Report a concern to the Committee »
The Molecular Foundry aims to support our staff and users at every stage of their careers. We have established the Career Development Committee (CDC) to identify and coordinate opportunities for our community of staff and users to grow their careers through training and networking events and resources. Please contact the CDC for assistance with any of the items below.
Foundry Career Development Resources for Staff
The Career Development Committee has generated these resources to assist staff with planning for the annual performance review process. Additional PMP resources can be found on the Staff Resources page.
- Questions to Assist Staff in the Annual PMP Process
- Personal PMP Log – Template for tracking activities throughout the year
Foundry Work-Life Balance Resources for Staff
Forged during the pandemic, the Work-Life Balance subcommittee, a collaborative effort between Career Development and IDEA, created inspiring campaigns that foster inclusive and supportive work environments. Through authenticity, inclusivity, and empathy, the team promoted activities to empower others to practice self-care without stigma, resulting in a stronger community. The following resources have been developed as part of these initial campaigns.
· Community Agreement
· THRIVE poster campaign
· WLB Monthly Postcards
The Work-Life Balance subcommittee is made up of the following members: Liana Klivansky, David Hom, Suksham Barun, Carolin Sutter-Fella, and Shaul Aloni.
Berkeley Lab Resources for Career Development
(Resources accessible via the A-Z index)
- Berkeley Lab Learning & Culture Office: The LBNL L&C team teaches and curates courses and resources that help you grow and excel in your career and beyond.
- Berkeley Lab Career Pathways Office
- Berkeley Lab Learning Institute
- LBNL LinkedIn Learning
- RPM: Education & Employee Development Policy – Types of training and development programs; Who is eligible; Sources of training programs; Employee development planning
- Salary Ranges and Classification Charts for all scientific and non-scientific classifications
- LBNL Learning Module: Preparing for the Self-Assessment (created by LBNL HR)
- LBNL Performance Management website
- The Berkeley Lab Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) encourages and financially assists career employees in obtaining skills, knowledge, and abilities that increase the effectiveness of work performance in their present position and improve their career opportunities within the Laboratory.
- Enroll at any institution that is an accredited college or university.
- Enrichment courses can be taken without needing to be enrolled in a full-time degree program.
- Full-time students are allowed up to six hours of paid time off during their work week for courses which cannot be accommodated outside of normal working hours.
- There are tax implications to consider; some reimbursement can be considered taxable income.
- Contact Marisa Davis at the Foundry for more information on navigating enrollment in a full-time graduate studies program at UC Berkeley.
- Contact Warren Moore (Berkeley Lab HR) with questions about the TAP program.
- L&C Resources for Self-Development
- Berkeley Lab Presentation on Promotions and Reclassifications
External Resources for Career Development
These links are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by the Molecular Foundry of any of the products, services or opinions of the corporation or organization or individual. The Molecular Foundry bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.
- UC-Berkeley Scientific Leadership and Management (SLAM)
- Local College and Professional Programs
- UC Berkeley Extension
- Peralta Colleges (Berkeley City, College of Alameda, Laney, Merritt)
- UC Berkeley Haas School of Business (evening and weekend MBA program)
- Wharton Executive MBA program (San Francisco campus)
- Stanford Master of Science and LEAD program
- Free Web Courses for Self-Directed Learning
Molecular Foundry Career Development Committee
The mission of the Career Development Committee (CDC) is to serve as a resource for staff and users to navigate every stage of their career. The CDC aims to help identify opportunities for professional growth and to develop the skills necessary to excel in science, engineering, and research.
One of the CDC’s initial projects is piloting a formal mentorship program for Early Career Staff Scientists to guide them through the complexities of the Career Review process. This will lead to a wider-reaching mentorship program where all Foundry staff can be matched with one or more mentors who can help guide their career.
Additionally, the CDC hosts a regular set of seminars, discussions, and intensive workshops designed to develop skills for the wider staff and user community. Subject matter for past CDC seminars and workshops has included writing abstracts and developing emotional intelligence for the workplace. We collaborate with the Foundry’s Diversity & Inclusion Council and Staff Committee on many of these topics.
The CDC is a different kind of Divisional committee at LBL. We welcome your input on how we can most effectively meet our mission. Please feel free to e-mail the committee or contact the current chair with your questions, ideas, and feedback.
CDC Committee Members
| Current Chair: Behzad Rad |
| Shaul Aloni |
| Brett Helms |
| Virginia Altoe |
| Carolin Sutter-Fella |
| Peter Ercius |
| Liang Tan |
| Deirdre Olynick |
| Katherine Sytwu |
| Morgan Wall |
| Karen Bustillo |
| Suksham Barun |
| Laurie Chong |
Examples of Past Events
- Peer Mentoring: Active Listening, Delivering an Elevator Pitch, Making Your Networking Plan
- Career Panel and Networking Event for ESA Operations Staff
- Emotional Intelligence Workshop
- “How to Write an Abstract” Brown Bag Discussion
- “Writing Effective White Papers” Brown Bag Workshop
