University of New Mexico students are now able to receive advice and encouragement from professionals in industry, government and university systems thanks to a new mentoring program launched this week at UNM. MentorNet is an e-mail based network allowing students one-on-one mentoring with professionals across the nation. The program is open to undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral students and untenured faculty.
The program is available to all UNM students, but is particularly useful to those studying science and engineering because MentorNet recruited mentors from these areas to improve the science and engineering workforce.
To join, go the program’s Web site and fill out a mentor profile. The students are then matched with a mentor who is best able to address their interests. Faculty can join the program as mentors, using the same process as students.
Once matched, the mentor and the student maintain a mentoring relationship by e-mail. The official program lasts for the academic year calendar.
MentorNet provides other services, including an e-forum with web-based discussion groups for those interested in topics such as work and life balance, job searching and graduate school, and a resume database for students.
The program was brought to UNM because of the university’s interest in student retention and career placement.
Nora Domínguez, director of the UNM Mentoring Institute, said, “A program such as MentorNet provides an additional tool for students by expanding their access to the professionals in their fields of study, so they can learn about opportunities and how to prepare for them.” .
This program is sponsored by Title V program and is coordinated through a partnership with the NM-PAID Program.
For more information, contact Dominguez, at (505) 277-1484, or to sign up, visit www.mentornet.net.