Introduction to Engineering Research. Wendy C. Crone

looking out for your best interests. I would choose the mentor over the research project. Obviously, you should be excited about the research, but projects change and morph over time, your mentor likely will not. Choose wisely.³”

       A Research Mentor Who Wants You to Succeed

      Some of the proudest moments in my professional life have been because of the success of my students, either currenter or former. When they give a fantastic research presentation, earn a prestigious award, win a fellowship, get their dream job, or achieve the promotion that they were seeking, I feel great pride. I hope that in some way I have helped them to make these successes for themselves. Although I have been described variously as sympathetic, supportive, and demanding as a research mentor, these are consistent descriptions, given that my goal is to figure out the needs of each of my students and help them to be their best and achieve their goals. But when it comes right down to it, each individual is their own person figuring out who they are and who they want to be. You need to find the right research mentor for you who will help you be your best and work towards your goals.

      Consider some of the following questions when you are interacting with potential research mentors.

      • How much time and attention do you need and does it match with the potential research mentor’s availability?

      • Does this individual provide the following to their research students:

      – constructive feedback?

      – assistance in setting realistic goals?

      – feedback about expectations?

      – information about funding opportunities?

      – professional development opportunities and connections?

      – aid with the job search?

      • Do you need someone who will be encouraging and nurturing or are you more comfortable with a higher level of autonomy and independence?

      • Do more experienced students and the graduates from the research mentor’s group develop professional independence and transition to the status of junior colleague?

      • If you are interested in a particular career outcome after your degree, will this mentor be able to support this interest and help to launch you on this trajectory?

      Even when you find the “perfect fit,” it is important to realize that you will need to develop other mentors beyond your primary research mentor throughout your research experience. The pool of possible mentors is large and includes other faculty members, research staff members, postdoctoral researchers, as well as other students at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.

       Student Perspective

      “Other goals that might help me to become an independent researcher include making sure to seek the advice of the experienced researchers and research mentors I may work with in the future, and staying honest with myself about who I am and what I want. Taking guidance from mentors and forming close relationships with them seems to me to be one of the main ways people find their place in the research world. Mentors know how the research world works and can give good advice to young researchers on what steps to take to get where they ultimately want to be. This is where the second goal is important. I want to remain conscientious about where my path leads me and to make sure at all times that I am not being funneled into an area or profession that will be unfulfilling. I don’t want to look back in my middle ages and wonder what happened.”

       ASSIGNMENT 2-2:GROUP ACTIVITY – RESEARCH INTERVIEWS WITH OTHER STUDENTS

      Overview: This activity will give you the opportunity to find out about the research that others are interested in and express your own interests about research. The objectives for this activity depend on your prior experience.

      1. For students with research experience: you will have the opportunity to practice your communication skills in the context of the research you are conducting and reflect on the progress you have made as a researcher.

      2. For students inexperienced with research: the interviews will give you the opportunity to learn more about the kinds of research being undertaken on your campus. The in-class interview activity should also help to increase your comfort level when talking to potential faculty research mentors outside of class.

      Preparation: be sure take time to think about the following in preparation for the interviews.

      For students inexperienced with research:

      • Brainstorm questions that you might ask. (Note: you will be doing more than one interview and you will be conducting interviews with students having different levels of research experience.)

      • Some suggested started questions might include the following:

      – What is your area of research?

      – How did you get involved with the research are you are currently working in?

      – Has your research experience been what you expected?

      – Have you run into any stumbling blocks in your research? How did you overcome them?

      – What approaches would you suggest for finding a research project?

      • You will need to listen actively and do your best to ask probing follow-up questions based upon hearing the initial response.

      For students experienced with research:

      • Consider the starter questions posed above and what you feel would be the most valuable information to discuss with a student inexperienced with research.

      • Use the strategies discussed in Chapter 7 to organize your thoughts.

       ASSIGNMENT 2-3:INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT – PROFESSIONALISM IN EMAIL INTERACTIONS

      There will be many occasions throughout your research career where you will need to initiate contact with someone via email. This is an important opportunity for you to make a good first impression by displaying professionalism in your email communications. It can be a big mistake to approach this initial interaction casually or sloppily.

      Write precisely and clearly so that your meaning is understood. It is not appropriate to include emoticons or emoji, but you want to be sure that your message comes across with the right tone. Don’t use humor or sarcasm. Check your spelling and grammar. Err on the side of formality. The person reading the email will make a lot of assumptions about you based on the limited information that the email contains. You want to ensure these assumptions are as positive as possible.

      The message should begin with a salutation. “Dear Prof. Smith” is appropriate, “Hey” is not. State your request up front. Tell the person who you are and why you are making this request. Indicate how you would like to follow up (e.g., “I would appreciate it if we could set up a meeting. I am available….”, or “Thank you in advance for your reply.”) Your message should include enough information to be clear, but not be so long that it will not be read.

      At the bottom of your message you should have a signature block with your contact information. Something simple like the following will suffice:

      Ima N. Gineer

      Undergraduate Student, Engineering Mechanics Program

      University of Wisconsin-Madison

      Cell: 999-999-9999

      Your assignment is to compose an email to a faculty member using the above guidance. This message should do one of the following.

      • Request an opportunity to meet and discuss the research being undertaken in their research group.