Beyond Teaching and Research

Celebrating the 2019 Great Supervisor Awards

Matthew McCreary

Source: https://blog.ualberta.ca/beyond-teaching-and-research-5c3cc0ef70ec 

In recent years, universities across North America have realized the essential role of graduate student supervision in the overall quality of graduate student education.

In fact, research suggests the most important relationship that influences graduate students’ progress is the relationship with their research supervisor. The supervisor guides the student’s research and socializes the student into the profession.

Great supervisors not only guide research and professional skills, but also embrace mentorship. Mentorship means seeing the whole person with whom they work and embracing who they can become. It requires taking into account the passions, talents and personality of the graduate student. The supervisor’s mentoring relationship is also highly linked to graduate student mental health, and the hope and optimism a graduate student carries with them when they leave the university.

In recognition of the great supervisors at the University of Alberta, the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research launched the Great Supervisor Awards. These supervisors were selected by people who work closely with graduate students — Associate Chairs, graduate coordinators, graduate program staff, department chairs, and others professors and students who recognize the dedication and skill of a supervisor in their program. The awards also invite nominees who have clearly enhanced the mentorship culture for graduate students.

It is a pleasure to read about the myriad of ways in which intelligence, kindness, and foresight come together in the individuals receiving this award. I offer them each my thanks and congratulations.

— Naomi Krogman, Associate Dean, FGSR