Laura Lunsford, professor and chair of the psychology department and an expert on mentorship, co-authored a report on mentoring just in time for the 19th annual National Mentoring Month this January.
The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM is a timely new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which Lunsford worked with for two years. The report examines research on mentorship and the characteristics of effective mentoring relationships. It also recommends actions higher education institutions, departments, mentors and mentees should take to strengthen mentoring systems and maximize the benefits of mentorship.
Dr. Lunsford said, “I learned even more about effective mentorship in my two-year stint on this prestigious committee. It was exciting to work with expert colleagues from around the nation from so many different disciplines. Our hope is that the report will be used by practitioners and scholars to enhance mentorship.”
Access to and engagement with a strong mentor are known to be important factors in the academic and career development of undergraduate and graduate students in STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine). What makes an effective mentor? And what can colleges and universities do to ensure that students, particularly students from groups underrepresented in STEMM, have access to effective mentorship? The report presents evidence-based answers to these questions and released, the first-ever, online interactive guide for researchers and practitioners.