Itzamarie Chévere-Torres

Dr. Itzamarie Chévere-Torres is the Director of the Office of Postdoctoral Advancement at Rutgers University, a role she has held since the office’s launch in 2017. She oversees daily operations, collaborates with key stakeholders, develops programs and resources that support over 500 postdoctoral researchers across the university, and provides guidance on academic policies and procedures to enhance postdoctoral careers. She focuses on three strategic areas: Postdoctoral Affairs, Research Training and Scholarly Productivity, and Career Advancement, to strengthen postdoctoral success and impact across the university.

Itzamarie serves as Chair of the Executive Steering Committee on Postdoctoral Affairs, a group of senior leaders, faculty, and administrators from across the university dedicated to enhancing the culture, experience, and career advancement of Rutgers postdocs.

She holds a B.S. in Biology and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Puerto Rico, completed postdoctoral training at NYU and Rutgers, and is a certified career coach and trained facilitator in CIMER mentoring curriculum, and an alumna of the 2024–25 Rutgers Leadership Academy. A former Rutgers postdoc and president of the Rutgers Postdoctoral Association, Itzamarie brings personal experience, advocacy, and strategic vision to her work.

Itzamarie has played a pivotal role in advancing the Presidential Postdoctoral Fellows Program, a diversity-focused pathway to tenure-track faculty positions. As Director, she has organized over 50 professional events and launched more than 15 new programs. She has designed, implemented, and continued to lead two signature career development events: the Your Career on Track workshop, which emphasizes goal setting, mentorship, and the use of Individual Development Plans (IDPs), and the PREP Career Program, which supports postdocs in identifying their strengths, values, and skills while fostering career clarity and professional confidence.

At the national level, she spearheaded the formation of the BTAA Postdoctoral Offices’ leadership group in 2018, now known as the Big10+ Postdoc Affairs Network, which promotes collaboration, knowledge sharing, and best practices among peer institutions.

Dr. Chévere-Torres advocates a holistic approach to career advancement, encouraging postdocs to align their goals with their values, leverage their strengths, and build supportive networks. She emphasizes the importance of early access to education and resources to maximize training and opportunities, believing it is never too soon to start planning for career growth. Clear expectations and open communication are central to her philosophy, along with fostering strong partnerships to create lasting, impactful support systems across academia.