Information and suggestions for new mentors of research students

Abstract

Identifying, attracting, motivating, and mentoring research students (mentees) are challenging tasks for junior faculty members and research scientists (mentors) who are typically also concerned with obtaining research funding, teaching well, and/or impressing colleagues. This presentation covers three general concepts for effective mentoring that have worked well for the author during nearly 30 years as a faculty member. (1) Let the truth be your only story. In addition to its moral clarity, this policy increases research efficiency and tends to be respected even when it’s unpopular. (2) Know who students are and what motivates them. Students are academic free agents with a variety of motivations who commonly bring human-interaction complexities to the mentor-mentee relationship. (3) Engage in student-centric advising. The mentor acts as an academic parent who (typically) determines the mentee’s first research steps, guides their subsequent development, and then supports them through their final degree. Descriptions, explanations, and examples related to these three concepts are presented. Although this content is primarily derived from the author’s academic experience advising graduate students, it may be useful in industry and government settings as well, and for mentors and mentees alike, whenever extended duration advising requires the development of a mentor-mentee relationship.Identifying, attracting, motivating, and mentoring research students (mentees) are challenging tasks for junior faculty members and research scientists (mentors) who are typically also concerned with obtaining research funding, teaching well, and/or impressing colleagues. This presentation covers three general concepts for effective mentoring that have worked well for the author during nearly 30 years as a faculty member. (1) Let the truth be your only story. In addition to its moral clarity, this policy increases research efficiency and tends to be respected even when it’s unpopular. (2) Know who students are and what motivates them. Students are academic free agents with a variety of motivations who commonly bring human-interaction complexities to the mentor-mentee relationship. (3) Engage in student-centric advising. The mentor acts as an academic parent who (typically) determines the mentee’s first research steps, guides their subsequent development, and then supports them through their final degree. ...