Mentoring Graduate and
Undergraduate Students
Larissa R. Brunner Huber, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Public Health Sciences
1
Background
 Syracuse University
BA Anthropology, minor Mathematics
 University of Massachusetts
MS Epidemiology
 Emory University
Ph.D. Epidemiology
2
How was I mentored?
 Syracuse University
 Mathematics Professor
 TA experience
 University of Massachusetts
 Epidemiology professor
 Operations Manager
 Emory University
 Epidemiology professor
 “Academic” writing
3
What did I learn from my
mentors?
 Grading papers
 Interacting with students
 Interacting with healthcare professionals
 Planning a study
 Preparing manuscripts
 Writing “academically”
 Dealing with difficult people
4
Coming to UNC Charlotte
 Small department
 Many more students than faculty
members
 Undergraduates!
5
Independent studies
 What may not work
 Agreeing to do independent studies for
students you’ve never had in class
 Independent study based on solely on
student’s interest
 Independent study with no concrete end
product
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Independent studies
 What does work
 Find a topic that you AND the student are
interested in
 Be firm about the end product
7
Success stories with independent
studies
 Jennifer Ersek
 NC PRAMS data
 Physical activity and post-partum
depressive symptoms
 Publication in JOGNN
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Success stories with independent
studies
 Views and Intentions towards Pregnancy
Study
 Approached by 2 undergraduates, 6
graduate students
 Learned how to plan a study, collect data
 Resulted in pilot data, publication, 2 thesis
topics for involved students
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Chairing thesis committees
 What may not work
 Saying “yes” to everyone
 Not being involved in development of
objective, hypotheses
 Not being actively involved in analysis,
writing
10
Chairing thesis committees
 What does work
 Be choosey!
 Have specific deadlines, be firm and
realistic about them
 More work upfront means less work later
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Success stories with thesis
committees
 Chantel Martin
 NHANES data
 Micronutrients and development of uterine fibroids
 “Best Paper” awards, publication in JWH
 Jordan Lyerly
 NHANES data
 Breakfast skipping and physical activity
 “Best Paper” awards, publication in PHN
 Lauren Graham
 NC PRAMS data
 BMI, weight gain and C-sections
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 Revise/resubmit in Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care
Some thoughts about mentoring
junior faculty
 Little things can make a big difference
 Offering to read a manuscript,
reappointment materials
 Sharing thoughts about teaching, teaching
observations
 Don’t necessarily need to be “senior” to
make a difference
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Mentoring: Lessons learned
 Be choosey!
 It’s okay to say “no”!
 You can’t say “yes” to everyone
 Need to know your limits
 But give them guidance as to who to
approach
 It’s okay to be “greedy”!
 It is not wrong to want an end product that
benefits the student AND you
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Mentoring: Lessons learned
 Be respectful, encouraging, helpful
 Many times you hear they aren’t getting advising
they need
 Remember they are students and need guidance
 They don’t know everything!
 Tap into what they are passionate about, but know
your limits
 Pass on your knowledge
 They want to learn, many look up to you
 It is okay to be friendly with your students
 Barriers are good, but it is okay for your students to
see you as a real person
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 Stay in touch with your former students