On 15–18 May 2023, Global Talent Mentoring held an International Expert Meeting. As a research-based program, Global Talent Mentoring actively engages with the latest research in talent development, mentoring, and STEMM education. To this end, Global Talent Mentoring brings together leading experts in these areas to discuss cutting-edge research and how best to use research findings to optimize the program.
The theme of the International Expert Meeting was “The Transformative Power of Mentoring for Reaching Excellence in STEMM.” During the four-day event held in Colorado Springs in the United States, program directors Prof. Dr. Heidrun Stoeger and Prof. Drs. Albert Ziegler welcomed six leading experts from the science of effective mentoring and selected STEMM fields. Each expert gave an excellent presentation about their research and engaged in discussions afterwards.
Specifically, three leading mentoring experts talked about aspects of effective mentoring. Prof. Dr. Thomas E. Keller, from Portland State University, presented “Meaningful Engagement in Mentoring Networks for Students in Science and Medicine.” Prof. Dr. Paul R. Hernandez, from Texas A&M, spoke on “Webs of Science: The Formation and Impacts of Effective Mentorship Networks for Underrepresented Students Pursuing STEM Careers.” Prof. Dr. Erin Dolan, from the University of Georgia, talked about “The Dark Side of Development: When Mentoring is Problematic and What to Do About It?”
Three leaders in engineering fields presented on the current status and needs of mentoring in engineering. Prof. Dr. Saifur Rahman, current President and CEO of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) from Virginia Tech, spoke about the “IEEE’s Role in pre-University and University STEMM Education.” Prof. Dr. Min Zhou, from Georgia Tech, presented “Mentoring at All Levels and Stages of Career in Engineering.” Prof. Dr. Gunar Schirner, from Northeastern University, talked about “Guiding Along the Path to Unleash Excellence: What Mentoring Looks Like in Academia and Industry.”
The presentations and ensuing discussions yielded numerous insights for optimizing Global Talent Mentoring and mentoring for talent development more generally. The 2023 International Expert Meeting led to a fruitful interdisciplinary dialogue about how best to support the STEMM talent development of outstanding, hardworking youths.