The morning session, will be devoted to an exchange of information and best practices on mentoring by speakers selected for their current work with and knowledge of mentoring activities/programs. Invited speakers include, Dana Lehr (NSF), who will give an overview of NSF’s Postdoctoral Researcher Mentoring Plan requirement for NSF proposal submissions; Kathleen Flint (National Postdoctoral Association) who will discuss tips and tools for mentors generally and special considerations for international scholars and women; and Hakeem Oluseyi (Florida Institute of Technology) who will include a discussion of advancing diversity in astronomy through mentoring. The number of invited speakers has purposefully been kept small in order to facilitate ample time for discussion during the session. We encourage attendees at all levels and stages of mentorship.

The afternoon session will be devoted to a participatory mini-workshop on mentoring. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed, field tested, and publicly released research mentor training materials for several STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines, including astronomy. Eric Hooper (Univ. of Wisconsin) will lead an interactive implementation of these mentor training materials. Participants will experience the training seminar in practice, come face-to-face with some common mentoring challenges, and have a chance to reflect upon and discuss these challenges.

Our intended audience are astronomical researchers and faculty, as well as students, who act as mentors to more junior colleagues and who will continue to be mentors as they progress through their careers. Each session will provide unique and practical information for attendees who attend only one. However, if attended as a unit, the sessions provide both useful information and the opportunity to practice and discuss the techniques presented.

If you have questions, contact Dara Norman (dnorman@noao.edu).