Facilitated by Matt Peck (matthew.peck@wsu.edu) with foundational support from 3 T32 GM008336-33S1
Materials marked with * are from CIMER’s Entering Mentoring or Entering Research
| Session | Year | Topic | Case Study or Key Activity | Learning Objective |
| 1 | 2022 | Fostering Wellbeing | Case study: “Things Seemed to be Going Fine”* | Identify resources and resources that are preserving trainee (and faculty) wellbeing during COVID |
| 2 | 2022 | Aligning Expectations | Case study: “2nd Year Blues”* | Explore mentoring compacts as potential tools for aligning expectations |
| 3 | 2022 | Addressing Belonging | Five different CIMER cases studies* | Identify approaches that mentors, training programs and WSU can use to expand participation |
| 4 | 2022 | Promoting Research Self-Efficacy | Case study “The Slob”* Bandura’s theory on four sources of self-efficacy* | Learn four paths to self-efficacy and map onto expectations for NIH training programs |
| 5 | 2022 | Cultivating Responsible Research | Four different CIMER case studies * | Use case studies to introduce scope of trainee RCR course and identify ideas for reinforcing with mentees in your group |
| 6 | 2022 | Promoting Professional Development | Case study “To Be or Not to Be a Research Tenure-Track Professor” * | Learn strategies for using the myIDP tool for helping mentee explore careers and set career goals |
| 7 | 2023 | Foster Independence | Case study “How Much to Help” * | Develop approaches for fostering efficacy for mentees developing presentations and research plans |
| 8 | 2023 | Effective Communication & Feedback | Case study “A Few Things I Noticed About Your Presentation…”) | Discuss providing constructive feedback to mentees and non-mentees preparing and presenting posters |
| 9 | 2023 | Judging Trainee Presentations | Judge at SURCA and/or the Biotech Symposium | Practice providing constructive feedback to non-mentees and help your trainees create presentations |
| 10 | 2023 | Managing Multiple Expectations | “High Expectations,” a new case study adapted from “Misaligned Expectations” * | Case study of a perfectionistic mentee to identify ways to help trainees juggle competing obligations (e.g., biotech internships) |
| 11 | 2023 | Mentoring Job Searches | NIH-WSU Biotech T32 internship curriculum, “Concrete Steps for Networking and Partnering with Biotech” | Explore statistics for job searches and discuss resources for mentee-driven career prep with mentor support |
| 12 | 2023 | Effective Industry Networking | w/ Scott Maloney, Crain and Company New case study “Here’s My Card” | Identify the importance of and tactics for effective networking, particularly with industry |
| 13 | 2024 | Enhancing Work-Life Integration | “Looking for Harmony” case study * NCFDD’s “Is Balance a Myth?” | Learn about four domains that need to be interconnected for a mentee to have career satisfaction |
| 14 | 2024 | Total Leadership | The Total leadership “Four-way assessment” mentoring tool | Learn and practice Total Leadership tips to structure conversations about work/life integration |
| 15 | 2024 | Alumni Panel, 2024 | Jeremy Dahmen, industry R&D Tim Harrington, process engineer Nathan Tucker, research faculty Kaiti Witherell, medical science writer | Trainees and trainers hear from graduates to develop tactics for degree completion and post-doctoral career preparation |
| 16 | 2024 | Strengthening Group Cultures | New case study based on Six Steps for Stronger Lab Relationships, Nature “World View” by Alison Antes | Work together to actualize tips from a research organizational psychologist to strengthen your science research group |
| 17 | 2024 | Active Listening for Building Trust | “Active Listening in Three Variations” activity, several sourced active listening exercises | Practice three diverse active listening exercises and apply lessons to enhance mentee trust and communication |
| 18 | 2024 | Bridges to Innovation | w/ Michaele Armstrong, Evergreen Bioscience Pathways to Commercialize Basic Research, presentation | Dr. Armstrong shared ideas for steps trainees (and mentors) should take to prepare for a biotech career |
| 19 | 2025 | Designing S.M.A.R.T. Expectations | New case study based on WSU’s Credit Expectations Agreements Online Individualized Development Plans | Identify the “SMART” methods for writing effective expectations that promote individualized trainee development |
| 20 | 2025 | Evaluating Trainer & Trainee Needs | Review of evaluations on mentoring climate Activity to generate new interventions | Share current challenges in STEM mentorship and identify resources and/or future training that could help with these challenges |
| 21 | 2025 | Alumni Panel, 2025 | Bryan Beel, patent attorney Daniel Cuthbertson, R&D manager Dave Lawson, startup scientist Jackie Stone, science writer | Trainees and trainers hear from graduates to develop tactics for degree completion and post-doctoral career preparation |
| 22 | 2025 | Navigating Defensiveness | Case study “A Serious Attitude Problem” * | Explore ways to navigate trainee defensiveness and improve intended impact in messaging to trainees |
| 23 | 2025 | Understanding Imposterism | From Arizona State University Graduate College Developing resilience and overcoming imposter syndrome | Discuss ways to ameliorate imposterism, which is related to trainee resiliency and degree completion. |