Tag: Mentorship

Mentoring Reflections: Sandra Arriaga and Julie Hawk

Written by: Mentoring Committee 

Registration for the 2024-2025 Mentoring Program is currently open on Wisdom Share for all NORDP members to sign up as a mentor, a mentee, or both. New participants need to create an account on Wisdom Share. Returning participants should follow the instructions available online from the NORDP Mentoring Committee. Deadline to apply for the 2024-2025 mentoring program closes on Friday, May 17, 2024. 

In this installment of the Mentoring Reflections, we caught up with mentee-mentor pair Sandra Arriaga (Mentee) and Julie Hawk (Mentor) from the 2023-2024 cohort of the Mentoring Program to share their experiences with NORDP.

Sandra Arriaga is a Research Development Specialist with the Stanford Research Development Office and has spent the entirety of her career working in higher education. After years of teaching college composition, running academic programs, and writing proposals on the side (with a brief stint living and working in Amman, Jordan), she transitioned to the field of research development full time. Sandra has a Master’s degree in English with a concentration in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and brings a background in education, social science, and applied linguistics to her work supporting STEM faculty from across the university on their proposals. Outside of work, Sandra enjoys traveling and yoga, and is learning to play drums.

Julie Hawk obtained her PhD in English from Georgia State University in 2012 and spent the next few years teaching at Georgia Tech and then the University of West Georgia, where she discovered that she could translate the skills from her training to a Research Development context. Since 2016, she has been working with researchers on a variety of kinds and sizes of grants. She currently works at Emory University School of Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics, where she deals mostly with large biomedical grants. However, her experience in both an emerging research institution and at an engineering powerhouse provides a wide skillset and range of disciplinary directions for grant seeking.

Q1: What influenced you to apply to be a mentor and a mentee for the 2023-2024 NORDP Mentoring Program?

SA: I am relatively new to research development, having started my current position in 2021 after a few years writing and editing proposals outside of my previous full-time role.  Initially, I prioritized getting to know my immediate colleagues, supervisor, and institution while taking advantage of the many resources that NORDP offers. Once I had solid footing in my current role, I felt ready to join the NORDP’s mentoring program because I had heard wonderful things about it from my co-workers. 

JH: I have been doing Research Development for several years, and last year I had a wonderful experience as a mentee in this program. Not only did the mentoring relationship provide a touchstone for learning more, but it also showed me that I was more ready to be a mentor than I thought. So I decided to pay it forward and sign up as a mentor.

Q2: What is your favorite part about your relationship?

SA: Julie offers great perspective and is just plain fun to talk to. We have a lot in common and both of us have our cats make a guest appearance more often than not. Her thoughtful advice and observations always make me feel energized after our calls, no matter what is going on for me in work and life. 

JH: Sandra and I have a lot in common, including our educational backgrounds and our past teaching experience. These commonalities allow for easy analogies when we are talking through various experiences in our work lives. Sometimes I forget that I’m officially her mentor, as I certainly get as much out of the mentoring relationship as a mentee is supposed to. It truly is a bidirectional exchange.

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?

SA: Because I’ve only held one “official” RD position so far, I can sometimes lose sight of the fact that so many of us experience the same kinds of challenges and that others have dealt with them before me. Julie brings an outside point of view from within a similar professional culture, adding a voice of reason and experience which helps me reflect more deliberately. Through talking with Julie, I also learned more about her experience as an NORDP Consultant and became more interested in that type of work.

JH: Both as a mentee last year and a mentor this year, I have learned so much about the varied ways to approach RD work as well as the similarities that underlie all those variations. Working in a department as the sole RD professional, a network of colleagues is something I must intentionally cultivate. Participating in the mentoring program is one very important way that I do that, and it is extremely valuable.

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

SA: How much I needed one! It was the right time for me, and I was fortunate to be matched with the right mentor. While I have many opportunities to engage in professional development and mentoring within my organization, there’s nothing like talking to someone who “gets it” but isn’t steeped in the exact same context. It was also very beneficial to work through the MESHH Network framework with someone. Talking with Julie helped me see mentors and opportunities to find mentors where I hadn’t seen them previously.

JH: Like many others, I occasionally suffer from Imposter Syndrome, so I think I was most surprised by the fact that I actually know a lot more about RD than I realized. I was also surprised that the mentoring matching system seems to work so well. Both last year and this year, it matched me very well indeed!

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

SA: When I reflect on my career so far, one theme that emerges is that whenever I’ve had the opportunity to learn from a mentor, I have thrived. In a previous career (teaching), I also served as a mentor after I had accumulated enough experience, and both sides of the mentoring relationship have been so valuable. Through the mentoring relationship, I have been able to appreciate how much I’ve learned and refined my own internal compass. I find mentoring especially important because I work remotely. I can intentionally build the type of connections that non-remote employees might be able to create more serendipitously.

JH: I have always benefitted from longer term mentoring relationships, whether they were formal or informal arrangements. After experiencing a great deal of benefit as a mentee in the program last year, I knew that any fears I had about not having enough time to participate were unfounded. Like the adage that one should meditate for at least 10 minutes every day unless you’re too busy, in which case you should meditate for 30 minutes, the mentoring relationship serves as a reflective experience that re-energizes my everyday work life.

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

SA: If you’re worried about having enough time, consider the “return on investment.” The way you’ll feel refreshed and re-charged after talking with your mentor will likely make managing your time easier in other aspects of your work. And by all accounts, NORDP does an excellent job with matching people. You won’t regret it!

JH: If you’ve been in RD for a while but think you aren’t advanced enough to be a mentor, that’s probably Imposter Syndrome. On the other hand, you could always start by being a mentee. Regardless of which you do (or both!), you will absolutely benefit from it.

NORDP Cohort Mentoring Group Reflection

The 2023-24 Mentoring Program started in July, with an expanded cohort mentoring program in its 2nd year running. The Cohort Mentoring Group consists of matching three mentees with similar interests with one shared mentor based on the WisdomShare matching algorithm. The Mentoring Committee made 31 Cohort Mentoring Groups matches this year, an astonishing increase from last year’s pilot of 10.

The Mentoring Committee is actively seeking new volunteers to run the various mentoring programs offered to all NORDP members! If you have benefited from the mentoring services in the past, we encourage you to consider getting involved as the committee work is largely driven by volunteers. To learn more, we welcome everyone to join us at the Mentoring Committee Open House on Thursday, January 18, 2024, at 2pm Eastern. Register TODAY and/or email mentorprogram@nordp.org if you have any questions.

#PayItForward

Cohort Mentor:

Joanna Downer (JD) is Associate Dean for Research Development at Duke University School of Medicine. She previously worked in science writing and media relations at Duke and Johns Hopkins, has extensive experience in scientific editing, and is a Certified Professional Coach. Joanna holds an MA and PhD in nuclear chemistry from Washington University in St. Louis, and a BS with Honors in chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University. While in graduate school, she was a Mass Media Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Cohort Mentees:

Helena H. Fischer (HF) serves as Senior Grant Development Manager for the Alvarez School of Business at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She earned her Bachelors of Music Education from UTSA and taught choral music for a decade. She earned a Master’s degree in Education Leadership and Policy from the University of Texas at Austin where she developed her research interests in poverty in education. She currently attends St. Mary’s Law School. Her experiences as an educator, grant project director, student affairs professional, and law student inform her work.

Hailey LaVoy (HL) is Assistant Director for Humanities & Interdisciplinary Grant Support at Dartmouth College. She works closely with Dartmouth’s faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students in the Arts & Humanities and Interdisciplinary Divisions to identify and secure internal and external funding that will advance their research agendas. She holds a PhD in medieval studies from the University of Notre Dame.

Lindsay Ridpath (LR) is Program Manager for Industry Engagement for Research Development at the University of Arizona. She supports procurement of industry research sponsorships, collaborates with industry on federal proposals, and aids in securing student fellowships and internships. She uses her expertise in content creation for social media and web platforms to promote UArizona faculty, facilities, and other resources to potential collaborators. Lindsay has an MFA and holds a Certified Associate for Project Management (CAPM) status.

Q1: What influenced you to apply to be a mentor/mentee for the 2022-23 NORDP Mentoring Program? Why did you choose the cohort mentoring model?

HF: My dotted-line supervisor called me on my second day in my new role as Sr. Grant Development Manager. He suggested that I sign up and that the department would pay my membership fee.

HL: It was recommended by a former NORDP mentee whom I met at the NORDP conference in May. I’m new to research development, and it seemed like a great opportunity to learn more about the field. I preferred the cohort model to get more perspectives and to meet peers in varying stages of their RD careers.

LR: I’m new to Research Development. At the time I first applied to the cohort, I was working for our Foundation Relations department, which didn’t offer a lot of support or training and its team was very new. I had developed a relationship with one of the university’s Research Development members and explained my troubles, and she was nice enough to recommend NORDP. I chose the cohort model because I wanted a group to learn from, as well as others to fall back on. The cohort model relieved the pressure of maintaining a one-on-one commitment.

JD: I love helping others achieve their goals, and I could use the time saved from having finished my term on the NORDP Board of Directors to once again serve as a mentor. I offered to serve as either 1:1 or cohort mentor, and could be happier to have been placed with a cohort!

Q2: Have you participated in a 1:1 mentoring model before? How has this experience been different or similar?

HF: Yes, but it was far more organic. We would come with questions.

HL: Not formally.

LR: No, but I’d like to.

JD: I served as a 1:1 mentor in the 2022-2023 mentoring year, and had a great experience. As others have reported in previous mentor pair profiles, while I may have started as the mentor, by the time our year was drawing to a close, I was receiving as much mentoring as I was giving, which was great. We are continuing to meet and my 1:1 mentee also signed up again – the Mentoring Program is a great way to grow your network! And in the cohort this year, I love that each member has wisdom to offer. Sharing our paths, our challenges, our solutions also helps reassure all of us that we aren’t alone in whatever experiences or feelings we’re having!

Q3: What is your favorite part about this cohort mentoring model so far?

HF: Joanna is a great mentor. I appreciate her solutions and her deep listening. I also am learning so much from my cohort mates who are in new roles too and we are navigating together.

HL: Getting confidential support on a wide range of professional issues.

LR: The first cohort wasn’t very great. I don’t think our mentor was very engaged and a lot of the convening was initiated by myself. I’m really enjoying our second cohort, all members are more engaged, and we all have different roles within our organizations so I’m able to learn a lot more about their roles, leaving me feeling more well-rounded.

JD: I think the matching software did a great job!

Q4: How has your participation in the Mentoring Program so far helped broaden your horizons about Research Development in general and/or affected your daily work in particular?

HF: It has helped me understand that there is a wealth of resources for professionals

HL: It’s given me a broader perspective on RD-institutional context, helping me better understand what is particular to my department (personalities/politics) and what is considered standard across the professional field. To that end, as a newbie, it has decreased my anxiety about how I’m doing in my specific role. My own RD office is very small, so it has been informative to learn, by listening to my fellow mentees, about the varied types of roles that exist in RD, depending on the institution and its priorities.

LR: I’m realizing that it’s ok to come from an “unconventional” background as so many others do.

Q5: What has surprised you about being a mentor or a mentee so far? 

HL: That, in addition to learning from my mentor, that I would learn so much from my fellow mentees about professionalism, tenacity, courage, and the importance of mutual support!

LR: The field feels like it’s on the brink of exciting change and I’m happy to be part of it.

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

HL: It is indeed a wonderful investment in your professional development and an opportunity to build relationships with colleagues whom you might not otherwise meet. I’m so grateful that this program exists.

LR: If the first year is a dud, apply again!

JD: Do it!

The 2023-24 NORDP Mentoring Program is now in full swing! Applications for the next cycle will open in the spring. Please keep an eye out for an announcement from the NORDP. Additional mentoring opportunities are available through the Peer Mentoring Groups that are open for participation throughout the year via the WisdomShare platform.

An investment in mentoring is an investment in you!

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 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

NORDP 2022 Plenary: Estrada Focuses on Kindness-Affirming Inclusion

Mica Estrada, NORDP April 28 Plenary Speaker

When someone is kind, they support the dignity of another person. When mentors are kind, they convey a sense of safety, which is good for learning, retention, and attention. NORDP conference attendees will learn more about the benefits of kindness and tips to bring new perspectives on kindness to our work.

“Kindness affirms inclusion,” says Dr. Mica Estrada, Associate Professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences and the Institute for Health and Aging at the University of California at San Francisco’s School of Nursing. She will be the NORDP 2022 conference plenary speaker at 11:00 a.m. eastern time on Thurs., Apr. 28, discussing “Why Kindness Is Important when Mentoring in an Interconnected World.”

As a social psychologist, Estrada studies how people integrate into their field. “We look at how quality mentorship helps students feel they can do the science, develop their identity as scientists, and how they share community values,” she explains.

Estrada says kindness has always been at the forefront of her scholarship. “At about four years old, my first memory was when a US ship went into Chinese water. I remember thinking, will there be a war, why do we hurt each other?” She continues thinking about that later question in her research, and chooses to focus on how people connect to each other, and specifically on kindness as the solution.

She compares her passion for kindness in mentoring to tending a garden. “Instead of spending time pulling weeds, I decided to put effort into growing what we want to reduce the space for the things we don’t want to grow,” she says.

Estrada will share findings from her years of research with NORDP conference attendees, highlighting results that are relevant to mentoring students and faculty or working with other research development colleagues.

“We’ll be talking about ‘quality mentorship’,” she says. The first focus is on instrumental support, or the “nuts and bolts” activities, such as how to access physical spaces or scholarly journals. This will differ in each situation. The second focus is on psycho-social support, such as empathy, listening, and emotional presence. Again, the details will differ based on the relationship, but the concept is important.

Estrada’s research is well funded by the NSH, NIH, and HHMI. She says she finds grantwriting to be a creative, labor-intensive challenge as she explains what she wants to explore while being concrete and persuasive. She draws upon past experiences with non-profit groups and work with development officers. She is also engaged in community-service roles, serving on the National Research Council Committee’s Roundtable on the Future of STEM Education; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine consensus study on Advancing Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in STEM Organizations; and a NASA Minority University Research and Education Programs advisory committee.

Estrada focuses her research and time on understanding how to increase inclusion and equity in our education system.  Her research methods identify educational interventions that facilitate integration into a community and increased engagement in the normative behaviors of that community for all students. She encourages us all to amplify what we want within our academic and professional environment, and she sees ample opportunity to do this.

“We’re at an interesting time in history,” she suggests. “COVID has shaken up the way we work. There’s an opportunity to not go back, but to go forward in a way that serves us as human beings.”

Follow @NORDP_official on Twitter for all the latest #NORDP2022 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.

Do You Like M&Ms? Meet the Mentoring Committee at #NORDP2019

Actual M&Ms will feature prominently at the multiple venues where you can engage with the enthusiastic Mentoring Committee!

Members of NORDP Mentoring have been working over the past few months to ensure that anyone with an interest in pursuing mentoring, being mentored, exploring peer mentoring, or in other facets of collaborating with others around professional development, will find a conference replete with diverse opportunities to delve into those topics.

Even before #NORDP2019 officially begins, the Mentoring Committee will host a Mentor/Mentee (M&Ms, get it?) Meet-up on Sunday, April 28, from 4:30-5:30 PM in the South County room, so newly matched Mentor/Mentee pairs can meet in person to get their mentoring relationship off to a solid start.  Past Mentor/Mentee pairs are also invited.

There will be chocolate, fun, and a game with prizes!

Throughout the conference, please join us at any of the following Mentoring Committee events, sessions and areas where we will have information, M&Ms, and Mentoring Committee members available:

Monday, April 29

Workshop:  An Overview of Onboarding Materials and Webinars Offered to Support Mentees and Mentors, 10:00 AM – Noon
An overview for all, from the mentoring curious to the veteran, of the complete set of tools available to assist NORDP members in mentoring, regardless of participation in the NORDP Mentoring Program

Workshop: Adapting the National Research Mentoring Network’s “Maintaining Effective Communication” Module to the RD Professional, 1:15 – 3:15 PM
Participants will use an NRMN training module tailored to RD to build upon their communication skills across diverse dimensions including various backgrounds, disciplines, generations, ethnicities, and power structures using evidence-based strategies. Case studies, group exercises, self-assessment, and rich reflective dialogue will reinforce concepts.

Tuesday, April 30

Mentoring Lightning Storm, 8:30 – 9:30 AM (Concurrent Session 1):  Ten 5-minute lightning talks on discrete topics in mentoring, ranging from “Transitioning from mentee to mentor” to “The mentor/mentee match algorithm/process revealed”

Idea Showcase mentoring program poster, 4:30 – 6:30 PM:  Get a quick overview of the NORDP mentoring program while noshing and making new friends!

Wednesday, May 1

Mentoring Roundtable, 9:30 – 10:30 AM (Concurrent Session 5):  An interactive forum that will give participants an intimate setting and a chance to guide the conversation about three mentoring topics in depth: Peer Mentoring, Transitioning from Mentee to Mentor, and The Value of Diversity and Inclusion in Mentoring

Informal Mentoring opportunities throughout the conference:

  • Mentoring Networking Dinners – On Monday, April 29 and Tuesday, April 30, at 6:30 PM, hosts will introduce you to great restaurants for fine food with a side of mentoring conversation.
  • Research on the Rocks – informally hosted nightly (Sunday, April 28 – Wednesday, May 1) by Mentoring Committee co-chair David Widmer in the Omni bar, ROTR will give anyone who wants a chance to unwind, socialize AND/OR talk even more about the benefits of mentoring.  Stop by after the networking dinners or, on Wednesday, after the Conference concludes, for some libation (cash bar) and information.
  • Career Center Mentoring Table – throughout the Conference, the Mentoring Program will have information available at a table in the new NORDP Career Center. Drop in, learn something about mentoring, and you might even be able to win a prize!
  • Talk to Us – Look for blue (or “marine,” if you need a mnemonic) Mentoring Committee ribbons during the Conference if you have a question or just want to make a conference buddy; we’re a friendly group!

We’re looking forward to seeing you at NORDP 2019! #MentoringMatters (M&Ms)