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Office for Research and Graduate Education

College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

CFAES

Mentoring

The Office for Research and Graduate Education is here to help connect you with the resources you need to be a successful advisor and mentor. We are also happy to offer consultation regarding specific situations you may be facing with your mentees. For inquiries, please reach out to Kayla Kruse or Gary Pierzynski.

Mentoring Resources Quick Guide

Graduate Mentoring Series, Spring 2025

From Advising to Mentoring
This is the first session in a 3-part series on supporting graduate students as a faculty advisor. This will be an engaging workshop covering best practices in graduate mentoring. We’ll explore strategies to create a supportive and inclusive environment, clearly communicate expectations, and share some tools to help you be an impactful advisor. Enhance your mentoring skills and watch your graduate students thrive.

Presented by: Dr. Gary Pierzynski, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education & Kayla Kruse (MENR, MPA), Graduate Education Program Manager

 Slides Link to recording
Supporting International Graduate Students
The second session in our series will be an insightful workshop on faculty can best support international graduate students. We’ll discuss ways to navigate cultural differences, provide academic and personal support, and foster a welcoming environment.

Presented by: Dr. Luis Canas, Director CFAES International Programs

 Slides Link to recording
Mind Matters: Strategies for Supporting Mental Health
Join us for our third session on graduate student advising: supporting student mental health and well-being. We’ll cover effective strategies to recognize signs of distress, provide compassionate support, and connect students with essential university resources. Improve your ability to foster a healthy, balanced academic environment for your students.

Presented by: Dr. Tiffany Halsell, Student Support Senior Officer & Dr. Schaad, Embedded Clinical Psychologist, CFAES Wooster Campus

 Slides Link to recording

Internal Resources

Better Mentoring for Better Science through the College of Engineering: https://u.osu.edu/bettermentoring/

OSU subscribes to LinkedIn Learning for on demand access to a plethora of trainings. Start out with some of their trainings related to graduate mentoring, such as 'Being a Good Mentor' or 'Mentorship, Sponsorship, and Lifting Others as You Climb'. You must login using your OSU credentials to access trainings.

LinkedIn Learning

External Resources

The Council of Graduate Schools has developed a number of resources to aid with mentoring. You may access some of these for free on their website: https://cgsnet.org/data-insights/graduate-professional-development/mentoring-resources/for-mentors

If you are trying to access paid resources, please check with Kayla Kruse, as we may be able to obtain access via the OSU membership.

View slides to their presentation Culturally Aware Mentoring

The National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NFCDD) has a wide variety of resources available for faculty career development. NCFDD training teaches concrete, empirically tested strategies for increasing productivity and pays special attention to the challenges of underrepresented faculty.  In addition to monthly training workshops, NCFDD provides an opportunity for individual scholars to become more effective.

Read their recent white paper on Redefining Mentoring in Higher Education.

NCFDD Mentor Map