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Mentorship

Mentoring in PBS

Mentorship is an essential component of science, and a central aspect of our scientific community in PBS. The focus of mentorship is the personal and professional growth of an advisee. Mentors can share knowledge, experience, networks, and resources to guide, sponsor, and advise students in their development. PBS graduate students are encouraged to seek mentorship from varied sources throughout their department, the College, and their broader field. Within the PBS department, all graduate students are assigned a mentoring team.

Mentoring Teams

The role of mentoring teams are to provide an early-career graduate student with guidance and support within their first two years of graduate school, prior to the formation of their thesis committee. The mentoring team is composed of the student's primary mentor/PI, a secondary faculty mentor within the PBS graduate program (ideally outside the student's primary research area), and one peer mentor (a senior PBS graduate student).

Beginning PBS students are required to meet with members of their mentoring team starting in the Fall of Year 1. This includes an orientation meeting with their PI, introductory meetings with their secondary faculty mentor, and their peer mentor.  In the Spring of Year 1, and then again in Year 2, the student should meet for a Group Meeting with the secondary faculty mentor and peer advisor.

The links below provide some talking points that you can consider.

Students are responsible for submitting a google form to the PBS Department Administrator after each meeting takes place documenting the date and people present.