Newcombe said:
- Mentoring in academia is centrally about sharing a “life of the mind” and the thrill of doing science, especially for graduate students who are new to the world.
- Mentoring is also about “tips and tools” – but never forget the first point.
- Mentoring is different for undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, junior colleagues, peers, and various other groups of people.
- Mentoring is about relationships, so every mentoring situation is different, even within the groups I just mentioned.
What suggestions do you have for finding and choosing a mentor?
Choose someone with interests you share and whose style and personality seem like a good fit with yours.
What is the best advice that you received as a graduate student?
Never forget to ask yourself whether your research question is important, and why.
What is the best advice that you often give to your students/mentees?
It varies wildly depending on what they ask or need to hear.
What are the most rewarding and most difficult aspects of being a mentor?
Because mentoring is a relationship, it can be a vital part of one’s social network. But it is hard when relationships do not work out.
What advice would you give to graduate students who want to have careers in academia?
Always have at least two projects in progress at the same time, and document everything carefully as you work.
What advice would you give to early career scholars?
Select and prioritize what work you engage in and decline some requests.
What lessons have you learned as a mentor?
To be humble.
How has being a mentor/teacher influenced your research?
I could not do my research alone. Also, most of the best ideas I have had, I developed in dialogue with mentees.