As part of the Summer Mentoring Circle Program, faculty members share their experiences, mentees set goals and the program culminates in a hybrid mentoring circle celebration.

Engineering faculty that are engaged can have a positive impact on undergraduate and graduate education, research and the world. But how does one learn how to go from a successful student to scholar to faculty member? This path is not identical, and it is not always clear for students. The Engineering Academic Career Club (EACC) summer mentoring circle program aims to demystify this process for Engineering graduate students and postdocs.

The EACC is a student-driven organization at Purdue University, focusing on establishing a community for graduate students and postdocs who have a passion of continuing onto academic careers (postdocs, teaching faculty and/or research faculty). EACC has the goal of equipping graduate students and postdocs with opportunities, tools and resources to actively shape their own success in future academic careers.

One of the flagship programs offered by EACC is the Summer Mentoring Circle Program, which celebrated the successful conclusion of its third year in early August 2022. The program has run in three different formats: in-person (2019); online (2021); and a mix of in-person and online circles (2022). Mentoring circles are structured with two current faculty members serving as mentors and four to six graduate students and postdocs as mentees. Circles meet eight times over the summer. Faculty members share their experiences, mentees set goals and the program culminates in a hybrid mentoring circle celebration.

The mentoring circle format is modeled from other programs, including the Boston Chapter of the Association for Women in Science and the Mentoring Circle Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. However, EACC has made its program distinct by having a sole focus on preparation for faculty careers and setting discussion topics, questions and assignments that help further the mentees’ progress and goals.

To learn more about the program structure and impact, check out EACC’s recent publication from the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) 2022 National Conference (Broberg et al.): “Lessons learned: Preparing Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Researchers for Tenure Track Careers through Mentoring Circles.”

To be part of the program in the future, check for graduate student and postdoc applications in spring 2023. Faculty members interested in serving as a mentor are invited to email jem@purdue.edu and/or complete a mentor survey in spring 2023.

Faculty members who participated in the 2022 EACC Summer Mentoring Circle Program: