Live Q&A: Culturally Responsive Mentoring

Talk Overview

Mentoring is essential to improving the success of underrepresented scientists. On Monday October 5th, 2015 we hosted a live Q&A to talk about culturally responsive mentoring and the importance of taking into account diverse cultural experiences to establish more effective mentoring relationships. Our esteemed panel of experts offered great insights into culturally responsive mentoring and why it matters.

This Google Hangout On Air was hosted by iBiology and the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) and featured Dr. Angela Byars-Winston of the University of Wisconsin-Madison; Dr. Kenneth Gibbs, Jr. of the National Cancer Institute; Dr. Joel Oppenheim of New York University; and Dr. Sonia Zárate of the University of San Diego. The event was be moderated by Dr. Mónica I. Feliú-Mójer, Science Outreach Program Manager for iBiology and Vice-Director for Ciencia Puerto Rico (CienciaPR).

Relevant papers mentioned by our panelists:

• Gibbs et al. (2015) Career Development Among American Biomedical Postdocs. In Press at CBE Life Sciences Education
• Byars-Winston et al. (2015) Culturally Diverse Undergraduate Researchers’ Academic Outcomes and Perceptions of Their Research Mentoring Relationships
• Griffin et al. (2015) ‘Respect me for my science’: A Bourdieuan analysis of women scientists’ interactions with faculty and socialization into science
• Gibbs et al. (2014) Biomedical Science Ph.D. Career Interest Patterns by Race/Ethnicity and Gender
• Gibbs and Griffin (2013) What Do I Want to Be With My Ph.D.? The Roles of Personal Values and Structural Dynamics in Shaping the Career Interests of Recent Biomedical Science Ph.D. Graduates

Additional Resources:

• A sample of institutions and organizations that have had success implementing culturally responsive mentoring interventions:
  • BUILD (Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity) programs, funded by the NIH’s Enhancing the Diversity of the NIH-Funded Workforce program
  • Biology Scholars Program at the University of California, Berkeley
  • SACNAS (Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science)
  • Annual Biomedical Research Conference Minority Students (ABRCMS)
  • American Indian Science & Engineering Society (AISES)
  • Meyerhoff Scholars Program

Speaker Bio

Angela Byars-Winston

Dr. Angela Byars-Winston is a counseling psychologist and Professor in the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Medicine, and Director of Research and Evaluation in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Women’s Health Research. Her research examines cultural influences on academic and career development, especially for racial and ethnic minorities and women in the sciences, engineering,… Continue Reading

Mónica Feliú-Mójer

Dr. Mónica Feliú-Mójer grew up in rural Puerto Rico, surrounded by nature and with a cow in her backyard, which sparked her interest in all things biology. A scientist-turned-communicator, she leverages online technologies to make science and scientists accessible to all. Mónica has a bachelor’s degree in Human Biology from the University of Puerto Rico… Continue Reading