The Science of Mentorship

Enjoy these bloopers from Season 2.

Like the circle of life, there’s the circle of mentoring relationships. If the mentoring is effective, the roles of the mentee and mentor will change. Sometimes, mentees begin the cycle over again, this time acting as a mentor themselves. 

This transition can be exciting, but many new mentors find themselves intimidated by new responsibilities.  In the final episode of Season Two, students and postdocs tell us about the moments they took on their first mentoring roles. They share what intimidated them, what skills they needed to learn, how they were supported through the transition, and what it was like to end a mentoring relationship. 

To learn more about the Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM report, and for a guide to implementing best practices at your institution, visit NAS.edu/mentoring. 

Brought to you by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

2020 changed everything一the way we live, communicate, and learn. The long-term physical isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic created big challenges for students and faculty, in both their personal and academic lives.

Our lives transitioned to exist virtually, and effective mentorship in STEMM was heavily impacted. In this episode, students and postdocs share their stories of how their academic journeys were impacted by the pandemic, their perspectives on virtual and online mentoring, the power of social media, and the importance of creating niche communities in STEMM. 

To learn more about the Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM report, and for a guide to implementing best practices at your institution, visit NAS.edu/mentoring. 

Brought to you by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

It’s easy to assume that most mentoring relationships are organically formed. But effective mentoring can take many forms, and relationships are often formed through formal mentorship programs. 

Mentoring programs require a lot of resources and investments, like time, energy, and money. But they can be incredibly effective in mentoring and retaining students in STEMM fields. In this episode, students and postdocs share stories of how mentorship programs supported them in their academic journeys. Students share how programs helped them pivot their academic pursuits, feel comfortable in new settings, and work to recruit and retain underrepresented students in STEMM careers. 

To learn more about the Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM report, and for a guide to implementing best practices at your institution, visit NAS.edu/mentoring. 

Brought to you by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

Mentoring relationships are social relationships, so identity - the way you think about yourself, how you are viewed by the world, and the characteristics you use to define yourself - matters.

People have multiple identities, such as their gender identification, sexual orientation, place of birth, race, ethnicity, profession, values, and even hobbies.

Students’ identities can heavily influence their academic journeys in STEMM. Therefore, mentors must consider and acknowledge identity when supporting their students. In this episode, we hear stories from students and postdocs who all come from various backgrounds and who hold different identities. They share how their identity influenced their STEMM journey, how their mentoring relationship approached identity, and the impact made when their mentors fully considered their identity. 

To learn more about the Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM report, and for a guide to implementing best practices at your institution, visit NAS.edu/mentoring. 

Brought to you by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.