Alicia Roy speaking with a trainee outside Gladstone's building.

Awardees of the Outstanding Mentoring Award share their insights on the transformative power of mentorship in shaping the next generation of scientists.

 

At Gladstone, mentoring is more than a tradition—it’s a cornerstone of our mission to cultivate innovation and discovery. Because mentoring is such a critical part of our mission, Gladstone presents the Outstanding Mentoring Award every year to individuals who embody the spirit of guidance and foster growth and connection in our scientific community.

The three awardees this year share their insights on the importance of mentorship, their approach to mentoring, and how being a mentor has impacted and shaped their careers.

Ryan Corces, PhD
Assistant Investigator

When I think back to the research experiences I've had, from high school through my postdoctoral fellowship, I had people at every step of the way who prioritized my development as a scientist over their own immediate plans. They taught me, both directly and indirectly, that as a scientist your success isn't just measured by the papers you publish but by the people you've trained and their successes. I'm not sure I was ever directly told that I should prioritize mentorship—but I have had exceptional mentors and role models and I just genuinely enjoy the process of connecting with people and building the next generation of scientists.

I genuinely enjoy the process of connecting with people and building the next generation of scientists.

Of all my mentors, I most closely model my own mentorship style after my PhD mentor, Ravi Majeti. He was able to mentor a very diverse group of trainees by really investing in a flexible and adaptable mentorship style that transitioned from oversight to independence as each trainee grew in their own career path. I grew so much as a scientist and as a person under his mentorship because he was focused on giving me what I needed rather than pushing me to give him what he needed. In science, the dogma is that mentors are either hands-on or hands-off. But I think this is one of the biggest problems with mentorship. As a mentor, you shouldn't be one thing. You should adapt your mentorship to the person and their needs at that moment in time. How you mentor a head-strong, confident scientist should be different from how you mentor a cautious, diffident scientist.

You should adapt your mentorship to the person and their needs at that moment in time.

It may sound a little counterintuitive, but prioritizing mentorship means saying no to other things, even other mentorship opportunities. It's hard to be a great mentor if you’re constantly placing your attention elsewhere. To me, being a good mentor doesn't necessarily mean being a mentor for everyone or being constantly helpful. It's more about making sure that I have the time and energy to not slow anything down in the lab. It takes constant reminders of my own time constraints to keep me focused on prioritizing my lab members and their work over the many other responsibilities that are always looking for a foothold in my headspace.

Rosmely Hernandez, PhD
Postdoctoral Scholar, Marson Lab

Mentoring has profoundly impacted my growth as a scientist. A career in science is inherently challenging, with many uncertainties. At the same time, mentees come with diverse scientific backgrounds and varying levels of expertise, and we have to navigate the ever-changing nature of experiments. These challenges, however, come with countless rewards. Through my mentorship, I strive to provide students with the support they need to build confidence, embrace challenges, and venture into new areas with courage and curiosity.

I strive to provide students with the support they need to build confidence, embrace challenges, and venture into new areas with courage and curiosity.

As I’ve progressed in my scientific career, I’ve come to recognize the importance of a strong foundation in fundamental scientific concepts and techniques relevant to one’s field as an essential set of skills for transitioning into an academic research program. Mentoring has deepened my understanding of these fundamentals, as explaining them to others requires clarity and precision. It has strengthened my communication skills, enabling me to convey complex ideas effectively to individuals at different stages of their scientific journey. Additionally, it has enhanced my ability to support and guide others, teaching me to adapt to the unique needs of each mentee.

Being a mentor during my graduate and postdoctoral career has been deeply fulfilling.

Mentorship has also offered fresh perspectives, as the questions and approaches of my mentees often spark new ideas or refine existing ones. Furthermore, it has fostered empathy, patience, and collaborative problem-solving as I help mentees navigate challenges. Being a mentor during my graduate and postdoctoral career has been deeply fulfilling, as seeing those mentees grow and succeed reinforces my passion for science and teaching. It also motivates me to continue evolving as a scientist, setting an example of resilience, curiosity, and dedication.

Alicia Roy, PhD
Career Services, Outreach, and Science Education Manager, Postdoctoral and Graduate Student Education and Research Development

During the course of my own PhD, I had many chances to see what a significant difference mentorship makes for trainees, both in achieving goals in their programs as well as in successfully transitioning into their next roles. I personally had a lot of questions about exploring non-faculty careers as a PhD, where I relied on peer mentorship and an expanded network in order to gather information and make the transition. I’m so gratified now to have a job where improving the trainee experience is my number one priority!

I’m so gratified now to have a job where improving the trainee experience is my number one priority!

I see a lot of trainees in individual career counseling sessions, and I find it especially rewarding when I meet multiple times with the same person and get to see them and coach them over a longer period of time. For example, meeting with someone as they are beginning a job search and supporting them through the application phase, interviews, negotiating, and finally when they're getting ready to start their new position. I see my role in these cases both as a mentor myself, and as facilitating the trainee to continue broadening their network of mentors by helping them identify what needs and questions they have and how to reach out to potential mentors.

In my work, I use both my personal experience going through academic training as well as all that I have learned and seen working with grad students and postdocs.

On the other hand, I love when I can contribute to a larger-scale mentoring initiative or resource at Gladstone that has a broader reach, like launching the Mentoring Mixer for National Mentoring Month, where grad students and postdocs meet and connect with investigators and senior scientists to break the ice on possible new connections, or creating the, “What is a Career Mentor?” guide to address this frequently asked question. In my work, I use both my personal experience going through academic training as well as all that I have learned and seen working with grad students and postdocs, and improving mentorship is integral to that.

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