Dr. Michelle Rodems, Assistant Dean for Student Success at the University of Louisville Graduate School, discusses the importance of effective, intentional mentoring in graduate education. She highlights how mentoring—while a long-standing concept—still suffers from structural and communication gaps that can significantly impact student success. Dr. Rodems shares her own journey intomentoring support, explains the evolving goals of the Graduate School's Mentoring Academy, and stresses the importance of training both students andfaculty in mentoring practices. She emphasizes that mentoring should be proactive, mentee-driven, and structured through clear expectations, oftensupported by tools like mentoring compacts. The episode encourages institutions to invest in evidence-based training programs, such as those from the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER), to cultivate a sustainable, culturally ingrained mentoring environment.
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