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Welcome to the fourth episode of the "Humans of JILA" podcast, where we delve into the captivating world of scientific illustration. Today, we're thrilled to have Steven Burrows, JILA's esteemed Director of Science Communications and a renowned Scientific Illustrator, as our special guest. With a career at JILA that spans almost a decade, Steven has been at the forefront of blending art and science, bringing complex scientific concepts to life through his illustrations. 

The postdoctoral position, or “postdoc” as it is colloquially called, can span between one to three years, as a researcher focuses on their next career steps after their Ph.D. During this time, individuals develop unique research projects while considering where to transition to next. To understand this position better, the “Humans of JILA” podcast interviewed the two Co-Chairs of the JILA Postdoc Group: Rachael Merritt and Jake Higgins.

Every year, the JILA community celebrates the passions and interests of its individuals through the JILA-X talks, a series of three-minute talks given by ten individuals of JILA. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the talks were hosted virtually in 2021 and postponed until 2023 since then. This year, reprising this tradition, the JILA-X speakers faced a full auditorium as staff, Fellows, postdocs, and graduate students shared their interests, ranging from bat ecology to Oreo cookies to pottery making.