MENTORS, ADVISORS, & DOCTORAL
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Bruce Lubotsky Levin, DrPH, MPH
Associate Professor & Head
Behavioral Health Concentration
Dept. of Community & Family Health
USF College of Public Health
USF OFFICE OF GRADUATE STUDIES
2015 – 2016 Graduate Catalog
Section 8 – University Degree Requirements
Major Professor
“The Major Professor serves as the student's
advisor and mentor.”
WHAT IS MENTORING?
[Challenge, listen, push]
WHAT DO MENTORS DO?
SHARE IDEAS &
INTERESTS
HELP DEVELOP
YOUR CAREER
OFFER GUIDANCE,
INTELLECTUAL
SUPPORT, &
PROFESSIONAL
SUPPORT
UNDERSTANDING
CHALLENGING
INSPIRATIONAL
FINDING MENTORS
Ask yourself…
 WHAT ARE MY OBJECTIVES FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL?
 WHAT ARE MY STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES?
 WHAT KINDS OF RESEARCH INTEREST ME?
 DO I NEED A WRITING MENTOR?
 WHAT TYPE OF CAREER DO I WANT TO PURSUE?
FACULTY ADVISOR
Just one?
Familiar with USF/CFH doctoral process
Accessible?
Provides timely & quality feedback?
Record of success?
Personality “match”… if not working…
CHANGE ADVISORS! [Doctoral – Dissertation]
DOCTORAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Minimum of four faculty members
Faculty advisor (academic focus areas)
Faculty Member (theory)
Faculty Member (research methods/evaluation)
Faculty Member (academic focus areas)
DUTIES OF DOCTORAL COMMITTEE
Approve plan of study (courses)
Prepare annual evaluation (chair)
Reviews concept paper
Develop qualifying exam questions
Grade qualifying exam answers
ASSEMBLING DOCTORAL &
DISSERTATION COMMITTEES?
CHOOSE WISELY!
THEORETICAL
FRAMEWORK(S)
AREAS OF
FOCUS
SELECTION OF
COMMITTEE
MEMBERS
RESEARCH
METHODS
IMPLICATIONS
FOR PUBLIC
HEALTH/CFH
CHOOSING DOCTORAL COMMITTEE
Specific area-based knowledge?
Provides timely & constructive feedback?
Previous experience?
Accessible?
Group dynamics of committee?
Problems…CHANGE (Doctoral to Disseration
Committee)
APPROACHING POTENTIAL MEMBERS
Consult your faculty advisor
Experience on doctoral committees
“Interview” potential faculty
Ask other doctoral students
WHAT IS A DISSERTATION COMMITTEE?
Determines when you can defend
your proposal
Approves proposal defense
 Supervises research & data analysis
 Approves dissertation defense
 Follows CFH & USF guidelines/requirements
2015 – 2016 USF Graduate Catalog
• USF Degree Program Listing:
http://www.grad.usf.edu/programs/search_all.php
• USF Graduate Policies:
http://www.grad.usf.edu/policies.php
• USF Graduate Catalog, all sections:
http://www.grad.usf.edu/catalog.php
References
•
Bonaparte, S, Baldasty, J. Building Your Network: Finding Mentors. Mentor Memo,
University of Washington graduate student newsletter. Available online at:
https://www.grad.washington.edu/mentoring/memos/finding-mentors.shtml. Accessed
on July 21, 2015.
•
Cham, J. The thesis committee [Image]. PhD Comics. Available online at:
http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1537. Accessed on July 27,
2015.
•
2015 – 2016 USF Tampa Graduate Catalog. Tampa, FL: University of South Florida.
Available online at: http://www.grad.usf.edu/catalog.php. Accessed on July 31, 2015.
•
PhD Student. Choosing Your Team: Selecting a Chair and Academic Committee. Available
online at: http://www.phdstudent.com/Thesis-or-Dissertation-Process/choosing-yourteam-selecting-a-chair-and-committee. Accessed on July 30, 2015.
References (con’t)
•
Rackham Graduate School. How to Get the Mentoring You Want: A Guide for
Graduate Students. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan. Available online at:
http://www.rackham.umich.edu/downloads/publications/mentoring.pdf. Accessed
on July 24, 2015.
•
Shorter D. Welcome to graduate school: six key lessons to help master’s and
doctoral students thrive in their first year. Chronical of Higher Education 2014;
61(03).
•
Stanford Teaching Commons. Selecting a dissertation chair and committee. In: FC
Lunenburg, BJ Irby (Eds). Writing a Successful Thesis or Dissertation: Tips and
Strategies for Students in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. Available online at:
https://teachingcommons.stanford.edu/teaching-talk/selecting-dissertation-chairand-committee. Accessed on July 30, 2015.