Registration is free to NORDP Members and to those interested in learning more about the Research Development Profession.

For many research development professionals, effective mentorship is a primary strategy for helping faculty advance their research and move forward in their careers. NORDP also understands the importance and benefits of formal mentoring for RD professionals themselves and has designed a program to help its members pursue best practices and approaches to achieve professional success and advancement. This webinar provides an overview of the NORDP Mentor Program, from the perspective of a current mentor pair who were introduced to each other through the program in 2016. In addition to learning how the presenters have benefited from the program, webinar participants will gain a clear understanding of why the program was created, how it works, how to apply to become a mentor and/or a mentee, and what tools are available to facilitate the mentor experience. Time will be allotted for participant Q&A. 

Presenters

Jan Abramson has worked in higher education since 1990; in her many and diverse roles, a common theme has been leadership development and mentorship. Following an early career in student services, she transitioned into research roles at the departmental, college and most recently, institutional level. Drawing upon a broad foundation, she is currently focused on mentoring emerging research administrators at the University of Utah. Jan has worked with emerging research faculty in the Vice President’s Clinical and Translational (VPCAT) Research Scholars Program, a highly competitive program for health sciences faculty. In this role, she was responsible for cultivating mentorship, developing curriculum, providing wrap-around research development services and growing the program from an initial cohort of nine faculty scholars in 2013 to over 80 graduates by December 2016. In her current work with the Office of Sponsored Projects, she provides central office support to one of the largest and most productive research departments in the School of Medicine, and develops services to support research administrators. Jan started her career in higher education at the University of Central Missouri, followed by appointments at the University of Warwick and the University of Birmingham, both in England. Upon returning to the US, she worked at the University of Idaho. Arriving at the University of Utah with a ‘7-year plan’ to obtain a PhD and volunteer for the 2002 Winter Olympics, Salt Lake City soon became home. Following the Olympics (and attaining her goal to volunteer for Opening and Closing Ceremonies) she took a stop-gap from the University to work with nonprofit organizations for a few years, and has continued to remain engaged in the arts community. She’s always been attached to “The U” and returned in 2006 to provide research and development support for the Hartford Center for Geriatric Nursing; develop a research office for the College of Health, work in the VPCAT Program, and now in a central office role.

Etta Ward - With nearly 15 years of leadership experience in higher education, Etta has led successful efforts to advance the research enterprise at Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Early on, she was able to create a strong interest in preparing faculty for research success along the continuum of their careers and helped grow IUPUI’s research development operation from 2.5 FTE to nearly 30 FTE currently. Etta has successfully forged efforts to support research excellence by establishing and maintaining a culture that values and encourages effective mentorship as a strategy to advance the academic and research mission of the university.  She played an instrumental role in the development of faculty mentor programs and initiatives, but with a strategic focus on advancing the research and scholarly endeavors of women and minority faculty. One example of such efforts is the IUPUI Enhanced Mentoring Program with Opportunities for Ways to Excel in Research (EMPOWER, which was designed to help underrepresented faculty (including women) to become successful in sponsored research and scholarship and to achieve significant professional growth and advancement through mentoring relationships. Now in its sixth year, EMPOWER has supported approximately 80 mentor pairs. Under Etta’s leadership, the program has yielded a more than 300% return on investment, and returns go far beyond dollars. Many of the participants published and presented their research nationally and internationally and have successfully moved through the promotion and tenured process, acquired new research collaborators, and moved into higher administrative positions. In addition to her work with faculty, Etta is also involved with other mentoring across and beyond the university, including serving as a mentor to numerous students and colleagues.  Etta is known on and beyond the campus for her evangelism for effective mentorship and is often called on to present interactive workshops and group talks that help prepare participants to be fully engaged in the mentoring experience for the best outcomes.

The Professional Development Committee is very excited to be able to present these opportunities for high-value training to NORDP members.