Benefits of Being a Faculty Mentor to an Undergraduate Researcher

Faculty mentor with students in lab setting

Making an Impact

By serving as an undergraduate research mentor, you will have a big impact on a student’s educational experience and future. This can be hugely rewarding and can lead to long-lasting connections and mentoring relationships.

Faculty mentor with students in an engineering setting.

Building Pathways

By participating in undergraduate research, you are providing pathways for students to explore careers in STEM and to develop into STEM professionals. Undergraduate research is considered a high-impact practice for broadening participation in STEM as well as increasing retention and persistence in STEM fields (see these resources).

Mentor with students in a developmental research setting

Expanding Credentials

Each time you serve as a mentor you grow and learn new ways of connecting with different mentees. By expanding your experiences in mentoring you grow your skills and broaden your portfolio. Many funding opportunities include mentoring components and you can create a more competitive proposal by having a deeper understanding of mentoring.

Professor Brian Ogolsky talks with student

Gaining Recognition

The Office of the Provost recognizes two faculty each year for excellence in guiding undergraduate research. Many professional societies also have mentoring awards. Take advantage of these opportunities for recognition to strengthen your credentials.


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