Graduate student success hinges upon many factors, but faculty mentorship is arguably one of the most impactful elements during a graduate student’s journey. Tyler Brown, an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology, and Cynthia Curl, an assistant professor in the Department of Community and Environmental Health, are dedicated to mentoring students at Boise State University. Each of these faculty members earned an honorable mention from the Boise State Graduate College Excellence in Graduate Mentoring Award, which is an award that seeks to recognize the considerable efforts of faculty who consistently serve as effective mentors to graduate students.
This award honors two graduate mentoring award recipients and two honorable mention recipients each year. Alongside Brown and Curl, the two award recipients of the Spring 2020 Boise State Graduate College Excellence in Graduate Mentoring Award are Aida Midgett, professor and chair of the department of counselor education, and Kristin Snopkowski, associate professor in the department of anthropology. Midgett and Snopkowski received this year’s award of $1,000 each.
Mentoring in higher education is fundamentally rooted in technical skill development and support of the whole student. For graduate students particularly, their experiences can include a number of stressors such as balancing academic requirements with jobs, financial responsibilities and/or family life. Mentors help to highlight opportunities that are germane to graduate student success beyond their graduate studies.
“Our faculty play a pivotal role in the experience our graduate students receive,” said Tammi Vacha-Haase, dean of the Graduate College. “It is our pleasure to celebrate those who go above and beyond to help their graduate students succeed through dedicated mentorship.”
Mentorship is invaluable to the graduate student experience. Although students may encounter a variety of challenges, a positive mentor relationship can assist in the hills and valleys of graduate education. “Boise State University is fortunate to have many outstanding faculty who serve as graduate student mentors,” said Vacha-Haase.
To learn more about the Boise State Graduate College Excellence in Graduate Mentoring Award, visit the Graduate College mentoring award webpage.