Kryste Ferguson

Manager of Membership & Special Projects @National Postdoctoral Association

Rockville, MD, US

Effective leadership & management fostering relationships with 200+ academic institutions. Develop strategies to improve their postdoc programs and build alliances on their campuses. Liaise with the NPA international taskforce that serves the postdoc community, 50% of whom are international scholars. Work with 4 standing committees ensuring they function individually and as a team to meet their annual goals. Supervise NPA interns to foster their professional and academic growth and advance their career goals.Maintain over 95% of 215 organizational members through monthly renewal processes and relationship maintenance. Build and implement the annual operating plan for all aspects of managing and growing the NPA membership.Lead triennial NPA Institutional Policy Survey (2012-present) which assesses postdoc policies at NPA member institutions. The resultant publications received a prominent insert placement in the American Scientist journal each with 60K+ mailings. Developed and distributed the survey to ~200 NPA institutional members resulting in a 20% response increase. Supported 10+ member institutions on their individual priority goals through tailored reports with comparable analysis that resulted in increased pay, better health benefits, and improved leave policies for postdocs. Collaborated with University of California Hastings School of Law on a Postdoc Parents Survey and provided data from the 2013 NPA Institutional Policy Survey on parental leave and policies. Analyzed data resulted in the publication, Parents in the Pipeline: Retaining Postdoctoral Researchers with Families.

Westminster College (PA)

B.S., International Business and Spanish

University of Pennsylvania

M.Ed., Higher Education Management