Mentoring Workshop

CITY COLLEGE WOMEN IN SCIENCE

Tuesday, March 3rd at 2:30pm Marshak Science Building room 819

Beth Gerstner and Maria Strangas

u  Women are underrepresented in leadership positions in academia

u  20% of full-time, full professors in sci and eng are women

Women in Science

u  Mentoring helps students

u  In Eby et. al 2007, an association was found between youth and academic mentoring and both career and employment outcomes.

u  Other reviews link academic and workplace mentoring to psychological outcomes such as:

u  positive self-image

u  emotional adjustment

u  psychological well-being,

u  more positive social relationships,

u  higher performance (DuBois & Silverthorn, 2005).

Women in Science

Google images

Google images

Why Mentor?

u  Achieve satisfaction

u  Attract good students

u  Stay on top of your field

u  Develop your professional network

u  Extend your contribution

Modified from materials by Jenny Frederick, PhD; Center for Scientific Teaching at Yale

http://www.socsci.uci.edu/ambassadors/images/header/mentor.jpg

u  Listen patiently

u  Build a relationship

u  Encourage self-sufficiency

u  Protect your time together

u  Help network

u  Be constructive

u  Share your own experiences

u  Be conscious of cultural differences

Advice for Mentors

Modified from materials by Jenny Frederick, PhD; Center for Scientific Teaching at Yale

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What should your mentor do for you?

u  Help with applications?

u  Choose schools and classes?

u  Provide relationship/family advice?

u  Review your homework or papers?

u  Build your network?

u  Provide career guidance? http://www.mentalhelp.net/images/root/Advice_Fotolia_41399639_XS.jpg

Set clear expectations

u How often?

u Explicit goals

u  Listening vs Action?

u Balance of professional/

personal topics

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Advice for Mentees

u Ask for help! u  Be an active participant u  Show your appreciation u  Look for multiple mentors u Not working? Come talk

to us

http://www.mynewoldself.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/keep-calm-and-ask-for-help-5.png

I felt a little nervous about my first meeting with my mentor, but she was really nice and easy to talk to. Sometimes I think our discussions could be more productive, though I do learn stuff every time we talk. For example, she told me all about a scientific meeting where she gave a talk last week. I know I want to go to graduate school, but I’m not sure whether I want to be a professor. Sometimes Pat gets talking about her family, and I’m not sure how useful that is – right now I’m pretty sure I’m not interested in having kids. It’s good to have someone on campus to talk to, and I feel like I could ask questions and get some advice if I need it.

- Maya (mentee)

Case Study: Mentee viewpoint

Modified from materials by Jenny Frederick, PhD; Center for Scientific Teaching at Yale

I wish I had a professor to mentor me along the way! I faced so many challenges, and ended up figuring a lot out on my own. Since we want to encourage more women to be professors like me, I make sure I tell Maya about what it’s like to be in academic science – going to conferences, juggling research and teaching, balancing my family. I think if I tell her stories that show the good side of having kids, as well as some of the challenges, that she’ll understand that it’s entirely possible to have a career and a family. I hope I am thinking about all the types of advice I could have used when I was at her stage; there’s so much to discuss! I’m going to be on sabbatical next semester, and I’m concerned that she won’t have anyone to go to while I’m in London doing research.

- Pat (mentor)

Case Study: Mentor viewpoint

Modified from materials by Jenny Frederick, PhD; Center for Scientific Teaching at Yale

u  What does Maya need from this mentoring relationship?

u  What kind of mentoring is Pat trying to provide for Maya?

u  What suggestions do you have for Maya?

u  What suggestions do you have for Pat?

u  What does this anecdote suggest about establishing and maintaining a productive mentoring relationship?

Case Study: Questions to Consider

Modified from materials by Jenny Frederick, PhD; Center for Scientific Teaching at Yale

u  Questions mentees should ask themselves

u  Reflecting on Past Mentoring Experiences

u  Mentoring Skills Inventory

Get to know your mentor/mentee

Modified from materials by Jenny Frederick, PhD; Center for Scientific Teaching at Yale