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Connect. Empower. Transform.
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The Hub, Issue No. 9, 7 March 2022
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Getting Ready For Year Two
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Next month will mark one year of online mentoring with Global Talent Mentoring. It has been an exciting year full of meeting new faces, information gathering, and learning together. As we make final preparations to begin our second cycle of mentoring in April, we would like to focus your attention on some exciting developments over the past few months. Firstly, I invite you to sign up for our upcoming live program open house and Q&A session for prospective mentors. It will take place in early April and is open to the public. I am also very pleased to report that we have started hosting live community events on our platform for mentees and mentors. Take a look below to find out what happened at the first event.
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Next, we would like to update you about what we've learned as we prepare to enter the second year in our mentoring program. We then shine a light on one of our great dyads: mentor Prof. Dr. Joy Stewart, professor of biology in the United States, and Oda, who is from Germany and one of our outstanding, highly motivated mentees. And lastly, to better understand how we can effectively support females in science, I would like to draw your attention to a recent publication by Global Talent Mentoring researcher Dr. Linlin Luo, our colleague at the American Psychological Association, Dr. Rena Subotnik, and myself about factors that can positively impact young female students’ pursuit of and persistence in science.
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Prof. Dr. Heidrun Stoeger
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Coming in April: Live Program Open House and Q&A Session for Prospective Mentors Open to All
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Considering volunteering as a mentor? Have some questions about how the program works and what it’s like to be a mentor? Are you a partner or an organization looking to get mentors on board or perhaps have some unanswered questions of your own?
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Then join us on Tuesday, 5 April at 2:00 PM Central European Time for our Live Program Open House and Q&A Session for Prospective Mentors! Global Talent Mentoring COO Dr. Daniel Balestrini and Engagement Specialist Christin Graml will present a brief introduction to the Global Talent Mentoring program. Also joining will be guest speaker Dr. Aphrodite Sbiraki, a veterinary scientist from Greece specializing in zoonosis who works closely with the European Union Reference Laboratories. Dr. Sbiraki is one of our participating mentors and will give attendees an insider’s look into what it’s like to be a mentor. We will then open up the event to answer your questions.
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The event is open to all STEMM experts who are considering becoming a mentor as well as all of our partner organizations and other collaborating institutions. Do you know someone else who might be interested in joining? Then please share the invitation with them!
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Please REGISTER HERE by 31 March. Registrants will receive video conferencing details closer to the time of the event. Interested in the event, but can’t attend? Please click here to let us know that you are interested and help us plan future events.
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Community Event About the Mentoring Experience
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We are continually working on providing a range of interesting features and activities to help make our online mentoring platform an exciting, educational meeting place for mentees and mentors. To expand our current range of offerings, we recently hosted the first in a series of live community events.
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The first two sessions were held in December and gave participants the opportunity to speak about their Global Talent Mentoring experience thus far. Participants from four continents tuned in by video on our platform to watch mentees and mentors from Denmark, Germany, Greece, Peru, Portugal, and Ukraine share a glimpse into their mentoring relationships with their dyad partner. During the presentations, the mentoring pairs, called dyads, shared with the audience how they work together as a dyad and what they have learned so far from their partner. Each dyad had five minutes to talk about their experiences, followed by a Q&A session with the audience.
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The presentations enabled community members to virtually meet their fellow mentees and mentors, gain insights into how other dyads create effective mentoring relationships, and learn how dyads manage their meeting times with each other while balancing other responsibilities. Each presenting dyad focused on a different aspect of the mentee–mentor collaboration, including the academic development of a mentee, a specific STEMM project started by a dyad, and introducing a mentee to the diverse aspects of a particular STEMM field.
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The variety of the presenting dyads demonstrated the diversity of the Global Talent Mentoring community, and the inspiring presentations illustrated the harmony between the dyad members. One participating mentor noted that the online meeting provided a great opportunity for the mentees and their mentors to share their experiences with the rest of the community. The event has since motivated him to spare more time for his mentee and interact with others on the platform as well.
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We look forward to hosting more community events about the mentoring experience and other topics in the future. The next community event will take place later this month.
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Since the launch of mentoring in April of 2021, mentees have been busy getting to know one another, setting goals, and starting to work closely with their mentors in order to achieve these goals. For the Global Talent Mentoring team, it has been an exciting first few months of getting to see the participants online and using our mentoring platform.
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The pilot phase has also been a time of learning for our team. Through participant feedback and our own monitoring, we are continually evaluating the program and platform and making enhancements to offer the best mentoring experience possible to our mentees and mentors.
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As we set our eyes on the start of the second cycle of mentoring, we look forward to what we have planned for the next year. We are currently in the process of selecting new mentees whom we are excited to welcome in April. As we are seeking excellent mentor matches for these new mentees, we are welcoming experts in all STEMM fields who are willing to volunteer their time and expertise to help guide these young talents. Please click here to see which STEMM fields are in particular demand right now. As always, any qualified STEMM experts can register by filling out our Mentor Volunteer Form.
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A Transatlantic Bridge Built on Science and Mentoring
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Prof. Dr. Joy Stewart and Her Mentee Oda Share How Their Passion for Science and Understanding the Human Body Connects Them Even when the Atlantic Separates Them
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Engagement Specialist Christin Graml caught up with mentor Prof. Dr. Joy Stewart, professor of biological sciences at Broward College in Davie, Florida (United States), and her mentee Oda from Germany to get their thoughts on what they have learned from each other, both scientifically and culturally, and why they are excited for what lies ahead in their mentoring relationship.
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15-Year-Old Oda from Germany
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Oda is only 15 years old, but she already has her eyes set on pursuing a career as a medical doctor and researcher in pharmaceutical sciences. The young, driven student from Germany is passionate about learning about humans through the lens of chemistry in order to help create solutions in areas such as sustainable food production. Looking for ways to expand her knowledge and develop her skills, Oda decided to apply for a mentee spot in Global Talent Mentoring.
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Nominated by CyberMentor, Germany’s largest online mentoring program for girls in STEM, Oda made the cut. Since being accepted into the program and being matched with her mentor, Oda’s experience as a mentee has helped her to fill in gaps left in the traditional classroom experience at school. “I definitely appreciate the dyad system most,” says Oda. “It differs a lot from school, where I am just one of dozens of students for my teacher. The dyad system supports quick, efficient, and goal-oriented learning to an extent with which school could never compare. Forming a team that consists of a mentor and a mentee improves my studying and research habits immensely. I am thankful to be able to learn, research, and evolve through Global Talent Mentoring.”
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Prof. Dr. Joy Stewart, Oda’s mentor, has undoubtedly made a positive impact on Oda’s Global Talent Mentoring experience. Prof. Dr. Stewart is a professor of biological sciences at Broward College in Davie, Florida (United States). She has written several textbooks and publications on biological sciences, human anatomy, and physiology and helps increase Oda’s understanding of the human body by sharing her expertise in these topics. One of her greatest joys when it comes to teaching and mentoring is the ability to connect with students and witness that “Aha!” moment when a student or mentee is finally able to comprehend a difficult concept. The professor is eager to share her knowledge with motivated young people and places a lot of value on the mentoring process—and mentoring Oda is no exception.
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Prof. Dr. Joy Stewart, Professor of Biological Sciences (Broward College, United States)
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People tend to focus on the benefits of mentoring for the mentee, but it can be a process that is just as rewarding in different ways for the mentor. Prof. Dr. Stewart considers this true of her own experience, which she finds extremely fulfilling. “I really enjoy working with my mentee because she adds so much to the whole process,” Prof. Dr. Stewart notes. She has been especially impressed by Oda’s maturity and focus—even at 15 years of age—and is encouraged by working with such a motivated young talent. “Oda is so respectful. She is always using the tips I give her, and you can see improvement. By the time she is 25 or even younger, she will probably be doing her doctoral work. She’s excellent! The fact that she works so hard, is so enthusiastic, and so appreciative makes me say that this has to be something special. It’s so rewarding for me that I cannot wait to get to the next session with Oda—always. It’s something I look forward to. It’s just wonderful!” adds Prof. Dr. Stewart.
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Please click here to read our full feature on Oda and Prof. Dr. Joy Stewart.
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Take a look at our testimonial compilation video on our homepage to see Oda and hear first-hand from Prof. Dr. Stewart about why she enjoys working with Oda.
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Recent Publication Examining Female Graduates of Science High Schools
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One of the reasons why our team is passionate about our work is because we provide opportunities for young talented women to connect with STEMM experts and forge their own paths to excellence in STEMM. But having a mentor is only one of several factors that can have an impact on whether or not young females are likely to earn a science degree.
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Comments and questions about The Hub and Global Talent Mentoring can be addressed to Newsletter Editor Ms. Christin Graml.
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