Category: Mentor Program

NORDP 2023 Mentoring Award: Carolynn Julien

First awarded in 2022, the NORDP Mentoring Award recognizes an individual NORDP member’s unique ability to provide an engaging, supportive, and inclusive environment for professional and/or personal growth through mentorship in the research development community. This award is bestowed with the acknowledgment that effective mentoring occurs through formal and informal channels and may vary in style and substance.

Portrait of Carolynn Julien.

Who: Carolynn Julien

Where: Fairleigh Dickinson University

Number of years in research development: 34 years

Length of NORDP membership: 10 years

What does this mentoring award mean to you? 

Let me just start by saying, I was surprised to get the award. I was totally thrown off. I was fidgeting with something and I heard my name being called.   If there was anything that I would want to be recognized for, it would be mentoring. It is just the best honor ever!  It solidifies who I am and my efforts. It was just perfect!

What has your mentoring journey within NORDP looked like? 

I believe it was 2013 when I found out about the NORDP mentoring program, and I was matched with a wonderful mentor, Linda Mason from the University of Oklahoma. It was a wonderful experience. I even got a NORDP travel award to meet her in Austin. She was my introduction to NORDP, and it was just the most amazing connection that I had with her. She came up to where I live in New York once and we got to spend time together while she was on vacation. I recently found out that she passed away and I was just so heartbroken. Linda was amazing and really helped me to grow as a professional.

Generally, I think I remained on the outskirts of NORDP. I was kind of a lurker. I wasn’t fully engaged until I decided to join the mentoring committee. Serving on the committee solidified my commitment to NORDP and it was an opportunity for me to not only engage but to give back.

What initially drew you to mentoring?

I always say, “Mentoring is who I am and what I do.” I have mentored in so many capacities, professionally and personally. I am in an organization where I mentor high school girls. I have mentored people in a group that I created across the City University of New York, where I mentored many individuals across the RD spectrum. Mentoring was the focus of my dissertation. So, yes, it’s my “walk.”

How did you take the first step in the “walk” of mentoring? 

My parents always taught me that I’m on this earth to give back. And that has always been a part of me. My upbringing taught me to give back and to figure out how I can give back. Mentoring allows me to have those personal relationships to give back. 

What does being a good mentor mean to you?

It means that I show up fully and I provide a space where I will help a mentee grow both personally and professionally. It means that I will be a good listener and that I am looking to understand not only what is spoken but what is also unspoken. It means that I am going to be a cheerleader, and that I am going to be a friend;  It means that I am going to be an educator; It means that I am going to be a student; It means that I’m going to be whatever the role is that my mentee needs. The mentee decides and I provide.

You have lived in the spirit of mentoring your entire life. Is there a lesson you have learned along the way that has helped you become a better mentor?

The lesson I have learned is that mentoring relationships have no finite timeline. I think that’s something I struggle with a little bit when it comes to the NORDP program because it’s a one-year commitment. I don’t believe that mentoring relationships have a timeline. The mentoring relationships that I have are ongoing. There are people who I worked with 20 years ago and if they need me, I will be there. They know how to find me and if it’s a year from now, 10 years from now, 20 years from now — I will be there. 

What have you found most challenging about being a mentor?

I think one of the challenges in a mentoring relationship is creating intimacy. The best relationship investments are where both the mentor and the mentee can fully show up. That’s a challenge, but it’s a challenge that I love. Because I like taking the time to get to know the mentee, and it takes time. It takes care, patience, and a willingness to accept who this person is. 

What advice do you have for others within NORDP who wish to follow in your footsteps?

I’m going to borrow from Nike…Just do it!   It’s scary at first.  I can remember when the camera came on for the first time and there was a person in another Zoom box. In my mind, I am saying to myself, “I had this mentor training and I should have the right thing to say.” But I have found the best success through listening to my heart. Your heart will guide you. You’ll know what to say and what to do. And it really starts with intention. If your intentions are to help an individual with the agreed upon goals, and you fully show up and listen, your intentions will guide you.

Photograph of president Anne Maglia presenting the 2023 Mentoring Award to recipient Carolynn Julien.

NORDP president Anne Maglia (left) presenting the 2023 Mentoring Award to recipient Carolynn Julien (right).

NORDP 2023 Mentoring Award: Hilda McMackin

First awarded in 2022, the NORDP Mentoring Award recognizes an individual NORDP member’s unique ability to provide an engaging, supportive, and inclusive environment for professional and/or personal growth through mentorship in the research development community. This award is bestowed with the acknowledgement that effective mentoring occurs through formal and informal channels and may vary in style and substance.

Anne Maglia (R) presents the Mentoring Award to Hilda McMackin, at the 2023 conference.

Who: Hilda McMackin, Director of Research Administration Systems and Reporting

Where: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

Number of years in research development: 14

Length of NORDP membership: 6

What has your mentoring journey within NORDP looked like?

After joining NORDP in 2017, I attended the annual conference in Denver and went to the mentoring committee open house. I was sold! I was especially interested in the Mentorship, Expertise, Support, Helping Hands (MESHH) subcommittee and the resources they developed. I’ve enjoyed working on the MESHH tools available in the NORDP Mentoring Toolkit and presenting webinars and workshops on how to use them. 

My involvement has combined committee work with serving as both a mentee and mentor. In the committee, for the past several years, I led the group of Facilitators that serve as points of contact for mentoring program participants throughout the year. I have also collaborated on and presented in three rounds of Mentoring Lightning Storms where we coordinated an hour of 5-minutue lighting talks all focused on aspects of mentoring. Then, in March of 2022, I became a committee co-chair, helping lead the work of the committee. The work has been fun-filled and rewarding. This committee is made up of a great group of collaborative and welcoming people; our meetings have become high points of my week.

I’m currently mentoring a cohort of three NORDP members this year in an expansion of our mentoring cohort pilot that was successful last year. This format bolsters the mentoring relationships by fostering peer mentoring at the same time and expanding the network of all four members involved in the cohort. I am looking forward to exploring mentoring in this exciting group setting.

What initially drew you to mentoring?

I’ve always been grateful for the mentoring I received throughout my career, and I thought mentoring was a great way to both get involved with NORDP and pay that support forward to bolster the growth of others. I also have a deep commitment to the research enterprise and recognize the importance of mentoring in advancing research. Regardless of the role – faculty, staff, or student – receiving and providing mentorship is essential in moving research and innovation forward, as people can’t contribute their whole selves in their work if their needs and aspirations aren’t nurtured.

What does being a good mentor mean to you?

A good mentor is someone who can be present and listen; someone who can focus on the needs of the mentee. Developing trust is essential. Dedicating time is important. And add in vulnerability to truly succeed. To really build a safe space for people to grow, you need to build trust by sharing your emotions as well as your stories. A good mentor is not afraid to share and doesn’t need to be perfect. In conversations with my mentees, I strive to listen, provide perspective, and offer insights where I can.

I wish I’d tried mentoring sooner. I think we’re sometimes hesitant to mentor due to a twinge of insecurity. We wonder if we can really be a good mentor. Do we have enough to offer? Yes, you need to be comfortable, but I think nearly anyone can be a mentor with support from the resources available through NORDP.

I want to stress that you do have to follow through on the commitment. If your mentee hasn’t reached out, check in with them. I suggest carving out time and protecting it. If you’re worried about time, rest assured that you can meet less frequently and still get a big bang for your buck.

What have you found most rewarding, and most challenging, about being a mentor?

The greatest reward is that mentoring energizes me. I’m a curious person, and it’s rewarding to connect with others and feel the impact that I have had on others’ lives. On a personal level, sometimes that means simply helping them get through difficult times. We all know how reassuring that can be.

The greatest challenge is making the time for it. Our jobs keep us very busy. The more you do, the more connections you have, including both unofficial networks and proactive mentoring. I always try to reduce the barriers as much as possible. The greatest reward, for me, is getting to know other people, their perspectives, their experiences.

What advice do you have for others within NORDP who wish to follow in your footsteps?

I want to encourage anyone who hasn’t yet served as a mentor to sign up as one. Realize that you always have something to offer as a mentor and something to gain as a mentee. It’s such a rewarding experience.  If you are not ready to mentor, I encourage you to get involved with the NORDP Mentoring Committee. Working with the committee is a great way to learn mentoring best practices as well as help sustain the incredible benefits that our mentoring activities provide for all NORDP members.

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.)

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!

NEW Coaching & RD Peer Mentoring Group (PMG) Forming

PMG Organizers: Don Takehara, Jet LeBlanc, Joanna Downer, Paula Carney, & M. S. (Peg) AtKisson.

The 2022 NORDP Conference included multiple sessions that addressed the discipline of coaching and how it can be used in research development (RD), including faculty research career development, research leadership development, and research team engagement.

The Coaching & RD Peer Mentoring Group (PMG) is now being launched to provide a vehicle for supporting NORDP members interested in coaching.

Coaching fits a broader collection of skills in the RD skillset to further faculty research career development and reflects the dynamic nature of the RD profession. Coaching is a powerful process that encompasses a distinct set of competencies. The International Coaching Federation defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.” Coaching often unlocks previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity, and leadership. Trained coaches can engage individual faculty to address research career and research leadership development, facilitate research team engagement, and promote development of research leaders. 

Using the peer mentoring model, the Coaching & RD PMG’s goals are to: 

  • Enable members to explore coaching as part of the RD skillset 
  • Develop programs to offer coaching as an RD service at the institutional level
  • Assess coaching as a contributor to faculty and organizational research attainment
  • Provide a setting for accountability and continuous improvement for RDs interested in coaching in research development

The Coaching & RD PMG is for NORDP members who may be curious about becoming a coach to add to their RD skillset, interested in adding coaching to an institution’s faculty research career, research leadership development, or research team engagement programs, as well as other opportunities for RD professionals that may benefit from inclusion of coaching.

NORDP Members can view and join PMGs via the WisdomShare Platform.

NORDP members interested in learning more about all eight active PMGs can do so at the 2023 Peer Mentoring Group (PMG) Orientation on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, noon-1:30 pm Eastern.  

Register Here

2022-2023 PMGs:

  1. Career & Professional Development: exploring how to become more efficient and effective in our roles
  2. Coaching & RD: developing and implementing coaching as part of the research development (RD) skillset
  3. Communication: promoting awareness of RD opportunities and publicizing research
  4. Collaboration and Team Science: building collaborations and interdisciplinary research programs
  5. Leadership & Management: leading in both official and unofficial capacities
  6. Mentorship Training: discussing and supporting mentoring best practices for mentors and mentees
  7. Proposal Development: supporting faculty grant seeking and increasing extramural funding
  8. Strategic Planning & Advancement: guiding policy and planning for enhanced research and scholarship