Mentoring: A Critical and Fun Process for Faculty, Students and Administration

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Mentoring  A Critical and Fun Process for
Faculty, Students and Administration

• William (Bill) W. Thatcher
• Department of Animal Sciences
• University of Florida

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Introduction

• Mentor defined someone who takes a special
  interest in helping another person develop into a
  successful professional (from the book Adviser,
  Teacher, Role Model, Friend, 1997)
• Who more than a graduate students adviser
  determines the quality of the graduate
  experience, the success of the program, and the
  impression of the university that the student
  takes with them?

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A number of studies conducted during the past 40
years have shown that, for graduate students,
mentoring is positively related to 1.

• Student's productivity in the number of
  pre-doctoral publications
• Number of first authored publications
• Number of conference papers
• Number of research projects undertaken by the
  student
• Overall research activity
• Improved grantsmanship
• Activity in teaching courses
• References Crane, 1965 Reskin, 1979
  Cronan-Hillix et al., 1986 Smith Davidson,
  1992

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Faculty cite many rewards from mentoring graduate
students.Among them

• Keeping abreast of new knowledge and techniques
• Gaining collaborators for current or future
  projects
• Having research assistants whose work is critical
  to the completion of a research grant
• Gaining increased professional stature by sending
  new scholars into the field
• Experiencing the personal joys and
  satisfactions inherent in mentoring
  relationships It is fun!

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Training Graduate Students To Their Potential

• Course Program
• Diversity of formal courses
• Formal courses plus graduate training should lead
  to an independent and educated scientist
• Research Project and Training
• Rigorous use of the Scientific Method
• Experimental Design Methods
• Extensive statistical analysis of data
• Presentation at National meetings seminars
• Peer reviewed journal publication
• Defend the research but be open minded for
  alternative interpretations
• Communication Oral and Written Critical
  Thinking

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Transmit Values - Science as a Noble Enterprise
The Search for Truth Bettering Mankind

• Rigorously Honest
• not just in performing experiments but
  intellectually
• students should be encouraged to think outside
• the box, to develop concepts different than ones
  held by the professor do this within the program
  or grant
• they should constantly question their own ideas
  as well as the ideas of others
• Discovery and not career should be at the
  center
• of the discussions about science
• its not all about getting the next grant, tenure,
  XX number of publications a year

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The GROUP

• Nice size is 4-8, including students, post-doc,
  visiting scientists
• What does the GROUP contribute?
• Camaraderie
• Labor pool
• Seminar/journal club
• Techniques SAS training
• Critical Thinking
• Knowledge of tribal traditions

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Research

• Specific aims should be reasonably accomplished
  time wise.
• Aims need to be interrelated and focused on
  achieving a common goal or testing a single
  encompassing hypothesis. However, should be
  independent such that second can be carried out
  if the first failed.
• Distinctions between Purpose (why research was
  undertaken), Hypothesis, Objectives. Experimental
  design to test the hypothesis.
• Statistics to protect you Type 1 and Type 2
  errors insure probability of obtaining
  meaningful results scientific acceptance by your
  peers.

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Research

• Use of tools to test a hypothesis. Do not do
  research to use tools. Philosophy of learning
  techniques do not be afraid.
• Give and acquire as many tools and experimental
  approaches among your student peers gives you
  mentoring experience and bridges disciplines
  etc., which is critical for interdisciplinary
  programs and your marketability.
• Use the infrastructure of the department and
  university Interdisciplinary Programs.

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Whose dissertation is this, anyway? i.e., to what
degree does the thesis/dissertation reflect on
the mentor and how active should I be in editing?

• Final product reflects on the student and myself
  a lot (Horse and Jockey analogy).
• I am very active in editing (3-4 x before the
  committee).
• Process is part of learning how difficult it is
  to write well.
• Defense of thesis/dissertation should be on the
  science not an editing exercise.

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Graduate Teaching is a Mentoring Experience

• The common thread through all of Academic Life is
  Teaching
• Motivating force for teaching is caring for and
  respecting students and wanting them to
  succeed.
• Teacher is a good listener, enthusiastic
  encourager, and effective motivator
• Effective teachers strive to answer questions
  effectively without students feeling inferior,
  threatened or guilty for asking questions.
• Teacher being willing to say I Do Not Know
  scholars know what they know and do not know and
  can educate themselves.
• Use of Critical Interactive Thinking Exercises
  for Teaching Endocrinology (J. Animal Sci. 80
  862-865, 2002)
• Have your course peer reviewed!!!!! WebCT

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http//www.webct.ufl.edu/
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Students can not do it alone!-Identify mentors
and become a mentor (It is fun and satisfying)!

• Mentors
• Help identify your strengths and weaknesses.
• Assist in understanding areas that need to be
  improved and students should draw on insights as
  to how mentors developed their strengths.
• Have best interest of the student in mind
  (prepare student to be better than the mentor
  maximize potential of the student).
• Are good teachers caring for and respecting
  students and want them to succeed. Mentor is an
  advocate.
• Good Listener, enthusiastic encourager and
  effective motivator. Caring does not have to
  imply acceptance of all qualities of the student.

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To Counterbalance Mentor Imprinting, Encourage
Trainee Self Evaluation

• Questioning your career path is normal.
• Success requires passion you must be passionate
  about what you are doing.
• Questions! Questions! Questions!
• What do you like to do?
• Do you enjoy teaching?
• Do you like to work alone or with others?
• Can you tolerate delayed gratification?
• Do you want immediate feedback?
• Do you want to travel?
• Do you enjoy writing? (Good writers are good
  readers)
• McCabe L. and E.R.B. McCabe, How to Succeed in
  Academics,1999

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Strengths of Interdisciplinary Studies

• Exposure to more faculty
• more role models, more ideas, different
  perspective
• Exposure to more students
• self-education is very important
• Exposure to different scientific disciplines
• more models, more techniques, more approaches
• All this is good for the professor as well as the
  student

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Communications among peers

• Participation in scientific meetings is important
  (e.g., SSR/ASAS/ADSA/IETS)
• Laboratory meetings
• Interdisciplinary seminars (Interdisciplinary
  Reproductive Biology Animal Molecular Cell
  Biology, Animal Science Seminars)
• Assistance in establishing networks in their
  discipline
• Ambassadors for your program, department and
  university

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• Oral presentation Analogy to a French Dinner
• Appetizer-dessert, between 3-5 courses (eat more
  than that you are unable to remember what you
  ate).
• Preparation will reduce anxiety
• Practice-Practice-Practice!!!
• Remember to breathe
• Select several individuals in the audience to
  make eye contact (helps with bonding to the
  audience and makes a large audience seem small).
  
• In a oral presentation, if you have a questioner
  who is arrogant, aggressive or naïve, handle
  yourself with poise. Audience will be on your
  side if you respond evenly and effectively.
• If the questioner is particularly obnoxious, you
  have no need to respond Just thank them and move
  on to the next questioner
• WWT PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH!

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Acknowledgements

• Dr. Peter Hansen
• Dr. Lynn Sollenberger
• Dr. Charlie Guy
• Dr. Edward McCabe
• My various mentors, colleagues and students.
• Thank You!