Multiple Mentorships: Equipping Students For All Situations

01/28/21 • 14 min

Academia can be a toxic environment, especially for women and other marginalized students. Dr. Akiko Iwasaki experienced this reality both in her studies and after she earned her Ph.D. However, research shows that women and marginalized students can better integrate into academic communities when they have positive mentoring experiences, and often, multiple mentoring relationships.

In this episode, Dr. Akiko Iwasaki tells the story of her journey through STEMM academia and beyond as a woman from Japan. There were times she was discouraged from continuing her studies, but supportive mentors guided her through difficult situations with both emotional and technical support. Dr. Iwasaki shares about these experiences and how they shaped her approach to mentoring her own students in innovative ways.

Dr. Akiko Iwasaki is a professor and researcher in immunology at the Yale School of Medicine. She has contributed significant research to the field of innate immunity against multiple viruses and cancer. She has won numerous awards and in 2018, was elected into the National Academy of Sciences. In 2019, Dr. Iwasaki was elected into the National Academy of Medicine.

To learn more about the Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM report, and for a guide to implementing best practices at your institution, visit NAS.edu/mentoring.

Brought to you by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

Transcript

To learn more about the Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM report, and for a guide to implementing best practices at your institution, visit NAS.edu/mentoring.

Brought to you by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

Transcript

Previous Episode

Opportunity: Giving Access to All Students

Research shows that even if marginalized students earn bachelor's degrees, they’re still less likely to receive mentoring or be retained in STEMM careers. Chemistry professor Dr. Michael Summers found himself in a position to provide effective mentoring to his students from marginalized backgrounds to guide them both in the classroom and beyond.

In this episode, Dr. Michael Summers shares how positive mentoring experiences led him to his current position, how he worked to provide access and opportunity through the Meyerhoff Scholars Program, and what he’s doing to help other universities implement programs and practices to support marginalized students through academia and beyond into their STEMM careers.

Dr. Summers is a chemistry professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County who studies the nuclear magnetic resonance of proteins. He has led efforts to develop programs for retaining marginalized students in the sciences. In 2000, he received the Presidential Award for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring. In 2016, Dr. Summers was elected into the National Academy of Sciences.

To learn more about the Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM report, and for a guide to implementing best practices at your institution, visit NAS.edu/mentoring.

Brought to you by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

Transcript

Next Episode

Mutual Benefits: Constructing Great Futures Together

The most effective mentoring relationships happen when the relationship is mutually beneficial to all parties. Dr. Jedidah Isler found this as she gave and received significant support at historically black universities, and when she lacked support at predominantly white institutions. As she earned degrees in these different environments, she discovered mentoring is a necessary skill, as is knowing what you need as a mentee.

In this episode, Dr. Jedidah Isler tells her story of how her career in astrophysics shaped her development and approach to mentorship. Through times of consistent support and in times where support lacked, Dr. Isler discovered what effective mentoring is. Dr. Isler shares about the obstacles marginalized students face in higher education, the different roles of mentors, and how effective and culturally responsive mentorship can expand what’s possible for marginalized students and STEM fields altogether.

Astrophysicist Dr. Jedidah Isler studies hyperactive, supermassive black holes as an assistant professor at Dartmouth College. She is an award-winning scholar and speaker who works at the intersections of science and social justice. She is also the creator and founder of VanguardSTEM, an online platform and monthly series that focuses on women and non-binary people of color in STEM. She founded VanguardSTEM’s parent foundation, The STEM en Route to Change (SeRCH) Foundation, Inc., which uses social media to build community and resources for Black, Indigenous, Women and Non-Binary People of Color in STEM. Dr. Isler is also a co-author of the paper: Defining the Flow—Using an Intersectional Scientific Methodology to Construct a VanguardSTEM Hyperspace.

To learn more about the Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM report, and for a guide to implementing best practices at your institution, visit NAS.edu/mentoring.

Brought to you by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

Transcript