the applicant needs to provide:

• a labor certification, where required (Department of Labor (DOL)),
• an immigrant preference petition (Form I-140),
• an adjustment of status (Department of State and USCIS Visa Bulletins) or immigrant visa application processed through a U.S. embassy/consulate abroad.

 
The employment based Green Card categories are:

• EB-1, for priority workers (40,000 cap), who have an extraordinary ability in a specific field (such as sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics) and can demonstrate it through sustained national or international acclaim and extensive documentation. No offer of employment is required.
• EB-2, for advanced-degree professionals and aliens of exceptional abilities. A labor certification is required.
• EB-3, for professionals, skilled and unskilled workers. This is the most commonly used employment-based category. A labor certification is required in all cases.

 
The EB-1 category is subdivided into:

• EB-1A, for people of extraordinary ability, who may also self-sponsor.
• EB-1B, for outstanding professors and researchers, with internationally recognized achievements. These applicants must be sponsored by the employer and must be seeking a tenure teaching position.
• EB-1C, for multinational executives/managers, who must be sponsored by an employer that does business in 2+ countries. The job position, of managerial or executive capacity, must last at least 3 years.

 
The EB-2 category is subdivided into:

• EB-2A, for advanced degree professionals. A labor certification is required.
• EB-2B, for persons of exceptional ability in the fields of science, art or business. A labor certification is required.

 
The EB-3 category is subdivided into:

• professionals that have at least a bachelor degree;
• skilled workers with a minimum of 2 years working experience and/or training;
• unskilled workers (limited to 10,000).

 
For further information on the various Green Card categories, you can also check www.uscis.gov.
 
The audience asked lots of questions to the panelists. We have summarized their answers, at times commented by the attorney.
 
Q1: Can J-1 or F-1 visa holders adjust their status to immigrant?
A1: Yes, J-1 and F-1 visa holders can apply for a Green Card while in the United States. Nevertheless, they may have a travel restriction upon filing a petition application to change or adjust status. Moreover, some J visa holders might be subjected to the 2 years rule, which means that they must return to their home country for 2 years after completion of program, before seeking another non-immigrant visa category or permanent residence. Also, since F-1 is not a dual-intent visa category (i.e. it does not permit immigrant intent), there are certain restrictions related to traveling while the application is pending and to the timing for filing the application, which must be carefully considered. As such, it would be advisable to consult with a lawyer before proceeding with a Green Card application while in F-1 status.
 
Q2: Can one apply for J-1 visa when the current visa is F-1?
A2: Yes, you can move from a F-1 to a J-1. However, the applicant needs to meet the following requirements:

• non-U.S. degree,
• non-U.S. previous working experience.

Moreover, eligible applicants may have to look for more than just one sponsor, to try to justify and demonstrate how the applicant’s professional growth will benefit from this additional training.
 
Q3: What are the requirements for EB-1?
A3: There are 10 criteria to demonstrate extraordinary ability in your field. Applicants must meet 3 of these requirements or provide evidence of a one-time achievement (i.e., Pulitzer, Oscar, Olympic Medal).

1. Evidence of receipt of lesser nationally or internationally recognized prizes or awards for excellence.
2. Evidence of your membership in associations in the field, which demand outstanding achievement of their members.
3. Evidence of published material about you in professional or major trade publications or other major media.
4. Evidence that you have been asked to judge the work of others, either individually or on a panel.
5. Evidence of your original scientific, scholarly, artistic, athletic, or business-related contributions of major significance to the field.
6. Evidence of your authorship of scholarly articles in professional or major trade publications or other major media.
7. Evidence that your work has been displayed at artistic exhibitions or showcases.
8. Evidence of your performance of a leading or critical role in distinguished organizations.
9. Evidence that you command a high salary or other significantly high remuneration in relation to others in the field.
10. Evidence of your commercial successes in the performing arts.

 
Q4: How does one meet the scientific standards required to apply for the EB-1?
A4: There are no minimal requirements (no minimum number of research or review papers). It is crucial to highlight how your achievements have had a great impact on the American society and internationally. Therefore, more than the number of publications, you may want to highlight how your research has been cited or disseminated. Also, non-scientists will read and evaluate the paperwork, so avoid jargon and technicalities and go straight to the point of why your work matters.
 
Q5: Can O-1 visa be self-sponsored?
A5: No, you need an employer or an agent who will act as a sponsor/petitioner.
 
Q6: How many recommendation letters is it advisable to submit?
A6: Between 5 and 10 letters of recommendation. It is better if the letters do not come from your past boss or supervisor, but are rather signed by third parties or your future boss. It is crucial to follow the template when writing these letters, which can be crafted also by the lawyers. Hiring lawyers with a science background may help (as it happened to one of the panelists). Sometimes this turns out to be the best option because the right content will be conveyed through the right amount of bureaucratic language.
 
Q7: What happens if the current visa expires while you are in the process of applying for a Green Card or H-1B visas?
A7: When you apply for a Green Card or H-1B visas, it is also strongly advisable to apply at the same time for an Employment Authorization (Form I-765) combined with a Travel Document (Form I-131). It allows you to work and travel even if your current visa status expires.
 
Q8: Is it allowed to switch jobs while filing a Green Card or H-1B application?
A8: Since this will most likely imply a change in sponsor, it is not advisable to do so. It is definitely advisable to keep the same employer (= sponsor) through the whole application process.
 
Q9: Can one apply for multiple Green Card categories at the same time?
A9: It is possible but not advisable.
 
Q10: How much does the whole application process cost?
A10: The panelists reported the following experiences:
- $13,000, for 1 person + spouse, with the help of a lawyer;
- $7,000, for 1 person, with a lawyer;
- $1,800, for a spouse of a US citizen, with the help of a pro-bono lawyer;
- $2,800, for 1 person, with the application managed by herself, without the help of any lawyer. This included the option of faster processing request (Form I-907) which costs  $1,225;
- $1,500 for the lottery process.
Some lawyers refund you half of the costs if the application is not successful.
 
Q11: How long does it take to get a Green Card, depending on the different categories?
A11: It is slower to obtain one of the EB-1 Green Card types than one of the EB-2 or EB-3 types. According to the historical average processing times, the government processing time for the EB-1 visa is about 6 months. Once the EB-1 has been approved, the government takes additional time to issue permanent residence. According to the panelists, the whole application process took up to 18, 9 or 6 months when applying for employment, family or lottery-based categories respectively. The premium service shortens the processing decision down to 15 calendar days.
Q12: Can you switch to industry or a different postdoc if you have an academic position-related H-1B?
A12: No, you can’t with the same H-1B. If you have an H-1B visa and you want change your employer (which could be a different academic group leader or an industry employer), you also have to change your visa. However, the applicant can apply for a H-1B visa transfer, which allows to start working for the new employer as soon as the H-1B transfer petition is submitted, without having to wait until the transfer is issued. This is the list of the required documents when issuing an H-1B visa transfer:

• up to 3 months latest pay stubs;
• copy of your existing H1B approval;
• passport copies;
• copies of I-94 records;
• copy of Social Security Card;
• latest resume;
• copy of existing valid visa;
• copy of all your diploma/degrees. 

 
Q13: Are O-3/O-1 and H-4/H-1B dependents respectively allowed to work?
A13: Different from J-2 (J-1 dependents), O-3/H-4 are not eligible. However, H-4 can apply for permission to work only when a permanent residency petition, based on the H-1B’s employment, has been pending for a year or more.
 
Q14: Is it worth it responding to Request for Evidence (RFE) for the EB-1A Green Card or is it better to apply again?
A14: RFE is requested from USCIS when a petition is lacking initial documentation or the officer needs additional evidence. The petitioner should respond to the RFE usually in 30 days and will receive a status case respond in 60 days. Keep in mind that USCIS is perfectly able to deny any immigration application without first issuing RFEs, so this might be your last chance to prove what they have asked. Here you will find more information about this process.
Q16: How can you apply for Green Card without a lawyer?
A16: Panelist Hourinaz Behesti applied for EB-1B without a lawyer and shared her experience. Being EB-1B an employment-based Green Card, the employer (i.e., the University) was the “Petitioner”. The applicant was the “Beneficiary”. Applicants need to have a title other than “postdoctoral fellow/associate” as the USCIS does not recognize “Postdoc” as a permanent position. However, a transition to “Research Associate”, for example after the postdoc position, is considered a permanent position. The employer has to write the cover letter based on material provided by the applicant and has to fill out the forms. On the USCIS webpage, all relevant forms can be downloaded in the “forms” tab. Here is the EB-1B forms checklist:

• Cover letter written by the petitioner (i.e., the University that employs you), listing what is included in the application;
• Form I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alian Worker);
• Form I-907 (only if you want to request premium processing);
• Filing fees in the form of checks;
• Petitioner’s letter of support (i.e., your boss). This is a pretty extensive letter and you can find templates online regarding the format of the letter and what it should include;
• Supporting documentation:
  • Copies of passport bio page, I-94 information and I-797 Approval Notice for valid H1-B status or other visa type you are on.
  • Petitioner information (i.e., the University that employs you).
  • Copy of petitioner’s offer of permanent employment to the beneficiary.
  • Evidence of grants or fellowships obtained or awards won for outstanding scientific contributions to your field of study (you should ask for letters from the granting bodies if you do not have an official letter from them already).
  • Evidence that you are a member of professional societies (again ask for letters from all societies you belong to, asking them to outline what their organization is about and what it takes to be a member).
  • Evidence of any talks/poster presentations you’ve been invited to give.
  • Evidence that you have been asked to be the judge of others’ work in your field (reviewed articles, grants, etc.).
  • Evidence of articles authored in international journals.
  • Letters of recommendations from experts in the field who can vouch that you have made original scientific and scholarly contributions to your field of study (the panelist included 7 of these). Include their CVs too.
  • Evidence of published materials written by others about your work (if you have any).
  • Your citations (Google Scholar or web of science printout).
• Form I-485 (Application to register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status);
• Form G-325 (Biographic Information);
• Form ETA 750 Part B;
• Filing Fees for adjustment of status;
• Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization);
• Form I-131 (Application for Travel Document);
• Letter from your employer confirming its intention to continue to employ you;
• Copy of your birth certificate;
• 2 x Color photographs;
• Form I-693 (Medical Exam and Vaccine Record, this has to be done by an authorized Doctor).

 
Q17: As a scientist/researcher, would it make sense to apply for EB-1, EB-2 or EB-3 types of Green Card?
A17: EB-3 is for professionals, skilled workers and other workers, which could certainly include scientists/researchers. However, since scientists/researchers usually have advanced degrees and good credentials, it would be more appropriate for them to apply for EB-1 or EB-2 rather than an EB-3.
 
Q18: Who is eligible to obtain a Green Card through family?
A18: The following categories are eligible:

• An immediate relative of a U.S. citizen; this includes spouses, unmarried children under the age of 21, and parents of U.S. citizen petitioners 21 or older;
• a family member of a U.S. citizen fitting into a preference category; this includes unmarried sons or daughters over the age of 21, married children of any age, and brothers and sisters of U.S. citizen petitioners 21 or older;
• a family member of a Green Card holder, this includes spouses and unmarried children of the sponsoring Green Card holder
• a member of a special category, this can include battered spouse or child (VAWA), a K nonimmigrant, a person born to a foreign diplomat in the United States, a V nonimmigrant or a widow(er) of a U.S. Citizen.

By Inna Bakman-Sanchez (edited by Gayathri Devi Raghupathy)

Finding a good career mentor is very important and yet at times we take it for granted. Career mentors have valuable experience and can help guide and advise you on your career path, establish clear and achievable goals, teach you how to overcome challenges in your field of work, as well as introduce you to the right people. For international students, such as myself, finding the right mentor can be priceless. Having come to a new country to pursue a PhD in the STEM fields, far from all things familiar and comfortable, sometimes you may find yourself overwhelmed by the language, culture, work demands, and lack of connections. Without guidance and help, it's far more challenging to discover all the great career opportunities that await outside academia.

So, how do you find a mentor? Your PI can answer some of your career related questions, but if they are not international or if your questions are not necessarily in their zone of expertise, there is a small but an important gap that needs to be filled.

I decided that first step will be to go to the event hosted by INet NYC with collaboration with the Science Alliance of the New York Academy of Sciences - “Success Stories in Non-Academic Career Tracks: Overcoming the Barriers of an International Scientist in the USA". The major point that was made by the speakers was the importance of a career mentor and how that helped them to pursue and achieve their high positions outside academia, either as a science journalist, patent lawyer, consultant, pharmaceutical industry position, and more. At that event, I also learnt about the INet NYC Mentor-Mentee program.
I am glad to have had the opportunity to be a mentee at the INet NYC Mentor-Mentee Program. 
At first, I hesitated to partake in the program since one of the guidelines was to know what I want to do after my PhD. The goal of this information was to match you with the right mentor. But what if I don’t really know what I want to do? Having a career mentor pushed me to do some soul searching and to be honest with myself about what I am passionate about and what will make me happy even if that is not directly related to what I am doing right now.

My mentor, Dr. Roberta Marongiu​, an assistant Professor of Neuroscience in Neurological Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine/NYP hospital, does research on developing novel gene therapy approaches for Parkinson’s disease. She moved to NYC from Rome, Italy where she did her PhD in Medical Genetics and Neuroscience. Even though our research interests are different, we were able to connect on a personal level - we could relate to the challenges of being foreign in the US. Having open conversations with my mentor allowed me to learn that sometimes your path is not clear right away, but with an open mind you may fall into research that you never thought would interest you, yet surprisingly grow to love and find success. The most inspiring moment for me was learning about my mentor's achievement in organizing a non-profit organization that combines both her passion for boxing and the fight against Parkinson’s disease - stoPD. Her example has inspired me (more than I can give credit to it in this post) to consider my own joy in the practice of painting, photography and working with children in the sciences, as well as the wonderful potential in combining these activities into an ideal career.

Next, I wondered whether there are other ways to still be a scientist and educator in the US without going through a post-doctoral training or dealing with limited OPT. Dr.Marongiu’s perspective was that it is preferable to do at least one post-doctoral research in order to take up more responsibilities, be more independent, extend your network and potential collaborators for the future. One key point is to put a strict deadline of two years to the length of that position. Since I am interested in teaching and working with the youth, my mentor recommended me to look for positions as a post-doc at universities and community colleges that have undergraduate programs rather than graduate-research programs or medical-research colleges.

Following my mentors’ advice, I took immediate action in finding volunteer programs and grants that will strengthen my resume as a science educator. Ultimately, my time with her so far has been transformative in coming to terms with what I could be passionate about and what work makes me happy, regardless of its relevance to what I am currently doing.

It is important to remember that a career mentor is one of the best tools at your disposal to figure out and navigate your future. Sometimes you may need only two or three meetings before you are looking in the right direction. It could also be a longer process that requires opening up, exploring, researching, and deciding on a path. Our relationship has run for several months so far, extending beyond the program’s pairing, since a mentor cannot simply help you forge your career overnight. I connect with my mentor primarily via email and phone conversations.
​
Should you apply for the mentor-mentee program even if you know exactly what you want and know how to get it? Definitely yes! Should you do so if you are completely lost? I believe that in order to benefit the most from this program, you should have some idea about what career paths excite you. Thus, considering this program presents a great opportunity to pause for a moment and envision your future self. Don't be shy to have open and productive conversations. Remember to have fun and, when you've found what you're looking for, to pay the service forward.

By Yue Liu (Edited by Tessa Barrett)

Sharpen Your Professional Writing Swordsmanship
Writing in English is unquestionably one of the major challenges international students must conquer. Professional writing, especially scientific writing, is particularly challenging, due to the requirements for clarity, accessibility, and accuracy. The first step in becoming competent in professional writing is to sharpen your writing skills. But how can we do it given our tight schedules, limited funds, and intimidating academic requirements? The following is a range of options arranged by accessibility, depending on your skill level, from which international students can choose:
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Read Quality Materials on a Daily Basis
Nobody can become a good writer without reading. A benefit of intensive reading is the broadening of our working vocabulary. Besides understanding every single word within various contexts, Monica Thorn, a very organized and encouraging English tutor at Hunter College, suggests comparing a group of related words such as synonyms and antonyms from a thesaurus every day. Personally, I have signed up to receive the Merriam-Webster Word of the Day. I also recommend an affordable and portable book, Merriam-Webster’s Vocabulary Builder, which is organized by word-building roots. Thorn also recommends devoting 15 minutes per day to reading quality materials, such as The New Yorker, The New York Times (many universities provide free access), Wired, The Economist, and so on. In addition to building vocabulary, Dr. Kate Gao (a scientific editor at Nature Communications) believes reading not only brings great pleasure but also inspires us to generate our own beautiful stories. Dr. Gao suggests reading several great writers to progressively internalize their ways of storytelling to develop one’s own unique writing style.

Read and Analyze Well-written Scientific Articles
We usually read scientific articles for research, but how often do we pay attention to their logic and sentence structure? Does the article present an engaging argument like telling a captivating story? Dr. Gao suggests reading well-written scientific articles and learning how to organize data logically, precisely, and compellingly. Moreover, closely comparing one’s first draft of a research paper with the final version will help us find the areas that need improvement.

Get Free Assistance from the Reading and Writing Center at Your Institution
Most institutions provide free materials and one-on-one tutoring for students to develop fundamental reading and writing skills through Reading and Writing Centers. I met Thorn at the Reading and Writing Center at Hunter College. However, the levels and styles of tutors are quite different, and it may take time to find a good match. In addition to tutoring, you can find many useful handouts and resource links on their websites.  

Take Writing Classes and Workshops for Free   
I have audited writing classes at my institute and learned how to compare various forms of literatures and write critical analyses. For professional science writing, most graduate schools provide free science writing workshops. In addition, we can also take online science writing classes, such as the Writing in the Sciences course offered by Stanford University, as recommended by Dr. Jun Tang (a postdoctoral scientist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center). Dr. Tang strongly believes that non-native English speakers will become good writers with practice, and suggests reading good resources to absorb the language usage in one’s own writing, as well as writing regularly and revising intensively.  

Get Continuous Feedback from a Good Writer
Dr. Tang also suggests finding a good and patient writer (a friend, an English tutor from a Reading and Writing Center, or a professional writer if you can afford it) to go through your writing (e.g. essays, research proposals, and cover letters). Continuous feedback is key to improving your writing skills. For example, I was very lucky to work with Jane Shmidt (a doctoral candidate in Comparative Literature at CUNY). Shmidt was very patient and scrupulous in examining my writing. I developed a better sense of logic and realized the importance of organizing the structure. Shmidt gave me two pieces of advice: 1) keep a daily journal to practice writing; and 2) have a reader relay a draft back to the writer, who will then know the parts that require clarification.

Take More Advanced Writing Classes and Workshops
If free resources such as Reading and Writing Centers, auditing classes, and taking online classes do not satisfy your craving for further improvement, there are many more classes and workshops available. Dr. Gao suggests the creative writing classes offered by the Gotham Writers' Workshop (https://www.writingclasses.com/) and the Santa Fe Science Writing Workshop (http://sciwrite.org/).

Join Professional Organizations for Writers
Dr. Joan Liebmann-Smith (a consulting writer and editor at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center) suggests joining organizations such as National Association of Science Writers, Science Writers in New York, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Medical Writers Association, The New York Academy of Sciences, or any other organization related to your field.

Hone Analytical Skills through Editing
Dr. Liebmann-Smith also suggests forming or joining a reading/writing group to analyze and critique each member’s writing. For example, Jordana Lovett (a doctoral candidate at CUNY), who has always been passionate about scientific writing, finds the most satisfying means of improving her writing is to edit other people’s work. The critical reading and editing process trains her mind to write more effectively.
 
        “You don’t succeed as a scientist by getting papers published. You succeed as a scientist by getting them cited. … You succeed when your peers understand your work and use it to motivate their own…. Success, therefore, comes not from writing but from writing effectively.”
─Joshua Schimel
 
Acknowledgement: I am very fortunate to know many great writers who are generous in sharing their valuable experiences with me: Dr. Kate Gao, Dr. Joan Liebmann-Smith, Jordana Lovett, Jane Shmidt, Dr. Jun Tang, and Monica Thorn.