Women+ in Chemistry (WIC+) has had a successful, long-running peer mentoring program within the Department. Building on that success, Chemistry’s Quality of Life (QoL) Committee partnered with WIC+ to expand this effort into a department-wide peer mentoring program for all incoming first-year graduate students. Chemistry Alliance for Diversity and Inclusion (CADI) also joined the organizing team.
This large-scale mentoring program matches new graduate students to current graduate students, who receive targeted training to provide personal support, advice, and resources during the first two years of graduate school. This department-wide mentoring program kicked off in summer 2020, and is currently well-resourced, with both staff support and the necessary finances to ensure its effectiveness.
The program will feature one-on-one peer mentoring, in addition to broader community mentoring. The peer mentoring program provides important support to our incoming graduate students as they adjust to the new academic environment of graduate school. The mentoring relationship will help build connections between the mentor and mentee.
Peer mentoring will hopefully result in a less stressful first year for our new graduate students and the development of mentoring skills in our current graduate students. We believe that an intentional mentoring relationship can help build community, communicate departmental values, reduce anxiety, inform students about policies, provide a listening ear, and offer peer advising. We hope that this program will also result in new, meaningful relationships between mentors and mentees that last throughout graduate school (and hopefully, beyond!).
Mentor Information
The sign-up form for mentors for 2026-2027 is now open. We cannot guarantee specific matches or match characteristics, and we can still make matches even if sections of the form are left blank. However, additional information would be helpful if you wish to provide it.
Mentors will receive training over the summer prior to the start of the program. More information about mentorship training will be shared after the mentor-mentee matching process is complete. Mentors will be provided with funding via Tech Cash at the midpoint of the program to enable them to go out for coffee/tea with their mentee. We also plan to host at least one group event for mentors and mentees during the 2026–2027 academic year.
Mentee Information
The sign-up form for mentees for 2026-2027 is now open. All first-year students will receive a mentor. To facilitate a best possible mentor-mentee match, students are asked to fill out a form. We cannot guarantee specific matches or match characteristics, and we can still make matches even if sections of the form are left blank. However, additional information would be helpful if you wish to provide it.
Peer Mentorship Pictures
Kick-Off Event 2021
