Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (W-STEM) W-STEM Mentoring Program: meet & greet Carrie Menke Fernanda Santos

Goals Connect mentors and mentees. Women in STEM Goals Connect mentors and mentees. Discuss importance and benefits of mentoring. Identify your goals and expectations for your mentoring relationship. Describe the characteristics of effective mentoring relationships.  

What do we mean by mentoring?[5] Women in STEM What do we mean by mentoring?[5] A mentor helps his or her mentee set goals and standards and to develop the skills necessary to succeed. Provides supportive, nurturing, and protective environment that facilitates growth and professional development. Chance to provide and receive constructive criticism yet allowing room for risk and failure. J. E. Girves, Y. Zepeda and J. K. Gwathmey, Mentoring in a Post-Affirmative Action World, Journal of Social Issues. 61, 449-479 (2005). Ask the audience: any other thoughts/ideas on the meaning of mentoring?

Benefits of mentoring Retention in STEM fields Women in STEM Retention in STEM fields Expanded broad and deep network of colleagues More career advancement Affects mentor’s own transformation (e.g. conception of teaching and learning) Increased job satisfaction Provide support for work-life balance Anything else? Benefits as a mentor? And as a mentee?

Women in STEM What do you need? Productivity tips and professional development advice? Encouragement and emotional support? Someone to keep you on tasks or holding you accountable for your research? Access to grants or other opportunities? Substantive feedback on your performance? Support for work-life balance? First, you need to identify your needs. Be specific. Write down what your needs are. Anything else?

What do you want out of your Career development functions Women in STEM What do you want out of your mentor relationship? Mentor Functions [5] Career development functions Psychosocial Sponsorship Coaching Protection Challenging assignments Exposure Acceptance Counseling Colleagueship Role Modeling Career development functions: helps the protégé learn the ropes and facilitate their advancement in the organization Sponsorship: sponsoring promotions and lateral moves Coaching: coaching Protection: protecting the protégé from adverse forces Challenging assignments: providing challenging assignments Exposure: increasing the protégé’s exposure and visibility Psychosocial functions: address interpersonal aspects acceptance and confirmation: helping the protégé develop a sense of professional self counseling: providing a problem-solving and sounding board colleagueship: giving respect and support role modeling: providing identification and role modeling What do you want out of your mentor relationship? Regardless of whether you’re taking a mentor or a protégé role, think about what you have to offer and what you want to gain. (May need to chat a little about what protégés offer mentors within the mentoring relationship; relate back to earlier slide if necessary).

Connecting research with experience Women in STEM Connecting research with experience Research: Traditional STEM environments align with male socialization characteristics that may make women feel more out of place.[1] Experience: Female Male Motivation Encouragement Challenge Group Interaction Integrated Separated Task Engagement Collaborative Competitive Vision of Success Group affiliation Individual achievement In the article “Gender-Informed Mentoring Strategies for Women Engineering Scholars: On Establishing a Caring Community”, the authors claim that socialized gender differences are particularly relevant to women’s success in STEM. They discuss traditional STEM environments (eg. promoting competition over collaboration) that align with typically male characteristics. Women, with generally different characteristics and goals, are therefore more likely to feel out of place. N. C. Chesler and M. A. Chesler, Gender-Informed Mentoring Strategies for Women Engineering Scholars: On Establishing a Caring Community, (2002). Talking Points for this: What are the characteristics of your desired work environment? Are any not currently in your STEM environment? Discuss mentoring experiences or goals that have (or would have) helped you navigate this. Table 1[1]. Outcomes of female and male socializations on characteristics and goals (adapted[3])

Connecting research with experience Women in STEM Connecting research with experience Research: Distributed mentorship.[1] “Mentors of both senior and junior colleagues, people inside and outside your field, via electronic media as well as personal connections” Experience: Talking Points: What is the difference between an advisor and a mentor? Do you believe more senior colleagues make the best mentors? Discuss some of the characteristics you’ve found to be important in your prior mentoring relationships.

Connecting research with experience Women in STEM Research: Peer Mentoring[1,4] “simultaneously builds community and de- emphasizes seniority and hierarchy…may embody a more feminist construct for promoting women in academia” Experience: Talking Points: What is the difference between an advisor and a mentor? Do you believe more senior colleagues make the best mentors? Discuss some of the characteristics you’ve found to be important in your prior mentoring relationships.

10 Myths about Mentoring1 Having a mentor is the best way to succeed. W-STEM Mentoring Program 10 Myths about Mentoring1 Having a mentor is the best way to succeed. Mentors should be older than protégés. A close, intense relationship is the best primary way to learn about one’s profession and to move up the ladder. Mentoring relationships must be long-lasting to be truly useful. A person can have only one mentor at a time. Mentoring is a one-way relationship, benefitting only the protégé. Protégé’s must be invited to be mentored by the mentor. When men mentor women, a sexual encounter is inevitable. Men are better mentors for women. The mentor always knows best.

Mentor Connection Introductions Discussion of goals, do they align? Women in STEM Mentor Connection Introductions Discussion of goals, do they align? Plans for future meetings

References Women in STEM D. J. Dean, Getting the Most Out of Your Mentoring Relationships: A Handbook for Women in STEM Humanities, Social Science and Law, Volume 3 of Mentoring in Academia and Industry (Springer, 2009), p. 186. N. C. Chesler and M. A. Chesler, Gender-Informed Mentoring Strategies for Women Engineering Scholars: On Establishing a Caring Community, (2002). Gilligan, C., In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women’s Development, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1982. Chandler, C., “Mentoring and Women in Academia: Reevaluating the Traditional Model,” NWSA Journal, vol. 8, 1996. J. E. Girves, Y. Zepeda and J. K. Gwathmey, Mentoring in a Post- Affirmative Action World, Journal of Social Issues. 61, 449-479 (2005).