January – june, 2025
WIA Mentoring Pilot Program
The Women in Academia (WIA) is starting a 6-month mentoring program in January 2025 with a network of participants across the globe. The first cohort will be a pilot program and limited to 20 participants. This initiative is done in collaboration with the Mentoring Committee.
Who can be a mentor:
SWE members who are WIA members or anyone in academia (professors, dean, etc.) at any level.
Who can be a mentee:
SWE Members who are pursuing an academic path. Graduate students within 1 to 2 years of graduation.
Sample mentoring topics: career development, personal development, journal publications, conference session submissions, poster submissions, tenure track, research grants, and more.
Final Survey has been sent to your preferred email address:
Mid-Program Surveys have been sent to your preferred email address:
Registration closed on January 11, 2025. If you are interested in future mentoring opportunities, please contact us at wia-chair@swe.org.
Mentoring resources
The Mentoring committee has great resources on Ways to Find Mentors, SWE leadership, mentoring best practices, among others. Please visit their website and join them on social media to access resources and upcoming mentoring events.
Mentoring Pilot Program structure
It is a 6-month program in which the mentee selected the frequency of the meetings: only once, quarterly, or monthly for the duration of the program.
WIA specific resources will be shared with participants as part of this program throughout the program.
Matching mentors and mentees
The matching process is based on the questions answered in the survey.
Mentors are chosen based on experiences aligned with what is requested.
There will be a networking event, speed mentoring style to kick off pilot program.
Deliverables
The deliverable can be as simple and as complex as the mentee needs. Since it is a relatively short program, it is important for it to be as intentional as possible. A survey will be sent to participants in March and in June.
🎉 January 20 – 31, 2025: Celebrating National Mentoring Month. This cohort spotlights mentorship within the SWE community, emphasizing its importance and impact through member testimonials.
🌎 March 3 – 14, 2025: SWE Around the World. This cohort will highlight SWE as a global community, sharing statistics about engagement among global members and offering tips about how to navigate the network effectively across different regions and cultures.
🏫 April 7 – 18, 2025: Community College & Beyond. This cohort aims to support individuals in community colleges or transitioning from community colleges into universities or the workforce. Mentee signup will be available for community college students, regardless of SWE member status.
💻 June 2 – 13, 2025: General Mentoring & Networking
Personalized Career Coaching will provide participants with 1-on-1 guidance and activities designed to help them manage career options and advancement opportunities. Expert advice is tailored to their individual situations.
Professional Development Modules are mentor-led workshops hosted in an inclusive, virtual environment that will allow mentees to engage through self-reflection and group discussion. These modules will cover topics including career planning, wellness strategies, and balancing faculty roles (teaching, research, and service).
Peer-to-Peer Community of Practice Meetings will provide networking opportunities designed to enhance teamwork competencies. There will be an Opening, Mid-Program and Final CoP Meeting.
Successful Mentor-Mentee Relationship – Journal of Surgical Research
Overview of Culturally Responsive Practices : The Culture Tree
Picture a Scientist – Netflix Documentary
Best Practices for Being a Super Mentor https://advancelearning.swe.org/courses/42669#
Best Practices for Finding and Keeping a Mentor https://advancelearning.swe.org/courses/42670
Leaping from Impostor Syndrome to More Self-Efficacy https://advancelearning.swe.org/courses/44117#
Intersectionality and Women of Color in the Engineering Workplace https://advancelearning.swe.org/courses/42678#
When No is Better than Yes: Negotiating for Time, Relationships, and Sanity in Academia https://advancelearning.swe.org/courses/42608
Service and Strategy: The Value of Conference Committees and Public Engagement for Early Tenure-Track Faculty https://advancelearning.swe.org/courses/42611
Navigating Unconscious Bias in Academia https://advancelearning.swe.org/courses/42671
Leadership Career Paths within Academia https://advancelearning.swe.org/courses/42622
Dean’s Panel and Q&A Discussion https://advancelearning.swe.org/courses/42560 will provide participants with 1-on-1 guidance and activities designed to help them manage career options and advancement opportunities. Expert advice is tailored to their individual situations.
Thank you to all of our FY25 Mentors
We really appreciate you!