Mentoring
We are committed to fostering academic and research excellence through the promotion of diversity between students and faculty, and the development of a diverse scientific and engineering workforce at all academic levels. - Isabella Velicogna, Professor of Earth System Science
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DECADE stands for the Diverse Educational Community and Doctoral Experience. In collaboration with the Office of Inclusive Excellence, this program provides a diverse group of UCI graduate students with a supportive community consisting of faculty, staff, and students; resources tailored to fit specific needs, and a wide variety of professional development and leadership opportunities. DECADE seeks to improve inclusive excellence by increasing the participation and retention of women and underrepresented minorities in graduate programs. As part of the program’s mission to promote inclusive excellence in graduate education, DECADE provides a wide range of resources and leadership opportunities that all graduate students are welcomed to take advantage of.
Physical Sciences DECADE Mentors:
- Jenny Y. Yang, j.yang@uci.edu, Department of Chemistry
- Adam Martiny, amartiny@uci.edu, Department of Earth System Science
- Alessandra Pantano, apantano@uci.edu, Department of Mathematics
- David Kirkby, dkirkby@uci.edu, Department of Physics & Astronomy
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The mission of UCI ADVANCE is to promote an inclusive culture for faculty and graduate student excellence. A dedicated team of faculty Equity Advisors and graduate program DECADE mentors carry out this mission in the general campus schools. This distinctive model of peer to peer collaboration is designed to advance excellence through an intentional commitment to equity and diversity in three areas critical for the success of current faculty and professoriate of the future. These are: recruitment and admissions, advancement and degree completion, and an affirmative climate for all faculty and graduate students.
PACE (Physics & Astronomy Community Excellence) is a graduate student-led program for peer mentoring in the Department of Physics & Astronomy. Learn more, and read about it.
COMP (Community Outreach and Mentoring Program) is a graduate student led program designed to foster community and inclusivity within the UCI Mathematics Department. COMP is an expansion of the Math Department Peer Mentoring Program, and was formed in response to the Black Lives Matter movement and concerns highlighted at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Faces in Mathematics mission is to change lives by developing the skills of underrepresented students’ in mathematics and providing impactful opportunities & support including career exploration, community, and mentorship.
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The overarching goal of our peer mentorship program is to create a friendly, welcoming, and inclusive environment for our first-year graduate students. The program is entirely student-led, with support and advice from department faculty and staff. Prior to move-in, first-year students are matched with senior students based on certain preferences that they are able to specify, including area of study, personal identities, housing location, etc. Mentors check in with mentees monthly about different topics over the course of the year such as mental health, social life, research progress, academic opportunities, preparing for the comprehensive exam, and student-advisor relationship. Any concerns or feedback is relayed to the graduate student representatives, who communicate with department faculty and staff. We aim to continually improve this program, incorporating feedback at the end of each year.
For more information please contact the staff and faculty assisting: Melanie Nakanishi, mhawe@uci.edu (Student Affairs Manager) or Jin-Yi Yu, jyyu@uci.edu (Vice Chair of Graduate Studies)
Resonance is a program in the Department of Physics & Astronomy in which small groups of incoming students meet with continuing physics majors who serve as mentors. The goal of the program is to provide community among physics and applied physics students, build excitement about physics, and help students navigate challenges of the first year. Resonance’s eventual aim is to realize a vertical mentoring system in which everyone in the department -- undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, and faculty alike -- both serve as mentors and are mentored themselves, creating interconnections and community at all stages of academia.
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The ChemUNITY Peer Mentorship Program is a grad-to-grad volunteer-based mentoring program where two graduate students (one in their second-year and one post-advancement) will be paired with three incoming first-year students to acts as mentors throughout the academic year. Mentors and mentees will meet to discuss general concerns that will come up throughout the first year, such as selecting a lab, adjusting to Irvine, and coursework. The goal for ChemUNITY is to help incoming students build a network of support, feel more connected to the department, and increase confidence and motivation among students.