Current Students

Mentoring Resources and Opportunities

Effective mentoring is an essential component of the research enterprise and can catalyze individuals' potential for discovery, curiosity, and professional growth. The PME supports the development of this central competency through purposeful and sustained training coupled with opportunities to practice mentoring skills in the context of research.

Mentor Training Resources

Faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate students at PME have access to an array of resources aimed at supporting the process of effective research mentoring. Using evidence-based curricula, these training resources provide a framework for effective mentoring, forums for discussing mentoring methods and dilemmas with peers, and access to a community of practice that emphasizes reflective practices and the purposeful development of a mentoring philosophy.

This workshop series, led by PME faculty members and staff experienced in mentor training for higher education audiences, aims to increase mentoring competencies across the PME through discussion of case studies developed by the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER). Workshop topics include:

Maintaining effective communication
Aligning expectations
Addressing equity and inclusion
Fostering independence
Cultivating ethical behavior
Promoting professional development
Promoting self-efficacy
Enhancing work-life integration

The series comprises eight 1-hour workshops from January through May, and graduate students are invited to take part in as many or as few of the events as they are able to. Those graduate students who participate in all eight workshops this year and complete a final project, receive one-half teaching credit.

For more information please contact Laura Rico-Beck at lricobeck@uchicago.edu.

This workshop series, led in partnership between the BSD and PME, explores the key competencies of effective mentoring through the unique role of a postdoctoral scholar. Held in bi-weekly sessions over the winter and spring quarters, this training uses case studies and discussion-based engagement from a Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) curriculum and is led by university staff and faculty experienced in mentor training for researchers. Workshops include:

Effective communication
Aligning expectations
Assessing understanding
Addressing equity and inclusion
Fostering independence
Self-efficacy and ethical awareness
Promoting professional development
Work-life integration and articulating a mentoring philosophy

For more information please contact Laura Rico-Beck at lricobeck@uchicago.edu.

UChicago Mentoring Resources for Faculty – include faculty mentor-training workshops, tools and resources, and supports to help faculty become more effective mentors and provide meaningful and timely feedback to students.
Mentoring Graduate Students Toolkit – provides general principles for mentoring specific to the UChicago context and offers a number of additional resources that faculty can share with students.
The Science of Effective Mentoring in STEMM - online guide for implementing effective mentorship from the relationship to the institutional levels.

Opportunities to Mentor

Graduate students and postdoctoral scholars have a variety of opportunities to develop and practice their mentoring skills while at the PME. In addition to research group mentoring, a number of programs provide more structured mentoring possibilities:

The PME Peer Mentoring Program aims to support students of all backgrounds in their transition to the first year of graduate school, the PME program structure, and the broader University of Chicago community. By pairing advanced graduate students with incoming PhD students, we work to facilitate connection and create an inclusive, student-driven social support network and community in the graduate program.

The program is managed by faculty, staff, and a group of student leaders who serve as advisors, and program planners and implementers.

If you have questions or would like to get involved, please contact Laura Rico-Beck at lricobeck@uchicago.edu

In addition to mentoring undergraduate students in their lab group, graduate students and postdoctoral scholars can also mentor undergraduates through the following programs:

Graduate students and postdoctoral scholars can mentor high school students and teachers through the following programs:

Awards and Certificates

Maria Lastra Excellence in Mentoring Award

Endowed by Prof. Juan de Pablo in honor of his mother, this annual award recognizes the contributions of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars who consistently serve as exemplary and effective mentors for graduate, undergraduate, and/or high school students from UChicago and/or visiting from other institutions, and contribute to the student’s personal growth, professional development, and/or academic success.

Submit your nominations for the 2023 Awards here

Mentoring Certificates

Additionally, graduate students and postdoctoral scholars who complete the PME Graduate Student Mentor Training Series or the PME/BSD Postdoc Mentor Training Series, both of which use CIMER training curricula, receive a certificate of completion for their work.