Mentoring 101: Finding Your Mentors and Becoming a Great Mentee
How can you find the mentors you need? Will they be a good match for you? What are the best ways to cultivate beneficial mentor-mentee relationships? This interactive session will highlight the importance and value of strong, positive mentor-mentee relationships for student development and success. Participants will be guided through a self-reflection exercise to better understand what they need in a mentor. Practical insights will be shared on how to identify different types of mentors, characteristics of good mentors and how to build a supportive mentoring team. Speakers will also discuss setting expectations, mentee responsibilities and advice if problems arise.
This webinar is supported by The American Association for the Advancement of Science and The National Science Foundation, HBCU-Undergraduate Programs. Our speakers are featured workshop presenters from the Emerging Researcher’s National Conference in STEM.
When: Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025 | 2:00PM EST
Where: Zoom – Register here!
Who:
Cherilynn Reynolds Shadding, PhD
Associate Dean of Graduate Education, Student Affairs at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
Dr. Cherilynn Reynolds Shadding is Associate Dean of Graduate Education and Student Affairs at the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. With over 20 years of experience in academia and research training, she has led multiple NIH-supported programs advancing the success of graduate students.
An expert speaker and program developer, she also serves on national committees to promote graduate education pathways. Dr. Shadding completed postdoctoral training at the NIH and Washington University and holds a Ph.D. from Meharry Medical College.
Nicquet Blake, PhD
Vice Provost and Dean, Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA)
Dr. Blake, a national advocate for dignity, access, and inclusivity in higher education, joined UCSF in 2021. Since her arrival, she has worked to foster a culture of intellectual growth, collaboration, and innovation at UCSF. As vice provost and dean of GEPA, Dr. Blake collaborates with faculty, industry partners, and other stakeholders to create innovative programs and curricula that advance discovery and knowledge and prepare students and postdocs for successful careers. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology from UT San Antonio. She earned her doctorate in neuroscience and completed postdoctoral training at Washington University in St. Louis