NM EPSCoR Mentoring Award

Purpose

Mentors are able to create a professional and social relationship with students that encourage them to take the next step in their careers through listening, advising, supporting, providing feedback, increasing students’ networks, and solving problems, to name a few roles and characteristics (National Academy of Sciences, 1997). Mentors are essential to the retention of students in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics fields and beyond. NM EPSCoR is fortunate to have great faculty, staff, and graduate student mentors. The newly crafted NM EPSCoR Mentoring Award will give students an opportunity to honor those individuals.

Characteristics of a Great Mentor

The NM EPSCoR Mentoring Award is designed to recognize two NM EPSCoR participants who not only build relationships with students and support their academic, research, and career endeavors, but also work to create inclusive environments for our diverse students. NM EPSCoR is seeking nominations for one NM EPSCoR faculty or staff member and one NM EPSCoR graduate student who have the following characteristics:

• Nominee has a strong interpersonal and professional relationship with those whom they mentor, including strong communication, accessibility, honesty, empathy, consistency, and patience.
• Nominee tailors their mentoring styles and content to their mentee’s identity, including adjustments due to culture, ethnicity, gender, age, and more. Nominee also demonstrates open-mindedness and creates an inclusive environment for diverse students.
• Nominee works to advance their mentee’s academic, research, and professional goals in directions most desired by that individual, including advising in research, promoting opportunities outside of the classroom, assisting with successful transitions, and paying attention to the pragmatic aspects of career development (Rackham Graduate School, 2015).

Important Dates

• Nominations open – February 14, 2018
• Nominations due – March 9, 2018 at 5 pm Mountain Time
• Nominee statements due – March 26, 2018 at 5 pm Mountain Time
• Winners announced – April 5, 2018

Eligibility for Nominator and Nominee

• Faculty, staff, post doc, or graduate student who is an active participant in the NM EPSCoR Energize New Mexico project
• Previous Award winners are not eligible to be nominated, see previous winners here

Nominator Instructions

1. Review online nomination form below.
2. Create a Statement of Nomination of why your nominee deserves the Award (up to 1000 words). Please comment on specific aspects of how they meet the characteristics of a good mentor. Accepted file formats are PDF and Word (.doc, .docx).
3. Complete online form and upload your Statement of Nomination in the field provided in the form. Accepted file formats are PDF and Word (.doc, .docx).

Nominee Instructions

1. NM EPSCoR will request a Statement of Mentoring Philosophy from the nominated mentor once form is received. Statement is due on March 26, 2018 at 5 pm Mountain Time.

Submit your nomination here

Nomination Form

References

National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, & Institute of Medicine. (1997). Adviser, Teacher, Role Model, Friend: On Being a Mentor to Students in Science and Engineering. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/catalog/5789.html

Rackham Graduate School, University of Michigan. (2015). How to Mentor Graduate Students: A Guide for Faculty. Retrieved from http://www.rackham.umich.edu/downloads/publications/Fmentoring.pdf