Statler College announces new mentorship program for faculty, staff and students

The Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources at West Virginia University has announced a new mentorship program designed to create a sense of belonging, community and support network among students, faculty and staff in the College.

Story by Olivia Miller, Communications Specialist
Photos by Paige Nesbit, Director of Marketing and Communications

Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

The newly developed informal mentoring program created by the College’s Associate Dean for Student, Faculty and Staff Engagement Cerasela Zoica Dinu, in collaboration with Glen H. Hiner Dean Pedro Mago, has been designed to include multiple aspects of academic life, including balancing professional and family obligations. The programs are intended to freely address the needs of the participants as they advance through their careers.

Dinu explained the process for the program will be self-selection, in which mentors and mentees engage in a mutual partnership to establish an open and beneficial partnership, unrestricted by an academic unit. Additionally, the informal program is designed to be attentive to mentoring across different backgrounds, professional stage, gender, sexual orientation, race and culture.

The new mentorship program is broken down into three categories — junior faculty, where members will have the opportunity to be paired with senior faculty to receive guidance on career development; all faculty and staff, where members could be mentored by volunteers from different academic units including the dean’s office; and undergraduate and graduate students, where students will be paired with alumni or other successful professionals with a passion for mentoring and dedication to WVU and the College, if they choose to participate. 

“I’m a strong believer that mentoring is a valuable investment in the future of the College to promote and sustain academic excellence,” Mago said.

The program has been tailored to aid in the personal and professional development of the College’s stakeholders to give them opportunities to support and help them thrive in their careers.

“I am really excited to be part of this initiative and help launch it,” Dinu said. “I see mentorship as a vital component of academic success at every stage; support to navigate the demands of an ever-evolving society is not only welcomed but it can help assure continuous improvement and integration while boosting performance and individual achievements.

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