A mentor is not just an educator. A mentor is a person who inspires and motivates. A mentor is committed to excellence.
The UAB Graduate Dean's Excellence in Mentorship Award recognizes full-time regular UAB faculty members who have demonstrated exceptional accomplishments as mentors of graduate students and/or postdoctoral fellows.
Ten will be honored with the 2022 mentorship award April 4 at 4:00 p.m. at the UAB National Alumni Society House. Award winners will receive a handcrafted, blown-glass green and gold candy dish, as well as a framed certificate and a copy of the letters their mentees and colleagues wrote to nominate them for the honor.
Congratulations to the 2022 excellent mentors:
Thomas Buford
School of Medicine and Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience theme
What does mentoring mean to me?
“Mentoring is helping someone identify their passions as well as opportunities to pursue those passions both now and in the future. Mentoring is also tightly coupled with sponsorship in which the mentor/sponsor uses their influence to help create those opportunities.”
Renato Camata
College of Arts and Sciences, Physics
What does mentoring mean to me?
"Mentoring is the balanced promotion of competence and intellectual independence in a developing scientist. Like all human interactions, success is not guaranteed. But when it works, the best mentoring gifts the world with a self-reliant, respected professional."
Sue Feldman
School of Health Professions, Health Services Administration and Health Informatics
What does mentoring mean to me?
"In academia, mentors often take the form of an academic advisor and are measured by the accomplishments of the mentee. In personal lives, mentors often take the form of an elder who helps you see the road you are about to travel. It is hard for me to separate the two and to adhere to the constraints of how society defines mentorship. My style of mentoring is to build a mutually trusted relationship where I have more confidence in the person than they have in themselves, pass along opportunities to them that come my way, and help them see distal and broader options when all they see is what is in front of them. Frequently, I will finish a conversation with someone (who I may or may not have known that I was mentoring) and they will say that the feel inspired, more confident, or comforted. This is critical to me, first because mentoring is not necessarily a formal relationship and secondly because I want them have confidence and trust in their abilities and solace in thought. I believe that the unmeasurable intangibles that come from mentorship can be life changing, build trust, and instill courage and confidence."
Grace Jepkemboi
School of Education, Curriculum and Instruction
What does mentoring mean to me?
"Mentoring is a relational process of imparting knowledge, wisdom, skills, and abilities to others, helping them realize their potential and bring their dreams to fruition."
Wei Li
School of Health Professions, Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, Physician Assistant Studies
What does mentoring mean to me?
"Mentoring is more than advising and guidance. It is an enjoyable process for both sides: mentors and mentees. During the process, trust is built, experiences are shared, and successes are celebrated. It is also a rewarding feeling that you strive for creating an open and healthy environment for those who you care."
Karolina Mukhtar
College of Arts and Sciences, Biology
What does mentoring mean to me?
"I was fortunate to have a number of fantastic mentors throughout my career. As a mentor now, I believe it's my responsibility to pay it forward. It is incredibly rewarding to me when my students unlock their potential and find their own ways while discovering themselves, identifying their strengths and growth opportunities. My mentees and I are on the same team and have the same goal: to help them map out and navigate their paths of growth by asking questions, removing roadblocks, sharing expertise, providing encouragement, acting as a sounding board, and challenging them to achieve new heights."
Sarah O'Kelley
College of Arts and Sciences, Psychology
What does mentoring mean to me?
"Mentoring is a relationship with trainees in which we grow together and develop strategies to support their individualized goals. This results in a different collegial and reciprocal interaction with each trainee that evolves over time and lasts well beyond graduation. Mentorship impacts the mentor as well as the mentee and their future trainees and expands the reach of the work that occurs on campus in infinite ways."
Josephine Prado
School of Education, Curriculum and Instruction
What does mentoring mean to me?
"Mentoring means sharing what I have learned from experience. It means answering questions and asking questions. Generally, mentoring means offering just enough support to maximize the individual's opportunity for growth."
Yan Sanders
School of Medicine and Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology theme
What does mentoring mean to me?
"A mentor enables and encourages the mentee to develop and grow in their career. The mentor is the resource and a trusted ally working in the mentee's best interests."
Laura Volpicelli-Daley
School of Medicine and Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Neurobiology theme
What does mentoring mean to me?
"To me, mentoring means using the gifts I have been given, and the lessons I have learned (both good and bad), to help students, trainees and junior faculty attain their goals and dreams."