VT Mentoring Forum

Location: Drillfield

Description: In this interactive workshop, Postdoctoral Affairs Program Administrator Chris Smith will provide faculty in attendance an overview of the Postdoc Academy mentoring content, including how both a postdoc and their faculty mentor can leverage content developed for each group to align their discussions of important topics, including:

• Setting Expectations
• Building an Actionable Postdoc Career Plan
• Developing Resilience in Your Postdoc
• Giving and Receiving Feedback
• Time Management
• Managing Career Transitions
• And More

Additionally, time will be set aside to discuss with faculty at your table how they handle the above topics when mentoring graduate students or postdocs and how the Postdoc Academy resources might be leveraged to assist in these efforts. Finally, we will gauge interest in having follow-up, online sessions focused on these topics using the Postdoc Academy content as a catalyst for further discussion in the future.

The Postdoc Academy is a multi-institutional project funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) that led to the development of free online learning modules and resources to help individuals maximize their postdoctoral experience and prepare for their next career steps. 

Presenter: Dr. Chris Smith, Postdoctoral Affairs Program Administrator, Office of Research and Innovation, Virginia Tech

Location: Solitude

Description: Adjunct faculty play a critical role in higher education, yet many face challenges in professional development, institutional support, and pedagogical growth. Effective mentorship can bridge these gaps, fostering stronger teaching, deeper engagement, and a more inclusive academic community.

This interactive session brings together adjunct faculty, full-time faculty, and experienced mentors to share insights, challenges, and strategies for building successful mentorship models. Panelists will explore what works in adjunct mentorship, what gaps remain, and how institutions can enhance support systems to foster faculty success and student learning.

Moderators: Koehler Slagle, Assistant Professor of Practice, Virginia Tech, Department of Management; Hannah Harris, Associate Director for Professional Development in the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Location: Cascades

Description: An interactive session exploring both the ideals of successful grad student mentoring and the realities of our collective experience.  We will challenge attendees to critique their approaches to mentoring, discuss resources available to help resolve conflict, and work through case studies based on our own graduate advising adventures.

Presenter: Kevin Edgar and Bill Huckle, Associate Deans of the Graduate School

Location: Drillfield

Description: The goal of this panel is to discuss best practices in mentoring undergraduate students engaged in research. Effective mentoring is a two-way street relying on a productive relationship between faculty (mentor) and student (mentee). This panel will explore mentoring from both the faculty and student perspectives and provide insights into how to optimize this mutually beneficial relationship to increase student learning and success and faculty satisfaction and productivity.

Facilitator: Keri Swaby, Director, Office of Undergraduate Research
Panelists: Dr. Anne Brown (Library, BCHM), Dr. Koeun Choi (HDFS), Dr. Debby Good (HNFE), Dr. Meredith Steele (SPES), Reagan Sherer (Phys), Annabel Bass (Engineering Ed)

Location: Solitude

Description: We will focus on strategies to cultivate collaborative networks among faculty who can share knowledge and experience within specific areas, such as research, teaching, tenure, work-life issues, cultures, identity groups, and more. We will discuss concepts behind Mutual Mentoring and ideas for formation of collaborative groups, for example:

• tenure-track faculty interested in balancing research, teaching and service;
• associate professors interested in mapping pathways to professor;
• women academic leaders interested in sharing ideas and best practices;
• communities of support for women in different identity groups or cultures;
• women faculty of all ranks exploring work-life issues;
• _______________ (your idea here!)

Our goal is to help all women faculty find a supportive network at Virginia Tech.

Presenters: Maddy Schreiber and Leslie Stevens

Madeline Schreiber, Professor, Geosciences and Faculty Fellow, Office of Faculty Affairs. Leslie Stevens, Co-Director of AdvanceVT and Project Director, Faculty Affairs. Schreiber and Stevens started this Mutual Mentoring program in 2023 and continue to help groups to achieve their goals, including introducing a small grants program to provide funding for research, speakers, and/or books to support professional development.

Location: Cascades

Description: Mentoring is a cornerstone of academic and professional development, yet many faculty struggle to foster truly impactful mentoring relationships. To deepen their mentoring practice, this interactive workshop introduces participants to practical tools and strategies from The Encouraging Mentor: Your Guide to 40 Conversations that Matter. Designed for faculty at all career stages, the session will focus on facilitating meaningful conversations that inspire growth, encourage curiosity, and build trust. Participants will explore actionable methods to initiate and sustain mentoring relationships, including conversation prompts that help uncover mentees' goals, values, and potential. We will discuss how to tailor mentoring approaches to diverse needs and contexts, emphasizing inclusive practices and flexibility. Key topics include fostering psychological safety, navigating cross-difference mentoring, and balancing encouragement with constructive challenge. Through hands-on activities and group discussions, attendees will practice using conversation tools and develop strategies for applying these techniques in their mentoring contexts. The session will also introduce free resources, such as videos and worksheets, to support participants in extending their learning and integrating the tools into their mentoring practices.

By the end of the workshop, participants will:

• Understand the value of intentional, question-driven mentoring conversations.
• Learn how to use practical tools to enhance connection and engagement with mentees.
• Develop personalized strategies for fostering growth and resilience in mentoring relationships.
• Gain access to resources for ongoing development in mentoring and faculty leadership.

Join us to discover how meaningful mentoring conversations can unlock potential and transform professional growth for both mentors and mentees.

Presenters: Eric Kaufman and Kim Niewolny

Drs. Eric Kaufman and Kim Niewolny are both professors and Extension specialists in Virginia Tech’s Department of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education. Additionally, Eric serves as the associate department head, and Kim serves as the director of graduate programs. Both have mentored numerous graduate students through completion of their academic programs and with transition to full-time employment. They have also mentored junior faculty through the early years of employment in academia.

Location: Drillfield

Description: A wide array of mentoring initiatives and strategies are underway across campus. Join this session to hear the details of these programs from three different colleges, as well insights from college leaders involved in these programs. This session will be led by Dr. Erica Cooper from Faculty Affairs, beginning with an overview of innovative mentoring efforts from the VTC School of Medicine, the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, followed by lessons learned and related insights from college representatives, and concluding with opportunities for audience engagement through open Q&A.

Moderator: Dr. Erica Cooper, Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
Panelists: Dr. David Musick, Senior Dean for Faculty Affairs, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine; Dr. Debby Stoudt, Associate Dean for Policy and Faculty Affairs, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences; Dr. Susan Sumner, Associate Dean of Academic Programs, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Location: Solitude

Description: In this interactive workshop, Postdoctoral Affairs Program Administrator Chris Smith will provide faculty in attendance an overview of the Postdoc Academy mentoring content, including how both a postdoc and their faculty mentor can leverage content developed for each group to align their discussions of important topics, including:

• Setting Expectations
• Building an Actionable Postdoc Career Plan
• Developing Resilience in Your Postdoc
• Giving and Receiving Feedback
• Time Management
• Managing Career Transitions
• And More

Additionally, time will be set aside to discuss with faculty at your table how they handle the above topics when mentoring graduate students or postdocs and how the Postdoc Academy resources might be leveraged to assist in these efforts. Finally, we will gauge interest in having follow-up, online sessions focused on these topics using the Postdoc Academy content as a catalyst for further discussion in the future.

The Postdoc Academy is a multi-institutional project funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) that led to the development of free online learning modules and resources to help individuals maximize their postdoctoral experience and prepare for their next career steps.

Presenter: Dr. Chris Smith, Postdoctoral Affairs Program Administrator, Office of Research and Innovation, Virginia Tech

Location: Latham Ballroom A

Description: Did a topic or issue in Dr. Tracy Smith’s keynote session resonate with you? Would you like to talk further about these issues or others related to her mentoring insights and experiences? This session is an opportunity to engage in informal, open dialogue with Dr. Smith to continue the conversation.

Presenter: Tracy Smith

Dr. Tracy W. Smith is the inaugural university Director of Faculty Mentoring and Career Support and Professor in the Department of Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum at Appalachian State University (ASU). In this role, she works to create, promote, and lead mentorship-facilitating environments, structures, and programs. She also provides career coaching to individuals and groups of faculty. From 2019-23, Smith was the Faculty Fellow for Mentoring Initiatives for the Reich College of Education at App State. For her fellowship, Smith designed a developmental community model of mentorship. In addition, in 2021, she founded the RCOE Mentoring Guild, a shared craft model of faculty support. Those models, grown in the RCOE, are influencing the institutional models of mentoring and career support now. In 2017, Smith was awarded the UNC Board of Governors Excellence in Teaching Award. She has also received the College of Education Outstanding Teaching, Mentoring, and Community of Practice Awards as well as the Appalachian Student Government Association Outstanding Teacher Award. In 2001, she received the Outstanding Dissertation Award from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). Her current research interests include mentoring and educational development in higher education, middle level education and teacher preparation, the relationship between teaching expertise and student learning, and evaluating the depth of student understanding. She has had articles published in journals such as the To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development, Journal of Teacher Education, Middle School Journal, Clearing House, and Teacher Education and Practice.

Location: Drillfield

Description: Did a topic or issue in Dr. Karen Cardozo’s keynote session resonate with you? Would you like to talk further about these issues or others related to her mentoring insights and experiences? This session is an opportunity to engage in informal, open dialogue with Dr. Cardozo to continue the conversation.

Presenter: Karen Cardozo

Karen Cardozo is the founding principal of Leap Here Consulting, helping foster the transformation of individuals and institutions since 2013. She holds a Masters in Higher Education Administration from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in literary studies from UMass Amherst. After starting out in career services at Harvard, she held varied academic and administrative roles across the Five College Consortium of Western Massachusetts before gaining tenure in Interdisciplinary Studies at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, where she also directed Leadership and Women’s Studies. She went to lead career development at Hollins and Northeastern universities (2017-21), then served as a senior lecturer in Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies at UMass Amherst before launching her business fulltime in 2023. Dr. Cardozo has published interdisciplinary and intersectional analyses in American Studies, Journal of Asian American Studies, Pedagogy, Profession, Signs and Tactical Biopolitics (MIT 2008), as well as “Academic Labor: Who Cares?” in Critical Sociology (2017). She co-edited the open access collection Higher Education Careers Beyond the Professoriate (Purdue UP, 2024) and offers holistic coaching across the disciplines to clients at all career stages, an approach highlighted in her forthcoming book, PHreeD: A Guide for Academics Who Want to Get a Life (2025). Email karencardozophd@gmail.com

Location: Solitude

Description: We will focus on strategies to cultivate collaborative networks among faculty who can share knowledge and experience within specific areas, such as research, teaching, tenure, work-life issues, cultures, identity groups, and more. We will discuss concepts behind Mutual Mentoring and ideas for formation of collaborative groups, for example:

• tenure-track faculty interested in balancing research, teaching and service;
• associate professors interested in mapping pathways to professor;
• women academic leaders interested in sharing ideas and best practices;
• communities of support for women in different identity groups or cultures;
• women faculty of all ranks exploring work-life issues;
• _______________ (your idea here!)

Our goal is to help all women faculty find a supportive network at Virginia Tech.

Presenters: Maddy Schreiber and Leslie Stevens

Madeline Schreiber, Professor, Geosciences and Faculty Fellow, Office of Faculty Affairs. Leslie Stevens, Co-Director of AdvanceVT and Project Director, Faculty Affairs. Schreiber and Stevens started this Mutual Mentoring program in 2023 and continue to help groups to achieve their goals, including introducing a small grants program to provide funding for research, speakers, and/or books to support professional development.