CDDRL fellow recognized by Stanford for contributions to postdoctoral community

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Landry Signé, a 2011-2013 Banting Fellow at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law and an assistant professor of political science at the University of Alaska Anchorage, was bestowed the 2013 Recognition Award from the Stanford University Postdoctoral Association (SUPD), alongside the 2012 Benefits Committee, for contributing to major policy changes at Stanford University. The award was presented during the third annual SUPD Research Symposium entitled, “Empowering Future Leaders” on October 11, 2013.

The Stanford University Postdoctoral Association represents upwards of 2,000 of the world’s brightest scholars and works to enhance and enrich their postdoctoral experience at Stanford University. The award recognizes “postdocs who have made an exceptional contribution to the postdoc experience” and in particular highlights the “major policy changes” the 2012 Benefits Committee has brought to the university.

As co-chair and co-chief negotiator of the SUPD 2012 Benefits Committee, Signé and his team have substantially enhanced the life of postdoctoral scholars by mobilizing necessary resources and negotiating with numerous university leaders, including the Provost, to address the “dramatic rise in the cost of health insurance for postdocs with dependents.”

“It has been a great honor and privilege to humbly but substantially improve the life of hundreds of postdoctoral scholars by working collaboratively and strategically with our most talented colleagues and the administration,” said  Signé. “This contribution to major policy changes positively impacting lives and productivity of a large number of scholars has been one of my most rewarding and proudest experiences at Stanford University.”

As a result, Stanford University doubled the postdoc Family Health Care Fund and created an Emergency Grant-in-Aid for a wider range of postdocs. The 2012 Benefits Committee also persuaded university administration to take retroactive action of overcharges. These major policy changes have drastically improved the life of several hundred postdoctoral scholars, and sets an example of successful leadership.