Workplaces: Developing A Culture Of Mentorship

03/04/21 • 16 min

To create lasting improvements in mentorship, it’s necessary for institutions to develop a culture that supports and values effective mentoring. This is applicable, not only for college and universities, but for STEMM workplaces.

Astronaut and engineer Dr. Ellen Ochoa was the first Hispanic woman to go to space. When she first joined NASA, Dr. Ochoa discovered a culture that recognized the value of effective mentoring for everyone in the space shuttle program. In this episode, Dr. Ochoa shares her story of how this culture of mentorship impacted her career, what she did to develop formal mentoring programs in NASA, and how professionals can be guided further when workplaces value and implement effective mentoring practices and tools like compacts.

Dr. Ellen Ochoa is a distinguished astronaut and research engineer. She earned her PhD in electrical engineering from Stanford University. Dr. Ochoa was the first Hispanic woman to go to space and served as the director for NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston from 2013 to her retirement in 2018. She has been inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame, the California Hall of Fame, and the International Air & Space Hall of Fame. She is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

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

Expectations: Acknowledging The Power We Hold

In academic institutions, faculty hold power over their students. However, this power often goes unacknowledged. Dr. Kate Clancy found that students can experience negative mentoring experiences when there is a lack of expectations set on faculty and coercive power goes unchecked.

Biological anthropologist Dr. Kate Clancy shares her experience of observing gaps within the mentoring ecosystem, then taking action to create more inclusive spaces for both students and faculty in higher education. In this episode, Dr. Clancy discusses the coercive power in STEMM ecosystems, how confirmation bias negatively affects mentoring, and what faculty and students can do to create more effective mentoring relationships.

Dr. Kate Clancy is an associate professor of Anthropology at the University of Illinois. Her research focuses on intersectional feminist biology with specific focus on gender and racial harassment in science and the effects of environmental stressors on endometrial and ovarian dynamics. Dr. Clancy has given congressional testimony on sexual misconduct in the sciences, has consulted on two Congressional bills on sexual harassment in science, and has co-authored a National Academies report on sexual harassment of women in STEM.

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

Presence: Never Face Obstacles Alone

Medical school is a challenging journey. It’s especially daunting if no one at your institution supports you or if people actively discourage you from pursuing your goals.

When pathologist Dr. Vivian Pinn started medical school, she was passionate to learn medicine. But often, as the only African American woman in a world dominated by white men, she experienced pushback to her presence. In this episode, Dr. Pinn shares her story of how she responded to a lack of mentoring in school, how positive mentoring experiences can empower students’ independence, and how she’s working to ensure students and professionals never face obstacles alone.

Dr. Vivian Pinn is a distinguished pathologist, researcher, and administrator. She was the only woman and student of color in her class to earn an M.D. from the University of Virginia. Dr. Pinn taught at Harvard University and Tufts University before becoming Professor and Chair of the Department of Pathology at Howard University in 1982. In 1991, Dr. Pinn became the founding director of the National Institute of Health’s Office of Research on Women’s Health, where she led the implementation of clinical research inclusion policies for women and people of color. In 1995, Dr. Pinn 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