Inclusive Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Mentoring Workshop:
Choose from two dates:
Virtual Training – April 25 – 2:30PM – 4:00PM ET – Register for the virtual trainingIn-Person Training – April 29 – 12:00PM – 2:00PM ET – Uris Hall, Room 204 – Register for the in-person training (food will be provided)Join the Center for Research on Programmable Plant Systems (CROPPS) for an interactive discussion and workshop about best practices for mentoring undergraduate researchers. We’ll use case studies and discussion prompts from the Center for Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research to explore questions such as: How can you set expectations for mentor and mentee to make sure the project and relationship stay on track? What are common challenges students face when getting started with research? How can we ensure mentees feel welcome and support their growth and confidence as researchers?
Additionally, we will preview new tools and resources being developed at Cornell as part of Faculty Advancing Inclusive Mentoring (FAIM) Resource Center, primarily designed for use in graduate education and the professoriate, but potentially also of interest to the CROPPS community (https://faculty-inclusive-mentoring.cornell.edu/).
Presenters:
Dr. Colleen McLinn, Associate Dean for Professional Development, Cornell Graduate School ([email protected],607-255-2030, 143 Caldwell Hall)Dr. Evelyn Ambríz, Postdoctoral Researcher for Mentoring and Faculty Engagement, Cornell Graduate School ([email protected], 172 Caldwell Hall) About the Presenters
Dr. Colleen McLinn is the Associate Dean for Professional Development at Cornell University Graduate School. She provides leadership for Graduate School Career and Professional Development offices serving doctoral and research master’s students and postdoctoral scholars (Future Faculty and Academic Careers, Careers Beyond Academia, and the Office of Postdoctoral Studies), as well as directing broader professional development initiatives under the Graduate School’s Pathways to Success professional development framework.
In 2012, Dr. McLinn was the founding director of Future Faculty and Academic Careers at the Graduate School (originally known as CIRTL at Cornell), and her workshop and consultation programs continue to prepare interested graduate students and postdocs for successful academic careers through development of teaching, research mentorship and other skills. She is the institutional lead on several national initiatives, including managing Cornell’s participation in the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) Network, a group of 43 U.S. and Canadian research universities seeking to impact higher education through development of our future faculty. She also has been a Cornell co-Principal Investigator on National Science Foundation and other foundation-funded projects such as the CIRTL Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate project from 2016-2022. She is currently one of two campus leads coordinating Cornell efforts in the Equity in Graduate Education (EGE) Consortium.
Colleen’s interests include best practices for developing inclusive and evidence-based strategies in teaching and mentoring, and contributing to projects that impact the climate of academia and inclusiveness and representation in the professoriate. She teaches classes and workshops including ALS 6014: Theater Techniques for Advancing Teaching and Public Speaking, and supervises running of Cornell’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition. Dr. McLinn received a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from University of Minnesota and previously served as an extension associate at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Dr. Evelyn Ambríz draws from sociological and organizational theories to examine gatekeeping in higher education contexts. In particular, she engages with spaces traditionally segregated by gender, class, and race to understand who shapes organizations’ gatekeeping norms, practices, and routines and why, where, and how they do so. To do so, she identifies the various internal and external pressures that help individuals shape organizational norms and practices. This empirical knowledge can guide movements towards equitable access and opportunity and systemic change.
Her passion for mentoring stems from her research and practical experiences. In her work, it is evident that individuals navigate gatekeeping spaces with support from (in)formal mentors. Further, in a previous capacity as an assistant dean of students for student development diversity initiatives at Cornell University, she mentored and guided several hundred student leaders to help them establish networks and advance community interests. She has received several awards for her mentoring and brings that knowledge and experience to her work at Cornell University as the postdoctoral researcher for mentoring and faculty engagement.
She is a Bouchet Scholar and regularly participates in collaborative research across institutions. Her work has appeared in venues including the American Education Research Journal and annual professional and academic conferences. She has received a bachelor’s in development sociology and a master’s degree in public administration with a graduate minor in Latina/o Studies at Cornell University. She received a PhD in higher education leadership from the University of Texas at Austin.
Contacts for questions:
Tasha Engels ([email protected])Darius Melvin ([email protected])
