All Sewell recipients are required to have a mentor; the maximum number of points in the mentor section of the application will be awarded if you have identified a mentor who has committed to work with you.
Your mentor should be a public health professional, ideally from your own institution, or as a second choice, from another institution, but working in a public health field of interest to you.
Connect with your mentor before APHA to get recommendations for sessions and networking at APHA.
You and your mentor should try to attend at least 2 meetings or sessions together.
Connect with your mentor after APHA to debrief about your experiences at the conference and discuss options for further learning.
One of the anticipated outcomes of the Sewell stipend program is that “Librarians should identify with their clients rather than look at clients’ needs merely intellectually from the library/information services perspective.”
Having a mentor who is in the PH profession can provide this perspective, and in some cases results in closer working relationships between the librarian and his/her public health clients after the meeting.
It can be beneficial even if you have been working in public health for many years.
For recipients’ reflections on the immediate impact of mentoring, see the Past Recipient Meeting Reports.
For a report on longer-term impact, see 2011 recipient Krisin Kroger’s essay “The Sewell Stipend: Just Do It!” Southern Expressions 29(2): 16-17, Spring 2013: http://www.scmla.org/home/sites/default/files/southernexpressions/2013vol29no2.pdf
You might set aside some to discuss the sessions, public health in general, the mentor's role in public health, etc.
Consider using your time with your mentor to network with others in the mentor's community—their SIG or Section, for example. Attend a dinner or other social event in with your mentor if that is an option.
Don't forget—if your mentor is a colleague at your institution, take the opportunity to let them know how you can help them when you are both back to work!
Scan the "Affiliation Index" of the APHA Online Meeting Program. If someone from your organization is attending, reach out to them.
Ask around your workplace.
Ask those you have assisted at work if they are attending APHA. If not, find out if they know of colleagues who are attending. You may also speak with those who have work responsibilities or subject expertise of interest to you.
You can ask leaders at your organization, such as deans, department chairs, or program directors for suggestions.
Ask someone from your local health department to be your mentor. Knowing more about the local public health practitioners and their information needs will enrich your understanding of this group of practitioners.
Consider joining one of the many public health listservs such as CDC's Environmental Health (http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/Listserv/listserv.htm), Maternal Child Health (https://www.ihs.gov/listserv/topics/signup/?list_id=37), or PHS Nursing (http://phs-nurse.org/listserv). You might be able to locate a mentor before the conference and keep up with the field long after the conference has ended.
If you are currently a member of APHA, you probably belong to a Section, SPIG or Caucus. Many of the Section, SPIGs and Caucuses have someone who is responsible for mentoring. Check out the Section, SPIG or Caucus Web sites to find that person.
To find a mentor based on their area of expertise, look through the preliminary program online for sessions you’re interested in. Use the search feature in the online planner on the top right (it's a small magnifying glass in the online planner, top right).
Session moderator and presenter names are linked to their email contact information. Contact the person to see if they're interested in mentoring you at the meeting.
Contact any of the committee members for additional suggestions.