Lecture, brown bag discussion to focus on mentoring graduate students

Faculty, staff, and students can gain insight Jan. 30 on developing effective mentoring connections with underrepresented minority and women graduate students on the path to completing degrees in science, technology, engineering and math disciplines.

Renetta Tull, associate vice provost for graduate student development and postdoctoral affairs at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, will be presenting a lecture and holding a brown bag discussion on the field of mentoring, with emphasis on assisting underrepresented minority graduate students in science, technology, engineering and math disciplines.

Her lecture, "The Art of Mentoring: Promising Practices, Proven Results," will begin at 11 a.m. in Deans Auditorium in Pfendler Hall.

In addition to sharing her experiences, Tull will be presenting the data and best practices used at her university, as well as her perspectives on overcoming challenges and mitigating the risks associated with mentoring graduate students.

Later, graduate students are invited to participate in a brown bag informal discussion with Tull at 1:30 p.m. in Deans Auditorium, Pfendler Hall.

The conversation will focus on the mentoring experiences and challenges faced by graduate students, especially women and minorities. Topics such as the best practices for cultivating a positive mentee-mentor relationship also will be shared.

This event is part of the Invited Lecture Series, which is co-sponsored by the Department of Youth Development and Agricultural Education and the College of Agriculture's Mentoring at Purdue program. The purpose of Mentoring at Purdue is to enhance the experiences of graduate students and faculty members in the College of Agriculture by fostering effective mentoring relationships.