Monthly Researcher Spotlight: outstanding contributions of graduate students and postdocs to the top-notch research activities conducted at GCREC. This will also create additional opportunity for improving our members' ability to communicate their respective research to a broader audience. 

GCPSA organizes Spring and Fall research seminar series to provide additional venue for our members to communicate the results and progress of their research, and to serve as a training ground to hone their presentation and communication skills. 

GCPSA organizes professional development workshops aimed at improving the technical and leadership skills of our members.

To help our members maintain and improve their mental and physical well-being, we plan to hold several sports and social events such as basketball, beach volleyball, and soccer games throughout the year. 

The Gulf Coast PostDoc and Student Association  is delighted to extend an invitation to all UF CALS undergraduate and graduate students to join us for the 2023 GCPSA Inter-REC Poster and Flash Talk Competitions. This annual event is scheduled to take place on October 18, 2023 (Wednesday @10am to 12noon). This event is an excellent opportunity to showcase the diverse researches being conducted by UF undergraduate and graduate students in the form of two competitions: Poster (undergraduate and graduate categories)and a 3-minute flash talk (graduate only). Moreover, there will be cash prizes for the winning posters and 3-minute flash talks. The prizes for the winning entries will be cash awards of $200, $100 and $50 for the first, second and third place from each category, respectively. 

The event will be held in person at the GCREC campus in Balm, Florida. Snacks and lunch will be provided to participants.

The goals of this seminar series are to update our members with current developments in the international agriculture research community, and to widen their horizon for future employment opportunities. Scientists working at international agricultural research institutions will be invited to talk about how their researches help farmers feed the world.

During the dreaded finals week of Spring and Fall semesters, GCPSA Finals Cafe will offer coffee, tea, hot chocolate, donuts, pastries, pizza, and other light snacks all week long. It is our own way of helping our members ace all their exams. 

GCPSA will continue to organize Shut-Up and Write sessions which are focused writing sessions where GCPSA members come together for 1-to-2-hour sessions to write. These are designed to make the act of scientific writing a little bit more fun and social. It is an excellent way to make progress on thesis chapters, journal articles and grant applications.

Stroll-and-Learn program is a series of sessions when GCPSA members stroll together in experimental fields and/or greenhouses. Volunteer graduate students and post docs will show and discuss their research to the rest of the group. The goal is to connect our members, improve communications skills, and share knowledge and expertise. 

GCPSA will organize a committee composed of our most senior members, mostly our post docs and associate members, to review resumes and CVs of our members. This will benefit students who are about to graduate and about to join the job market. That same committee will also conduct mock job interviews to better prepare our members for their actual job interviews. 

In coordination with our partners, we will organize field trips to visit industry research fields, commercial farms, and packing  houses in Florida. These experiential learning activities are excellent opportunities to get updated with current trends and development in the industry, and expand professional relationships.

We will continue to organize Spring and Fall Welcome Day Social events for new and returning graduate students, interns, post docs, and scholars to make them feel welcome to their new home for the next 3-5 years. This year, we will put emphasis on organizing more outdoor activities with the goal of helping to enhance the physical and mental well being of our GCPSA members. 

A by-product of numerous research activities conducted at GCREC are surplus tomatoes, strawberries, peppers, and other fruits and vegetables. GCPSA Community Affairs Committee coordinates the logistics of donating these surplus produce to food pantries and charitable organizations.