UNMC Academic Affairs has announced that its faculty mentoring initiative is accepting applications from faculty seeking a mentor. Launched last year, the program builds on UNMC’s commitment to cross-disciplinary mentorship and professional development. Applications are open to faculty mentees across all colleges, institutes, campuses and programs.
“Becoming a mentee is a powerful step toward advancing your career,” said Jane Meza, PhD, interim vice chancellor for academic affairs. “Our dedicated group of UNMC faculty mentors is ready to support incoming mentees in a variety of areas including teaching, research, leadership, networking and collaboration.”
The initiative aims to strengthen faculty mentoring and retention, a key goal identified in the UNMC Strategic Plan. Faculty from all areas are invited to participate as mentees or mentors. Interested faculty can learn more and sign up through UNMC Academic Affairs online.
Suyong Choi, PhD, assistant professor at the Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, participated in a mentoring program as a newly appointed faculty member. He worked with two faculty mentors — one within his research field and another with strong connections across UNMC — which “created a highly effective synergy.”
“They had a clear understanding of my work, thoughtfully engaged with my ideas and consistently gave me the sense that they genuinely cared about my success,” Dr. Choi said.
The consistent guidance not only enhanced Dr. Choi’s research approach but also led to tangible outcomes, including successful grant acquisition and increased professional confidence. The mentorship was particularly impactful during manuscript development, through reviewing and editing, as well as throughout the revision process.
“One of my mentors, a leading expert in the central topic of the study, had precise knowledge of the critical reagents and methodologies required to address the reviewers’ key concerns,” Dr. Choi said. “Thanks to their support, I was able to successfully publish my first paper as a corresponding author.”