Author: Jess Brassard

Find me on LinkedIn 🚀 Currently: Michigan Technological University 💼 Formerly: University of Michigan, UP Health System-Portage 🧰 Offering my time and talents to: NORDP2023 Conference (co-chair), NORDP Communications Working Group (co-chair), NORDP-GL Executive Committee, NORDP Mentoring Committee, Copper Country Ski Tigers (Level 1 coach)

NORDP Career Stories

Compiled by Daniel Campbell, Member Services Committee

Career Stories are a partnership of NORDP LEAD, the Professional Development Committee, and the Member Services Committee.  These informal “fireside chats” highlight the professional trajectories of NORDP members by showcasing the multiple ways that members end up in research development as well as the variety of paths available for career growth and advancement.  

NORDP Charter Fellow and Emeritus Member, Jan Abramson, was part of the group that worked to create this series of conversations.  Jan adds, “Career Stories is always a highlight of my month. We have a great team of volunteers who make this event happen, and it is always fun to connect through conversation with NORDP members. Career Stories is a great way to start volunteering or sharing your personal path with NORDP colleagues.” 

These 30-minute listen and learn sessions along with participant Q&A, began in January 2021 with Karen Fletcher, Director of Grants Resources & Services at Appalachian State University, and have continued monthly since then.  

Gagan Bajaj, PhD, Grant Proposal Developer at the University of Vermont notes, “I joined the team at Career Stories in September 2021, bang in the middle of the pandemic—I was craving human connection, and boy, did the series deliver! Career Stories is my monthly dose of inspiration, and I am so grateful for all the wonderful people I have met through this forum.”   

Career Stories from this year are listed below with a bit of background bio on the featured members. All Career Stories have been recorded and are accessible by NORDP members through the NORDP LMS.

January – Sammy Rodriguez Flecha (Washington State University)
Sammy Rodriguez Flecha, PhD is currently the director of the Washington State University’s Team Mentoring Program, a network serving underserved undergraduate students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) and health fields. Prior to this new role, he served as interim director for the WSU Office of Research Advancement & Partnerships. His research development and administration career has spanned over 10 years. His PhD is in educational psychology and his Master’s degree is in English literature. He’s been a member of NORDP’s Nominating Committee, a mentor for NORDP’s mentoring program and participated in the inaugural cohort of NORDP LEAD.
February – Jaime Rubin (Columbia University)
Dr. Jaime Rubin is currently the Vice Chair for Investigator Development in the Department of Medicine at Columbia University. She has held senior level positions at Columbia University Medical Center, including Acting Associate Dean for Graduate Affairs, was the founding Director of the Office of Graduate Affairs, and served as the Acting Associate Vice President/Acting Associate Dean for Research Administration – and was one of the founders of the Office of Research Administration. Dr. Rubin completed her PhD at the Ontario Cancer Institute, University of Toronto. She is currently a Fulbright Scholar awardee with the Republic of Kosovo’s Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation. Her responsibilities include working on projects to increase extramurally-funded research with international partners. 
March - Elizabeth Lathrop (University of Maryland)
Elizabeth Lathrop works as a Proposal Development Specialist for the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland. She provides critical support to the Clark School's capacity for complex, multidisciplinary research initiatives in response to targeted funding opportunities. Elizabeth is a Professional Track Faculty with degrees in sciences and was the Associate Director of Programs for a DOE EFRC: Energy Frontier Research Center - Science of Precision Multifunctional Nanostructures for Electrical Energy Storage.  Elizabeth is currently a co-chair of the Mentoring Committee, and participates in the iKnoW, (immigrant Knowledge and Wisdom) Affinity Group.
April - Jason Charland (University of Maine)
Jason Charland serves as Senior Advisor to the President and Executive Director of Research Development at the University of Maine. He oversees research development service provision to faculty and researchers across the University of Maine System, which comprises five primarily undergraduate institutions, a regional comprehensive university, a law school, and an R1 research university distributed across a rural state. He is also responsible for implementing university-wide extramural funding strategies for federal, state, and foundation funding and executing strategic research initiatives.
May - Elizabeth Festa (Rice University)
Elizabeth Festa is a Research Development Specialist in the Office of Research Development at Rice University. She received her Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University and her B.A. from the University of Notre Dame. She is an IRB affiliate at Baylor College of Medicine and a past screener for the Fulbright-National Geographic Fellowship. Before transitioning into RD, Elizabeth was Associate Director of the Program in Writing in Communication at Rice, and the Associate Director of the Center for Academic and Professional Communication. Elizabeth holds leadership positions in NORDP’s Strategic Alliances Committee and Member Services Committee. 
June - Camille Coley (University of San Francisco)
Camille Coley, JD, CRA is the inaugural Associate Vice Provost for Sponsored Programs and External Partnerships at the University of San Francisco.  She has worked in research administration and research development for more than 20 years including at the American Museum of Natural History (in New York City, NY), Florida Atlantic University (FAU), and Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center and the Center for Biomedical and Marine Biotechnology at FAU. She is a certified Research Administrator as well as a Certified Mediator. Camille shares her experience and expertise through the NORDP PEERD program and is a consultant for NORDP’s Pilot Project for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
July – Eric Wayne Dickey (Oregon State University)
Eric holds an Honors Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, both from Oregon State University (OSU), and is a certified Project Management Professional by the Project Management Institute. He is also a published poet, children's author, and translator of German Poetry, and his work can be found online and in print. In July 2022, Eric began a new role as the first ever Director of Sponsored Programs for OSU’s Division of Extension and Engagement. He has 20 years of experience in research development and proposal and project management and has worked for OSU’s College of Forestry and College of Liberal Arts, for Oregon Sea Grant, and at Western Oregon University where he established its inaugural Sponsored Projects Office. For NORDP, Eric currently serves on the Member Services Committee and is a co-representative for the Pacific Region. He is also on the Mentoring Committee and has recently agreed to serve on the Conference Committee.
August - Jessica Venable (Thorn Run Partners)
Jessica Venable, PhD is known for her work in higher education policy and reform, particularly as it pertains to how underserved and underrepresented individuals, institutions and groups are represented in, and benefit from, the Federal funding landscaper. In her career, she worked in RD at Virginia Commonwealth University, and at NASA Langley Research Center and NASA Headquarters. She has also served as a grant reviewer for numerous federal agencies, and prior to joining Thorn Run Partners served as Vice President at McAllister & Quinn.

Elizabeth Festa noted, “As a person who transitioned to RD mid-career, the experience of being interviewed for Career Stories was a validating one.  The field of RD is still emerging and the opportunity to draw upon a wide variety of experiences and skills to impact the profession, as opposed to following a clearly defined path, has ultimately been rewarding.  Career Stories made me recognize the value in my unique path, and those of my NORDP colleagues.”

Don’t miss our Fall 2023 slate of speakers:

If you are interested participating as a conversation facilitator, technical host or sharing your own story please contact Gagan Bajaj at gagan.bajaj@med.uvm.edu. 

If you are curious about a previous session you were not able to attend you can find them on the NORDP LMS under NORDP LEAD presents: Fireside Chats. https://nordp.mclms.net/en/package/4461/course/9169/view 

Wrapping Up a Fantastic Mentoring Year!

Authored by the NORDP Mentoring Committee

As the 2022-2023 NORDP Mentoring Program year draws to a close, we want to thank everyone who participated. Whether you have participated in the more individualized 1:1 dyads or the pilot of 1:3 cohort mentoring, we hope your mentoring experience has been inspirational and supported your professional growth. In 2022, we had the largest cohort for the Mentoring Program ever: 172 participants (136 mentees; 76 mentors) matched in 106 pairs and 10 cohorts. We currently have six active peer mentoring groups, and 19 people completed the five-week mentor training program. 

The NORDP conference in Crystal City, Virginia on May 8-10 afforded some of those who were able to attend with a first opportunity to connect with their NORDP mentoring partners in person! Mentoring Committee members enjoyed having a chance to talk about program options and opportunities to get involved with the committee at three conference events: the committee networking session, the poster session, and a committee breakfast table. We had a lot of positive feedback from people who have been involved in the mentoring program, and interest from people wanting to get involved for the first time. We hope everyone interested in the mentoring program this year applied in advance of the application deadline on May 22. If you missed this year’s deadline, remember that peer mentoring groups are open to new members year-round.

Congratulations to Hilda McMakin and Carolynn Julien, the recipients of this year’s Mentoring Awards!

Mentoring Committee members (Angela Jordan, Kartik Yadav, and Brooke Gowl) hard at work during the committee networking session, 2023 NORDP Conference.

Now that the application window for our matched dyads and cohorts programs has closed, the committee is managing the matching process. We expect to share information about new matches for the 2023-24 program by mid-June.

Program participants for 2023-24 should mark their calendars for our Mentoring Program Matching Orientation, which will be held on Wednesday, June 21 from 1-2:30pm ET. The orientation introduces the mentoring programs and the support provided by the committee in the form of curated resources, facilitation, and onboarding materials. We will also be joined by Supermentor Carolynn Julien, a co-recipient of this year’s Mentoring Award along with Hilda McMackin, who will share her experience in the mentoring program. 

The Mentoring Committee is also hosting the July TNT session on “Leveraging Wisdom Share Software for Mentoring” to show members how to navigate within Wisdom Share software to maximize your mentoring relationships. That session will be Tuesday, July 11 at noon ET. 

On behalf of the Mentoring Committee,
Angela Jordan, Elizabeth Lathrop, Hilda McMcakin, Kathy Partlow

Mentoring Reflections: Brooke Gowl & Kartik Yadav

The yearly NORDP Mentoring Program offers a structured mentoring experience for NORDP members. This month, we catch up with a current mentor-mentee pair as they share their reflections on their mentoring journey.

Brooke Gowl is currently serving as Research Development Associate at Duke University, Durham, NC. She has been in research development for over 13 years. Her PhD is in Neuroscience. She is a member of NORDP’s Mentoring Committee and formerly served on the Member Services Committee. She is also a mentor and mentee in NORDP’s mentoring program. She serves as a mentor for Kartik Yadav currently in NORDP’s mentoring program. 

 

Kartik Yadav is the Director of Research Development and Administration at the University of California Irvine (UCI) Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing. He has researched vulnerable populations in Los Angeles and India for over a decade. In his current RD role, he mentors junior faculty and Ph.D. students in developing and designing complex research grants for prestigious and competitive funding agencies and in the scientific development and operational, regulatory (IRB), and financial aspects of research grants to ensure their successful completion. Regarding the Research Administration role, he has led both Pre‐and Post-Award grants, ranging from simple to incredibly complex. In addition, he has collaborated with other partner institutions, both national and international (India, Botswana, Europe), to develop grants and provide training and support for developing programs. He is a mentee of Brooke in the NORDP’s mentoring program.

Q1: What influenced you to apply to be a mentor and a mentee for the 2022-2023 NORDP Mentoring Program?

Brooke: I have been a NORDP mentor every mentoring program year since 2019. My participation in the program has been a pleasure, and I knew that I wanted to participate again for the 2022-2023 year and plan to sign up for the 2023-2024 program year. I originally applied to be a part of the mentoring program to be a mentee and a mentor so that while I received knowledge from someone, I was also giving support to someone else.

Kartik: Although I have been conducting research and developing grants with PIs for over a decade, I recently stepped into a more formal role for the school. I felt the need to learn more, and the NORDP mentorship program was the best option!

Q2: What is your favorite part about your relationship?

Brooke: I have really enjoyed getting to know Kartik. I look forward to our monthly Zoom calls. I enjoy talking with him about what is happening in his life and giving advice as needed. My favorite part of our relationship is that while Kartik is learning from me, I am learning from him.

Kartik: I just love it! It provides me a safe space to ask any question, discuss and learn all about Research Development from Brooke’s vast experience. Besides our monthly Zoom meeting, Brooke was always available to answer my questions. 

Q3: How has participation in the Mentoring Program helped broaden your horizons about Research Development in general and/or affected your daily work in particular?

Brooke: The mentoring program has helped me to improve my mentoring skills. My participation has given me the opportunity to learn about Kartik’s work responsibilities, his institution, where he lives, etc. and the opportunity to provide him some suggestions and advice based on my past experiences, discussing what worked and what didn’t.   

Kartik: It has been an excellent success for my professional development, and with Brooke’s support, I created an internal/external proposal review process at my institution. In general, I got many insights from the world of Research Development!

Q4: What surprised you about being a mentor or a mentee?

Brooke: I have been surprised by how much mentoring is a two-way street. Kartik and I both benefit from the relationship by learning from each other.

Kartik: The extraordinary guidance from Brooke in availing all the available resources and networking across the NORDP platform. 

Q5: Any words of wisdom or encouragement for those wanting to apply next year? Any other thoughts you would like to share? 

Brooke: I encourage my NORDP colleagues to be mentees and mentors, but I especially encourage them to be mentors! There is always a demand for mentors, and if you do not think you are quite yet ready to be a mentor, NORDP has an excellent Mentor Training course! NORDP also provides excellent support to both mentors and mentees through a wealth of tools in Wisdom Share and through virtual get togethers called McHuddles. We also have facilitators that can help answer questions and provide support to mentee pairs. In addition to being a mentor and mentee, I also serve as a facilitator on the Mentoring Committee. I encourage all NORDP members to get involved in mentoring and other NORDP initiatives.

Kartik: If you are new to RD or want to move to RD or have been in RD, I would strongly recommend joining this program. It gives you a great perspective of the RD world at various, different levels and provides a strong network of experts volunteering their time towards your professional development.

The application for the 2023-2024 NORDP Mentoring Program is currently open until Monday, May 22. You can participate as a mentor, a mentee (or both), or participate in a Peer Mentoring Group (PMG - which you can join anytime via Wisdom Share). To participate, the first step is to apply for the Mentoring Program and complete your mentor and/or mentee profile. This short video provides a step-by-step overview of the application process. (Note: For current users in Wisdom Share, separate instructions were sent for how to participate in the 2023-2024 Mentoring Program.)

Mentoring Wellness

By Melissa Li, University of Michigan

Mentoring is a valuable relationship that can have a significant impact on one’s life, both personally and professionally. Recognizing and addressing mentees’ wellness is a critical component of mentoring. As shown in the figure below, well-being spans multiple dimensions, including emotional, mental, physical, social, intellectual, spiritual, financial, etc. A few of them are discussed as follows.

Credit: University of Michigan

Emotional wellness: Emotional wellness refers to an individual’s ability to manage their emotions in a healthy way. In a mentoring relationship, it’s important to create a psychologically safe space where the mentee feels comfortable sharing their feelings and concerns. The mentor can provide emotional support, offer guidance on managing stress and anxiety, and help the mentee develop healthy coping mechanisms.

Mental wellness: Mental wellness is about maintaining a healthy state of mind. In a mentoring relationship, the mentor can encourage the mentee to practice mindfulness, help them identify any negative thought patterns, and provide guidance on setting goals and developing a growth mindset.

Physical wellness: Physical wellness refers to maintaining a healthy body through regular exercise, proper nutrition, and adequate rest. The mentor can encourage the mentee to prioritize physical wellness, share tips on healthy habits, and offer guidance on finding a work-life balance.

Social wellness: Social wellness involves having meaningful relationships and a strong support system. The mentor can encourage the mentee to build positive relationships, offer guidance on effective communication and conflict resolution, and help the mentee identify and navigate any social challenges.

Intellectual wellness: Intellectual wellness refers to an individual’s ability to engage in creative and stimulating mental activities. In a mentoring relationship, the mentor can encourage the mentee to pursue their intellectual interests, offer guidance on developing critical thinking skills, and provide resources for continued learning.

Overall, prioritizing the mentee’s wellness in all these areas can lead to a more fulfilling mentoring relationship and the mentee’s success.

NORDP 2023 Keynote: Diversity in the Data with Dr. Christine Yifeng Chen

NORDP 2023 Keynote Speaker, Dr. Christine Yifeng Chen

From a young age, Christine Yifeng Chen had an affinity for the outdoors. Growing up in upstate New York, she spent many afternoons amusing herself in the local woods observing plants, rocks, and passing wildlife. When the sun was down or the weather was poor, she watched nature documentaries on public television and read books about historical expeditions and voyages, captivated by stories of field scientists working in far-flung places. Despite her enthusiasm, she never considered that outdoor field research was something she could ever do herself. After all, she had no camping or hiking experience, and hardly traveled outside of her hometown, as the costs of such activities were prohibitive.

That all changed when she “won the lottery,” as Chen puts it, by gaining admittance to Princeton University for her undergraduate studies with a full tuition financial aid package. Scanning the catalog of course offerings, she noticed that the earth science department offered classes with field trips, all expenses paid. Soon enough, in her first semester, she found herself in California, gazing at snow-capped mountains, climbing up sand dunes, and walking amongst ancient pine trees for the very first time. This formative experience set the stage for Chen’s future in field geology. “It was a complete culture shock,” Chen says. “Suddenly, I had access to all these resources at this school, to do all the things I’d always read about or seen on TV. It was nothing short of life changing.”

Chen understands first-hand the impact that access to social and material resources can have on one’s career. She will deliver the 2023 NORDP Conference opening keynote address, entitled “Racial disparities in research funding.” In her remarks, she will highlight results from a recent study she led showing systematic racial disparities in funding rates at the National Science Foundation (NSF). Using publicly available data, Chen and her colleagues showed that from 1999 to 2019, proposals by white researchers at NSF were funded at rates higher than most other non-white groups, and that these trends held regardless of scientific discipline and proposal type. Since similar patterns have been observed at the National institutes of Health, NASA, and other philanthropic funding organizations, they are likely widespread throughout the research funding ecosystem.

Despite countless of initiatives at colleges and universities to diversify the professoriate, data on faculty demographics indicate that higher education institutions appear to have little to show for it. Chen believes that the long-standing funding disparities have played a significant role in stymieing diversity goals: “Eliminating inequalities in STEM and academia will require a reorganization of what causes inequality in the first place: unequal access to social prestige and material resources.”

As a geologist and geochemist by training, Chen is very familiar with the lack of diversity amongst faculty. The geosciences are the least diverse field of all STEM disciplines in terms of race and ethnicity; less than 10% of geoscience PhD recipients are people of color, and little has changed in the last 40 years. And unlike other STEM disciplines, Asians are underrepresented amongst geoscience PhD recipients.

That statistic, along with the rise in anti-Asian sentiments during the pandemic, spurred Chen and two of her colleagues to start an affinity group, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Geosciences (AAPIiG), to build community for AAPIs in the discipline. It was through one of the early virtual AAPIiG community gatherings that Chen first learned from a senior academic about the “open secret” that Asian researchers have the lowest proposal success rates at the NSF. The rest is history.

Chen is eager to engage with the NORDP community about these widespread funding disparities and what we can do about them, both as individuals as well as a collective organization. She hopes that we might consider the funding data at our own institutions from both public and private funders with a critical eye. Chen also hopes that NORDP can mobilize a coordination action in response to these trends, given our unique vantage point as being embedded in the research community at multiple levels and sectors. “NORDP is ideally positioned to guide and catalyze action around this issue. If not you, who else?”

Chen is now at a national lab where she continues her geological and geochemistry research.

Help us welcome her to the NORDP stage in May.

Follow @NORDP_official on Twitter for all the latest #NORDP2023 updates.

NORDP fosters a culture of inclusive excellence by actively promoting and supporting diversity, inclusion, and equity in all its forms to expand our worldview, enrich our work, and elevate our profession.

Hats Off to the 2023 NORDP Mentor Training Workshop Graduates!

The NORDP Mentoring Committee’s Mentor Training Team held a mentor training workshop in January – March 2023. Nineteen NORDP members completed the 5-week workshop, covering the 9-module Entering Mentoring curriculum initially developed for research mentors and tailored by the NORDP Mentoring Committee for RD professionals in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin Center for Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER). RD professionals explored key mentoring competencies that can benefit RD mentors and mentees that have been associated with improved career outcomes, employee engagement and retention, and more inclusive work environments. The workshop was facilitated by NORDP members Toni Blair, Kristin Boman, Paula Carney, Rachel Goff-Albritton, and Melissa Li.
The NORDP Mentoring Committee is committed to equipping Research Development professionals for success by offering meaningful mentoring expertise, support, and resources. The next Mentor Training Workshop is being planned and will be announced soon. If you would like to be contacted when the next workshop series is scheduled, please complete this form.

Congratulations to the following 2023 NORDP Mentor Training graduates!

SheriAndersonNorth Dakota State University
SarahAtkinsonMichigan Tech
AnnaBabkhanyanUniversity of Hawaii
DanielleBarefootUniversity of Arizona
TiffanyBrutusJames Madison University
ElizabethCarrollTexas Tech University
KathyDreyerUniversity of North Texas
DebbieFrankWashington University in St. Louis
SharonFranksUC San Diego
CarolynnJulienFairleigh Dickinson University
MonicaKesselUtah State
LizLanceSyracuse University (Falk College)
CrystalLoveIndiana University
JenniferLyon GardnerThe University of Texas at Austin
AliPearksUniversity of Colorado Denver
MatthewSchwartzUMass Chan Medical School
VessVassileva-ClarkeUniversity of Michigan
QuyenWickhamArizona State University
ViktoriyaZhuravlevaColumbia University
List of graduates from the 2023 Mentor Training and their home institutions.

2022 Leadership Award: Kathy Partlow

As part of the April 27, 2022 NORDP Awards session, NORDP Fellow Jan Abramson presented the 2022 NORDP Leadership Award with heartfelt emotion to her peer, colleague and friend — Kathy Partlow. The NORDP Leadership Award “honors a member, a group of members or team, an RD unit, or an organization that demonstrates exceptional leadership and/or a deep commitment to volunteerism in ways that advance the profession or field of RD.”

Jan began her recognition of Kathy with a quote from Peter Strople, former director of Dell Computer Corporation — “Legacy is not leaving something for people, it’s leaving something in people. The legacy of leadership begins at the first moment of impact.” Jan’s moment of impact with Kathy began when they worked together on the Mentoring Committee. Whether we know it or not, our NORDP experiences have been touched in some way by Kathy’s quiet, behind-the-scenes leadership. 

Jess Brassard from the Communications Working Group interviewed Kathy about her take on leadership. 

Who: Kathy Parlow

Where: Remote-working from Oklahoma. Note: Kathy participated in this interview in her personal capacity. 

Number of years in research development: 10

Length of NORDP membership: 10

What is leadership to you? 

KP: Formally, I am a co-chair of the Mentoring Committee and the lead for the Evaluation & Innovation team. Broadly, I believe leadership is noticing that one is in a position to to bring others up. This can happen from any title or position. Leadership also means having a big-picture, strategic mindset to guide a group of people toward the group’s mission.

How did you learn or develop your style of leadership? 

KP: My style of leadership is focused on others. I use the unit’s mission as a meter. My contributions started small and really grew as I became passionate about mentoring. Along the way, other leaders mentored me and helped me “settle in” to the style that best suits me. I was very much mentored into my servant leadership style.

How does your membership in NORDP develop your leadership style? 

KP: I came to a point in my career where there was no pathway to leadership in my job and had a mentor that encouraged me to think more broadly about where I could gain leadership experience. I chose to develop my leadership capabilities outside my “day job” through volunteering and community service. 

What relationships have you built as a result of NORDP, and how have these relationships influenced your work? 

KP: I have connected to amazing colleagues and formed lasting friendships through mentee/mentor relationships and volunteer activities. Their guidance is infused through my work and career journey. I learned to be active and intentional about building relationships. Within the Mentoring Committee, I take it to heart. It’s the foundation of everything the Mentoring Committee does. 

What do you wish you would have known when you began your leadership journey within NORDP? 

KP: I wish I would have known earlier that leadership is a gentle pathway. It doesn’t need to be a switch that is flipped. I eased into the time commitment. The “rising co-chair model” of the Mentoring Committee and other NORDP committees helps with transitions. I appreciate the co-leadership and support this model enables. 

What have you found most rewarding, and most challenging, about leading within NORDP? In your CAREER? 

KP: As far as the most challenging — the Mentoring Committee leadership team saw the need to adapt to a growing NORDP. That meant large initiatives were needed to adapt and diversify the resources for mentoring (e.g. peer mentoring groups (PMGs) and implementing Wisdom Share mentoring software ). The reward from this hard work has been the feasibility of supporting record-breaking numbers of NORDP Mentoring Program participants. . 

By far, the most rewarding part of NORDP is the people. I love to recognize and celebrate with NORDP volunteers in these accomplishments (and all the mini-milestones throughout). 

What advice do you have for others within NORDP who are looking to develop as leaders? 

KP: My advice is to choose a measured path. Most NORDP leadership roles allow you to ease into them. Make small contributions at first. Share your time and skills in areas that interest you. Find reward in the volunteer work.

Mentoring Reflections: Sammy Rodriguez & Charlene Emerson

Written by: Mentoring Committee Marketing & Communications, Sammy Rodriguez, and Charlene Emerson

The yearly NORDP Mentoring Program offers a structured mentoring experience for NORDP members. While the program officially runs for a year, a lot of participants continue their mentoring relationships long-term. This month, we catch up with one such long-term mentor-mentee pair as they share their reflections on their mentoring journey. 

Sammy Rodriguez is currently serving as Interim Director for the Office of Research Advancement & Partnerships at Washington State University. He has been in research development and administration for over 10 years. His PhD is in educational psychology and his Masters in English literature. He is a member of NORDP’s Nominating Committee and also a mentor for NORDP’s mentoring program. He serves as a mentor for Charlene Emerson.  

Charlene Emerson is a Scientific Editor and Writing Consultant for the NextGen Precision Health building at the University of Missouri – Columbia. It’s hard to know when her career in research development started exactly, but she has over 5 years of professional experience in science editing. She received her PhD in Molecular and Human Genetics from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX, where she was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. She is a mentee in NORDP’s mentoring program.

Q1: What influenced you to apply to be a mentor and a mentee for the 2021 NORDP Mentoring Program?

Charlene: I was very new to my position and to the Research Development field in general. I felt I needed to get advice and perspective about an RD career from someone who I didn’t work with closely, someone who could be relatively unbiased and candid in conversation. The NORDP Mentoring program felt like the perfect opportunity.

Sammy: Having NORDP go over the mentoring program in advance, its structure, the approach to pairing mentors/mentees, expectations, and its flexibility, provided more clarity on what to expect before deciding to sign up.

Q2: What is your favorite part about your relationship?

Charlene: My favorite part of my mentoring relationship with Sammy is how we’ve been able to watch each other grow and share in celebrating that growth. Our conversations have covered a lot of our challenges and ambitions, so it’s been great to be able to keep returning to that consistent support. I’m always looking forward to our next meeting to update him on my latest big project or to hear how his plans have turned out.

Sammy: My favorite part is that I gained a colleague I probably wouldn’t have otherwise. Although Charlene is relatively new to the profession, she has so much knowledge and drive, and she’s a leader. Feels like we are mentoring each other. I’m happy that I am able to share some experiences and guidance and get feedback later on what was helpful, how an issue got resolved, or hear about a big win on her plans to advance her goals. It serves as validation and motivation to continue to share what we know with others.

Q3: How has participation in the Mentoring Program helped broaden your horizons about Research Development in general and/or affected your daily work in particular?

Charlene: RD is an incredibly varied field and I’ve learned a lot about the variety of positions and growth trajectories for an RD office. I now have more knowledge about different areas I could grow into and I don’t feel as uncertain about where this career path will take me. In my daily work, I feel much more confident that I’m approaching challenges and opportunities reasonably and that I have a supportive resource for any questions that come up.

Sammy: It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day work of our office, our institution, but we have to keep a balance even within the professional sphere of our lives. It can’t just be tasks, tasks, tasks. We have to take care of ourselves and our colleagues, taking time for professional development, mentoring, taking a step back for a minute, and consider all those aspects that revolve around our profession. Doing so will ultimately make our careers more enjoyable, fruitful, and lasting. RD is truly a community, and as we grow and gain more and more years of experience, there is a responsibility to share what we know and our ideas. RD and NORDP are at a maturing phase where there is a broader space for mentoring as a key element for growth, looking to the future of RD and as an organization.  

Q4: What surprised you about being a mentor or a mentee?

Charlene: I was surprised how easy it was to grow the relationship comfortably. Before the mentoring got started, I was nervous that it would feel awkward or that we wouldn’t have anything to talk about. But once I decided to just open up and ask about topics that I’d been wondering about, insecurities about how to move forward with my career, or my perceptions of office politics, conversation came incredibly easy.

Sammy: How well it has gone. I think there’s always a level of apprehension when considering getting into a mentoring relationship. What if the pairing doesn’t work? What will we talk about? Is it going to be awkward? There’s a degree of opening up, whether you’re a mentor or a mentee, an element of vulnerability. Once you get past that initial pause and take the next step, then vulnerability turns into honesty and that builds trust. And I have to go back to a previous point I made, I’ve learned so much from Charlene. I knew that you also learn as a mentor, but I’ve learned in ways I had not anticipated.

Q5: What made you decide to maintain a longer-term mentoring relationship and how has it impacted you?

Charlene: It was an easy decision because I felt like we both still were getting quite a lot out of our conversations. Our monthly meeting doesn’t feel like an obligation or just another thing to get done, it’s a bright spot in the month.

Sammy: When the program was officially coming to an end, I think it was mutual that getting together and having these conversations, exchanging ideas, challenges, and successes had become natural. There wasn’t a reason it couldn’t or shouldn’t continue. I’ve read some advice that mentoring should have an end date, and I can see that, if the goals have been met, etc. But as I mentioned earlier, I’ve gained a colleague, a very knowledgeable, thoughtful colleague who has contributed to my professional development. We’re genuinely interested in contributing to each other’s success. Having someone to go to, vet an idea, ask a question, who knows you and at the same time is not biased due to proximity, is a great resource to have. I have gained a trusted colleague I can go to, and I’m also available to assist her in any way she feels I can be of help.

 Q6: Any words of wisdom or encouragement for those wanting to apply next year? Any other thoughts you would like to share? 

Charlene: Set expectations early on, then just relax and have a good conversation. And definitely don’t get caught up in thoughts that you’re taking up your mentor/mentee’s time, you’ve both chosen to be part of the mentoring relationship and there’s a lot to gain on both ends.

Sammy: Go for it. Getting outside our comfort zone is necessary for growth. Although each mentoring relationship is unique, there’s one common thread: whether as a mentor, mentee, or both, we all have an interest and are making a commitment to mentorship. It may feel like a gamble, but the odds are you’ll have a great experience!

Applications for the 2023-24 cycle will open in the spring; keep an eye out for emails from the NORDP listserv. Additional mentoring opportunities are available through the Peer Mentoring Groups that are open for participation throughout the year via the WisdomShare platform.

Investment in mentoring is an investment in you! So, as Sammy says, “Go for it!”

Mentoring — Make it yours

Byline: Susan Carter, Jan Abramson

During January, the Mentoring Committee leveraged National Mentoring Month to share information about the many ways to get involved with mentoring. As Mentoring Month comes to a close, Susan Carter and Jan Abramson, NORDP Fellows and the inaugural recipients of NORDP’s Mentoring Award, share some thoughts.

Mentoring broadens perspectives,; establishes connections, and grows relationships. It’s a way to meet new people, learn new skills, and refine your own. Mentoring opens doors, and takes you places you might never have imagined. And, it is fun!

Susan reflects, “When I look back on my career in research development, one of the best professional steps I ever took was to engage with the Mentoring Committee and to become a mentor, both formally through the NORDP Mentor Program, and informally to others in RD. The time I spend mentoring really is fun, but most importantly, I have learned much more than I ever imagined I would. One definitely gets back more than one gives, which has been a huge benefit of being involved in mentoring. There is always someone I can call on when I need a new perspective, advice, or even just a friendly voice or face on Zoom for a bit of venting. Moreover, many of my mentees have become wonderful collaborators as well as great friends: we’ve built new ideas and new programs together.”

Jan shares, “the Mentoring Committee was my first step into NORDP, and mentoring continues to be a foundation of my life. Although I have retired, my connections stay strong, and I continue to #PayItForward. My world is richer thanks to the many relationships I have formed over the years. My intent is to nurture and celebrate connections — new and established. I’m thankful for my mentors, my mentees, and those who are peer mentors. I am who I am, because you touched my life.”

The Mentoring Program is a benefit available to all NORDP members, and we encourage you to get involved. Join a Peer Mentoring Group (open year round), register to participate in the 1- on- 1 or cohort-based mentoring program (applications open annually in the spring), join the Mentoring Committee, and be open to mentoring opportunities.

Mentoring is what you make it… Make it yours.

#MentorOn and #PayItForward

Recipe for Success on Mentoring

By the NORDP Mentoring Committee Leadership Team
Jan Abramson, Angela Jordan, Elizabeth Lathrop, Hilda McMackin, Kathy Partlow

January 2023 marks a new chapter in a super busy post-Covid time for research development professionals. Whether you are re-adjusting to in-person or hybrid norms, you can enjoy some of our favorite holiday recipes shared at the Mentoring Committee’s virtual holiday party held in December.

We also invite you to join the Mentoring Committee Open House Thursday, January 19 at 2 pm Eastern by emailing mentorprogram@nordp.org to receive a zoom link — everyone is welcome!

Illustrated image that shows three people adding vegetable ingredients to a giant cooking pot.

Recipe for Success on Mentoring

Ingredients:

Desire to Connect
Shared RD Experience
Be Present to Lend Support
Active Listening
Protected Time
WisdomShare Learning Library Resources

Methods:

  1. Begin your “dish” by signing up for the NORDP Mentoring Program in May.
  2. Select recipe options: the One-To-One Dyad or the Cohort Mentoring.
  3. Preheat the oven via the program kick-off and orientation in June.
  4. Regular check-ins with your Mentor/Mentee(s) is the secret sauce that makes learning palatable and delicious!
  5. Marinate the mentoring flavors by attending the regularly-scheduled McHuddles and connecting with other Mentors and Mentees.
  6. Generously sprinkle any and all spices from the Peer Mentoring Groups or PMGs brought to you by NORDP members and accessible anytime on the WisdomShare platform.
  7. Last but not the least, you can fine-tune your culinary skills by attending the NORDP Mentor Training Workshops — the Jan/Feb sessions are currently full but keep an eye out for additional offerings in 2023.

Best served with #ICARE and #PayItForward!