The Office of Postdoctoral Scholar Affairs (OPSA) is the central office that oversees postdoctoral scholar programs for the UC San Diego campus, including appointments, benefits, services and career development. We strive to develop programs that enhance the advancement and experience of postdoctoral scholars at UC San Diego while supporting and maintaining a diverse and inclusive postdoc community.
jbourque@ucsd.edu, (858) 534-6632
Job Duties: Jenn develops and oversees the strategic vision for postdoctoral scholars at UC San Diego. She provides administrative and management oversight on policies, guidelines, collective bargaining agreement and campus processes. Jenn advocates for inclusiveness of postdoctoral scholars, promotes opportunities and fosters new initiatives to enhance postdoctoral scholar experience, research training, and advancement through professional development.
Profile: Jenn is a proud UC San Diego Triton! She earned her B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Health Care and Social Issues. As a student she worked at the “old” Bookstore and VCAA office, with a stint at a downtown law firm. Her UC San Diego career began in the Department of Political Science, moved to Office of Graduate Studies and Research, transitioned to Vice Chancellor for Research and now back to Graduate Division. In 2005 she established the Postdoctoral Scholar office, centralized business processes and launched the professional development program. In 2011/12 she received the UCSD Exemplary Staff Employee of the Year award, and in 2012 the Partners in International Education award.
Fun Fact: Jenn has 2 fur-babies named Gronkowski (Boston Terrier) and Brady (Terrier mix).
hadillon@ucsd.edu, (858) 822-5915
Job Duties: Heather oversees the EPIC Postdoc Professional Development Program and develops, coordinates, and presents workshops to meet the training and career development needs of the UC San Diego postdoctoral community. She also manages the Postdoc Dependent Care Travel Grant program and coordinates the annual Chancellor’s Awards program. Heather serves as an ex-officio member and advisor to the UC San Diego Postdoctoral Association Board, as an ex-officio member of the Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Women, and as the Postdoctoral Office representative on the EDI Advisory Council. She further collaborates with partners across UC San Diego and within the greater community to facilitate high-impact professional development programs for PhDs and Postdocs.
Profile: Heather graduated with Highest Honors from the University of California, Davis with a degree in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior and has a Master’s degree in Cognitive Neuroscience from Dartmouth College. She is a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach and MBTI® Certified Practitioner. With over a decade of experience in recruitment and advising, Heather has assisted hundreds of graduate students and postdocs with their job searches and application materials. She celebrates the diverse experiences and aspirations of each trainee and strives to help individuals share their unique perspectives and talents while crafting their personal career journey. Heather is devoted to helping trainees succeed in their chosen professions by providing career guidance and advice through seminars, workshops, and individual meetings.
Fun Fact: Heather enjoys traveling and has visited 49 of the 50 states in the U.S. (including 35 National Parks) and 15 countries around the world.
jrsalomon@ucsd.edu, (858) 534-3553
Job Duties: Jennie Salomon manages the campus wide postdoctoral administration operation. Jennie reviews and analyzes postdoctoral scholar appointments, reappointments, leaves and exception requests. She is the campus liaison with the Postdoctoral Scholar Benefits Plan insurance brokers, co-leads the monthly New Postdoctoral Scholar Orientation and manages the Health and Wellness programs. Jennie also ensures compliance to the UC-UAW Collective Bargaining Agreement and UC policies.
Profile: Jennie earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Policy Studies from Syracuse University, Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University, and a Master of Public Administration from Baruch College in the City of New York. Jennie worked as a hospital social worker in New York City before moving to San Diego and changing career paths to a human resource and higher education administration focus. She joined UC San Diego in 2016 in the Department of Nanoengineering as the department HR contact before joining the Office of Postdoctoral and Research Scholar Affairs in 2019.
Fun Fact: Jennie and her husband decided to venture west to San Diego from New York after a snowstorm left almost six feet of snow outside their apartment.
luj001@ucsd.edu, (858) 534-3555
Job Duties: As a student assistant, Esther’s role is critical to ensure that postdocs have access to accurate information, resources, and opportunities to develop professionally and advance their careers. Esther’s primary responsibility is to manage and maintain the postdoc website. Esther needs to regularly update the website's content to ensure that it is accurate and relevant, the web is user-friendly and accessible to all postdoctoral scholars. Esther is also in charge of developing the weekly newsletter and other resources to support postdoctoral scholars in their professional development.
Profile: Esther is a current undergraduate at UCSD majoring in B.S. Cognitive Science with a Specialization in Machine Learning and Minor in Computer Science. Esther’s past experience is mostly concentrated on leading projects and cross-functional teams, project tracking and roadmapping, as well as content creation for media and websites. As a young professional, Esther seeks to break into the tech field as a Product Manager.
Fun Fact: Esther is addicted to MBTI® and Carl Jung's theory about Personalities.