SPH-B chapter of the campus-wide Faculty 2 Faculty Mentoring program gets underway

On February 19, Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington (SPH-B) faculty formally kicked off their campus chapter of Faculty to Faculty (F2F) Mentorship Program, a campus-wide initiative sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

The celebratory lunch was held in the Coronation Room in the IMU Tudor Room. Currently there are 10 mentees and 13 mentors involved in this year-long program, according to Dr. Jerono Rotich, associate dean for organizational climate, inclusion, and belonging. The key objective of the program is providing support for faculty success and retention across IU.

"We advertised the program in the fall (2023), and we have a Microsoft Teams group that provides resources for the mentors as well as the mentees," says Dr. Rotich. "People leave because they feel they are not successful and so we want to make sure we can give our faculty the support they need so they want to stay."

Dr. Rotich says many participants have taken advantage of Tudor Tuesdays and Wednesdays, where participants can sign up to enjoy a free lunch in the Tudor Room while conducting mentorship meetings.

“You’ll see a lot of School of Public Health-Bloomington faculty there, either as a big group or a small meeting,” says Dr. Rotich. “It is an incentive to meet up despite everyone’s busy schedules, and they can go there every week.”

Mentors and mentees were paired up based on an assessment of needs and areas of interest. Dr. Hsien-Chang Lin, who was the sole recipient of the 2023 American Academy of Health Behavior Mentorship Award, is mentoring colleague Dr. Wura Jacobs on "crafting a compelling dossier for tenure and promotion."

“Specifically, our discussions have centered on refining the articulation of the research program, honing strategies for effective grant writing, and implementing tactics to boost research productivity,” shares Dr. Lin. “I am passionate about nurturing the success of young scholars, having greatly benefited from mentorship during my early career as a junior faculty member.”

Dr. Lin adds that he was “eager” to be a part of F2F in order to share the benefit of his professional experiences and collaborate with mentees on achieving shared goals. Dr. Jacobs says she was drawn to the program because of the support it offers during the "stressful period" of starting a new faculty position.

 "I knew I needed guidance and support navigating the complexities of the position so that I can be well set up for career development and future success," says Dr. Jacobs.

Associate Professor Jon Agley, who is acting as a "spare" mentor for interested faculty members, found the February celebration very helpful in identifying available mentors, their strengths, and what faculty mentees were looking for. Also having more mentors than mentees at the moment allows for more tailored input to faculty who have specific questions related to his area of expertise.

"I think the program will be especially valuable in keying newer faculty into the resources that are available on campus and in the school," says Dr. Agley. "Our school does a pretty good job of advertising resources but more than once at the lunch, I mentioned a place people could go for a resource and many people had not heard of it before."

SPH-B Dean David Allison adds that the phrase "Mentors matter" has been said before, echoed in the school’s advisor Dr. Charlie Nelms’ book, and reiterated throughout the school on both signage and promotional materials.

"In my own career, I would not have been able to pursue my path and stay in the game with the joy and vigor that I have were it not for mentors," says Dean Allison. "I continue to receive mentorship today and try to repay it by mentoring others and helping others mentor each other. I thank Dr. Rotich, Indiana University, and all of you who are participating for maintaining this tradition through this new effort." 

For more stories about SPH-B faculty support initiatives, visit go.iu.edu/48bx.