Anthony Cesnik

Proteoform Systems Biology

I ground my ongoing efforts to promote departmental and institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion in creating a sense of belonging. I believe facilitating belonging to university departments and fields of study can serve as the foundation for deeper efforts to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion. Towards this end, I created the Bioengineering Postdoc Chalk Talk series at Stanford over the last two years, aiming to build connections within the diverse bioengineering postdoc community and build an understanding of how to construct and deliver an impactful chalk talk. The first two events held this year were attended by around 20 postdocs and one member of the faculty per session, followed by a mixer, ”BioE Beer, Boba, and Bites.” I have been humbled by feedback that this series is making a positive impact and facilitating practice for one of the most difficult parts of job searches, the chalk talk. Creating a space for practice chalk talks also aims to lower systemic barriers to training for job searches, engaging, and excelling in academia. At Stanford Bioengineering, I have also represented postdocs on departmental committees for alumni relations and justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) to help identify opportunities to build a sense of belonging and alumnihood for postdocs. For these contributions, I received the institution­wide Stanford Postdoc JEDI Champion Award this year for advancing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion at Stanford.

chalktalk

Service and outreach activities

  • Visiting Lecturer, Stuart Hall Middle School, San Francisco, CA, USA, Apr 2023.
    • Presented to five middle school science classes on protein science, systems biology, and the life of a PhD researcher.
  • Visiting Lecturer, Stuart Hall Middle School, San Francisco, CA, USA, Mar 2020.
    • Presented to four middle school science classes on cell biology concepts, protein science, and summarized the life of a PhD researcher.
  • Coding Development Assistant, Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA, Sept 2019.
    • Assisted with coding development for a diverse group of scientists new to bioinformatics.
  • Panel Member for “Chemistry Conversations, A Day-in-the-Life of a Research Group,” Chemistry Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA, Dec 2017.
    • Served as a member of a panel reflecting on experiences as faculty, staff, or, in my case, as a student in a research group.
  • Volunteer for Summer Shadowing, Chemistry Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA, Summer 2014.
    • Served as a mentor and worked to show a junior high school student about chemistry research over the summer.
  • Departmental Assistant, Chemistry Department, Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN, 2011-2012.
    • Organized a weekly coffee and socialization break to strengthen student and faculty community that is still ongoing. Also served as a research symposium co-host.