The spring 2025 series has just wrapped up, but please see this upcoming workshop for mentors of summer undergraduate research scholars!

In this series of interactive workshops designed for current Cornell graduate students and postdocs and open to those in all fields, you will develop essential research mentoring skills, particularly in disciplines where research is conducted collaboratively and in teams. Effective mentoring of student research is a key skill influencing everything from research productivity to motivation. Learn best practices for mentoring undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers, and develop planning and communication skills needed to guide individual mentees and research teams.

• Days and Times: Tuesdays from 3:00-4:30 pm ET on January 28, February 11 and 25, March 11, and April 8, 2025
• Format / Location: Primarily offered as in-person interactive workshops and breakout discussions involving case studies, with supporting materials available in a Canvas site. Hybrid capability may be available for participants who are not in Ithaca, with advance notice.
• Contact: Dr. Colleen McLinn, futurefaculty@cornell.edu or 607-255-2030

Interested participants should apply prior to the start of the series with the expectation of attending all workshops and actively participating in small and large group discussions. Please advise the organizers of any dates you would need to miss or arrive late, and accessibility needs at registration or prior to the first session. Building Mentorship Skills program completion certificates will be provided for fully participating in at least 4 of 5 sessions).

Spring 2025 Series

Sessions meet between 3:00 – 4:30 pm ET on Tuesdays, primarily in-person with hybrid capabilities.

Session 1 – What Makes a Good Mentor and Mentee? Exploring Learning, Motivation, and Values

• Understand key principles of learning and theories of motivation that can help you build a strong research group, and even learn more about yourself and the values you wish to communicate to mentees.

Session 2 – Aligning Expectations and Guiding Doable Projects

• How do you design a doable project with a defined timespan for a relative novice in your discipline? Learn how to set expectations for mentor and mentee to make sure the project and relationship stay on track.

Session 3 – Creating Inclusive Research Environments

• Create and sustain a research group and academic climate in which each individual feels safe and supported. We will discuss how to create a welcoming environment for all, including but not limited to groups typically underrepresented in higher education. We’ll reflect on our backgrounds and experiences as strengths or areas for growth in awareness as we take on leadership and mentoring roles.

Optional: MAC Public Keynote on Mentoring in the Academy

• On Thursday, February 27, Dr. Terrell Morton will visit Ithaca to give a public keynote talk sponsored by a student organization, and you are encouraged to attend live or online if possible. More information

Session 4 – Handling Tricky Mentoring Situations

• Learn how to address some of the trickiest situations you might encounter when mentoring undergraduate researchers or graduate students, from modeling appropriate research ethics to communication across teams of different roles. We will also discuss how you might solicit feedback and turn around projects that aren’t going as planned (from the mentor’s perspective).

Session 5 – Supporting Mentees’ Professional Development – Helping Students Present and Publish, and Writing Fair Letters of Recommendation

• Revisit some key ideas about effective communication to introduce your students to writing about and presenting their work. Learn how to write a fair letter of recommendation, and what not to say. Reflect on our emerging mentoring philosophies and goal statements.

More Information

Building Mentorship Skills for Academic Careers is sponsored by the Graduate School’s Future Faculty and Academic Careers program, part of the Office of Career and Professional Development, and based on a highly regarded national curriculum. A similar course is offered in online, synchronous format through the CIRTL Network annually. A compressed 2-3 session version has been offered in the past for existing Cornell groups or units (e.g., Geneva AgriTech) who can confirm interest from 15 or more participants. Please inquire with futurefaculty@cornell.edu for more information.

Upcoming Workshop

Beyond Supervision: Effective Mentorship in Undergraduate Research

• Date Option 1: April 30, 2025 from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM, by Zoom
• Date Option 2: May 22, 2025 from 12:00 PM – 2:30 PM, 142 Upson Hall (includes lunch)

Presenters: Dr. Colleen McLinn and Dr. Evelyn Ambríz, Cornell Graduate School

Join us for an interactive workshop about best practices for mentoring undergraduate researchers. You will learn evidence-based mentoring techniques and engage with tools that you can use right now to enhance your mentoring practice. This workshop is ideal for the mentors of undergraduate researchers who would like to refine their mentoring practices or who are first time mentors to undergraduate researchers. We are offering two workshop sessions that will include the same content, one on Zoom and one in person (in person includes lunch!).

Space is limited and registration is required. Register here and choose which session you plan to attend. All registrants will be expected to attend unless they send a date change or cancellation notice. If you have questions, please contact, Dr. Laura Schoenle (laura.schoenle@cornell.edu). 

Sponsored by the Cornell University Graduate School, College of Engineering, and the Center for Research on Programmable Plant Systems (CROPPS), and open to all who will soon be mentoring undergraduate scholars conducting research (in any discipline).

As a bonus, we will share new FAIM tools and resources being developed at Cornell, primarily designed for use in graduate education and the professoriate, but highly relevant to mentors at all levels. Feel free to check them out in advance!