Mentoring


The goal of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) program is to nurture exceptionally promising young undergraduates so that they will be ready to succeed as graduate students and, later, as faculty members. In this way, the MMUF program hopes to bring greater diversity to the academy. Mentoring is the cornerstone of the MMUF program, and fellows are teamed with both a faculty and a graduate student mentor.


Did You Know ...?


MMUF has a membership of 33 American colleges and universities, 39 UNCF institutions and 2 South African universities.

 

Faculty Mentors

Faculty mentors are faculty leaders who offer Fellows direct and indirect guidance and serve as academic role models. For Sophomore and Junior Fellows, faculty mentors help introduce the fundamentals of the research process and often teaching and learning skills as well. For senior Fellows, faculty mentors may serve as advisors of the required senior thesis or honors research project.


An overarching element of the faculty mentor-fellow relationship is the faculty mentor's communication with the Fellow. Open, clear, effective, and regular communication is necessary to foster a positive relationship; the Fellow can benefit most from honest feedback and guidance.


As mentors, faculty members have the knowledge and responsibility to demystify the formal and informal aspects of earning a doctorate of philosophy. Mentors also give Fellows insight into the fulfillment and rewards of a career in scholarship and teaching.


In the mentoring relationship, the sharing of personal experience and the transmission of knowledge intersect in a trusting learning environment that provides opportunities for both mentor and student to stretch beyond their boundaries.


A Fellow's faculty mentor may be the faculty member who nominated the Fellow during the application process, or a faculty mentor may be identified for the Fellow later once admitted into the program. Faculty mentors and Fellows should be closely matched in terms of their scholarly interests.


Graduate Student Mentors

Graduate student mentors are also closely paired with undergraduate Fellows. They provide unique insights into graduate school preparation, and academics. Graduate student mentors often attend events with Fellows, and encourage Fellows on a very personal level since they are closer to Fellows in age.


The graduate student mentor-Fellow relationship provides fellows with guidance from individuals who have very recently been through the graduate school application process thus they provide a fresh perspective to Fellows about life as a graduate student. Moreover, graduate student mentors often have connections to and knowledge about graduate programs at other colleges and universities. They willingly share this information with fellows enhancing the Fellows understanding of graduate schools and choices. These graduate student mentors are a significant component of the UC Berkeley MMUF program.


To nominate a student for the MMUF program, please use this faculty recommendation form.