The PS Mentor Program is an initiative by the School of Physical Sciences to help undergraduate students succeed professionally and academically. Students have the opportunity to meet professionals who will expose them to the many career paths and industries available in the Physical Sciences. Mentors share their academic and career experience and offer guidance and advice to the mentee. The program takes place annually from September May. Each mentor decides how many students he/she wants to mentor. The School hosts three mandatory events throughout the year, however it is strongly encouraged that students/mentors dedicate at least two hours per month to build the relationship.

Students

1. Apply online during the window when applications are accepted and list your preferred mentors.
2. Attend a mandatory orientation. NOTE: To guarantee a space in the program, you need to attend orientation.
3. Attend the Mentor/Mentee Interviews directly following orientation. The interviews are a chance for you to get to know multiple mentors and compare interests/goals.
4. The program coordinator will match you with a mentor after the Mentor/Mentee Interviews, and email you his/her contact info.
5. Send an introductory email to your mentor.
6. Attend PS Mentor Program Events and stay in touch with your mentor on a regular basis.

Mentors

1. Complete an online mentor profile.
2. Attend Mentor/Mentee Interviews, which will allow you to interact with various mentees and help you in selecting your preferred mentee that shares your common interests and goals. Note: If you are a remote mentor, we will pair you up with a mentee based on common career goals and interests.
3. Expect an email from your matched student.
4. Attend PS Mentor Program Events and stay in touch with your student on a regular basis.

Each mentor and student partnership has the flexibility to create the mentoring relationship they want. Some duos chose to have remote partnerships meaning mentors live in another city/state and the two communicate via skype or telephone instead of meeting in-person. Other duos chose to meet regularly to discuss goals and plan activities. Some mentors have the opportunity to offer their mentees job shadowing, company tours, or networking opportunities. While other mentors are experts at offering academic advice and stories about their research and educational experiences. The key is to indicate in your online profile the type of mentoring and activities that you hope to obtain from the program.

The more information shared in your online profile the higher chance you have of a best suitable mentor/student match. The program coordinator uses the online profiles as primary sources for the matching process. Be specific about the kind of mentoring relationship you want and the kind of activities you are willing to partake-in or offer (i.e. Networking, job shadowing, company tours, academic advice, research advice, resume building, in-person meetings vs. remote communication, etc.).

Students and mentors are required to dedicate two hours per month to the mentoring partnership. Each partnership determines how they want to dedicate their time (i.e. telephone conversations, skype, activities and events, coffee, lunch, etc.)

Yes. PSUM events are resourceful and instructional particularly for students. We hope that all students attend events at all times. We have arranged seating at our events and will do our best to seat you with a group that shares similar interests as you. It is also a great opportunity to meet other mentors and seek their mentorship as well.

Students should always dress professionally when interacting with a professional group. PSUM events are considered professional events and students should dress in business attire.

Please contact the program coordinator, Stefanie Masuda at psuminfo@uci.edu, anytime you have a question or concern. We are always here to help you. Feel free to also stop by Rowland Hall 134 - even to say hello!