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Mentoring Programs

Faculty-Student Mentoring Program 

 

GEOS Faculty-Student Mentor Program Mission Statement

The primary mission of the Geosciences Undergraduate Faculty-Student Mentoring Program is to promote a strong relationship between Geosciences undergraduate students and professors in order to provide academic and professional advice, perspectives to students, and enrich their education, engagement, and academic experience.

Students can meet one-on-one with a Faculty Mentor as early as the first semester of the freshman year through the culmination of their Geosciences degree. Faculty Mentors and participating students are encouraged to engage in discussions, including but not limited to the following list.

  • understanding the wide range of fields of study and careers within Geosciences
  • gaining a better appreciation of the Geosciences major and sub-plans
  • suggestions to enable students to gain confidence, initiative, and self-motivation
  • what it takes to be successful as a geosciences student
  • suggestions on managing a good work-life balance
  • introduction to engagement opportunities (i.e. leadership, outreach)
  • career preparation (i.e. internships, research)

Participation is easy!

1. Choose a faculty mentor and contact them directly 
     
       Questions to keep in mind:
  • Why are you interested in having a faculty mentor?
  • Choose a mentor based on your interest in a particular faculty member or a particular area within GEOS.
  • Is there a specific faculty member you are interested in getting to know better? Why? What about them or their expertise intrigues you? It’s okay if you are unsure.
  • Do you know what specific area of Geosciences you are interested in?
  • If you are unsure, take some time to research some of the areas within Geosciences (listed in parenthesis next to each faculty mentor name below).
  • It’s okay if you are interested in a wide variety of areas or still don’t know what you are interested in.
  • Consider contacting one of the mentor participants listed as “Any."
  • Are you currently interested in or have you ever considered engaging in research? If so, plan to ask about the faculty member’s research and how they got started. Ask how research is currently conducted in their lab.
  • Ask about other opportunities (internships, preceptorships, opportunities to learn more about a particular field).
  • Do you have questions about careers your BS degree could lead to?
2. Obtain a mentorship commitment
 
  • Email your faculty member. Keep the email brief, to the point, and use proper email etiquette. This is not a text! Remember to share a little bit of information about yourself and your academic career so far. Briefly tell them why you are interested in having them as a mentor or why you are interested in their area of expertise. If you are contacting one of the “Any” participants, ask them about their professional journey and how they choose their area of expertise.
  • Request a meeting if you would like to meet with your mentor in-person to discuss all sorts of wonderful things! Make sure to prepare some questions for your meeting. Remember to take your list of questions with you to the meeting, and arrive early.
3. Notify your Academic Advisor with which faculty mentor you are working by completing this brief 2-3-minute survey: GEOS Faculty Mentor List Opt-In Survey.

Participating Faculty Members:

Susan Beck

(Geophysics)

Barbara Carrapa

(Geology)

Andy Cohen

(EOC & Geology) 

Peter DeCelles

(Geology & Geophysics)

 

Paul Goodman

(EOC/Any*) [Spring only]

Chris Harig

(Geophysics)

Amanda Hughes

(Geology & Geophysics)

Jess Kapp

(Geology, Geophysics, Teaching/Any*)

Paul Kapp

(Geology & Geophysics)

Marcus Lofverstrom

(EOC)

Frank Mazdab

(Geology)

Luke McGuire

(Geology, Geophysics, Math, & Planetary)

Jon Pelletier

(Geology, Geophysics, Math, & Planetary

Kaustubh Thirumalai

(EOC)

Diane Thompson

(EOC)

Jess Tierney

(EOC & Geology)

 

 

 

* Consider contacting one of the faculty who are listed as “Any” if you do not know what area of Geosciences or what sub-plan you are interested in pursuing. 

More Resources:

Advisory Board-Student Mentoring Program (New!)