Finding a Faculty Mentor
You have decided to take on the challenge of undergraduate research, but what’s the next step? How do you make the most of your research experience? How do you make sure you are on the right track? How do you secure your academic success? The key is connecting with a faculty mentor.
Research is a challenging experience, but it doesn't have to be solitary journey. Finding a mentor is a way to gain a professional perspective from someone in your discipline. A faculty mentor can help you by:
- Creating a support system for achieving your research goals.
- Guide you by reviewing and endorsing your work.
- Provide a wealth of experience, credibility, and feedback to the research process.
Through this beneficial professional relationship, you are able to sidestep pitfalls, dig deeper into research, and receive a seasoned perspective throughout your academic experience.
Explore Possibilities
To find a potential mentor in your area, search through faculty profiles on departmental websites or networking with faculty members you already know. You can also reach out to our office if you have trouble identifying a potential mentor.
Ideally, you want to get in touch with a faculty mentor that shares common research interests. Looking at a professor's CV gives you the opportunity to examine their past experience, topics of study, and areas of interest.
Ask yourself:
- "Does their research match with what I want to study?"
- "How can I connect my research ideas with what they've done in the past?"
- "Do I see myself working long-term with this mentor?"
Make a Connection
Once you have identified a potential mentor and feel they are a match, contact them via email to set up an appointment. (Faculty may also have office hours available for students to stop-by.) Make sure your email message is polite, concise, and precise. Faculty receive emails frequently, so it is important that you get to the point quickly, but in a respectful manner. Also, use your UTRGV student email address.
Proofread and revise your content to make sure that you communicate effectively. If you aspire to be a professional, you must present yourself as a professional. Be sure to include a brief sentence or two that connects your research interests with your potential mentors.
Here is a sample email that you can modify to fit your needs.
Meeting with a Faculty Mentor
Once an appointment has been agreed upon, meet with the faculty mentor at the time and date set. It's a good idea to be at your meeting place – preferably the potential mentor's office – at least ten minutes early to prepare for the discussion.
Prior to the conversation, make sure that you have a questions that will help you determine whether this faculty member is someone that will be a good match for you. Here are some questions to reflect on:
- "Have you worked as a faculty mentor before?"
- "How was your experience as a faculty mentor?"
- "Based on the topics we've discussed, do you feel we are a good match?"
- "Based on your schedule and workload, is it feasible for you to mentor me?"
- "Do you have any recommendations for another faculty member that would be able to mentor me?"
By the end of the meeting, you and the faculty member should be able to determine whether a mentor-mentee relationship is in your best interests. If you've found a match, congratulations! You can now proceed to move forward in the research process.
If it isn't a match, at least you have made a professional contact in the field for future reference. There are faculty that aren't a match for a variety of reasons, but rest reassured that it's a normal part of the mentee process. Our advice: keep searching!
Moving Forward with Mentorship
You've secured a faculty mentor, you're on your way to achieving success through undergraduate research! Now that you and your faculty mentor have committed to producing quality and top-tier research, take some time to apply for our Engaged Scholar Award for Undergraduate Research (ESA), register for our undergraduate research workshops, and present at our Engaged Scholar Symposium ES2!