I believe that mentoring is the best opportunity to give personalized support and guidance to young scientists. I’ve mentored two undergraduate students during graduate school; one REU student who is now an NSF Graduate Research Fellow at the University of Illinois – Urbana Champain, and a UW-Madison undergraduate who has worked with me for four semesters and two summers consecutively. Through these experiences, and playing a role in mentoring the 10 graduate students in my group less senior to me, I’ve learned how a good mentor is flexible and attuned to what different mentees need out of a mentor. I foster open communication, provide opportunities for feedback, and act as an advocate to my mentees to help them develop the confidence to continue in the field.
Create a trusting environment that fosters honest communication. Honest communication is the ground work of a positive mentor/mentee relationship. Mentor/mentee compacts that lay out the expectations both of the mentee and mentor are an effective way to start the relationship with clear communication. This document should be a living, breathing document that can be edited by the mentor/mentee pair as needed. It is important for mentors to realize that not all mentees are the same; mentees will come from a variety of backgrounds, have a variety of learning styles, as well as a variety of goals for their experience. It is important to align the expectations and relationship to each individual mentee, which is only possible when a clear line of communication exists. Some examples of what my compacts with my mentees have contained are expectations of the mentee, the mentor, guidelines for work hours, reporting and communication.
Promote self-efficacy and science identity. I will promote self-efficacy in my mentees through both positive feedback for accomplishments, as well as normalizing failure and struggle. I will be open about my own background and experience as an underrepresented person in science (LGBTQ woman) to provide a comfortable environment for my mentee to share aspects of their own identities and how that impacts their experiences in science. Even if they are not comfortable sharing, I hope to exist as one of many models of what being an underrepresented person in STEM looks like. However I will also recognize that I shouldn’t be the only model of that, acknowledging the privilege in my own background. I will be sure to promote the work and voices of a broader range of diverse scientists, and point mentees in the direction of relevant communities and organizations that promote the inclusion of underrepresented groups in STEM as applicable.
Provide checkpoints for assessing understanding. One goal of the mentor/mentee experience is not only to train the mentee, but to also ensure that they are developing their own understanding of the content. Because all learners are different, I believe that understanding should be assessed through multiple techniques. I ask my mentees to check in with me frequently and give me verbal updates on their progress. I also ask for short, informal written weekly updates, as well as a formal end-of-semester (or summer) report. When possible, I encourage mentees to prepare presentations, and arrange opportunities for them to present their work. By assessing understanding through multiple avenues over a variety of different stakes, I am able to work with the mentee in areas that need to be improved, provide constructive and positive feedback when things are going well, and shift the focus of how I mentor that mentee if needed.
Be an advocate and a resource. The aforementioned aspects of the mentor/mentee relationship are vital for fostering independence. When mentees feel capable of pursuing their own directions in the lab, they will be able to do so knowing that I as a mentor am supportive, and that failure is okay. As the mentee gains independence in the lab, the mentor’s role will naturally shift in response. As a mentor I will always be a resource for my mentee, being able to point them in the right direction as they explore their own ideas. As the mentee progresses in their career and towards their next step, it is a part of my role as a mentor to act as an advocate, supporting the mentee in their future pursuits, and providing them with resources to help them work towards those goals.