Office of Postdoctoral Studies
Postdoctoral Fellow Welcome Resource
Welcome to the University of Mississippi Medical Center!
Postdoctoral Fellow Welcome Resource
Contact Information
- Graduate School: gradschool@umc.edu
- HR Benefits: HR@umc.edu
- Director of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs: lberro@umc.edu
- Chair of Postdoctoral Advisory Committee: ncampbell@umc.edu
- Vice Chair of Postdoctoral Advisory Committee: garthur@umc.edu
- DIS Help Desk: helpdesk@umc.edu (601) 984-1145
- Campus Police (emergency): 911 from a campus phone; (601) 815-7777 from a cell phone
- Campus Police (non-emergency): (601) 984-1360
- Employee Health: (601) 984-1185
- Quick Care Clinic for UMMC Employees: (601) 984-2273
Select a topic to jump to a section.
Getting Settled in the Jackson Metro Area
Places of Note Around the Campus
Resources & Events to Support the Postdoctoral Experience
Local Activities in and Around Jackson
GETTING STARTED AT UMMC
Orientation Information
UMMC postdocs are W-2 employees and are eligible to join the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) or Public Employees' Retirement System of Mississippi (PERS). Deciding how to navigate the orientation process will be different for each individual. If you have any questions about how postdocs have previously approached orientation material and benefit elections, please feel free to reach out to any member of the advisory committee.
Workday
Workday will be where you get pay slips, tax documents, do benefit elections, travel and expense documents. Learning Resources for navigating and using Workday can be found on the UMMC Intranet at https://intranet.umc.edu/DIS/Workday%20Learning%20Resources/Workday%20Learning%20Resources.html (copy and paste to access - login required). Feel free to ask any member of the postdoctoral advisory committee if you have questions about how and when to use Workday.
Parking & Shuttle Services
Parking is free at the Veterans Memorial Stadium across State Street. Parking on campus in any parking lots or any of the garages is not allowed and strictly enforced by campus police. There are shuttle buses that go throughout the parking lot and drop off at different locations on campus. There is an app called “TransLoc” that will show the shuttles, their routes throughout the stadium and drop off locations on campus. You can also access this from the intranet home page under the far-right Administration box - “Shuttle Tracking”. The Gold line will drop off near the Translational Research Building and the Red line will drop off near the Guyton Breezeway. The buses run from 5:30 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Friday.
On campus parking is allowed at nighttime, on weekends and UMMC-recognized holidays.
Parking zones are detailed here: parking zones
Everbridge App/Alert U
The Everbridge mobile safety app offers a range of safety features. Alert U is a notification system that keeps UMMC faculty, staff and students safe and informed during on-campus weather and emergency events. Alert U messages will appear on computer monitors or sent as text messages. Sign up information is listed here.
Email Signature
UMMC offers a system to create a professional and consistent email signature that can be found on the UMMC Intranet at https://intranet.umc.edu/Administration/Institutional-Advancement/Communications-Marketing/Marketing/emailsignaturegenerator.html(copy and paste to access - login required).
GETTING SETTLED IN THE JACKSON METRO AREA
Housing Information
Online UMMC partner website: https://offcampushousing.umc.edu/
Apartments near campus (Walkable/Bikeable)
- The Meridian at Fondren
- Fondren Hill Apartments
Apartments near campus (≤ 10 minute drive)
- The District Lofts
- Vieux Carre Apartments
- The Quarter on Lakeland
- Lakeland East Apartments
Nearby neighborhoods (single-family housing & apartments)
- Fondren – 2-10 minute drive
- Belhaven – 2-10 minute drive
Suburbs (single-family housing & apartments)
- Flowood – 10-20 minute drive
- Ridgeland/Madison - 15-30 minute drive
- Clinton – 15-30 minute drive
- Pearl – 15-20 minute drive
- Brandon – 20-30 minute drive
- Canton – 30 minute drive
Driver’s License
If you move from another US state and would like to transfer your state residency, you will need to update your driver’s license. Additional information regarding driver’s license can be found at: Mississippi Department of Public Services
PLACES OF NOTE AROUND THE CAMPUS
Campus Map
An interactive map of the campus can be found here.
Norman C. Nelson Student Union
The student union houses the UMMC bookstore, convention facilities and food services. The bookstore is open Monday-Friday 7:45am-4:30pm. Access to student facilities (Fitness Center and Recreation Center) can be provided upon request by contacting StudentAffairs@umc.edu.
Rowland Medical Library
Located in the Learning Resource Center (next to the medical school), the library offers free access to many journals, self-printing services, literature search support and many other services to support academic success.
On Campus Dining
There are dining options on campus with information and menus listed here:
- University Hospital Cafe: located on the first floor of University Hospital. Breakfast (6-10:30am), Lunch (11am-2pm), Dinner (5 pm-7pm), Late night (11 pm-2am)
- Wiser Bistro: located on the ground floor of Wiser Hospital for Women and Infants. Open Monday-Friday (7am-2pm)
- Nelson student union food court operates Monday-Friday from 7:30-1:30 pm.
- Methodist Rehabilitation Cafeteria: located on the second flood of the Methodist Rehabilitation Center. Open daily from 11am-2pm.
- Chick-fil-A: located on the second floor of Methodist Rehabilitation Center. Open Monday-Friday 7am-7pm and Saturday 7am-3pm
- Subway: located down from the University Hospital Cafe. Open Monday-Friday 7am-2am.
- Cups, an Espresso Cafe: has two locations in the Main lobby on the first floor of the University Hospital and in the Methodist Rehabilitation Hosptial (across from Chick-fil-A). Open Monday-Friday 6am-6pm (Main lobby) and Monday-Friday 6am-5pm (Methodist).
- We Proudly Brew: located in the School of Medicine and Medical Pavilion. Open 7am-3:30pm Monday-Thursday and 7am-2pm Friday.
CAMPUS RESOURCES & SERVICES
Poster printing
Posters for conferences can be printed through the UMMC Poster Store. Follow the instructions listed here. Posters must be submitted to allow for a turnaround time of a minimum of six business days.
The campus post office is in the basement of the main hospital – N019. Drop boxes for UPS and FedEx (with pickup times listed) can also be found near the campus post office. More on the UMMC Intranet at https://intranet.umc.edu/SupplyChain/Hospital%20Supply%20Chain/Mail-Service-Post-Office/Mail-Service-Post-Office.html(copy and paste to access - login required).
There is also a post office located within walking distance to UMMC in Fondren.
Office of Ombuds Services
The Office of Ombuds supports students, staff and faculty to provide neutral, confidential and informal channels to assist with handling conflicts and complaints that arise. More on the UMMC Intranet at https://intranet.umc.edu/Administration/Ombudsperson/home.html (copy and paste to access - login required).
Office of Well-being
The office supports programs and resources to deal with stress, burnout and overall professional well-being.
International Services
International Services provides advising services to international faculty, staff, students and scholars and serves as a resource to all departments on immigration regulations and requirements.
RESOURCES & EVENTS TO SUPPORT THE POSTDOCTORAL EXPERIENCE
Sponsored Memberships
- American Physiological Society – UMMC is an institutional group member of the APS. If you are interested in this opportunity, register for an APS account here. Speak with your department business administrator to confirm access to APS membership.
- National Postdoctoral Association – UMMC is an organizational member of the NPA, which grants UMMC postdoctoral fellows an affiliate membership. If you are interested in this opportunity to help you network with other postdocs at other institutions and gain access to member-only resources, follow the registration process at this link. Once you submit your application to be an affiliate member, NPA staff will review the request and you will receive an email once approved.
- The NPA has an extensive list of resources available.
- An additional benefit of NPA membership is access to SciPhD, which offers career development support. Additional information regarding SciPhD can be found at: https://www.nationalpostdoc.org/default.aspx.
Other Memberships (Free/Applied for)
- Future PI Slack – This is a slack group of postdocs from around the country. The group provides peer support for things like grant writing, faculty job search, immigration concerns, etc. Membership is free. To join, email pi.slack@gmail.com and provide your institutional and personal email and department profile link.
- Leading Edge – This group is for early career women around the world who want to be future lab heads. It provides exposure and both peer and senior colleague support for things like grants (within and outside the US), building a brand for future lab, starting a lab, etc. Only women at postdoc stage (not on the job market) are eligible to apply. Applications usually open in October and close in February. See Leading Edge | leadingedgesymposium for more information.
Conference/Workshop Travel Support
The Graduate School will provide up to $1500 for one trip per financial year (July - June). This allotment does not rollover and cannot be split into multiple trips per financial year. For conferences, the postdoctoral fellow must be presenting an abstract or giving an oral presentation. Reach out to Josh Hardy before booking your trip.
- Check with your specific department about how travel is handled. A spend authorization must be submitted prior to any travel. Spend authorizations may take a few weeks to be approved, so do not wait until the last minute. UMMC requests that spend authorizations be submitted at least 30 days prior to the trip.
Fellowships and Grants
To locate potential funding opportunities, check here. All grant applications are submitted through the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP). When planning to submit a fellowship/grant, initial contact with the ORSP should be initiated at least 30 days before submission deadlines and all documents should be uploaded 10 days prior to the deadline.
Professional Headshots
Professional headshots can be taken in the Photography department, located on the second floor of the Holmes Learning Resource Building in room U128 (near the school of medicine and library). Appointments can be made through this form: schedule photography headshot
Photography can be contacted at 601-984-1215.
Workforce Development Scholarship
Are you interested in taking courses that can enrich your professional development? UMMC offers a scholarship to cover up to 6 hours of tuition per semester in exchange for a service commitment. Read more here and you can contact HRBenefits@umc.edu with questions.
Career Opportunities and Professional Development Lecture Series (COPD)
The Graduate School offers a range of programming about professional development, grant submission and work/life balance. Emails are sent out with information about dates and guest speakers.
School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences (SGSHS) Research Day
The Graduate School hosts Research Day every fall. Postdocs are encouraged to submit an abstract for a poster presentation and select abstracts will be chosen for an oral presentation. Research Day is also an opportunity for postdocs to gain experience in judging and moderation activities.
SOCIAL & CAMPUS EVENTS
The Graduate School Annual Holiday Open House
The Open House, held the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, is an annual event that prepares and serves food for 300+ guests, which includes faculty, staff, students and many support units across campus that assist the SGSHS year-round. This is an opportunity to meet fellow postdocs and students while volunteering for food prep, decorating and cooking.
Postdoc Appreciation Week
Every year, during National Postdoc Appreciation Week, the Graduate School hosts a variety of social events and activities for the postdoctoral fellows at UMMC.
Food Trucks
Different UMMC organizations often host Food Truck events throughout the year where local vendors – offering a wide variety of food options – can visit campus to sell to UMMC employees and students. Lookout for emails and event notifications about upcoming food truck days.
LOCAL ACTIVITIES IN AND AROUND JACKSON
Check out visitjackson.com for more information and find a schedule for local events.
Local restaurants within walking distance to UMMC
- The Pig & Pint
- BBQ + beer, very popular after-work hangout.
- Fondren Public
- Casual pub with late-night hours.
- Amerigo
- Italian spot offering lunch, dinner and brunch options.
- Saltine
- Seafood-focused restaurant widely considered a Fondren staple.
- Walker's Drive-In
- One of the most consistently recommended nicer restaurants locally.
- Aladdin Mediterranean Grill
- Popular mediterranean lunch spot located near UMMC.
- Brent’s
- Diner food
Local Cafes
- Cups, an Espresso Cafe
- Several locations including on campus, Fondren, The Quarter on Lakeland
- The Bean in Fondren
- Urban Foxes in Belhaven
- Native Coffee in Belhaven
- Cultivate Coffee Project in Belhaven
Museums
- Mississippi Civil Rights Museum
- Mississippi Museum of Natural Science
- Mississippi Museum of Art
- Mississippi Children’s Museum
Outdoor activities
- Natchez Trace Parkway
- Reservoir Park
- LeFleur’s Bluff State Park
Entertainment
- Duling Hall – Live music
- Thalia Mara Hall – Concerts and Shows
- Bowling Alley – Fondren, Clinton, Brandon, Florence
- Movie theaters – Fondren, Ridgeland, Pearl, Madison
- Top Golf in Ridgeland
Shopping
- Highland Village
- Renaissance at Colony Park
- Dogwood Shopping Center in Flowood