“Conversations in Equity and Inclusion” Presents:

Title: A Model of Mentorship for Students from Historically Underrepresented Groups in STEM

Abstract: Mentorship is critical to student academic success and persistence, especially for students from historically underrepresented (HU) groups. In a program designed to support the academic success of HU undergraduates in STEM who wish to pursue a PhD in those fields, students experience comprehensive support including highly-engaged mentoring, dual faculty mentorship, financial aid, professional development workshops, and summer research experiences. Scholars in this program, the Cal-Bridge program, consistently report that faculty mentorship is the most impactful feature. While mentorship was rated highly, preliminary evaluation indicated an early deficit in a sense of community among scholars. In response, faculty professional development and support for peer networking were implemented to expand and enhance the relationships that support scholar success. Here I will present a promising multifaceted model of mentorship that can support the academic success of HU undergraduates, as well as discuss the positive impacts of peer mentorship and new work to deepen faculty mentor–scholar relationships.