The Faculty Catalyst is a biannual newsletter dedicated to supporting faculty in their roles as educators and mentors. It provides practical strategies, evidence-based approaches, and insights to enhance teaching, strengthen mentorship, and foster productive faculty-student relationships. The newsletter also examines common challenges faculty face in these areas, highlights emerging tools and technologies that can aid in teaching and mentoring, and offers resources and workshops to help faculty refine their approach over time.
Below, you will find current and past issues of The Faculty Catalyst. Click on an issue to explore its topics.
Spring 2025 (Inaugural Issue): Exploring Active Learning strategies, Generative AI in academia, and faculty development workshops.
Questions?
[email protected]
Effective mentoring of graduate students is perhaps the most important responsibility of GSBS faculty members. Strong and sustained mentoring has been linked to research productivity, wellness and career success. As we continue our commitment to provide the best graduate education environment for our students, all GSBS faculty are now required to participate in our Mentoring Works! mentor training program. Faculty who have done so will have the Mentoring Works emblem on their GSBS faculty page.
Questions?
For Faculty-related information, please contact GSBS Faculty Affairs
Registration
Mentoring Works! is modeled on an evidence-based approach to mentor training developed by the Wisconsin Center for Education Research at The University of Wisconsin. The goal of these workshops is to enhance mentoring skills of faculty in the biomedical sciences through facilitated peer-to peer discussions. All GSBS faculty are required to take Mentoring Works!.
Registration:
Below are the dates of the upcoming Mentoring Works! sessions with links to the registration.
Workshop Format
These workshops will be highly interactive and dependent on faculty participation through peer-to-peer discussions. The workshops will be facilitated by members of the dean's office and GSBS faculty volunteers who are experienced mentors and have completed mentor training. Each virtual workshop will be held over a five hour period with breaks.
Topics covered will include:
- Maintaining Effective Communication
- Establishing and Aligning Expectation
- Fostering Trust
- Emotional Intelligence
Frequently Asked Questions
I've already taken Mentoring Works!. Do I have to take it again?
If you’ve already completed Mentoring Works! at GSBS you do not have to take again at the present time. However, in the future we plan to develop refresher workshops of Mentoring Works! that will address new topics.
I've taken the GCC/Rice version of this training. Do I need to take Mentoring Works!?
The GCC/Rice workshop does meet the same goals as Mentoring Works! and is sufficient to waive the Mentoring Works! requirement as long as you have taken this course within the past 5 years.
If have questions, please contact Jennifer Price at [email protected]
Dr. Peggy Hsieh is proud to present a series of Faculty Development Workshops organized by the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS). These workshops are designed to enhance the professional skills and teaching methodologies of faculty members, fostering an environment of continuous learning and improvement within the academic community.
Upcoming Workshops:
Creating and Delivering Effective PowerPoint Presentation
February 27, 2025
1:00 - 2:00 pm
GSBS Large Classroom - BSRB S3.8371
Register
Writing Letters of Recommendation that Stand Out
March 28, 2025
12:45 - 1:45 pm
GSBS Large Classroom - BSRB S3.8371
Register
