A Pipeline to the Tenure Track: Dr. Roberto M. Aguilar has no doubt that landing a postdoctoral fellowship through the University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship program has put him in serious contention to pursue a tenure-track faculty position at a major research university. Working on neurobiology research at the Reeve-Irvine Research Center at the University of California, Irvine, has proved to be a gratifying accomplishment for Aguilar, a first-generation college graduate.
“Without this fellowship it wouldn’t be possible for me to be considered by the research schools that have expressed interest in my research,” Aguilar says.
“There’s not that many places in the United States doing the research that’s done at the Reeve center ... I’m very fortunate to be here.”
At the University of California, Santa Barbara, Dr. Lachelle Hannickel, another current participant in the UC President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship program, has been able to spend the time since earning her Ph.D. in French in 2007 working on journal articles, a book manuscript and her job search. She says she benefited by attending professional development workshops along with other UC postdoctoral fellows as well as getting advice from her designated faculty mentor.
