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Home  /  SCEC Workshops  /  SCEC Workshop: Research Mentee Training - Harnessing Mentoring Relationships

SCEC Workshop: Research Mentee Training - Harnessing Mentoring Relationships

Registration Deadline: Sept 7, 2021
Participants: 24 maximum

Workshop Date: Sept 9 & 10, 2021
Time: 09:00 - 11:00 PDT

Convener: Gabriela Noriega
Date: September 9 & 10, 2021 (09:00 - 11:00 PDT each day)
Location: ONLINE via Zoom

OVERVIEW: Research mentoring is collaborative in that mentees and mentors engage as partners through reciprocal activities such as planning, acting, reflecting, questioning, and problem-solving. Successful mentoring relationships are those in which mentees reach the individual milestones that allow them to progress to the next stage along the trajectory of their academic career. 

This training is designed to support graduate students to develop skills needed to successfully navigate the research training environment. Participants will learn how to proactively shape their mentoring relationships and their work environments, better understand themselves and their needs and effectively carry out their relationships and climates to ensure those needs are met. In this evidence-based, interactive workshop, participants will explore approaches and resources to advancing their practice in areas including:

  • Aligning Expectations
  • Addressing Equity and Inclusion
  • Assessing Understanding
  • Maintaining Effective Communication

Enrollment for this workshop is limited to 24 participants. While priority consideration will be given to graduate students who are advanced in their careers, we encourage any student interested in developing effective research mentoring relationships to apply. 

WORKSHOP AGENDA: The online workshop will include two two-hour interactive sessions, with a short break at the end of the first hour. The general schedule is as follows:

Thursday, September 9, 2021

09:00 Introduction to Research Mentor Training  
  Introduction to the Science of Mentorship and Mentor Training  
  Competency 1: Aligning Expectations  
  Break  
10:00 Competency 1: Aligning Expectations - Compacts (Continued)  
  Competency 2: Addressing Equity and Inclusion  

Friday, September 10, 2021

09:00 Introductory Activity  
  Competency 3: Assessing Understanding  
  Competency 4: Maintaining Effective Communication  
  Break  
10:00 Mentoring Networks and Mentoring Maps  
  Next Steps, Resources & Evaluation  

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP FACILITATORS

Christine Pfund, PhD. is a senior scientist with the Wisconsin Center for Education Research and the Department of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW). Dr. Pfund earned her Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology, followed by post-doctoral research in Plant Pathology, both at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Pfund’s work focuses on developing, implementing, documenting, and studying interventions to optimize research mentoring relationships across science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM). Dr. Pfund co-authored the original Entering Mentoring curriculum and co-authored many papers documenting the effectiveness of this approach. Dr. Pfund is the principal investigator of the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) Coordination Center. She is also director of the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experience in Research at UW-Madison (CIMER). She is a member of the National Academies committee that recently published the consensus report and online guide, The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM.

Gabriela Noriega, PhD. is the Manager of Experiential Learning and Career Advancement (ELCA) at the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC), headquartered at the University of Southern California (USC). Dr. Noriega leads education and career development initiatives to encourage and sustain careers in STEM by providing valuable educational experiences for students through participation in research and by providing early-career scientists of the SCEC community with resources and mentoring across key career transitions. She also supports the coordination of public-private partnerships that work together to improve earthquake preparedness, mitigation, and resilience. Dr. Noriega earned her bachelor’s degree in Geology from CSU Los Angeles, and her Master's and Doctorate from the University of California, Irvine in Social Ecology with an emphasis in Environmental Analysis and Design where her research focused on social vulnerability to earthquake hazards.

Questions? Email gnoriega@usc.edu.

This event is supported by SCEC’s Office of Experiential Learning and Career Advancement, a focus area within SCEC's Communication, Education, and Outreach program, in collaboration with Danielle Sumy (IRIS) and Anika Knight (UNAVCO).


It is SCEC policy to foster harassment-free environments wherever our science is conducted. By accepting an invitation to participate in a SCEC-supported event, by email or online registration, participants agree to abide by the SCEC Activities Code of Conduct.