• Bioinformatics.ca Jobs Board: http://bioinformatics.ca/jobs
• Bioinformatics.org Jobs Board: http://www.bioinformatics.org/jobs/
• Biostar Jobs Board: https://www.biostars.org/t/jobs/

MentorNet News – May 2010 Volume 2

e-mentoring for diversity in engineering and science In This Issue We're Impressed! 2010 Women's Empowerment Campaign Subconscious Bias Perpetuates Gender Gap America COMPETES - Not Yet! SD Bechtel Jr. Foundation Grant Will Help MentorNet Reach More Students Book Highlights E-mentoring and Diversity Mentors Sought for New PBS Program! Quick Links We're Impressed! The American College of Sports Medicine recently started a "call for mentors" campaign and in less than a month they had 24 new mentors signed up. We are delighted to see their program grow! If you want to learn more about ACSM, go to their website at www.acsm.org 2010 Women's Empowerment Campaign Do you support our work and mission? If so, share your experience and opinion about MentorNet before May 31st and help us make GreatNonProfit's Top-Rated Women's Empowerment Nonprofits list! Click here to provide your rating. Thank you! Intel Celebrates 2010 International Science and Engineering Fair The Intel Science and Engineering Fair is the largest pre-college science fair competition. On May 14, 2010, the world's most promising young scientists and mathematicians gathered here in San Jose, California for this unique event. Amy Cindy Chyao won first prize, followed by Kevin Michael Ellis and Yale Wang Fan who won second and third respectively. Congratulations! See more about the winners here. Featured Quote "[Katie Washington, Notre Dame's first black valedictorian] needed to overcome the feeling of isolation that set in, a sentiment often experienced by students of color pursuing STEM degrees at predominately White institutions." -- Michelle J. Nealy, Diverse Education Read full story here. Want to Share? Do you want to contribute to our newsletter? If so, please send submissions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. -MentorNet Editor May 26, 2010 www.mentornet.net Subconscious Bias Perpetuates Gender Gap Last week we were invited to attend the 2010 NCWIT summit in Portland, Oregon, with its impressive array of presentations. One in particular, "The role of implicit bias in perpetuation of the gender gap in science and technology" by Dr. Brian Nosek, Department of Psychology at University of Virginia, made me wonder how much we are at the mercy of subconscious factors when we make decisions, even when we have the best of intentions. One of the studies cited found that when asked which firefighter had the best credentials for promotion, the percentage was always higher for the male candidate, no matter which credentials were attached. And when the participants were asked why they had chosen this candidate, they did not say that it was because of his gender. They were convinced that it was the credentials that influenced their decision. According to the researcher, this phenomenon is called "shifting": when the criterion moves in order to accommodate a subconscious prejudice. The difficulty in fighting this phenomenon is that the person making the decision is not conscious at all that it was gender that determined the final outcome and not the credentials. -Alejandra Velásquez, Director of Media and Communications America COMPETES - Not Yet! Two weeks ago, MentorNet proudly joined hundreds of other organizations to urge passage of the America COMPETES Act. This bill would have funded the scientific, research, and technical innovation base of this nation, and given access to STEM education for broader populations at unprecedented levels. Unfortunately, the wheels came off this visionary attempt to invest in America's future. Partisan concerns gutted the bill and weighed it down with provisions that were meant to undermine it, so its sponsors yanked it rather than see it pass to do more harm than good. If you care at all about basic scientific research, technical innovation, engineering and higher education, if you believe that one of the best and most critical acts of a government is to invest in education for all, if you're worried that the U.S. is losing its place as the world's premiere engine of knowledge and human advancement, then please write your congressperson. A simple, well-reasoned and sincere letter will do. It is possible that she or he was among the 122 Democrats and virtually unanimous Republican bloc that let this important moment slip. I used to think it was a cliché, but after spending time visiting members of Congress for several causes, including MentorNet's, I learned that even a single voice can be influential. I also believe that linking discovery to democracy, putting new knowledge and its attendant power to create new technology in the hands of those who also promote freedom, is one of the highest ideals we can pursue. The alternatives can be disastrous. They say engineers and scientists tend to be apolitical. I believe there's nothing more political than new knowledge and ensuring everyone is invited to drink at its fountain. Please join me in making yourself heard. You can read the ASEE's great and more thorough account here. -David Porush, CEO SD Bechtel Jr. Foundation Grant Will Help MentorNet Reach More Students The S.D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation has awarded MentorNet a two-part $100,000 grant to pursue ways to reach more students with our award-winning mentoring program. The first half of the grant will go to studying and planning the launch of a broad-based Web and outreach campaign. The second half, to be awarded upon the completion of a convincing plan, will support MentorNet in its execution. Last year, I received this email from a student: "Dear MentorNet, I had been looking forward to enrolling in Mentornet ever since I decided to major in electrical engineering. But I was stunned to find out that my campus no longer offers it because it couldn't pay the annual fee due to cutbacks. As an Hispanic woman, isn't there some way I can qualify to join anyway? I really need a mentor!" In keeping with this week's theme that one voice can make a difference, this email inspired us to find a way to provide a service without starving our operations into oblivion. Thankfully, S.D. Bechtel Jr Foundation listened. If you have any suggestions, we would welcome them. When we find the solution, you'll be the first to know. -David Porush, CEO Book Highlights E-mentoring and Diversity "Almost everyone who has been mentored at some time during their life will mentor someone else," writes Thomas Landefeld in his latest book, Mentoring and Diversity: Tips for Students and Professionals for Developing and Maintaining a Diverse Scientific Community (Springer, 2009). This book illuminates the value of mentoring among "those students who have not experienced the advantages of those who were privileged to have had guidance." Landefeld, professor of biology at California State University-Dominguez Hills, compares face-to-face mentoring to e-mentoring. While he lauds the personalization of body language and expression, he appreciates what modern technology can do for communication, essentially bringing people "next door" to each other. He gives as an example his own experience of mentoring students through email, stating, "'Long-distance' mentoring has provided an important component to the process of mentoring, in that a time continuum can be effectively established." Landefeld proceeds to acknowledge MentorNet as a "national organization [that]... has had great success with e-mentoring in addressing the under-representation in science and engineering." -Leila Armush, Communications Consultant Mentors Sought for New PBS Program! WGBH, the Boston affiliate of PBS, is currently seeking mentors for its Time to Invent Club, a new program that places young STEM professionals and college students in after-school sites once a week. The program is designed to inspire middle school students in underserved community to explore inventions in STEM. Volunteer mentors are needed for the fall 2010- spring 2011 program in Massachusetts (Boston/Worcester) and Indiana (Indianapolis/Lafayette). To learn more, contact Liza Silverman at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or at (617) 300-3642. -Lisa Jennings, Senior Consultant on Strategic Partnerships and Outreach Join Our List MentorNet is a 501(C)(3) California non-profit educational organization. Our mission is to help aspiring engineering and science students and professionals at the university level - especially women and underrepresented minorities - achieve their career goals by matching them with mentors and guiding their one-on-one relationships over the Web. We are funded by fees from our campus, corporate, government laboratory and society partners and by grants from public and private foundations.

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MentorNet News – May 2010 Volume 1

e-mentoring for diversity in engineering and science In This Issue Congratulations to our Winners! The Invincibelle and the Trust Prompt AAAS' Daryl Chubin Cites MentorNet as a Leader Global Competitiveness and U.S. Talent Development Conference MentorNet at MDWIT Conference Quick Links Featured Quote "If I could offer one piece of advice to all students, it would be to seek a mentor. If I could offer a second: become a mentor." -- Prof. Steven Lerman, Vice Chancellor for Graduate Studies, MIT A Web Design and Marketing Firm that Gets It Are you looking for a great web design firm? The closer we get to the launch of our new website, the better it looks, thanks in large part to our web design partners, Julie and Dave Darby of MyWebPilot.  They not only delivered a great design and surmounted some very challenging programming hurdles in the backend, they built in very favorable costs because they loved our mission [Check out some of their work for career women]. Moreover, they recognized the scarcity of our resources and understood the complex layers of our service, delivering great solutions every time. It's our turn to help repay them by letting you know they're available. Email Julie Darby at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call her at (772) 419-8690 and let her know MentorNet sent you. Thank You to Our New and Renewing Partners in April Brooklyn College of CUNY Lockheed Martin Space Systems New Mexico State University Northwestern University University of California, San Diego University of Southern California May 2010, Vol. I www.mentornet.net Congratulations to our Winners! Nora Dominguez, Director, Mentoring Institute, University of New Mexico We're excited to announce the winners of our Spring Campaign to recruit new protégés, ending on the anniversary of Anita Borg's death, April 6th. University of New Mexico won for the highest number of signups, and University of Hawaii, Manoa, for the highest ratio of signups to size of the student body. They both receive 10% off their MentorNet annual fees for next year. The campus "Reps" at these universities are the true champions of this contest. Nora Dominguez, Director of the Mentoring Institute at University of New Mexico said, "Our goal is to create opportunities for our students to establish professional networks at early stages of their careers in order to enhance the quality of their education and to envision their careers after graduation." Isla Young, program manager of the Women in Technology Project at the Maui Economic Development Board in Hawaii, said, "Women in Technology (WIT) have been pleased to sponsor MentorNet at all of our UH-system campuses for nearly a decade because we know everyone enters STEM pathways from a different portal, and MentorNet has been a key tool in keeping women and minorities in the STEM pipeline." Continue reading here. -Leila Armush, Media and Communications Consultant The Invincibelle and the Trust Prompt Yesterday I met Deepika Bajaj, Founder and President of Invincibelles. Go to her site (www.deepikabajaj.com) and you'll see why I was eager to meet her. Among her many accomplishments - former electrical engineer for AT&T, author of  Diversity/Tweet, serial entrepreneur -  she's now turning her considerable energy and vision to building "a community for ... women who live and work in this flat world economy." In the course of our conversation, Deepika gave me not one but two mentoring moments. The first came when we were comparing the kinds of cultures we try to build in our respective organizations. Deepika said, "You know, trust lowers the cost of doing business." Wow. This was one of those moments: an insight so simple but so powerful you know it's going to keep you meditating on it for a long time to come. In this case, I was immediately tempted to incorporate the subject of TRUST into our program. Trust, as Deepika said, among all its other obvious benefits to the happiness and psychic health of a company, also makes good business sense. It reduces time-consuming second-guessing and checking to a minimum. When there's trust, there's a reliable handoff and collaboration. Teammates' efforts amplify each other. Continue reading here. -David Porush, CEO AAAS' Daryl Chubin Cites MentorNet as a Leader on Mentoring Studies On April 28, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) held a teleconference announcing its new publication Navigating a Complex Landscape to Foster Greater Faculty and Student Diversity in Higher Education. During the call, authors Dr. Daryl Chubin, Director of the Center for the Advancing Science and Engineering Capacity, Dr. Shirley M. Malcom, Head of Education and Human Resources Programs and Jamie Lewis Keith, Vice President and General Counsel, University of Florida reflect on mentoring as a key component to the advancement of students and faculty. Chubin referenced a leading report published by MentorNet that found "students of color claimed to benefit more from mentoring than non-minorities..." Continue reading here. -Lisa Jennings, Senior Consultant on Strategic Partnerships and Outreach MentorNet at Global Competitiveness and U.S. Talent Development Conference Strengthening America's talent pool has never been more important to this country's economic growth and security. That's why MentorNet joined government leaders, policy makers, and practitioners from the non-profit and academic communities in Washington, DC at the George Washington University Marvin Center for a half-day conference on Developing and Managing Talent in the U.S. for a Competitive Global Economy. Panel discussions addressed education and talent development policies, workforce development policies, innovation, and competitiveness. Conference attendees were encouraged to expand access to employment beyond traditional job training services and broaden the scope of growth strategies to include an array of industry-valued skills. Mentoring was highlighted as a critical tool among these efforts. -Lisa Jennings, Senior Consultant on Strategic Partnerships and Outreach MentorNet at Multinational Development of Women in Technology's (MDWIT) Conference MentorNet was represented well at the "Global Diversity: Enriching Technology" MDWIT conference held in Columbia, MD. Lisa J. Jennings served on the Mentors and Protégés panel and offered an insiders' perspective on effective strategies to maintain productive relationships through structured mentoring programs. Says Jennings, "It was very important that MentorNet's voice and message was heard by the young women who attended this conference. MentorNet is the only online mentoring resource of its kind specifically for students and early career professionals pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degrees and careers." MentorNet's program was held up as exemplary for its basis in fundamentals necessary for an effective mentoring relationship: privacy, clear guidelines and expectations, ongoing support, and the recruitment of committed volunteer professionals as mentors. "We are very excited about what MentorNet offers our protégés," said Jennings. "We're also excited for our mentors, many of whom are breaking through digital communication and generational barriers. MentorNet gives seasoned STEM professionals the opportunity not only to become re-energized about their careers by engaging younger audiences but to also make a smooth transition into the digital world." Continue reading here. Join Our List MentorNet is a 501(C)(3) California non-profit educational organization. Our mission is to help engineering and science students at the university level - especially women and underrepresented minorities - achieve their career goals by matching them with mentors and guiding their one-on-one relationships over the Web. We are funded by fees from our campus, corporate, government laboratory and society partners and by grants from public and private foundations.

MentorNet News – April 2010 Volume 1

e-mentoring for diversity in engineering and science In This Issue Featured Video You're Invited! AAUW: Mentoring Crucial for Women's STEM Success Mentoring Boosts PhD Completion, Attrition Rates Computer Engineer Barbie: Geek Chic or Wrong Message? NY Times: Mentoring Helps Retain Women in Engineering Teachers Inspire Tomorrow's Chemists Most Quick Links Featured Video Words of Wisdom MentorNet's veteran volunteer, Steve Schlosser, worked his last day on March 22, 2010. At his going-away bash, he gave this touching speech. Thank You to March's New and Renewing Partners 3M Agilent EPFL Swiss Federal Institute, Lausanne Evolution Tri Societies The Mathworks We need Beta Testers! Are you interested in testing out our upgraded, soon-to-be-released MentorNet website? If so, please send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ';document.getElementById('cloak378c08a90cf13525b52c7d9dade8edea').innerHTML += ''+addy_text378c08a90cf13525b52c7d9dade8edea+'<\/a>'; and we will send you the details. Thanks! Join Our List April 2010, Vol. I www.mentornet.net YOU'RE INVITED! Join us for an Evening of Camaraderie, Fun and Games in the D.C. Area! WHAT: MentorNet wants to thank its community across the Washington, DC/MD/VA area for helping protégés achieve their full potential. Don't miss this chance to make new friends and network face-to-face with mentors and industry partners. Fun, food, and a raffle--including a grand prize! WHEN: Monday, April 12, 5:00 - 7:00 pm WHERE: Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards, Salons A&B, 110 South Eutaw Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 Please RSVP to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Click here to view invitation online. AAUW: Mentoring Crucial for Women's STEM Success A new study finds that mentoring plays a critical role in women's success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) at the collegiate, student and faculty levels. The American Association of University's (AAUW) new report, Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, reports that colleges and universities can make substantial gains in the recruitment and retention of women with small changes, including the implementation of mentoring programs. The report encourages senior faculty members to initiate informal mentoring opportunities for junior faculty. According to the AAUW, women are less likely than men to have mentors, which can have a negative impact on their ability to fit into their STEM academic communities. According to Cathy Trower at the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) at Harvard University, "Mentoring is crucial for STEM women because without it, they might not be privy to the good old boys' club or behind the scenes conversations that are crucial to fitting in the department and to getting tenure." AAUW's press release of Why So Few? was held in Washington, DC on the campus of George Washington University. Over 500 viewers attended virtually. Access the launch event here. -Lisa Jennings, Senior Consultant on Strategic Partnerships and Outreach Mentoring Boosts PhD Completion Rates A new study finds that while mentoring is a strong influencer in PhD completion rates, it "is practiced and valued unevenly in doctoral programs." A report by the Council of Graduate Schools' PhD Completion Project suggests that mentoring should provide a more structured approach, including resources for students and faculty, regularity and uniformity of progress review, early advising, mentor training and pairing among external mentors; in short, much of what the MentorNet program provides. Learn more about the PhD Project and access the executive summary here. -Lisa Jennings, Senior Consultant on Strategic Partnerships and Outreach Computer Engineer Barbie: Geek Chic or Wrong Message? Computer engineer Barbie, which will be released by Mattel in winter 2010, comes with a smartphone, Bluetooth headset, laptop travel bag, and pink laptop. Nora Lin, President of Society of Women Engineers, says, "All the girls who imagine their futures through Barbie will learn that engineers, like girls, are free to explore infinite possibilities." Still, others aren't sure whether to celebrate. "Whether you think she's geek chic or feel that her highly sexualized figure and clothing sends the wrong message, the fact is that Barbie has a big impact on girls," writes Donna Milgram, Executive Director of the National Institute for Women in Trades, Technology and Science (IWITTS). "Now, I'd rather have Barbie be a computer engineer than say, 'Math class is hard'... but what I'd really prefer is for real role models to become as popular among young girls as Barbie is," Milgram adds. -Leila Armush, Media and Communications Consultant NY Times: Mentoring Helps Retain Women in Engineering In a recent New York Times article, McGill University economist, Jennifer Hunt, examines backlash from unequal pay and promotion among women working in male-dominated environments and cites mentoring as a viable tool to retain women in engineering professions. According to Hunt, "A number of big banks have launched female mentoring networks... [and if] part of the problem in a male-dominated environment is that it's more difficult for women to network - grabbing a beer at a sports bar after work may appeal more to one gender than to the other - then deliberately trying to build those bonds might help." -Lisa Jennings, Senior Consultant on Strategic Partnerships and Outreach Teachers Inspire Tomorrow's Chemists Most A Bayer survey of female and minority chemists and chemical engineers shows that teachers have overwhelmingly more influence than parents on inspiring students to pursue STEM fields. 70 percent say teachers had the biggest influence at the elementary level, while nearly 90 percent made this claim at the high school level. -Leila Armush, Media and Communications Consultant MentorNet is a 501(C)(3) California non-profit educational organization. Our mission is to help engineering and science students at the university level - especially women and underrepresented minorities - achieve their career goals by matching them with mentors and guiding their one-on-one relationships over the Web. We are funded by fees from our campus, corporate, government laboratory and society partners and by grants from public and private foundations.

MentorNet News – April 2010 Volume 2

e-mentoring for diversity in engineering and science In This Issue Featured Job Opportunity 5 Million Reasons to Love Your Local Community College Edgar's Story: My Journey to MentorNet MentorNet Celebrates WEPAN/NAMEPA Partnerships in Baltimore Report: HSIs Key to Spurring Latino Movement Women Still Out of Start-Up Funding Game Spelman Gets $1M for Engineers Quick Links Featured Job Opportunity IBM has opened a new Technical Services Delivery Center in Dubuque, Iowa. This center has created approximately 1,300 jobs.  IBM is seeking talented Technical Support Specialists who would be responsible for problem and change tickets for client server support operations. To view additional information about IBM Job Opportunities and to apply for opportunities in their Dubuque, Iowa center, please click here. Latina Mentors and Proteges Sought Mega M Subramaniam, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland, is conducting a study on the barriers faced by Latinas in IT. If you are a former or current Latina MentorNet mentor or protégé in an IT-related discipline (computer engineering, computer science and entertainment media) and are interested in participating, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The interview will take approximately one hour. Thank you! We Need Beta Testers! Are you interested in testing out our upgraded, soon-to-be-released MentorNet website? If so, please send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will send you the details. Thanks! Join Our List April 2010, Vol. II www.mentornet.net 5 Million Reasons to Love Your Local Community College They need to graduate that many additional students by 2020 for the well-being of the US economy I love community colleges. They are the strivers and scrappers, like their students. And now after years of being "considered the backwater of higher education" (as today's Wall Street Journal noted), the spotlight is on them and their future looks brighter. I just returned from the American Association of Community College annual convention in Seattle where the CC Presidents from across the nation promised to answer President Obama's call for five million extra graduates by 2020. Continue reading here. -David Porush, CEO of MentorNet Edgar's Story: My Journey to MentorNet Edgar Lobaton in Macchu Picchu, Peru. I learned about MentorNet during the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in the Science (SACNAS) National Conference. At the time, I was looking for ways to motivate students into higher education at institutions where research opportunities may not be available. I had almost convinced myself that there was no organization that offered a remote mentoring program when I heard someone mention MentorNet. Due to my personal journey and my firm belief that technology offers an invaluable opportunity to interact and reach individuals in ways that are not otherwise feasible, I decided to join MentorNet and share my experiences with students overcoming the same life challenges that I have encountered. Continue reading here. -Edgar Lobaton, Contributor MentorNet Celebrates WEPAN/NAMEPA Partnership in Baltimore Hundreds of professionals from the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) community gathered in Baltimore, Maryland, to celebrate WEPAN and NAMEPA at their 4th joint conference, and MentorNet was among the well-wishers! The focus of this year's conference was to share and investigate ideas that diversify the field of engineering through increasing the participation of women and minorities. Themed "Setting Sail for the Future: Leveraging Diversity for a Stronger Crew", the conference offered attendees a one-of-a-kind experience with explorations in diversity, policy, funding, strategies to cultivate the next generation of engineers, and effective messaging. MentorNet, a long-time supporter of WEPAN, hosted its first-ever networking event on the east coast and participated in the showcase sponsored by Intel. Click here to see photos and read more! -Lisa Jennings, Senior Consultant on Strategic Partnerships and Outreach Report: HSIs Key to Spurring Latino Movement Through STEM Pipeline A Center for Urban Education (CUE) report argues that reversing the historic underfunding of Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) will increase the number of Latino students moving into the science and technology fields because it would lead to improved transfer pathways between community colleges and HSIs. The study, called "Improving Transfer Access to STEM Bachelor's Degrees at Hispanic-Serving Institutions Through the America COMPETES Act," found that although participation rates are increasing, Latinos were awarded just 8.2 percent of STEM bachelor's degrees in 2007. Read the full article here. -Diverse Education Women Still Out of Start-Up Funding Game Is the tech industry a meritocracy in the United States? Is the VC community ready to embrace a woman with a good idea? Some statistics published by the New York Times suggest that the answer is no: while women own 40% of the private businesses in the US, they create only 8% of venture-backed tech startups. There are many factors influencing these numbers. The article "Out of the Loop in Silicon Valley", featured in the Business section of the New York Times last Sunday, provides an in-depth analysis of gender discrepancies in the high-tech industry at different levels. The article touches on an aspect that is at the core of MentorNet's mission: how do we attract and retain women (and others underrepresented) in STEM: science, technology, engineering and math? According to this article, 1% of girls taking the SAT in 2009 said they wanted to major in computer or information sciences, compared to 5% of boys. Only 18% of all graduates from computer sciences in 2008 were women, down from 37% in 1985. The article suggests that having role models is paramount to attracting more women to the field. We agree. We also know from experience that having a mentor can be a deciding factor for a young woman to succeed in a male dominated field like technology. -Alejandra Velasquez, Director of Media and Communications Spelman Gets $1M for Engineers Spelman College has received a $1 million grant from ExxonMobil to increase the number of engineers who are black women. The college said six students majoring in a targeted science or math areas will be selected annually as ExxonMobil Scholars. In addition to the scholarship, they will receive mentoring, internships, research training and access to labs at Spelman and Georgia Tech. The historically black women's college is already ranked as one of the leading producers of black females who go on to earn doctoral degrees in science and engineering. -The Atlanta Journal-Constitution MentorNet is a 501(C)(3) California non-profit educational organization. Our mission is to help engineering and science students at the university level - especially women and underrepresented minorities - achieve their career goals by matching them with mentors and guiding their one-on-one relationships over the Web. We are funded by fees from our campus, corporate, government laboratory and society partners and by grants from public and private foundations.

Copyright © 2009 MentorNet. All Rights Reserved.

MentorNet News – March 2010 Volume 2

Race, Gender and Modeling Success New research suggests that when students have role models—professors and mentors—of the same race and gender in their field, it increases their chances of completing a degree. In his paper, "Analyzing the Factors That Influence Persistence Rates in STEM Field Majors," Joshua Price shows the strength of this influential factor. His work suggests that increasing minority faculty representation will increase retention among minorities. Price will present his findings at the Higher Education Research Institute conference in Cornell, the hub for interdisciplinary research on higher education. Access conference details and working papers now. Blue Waters Internship Seventeen undergraduate students will be selected to receive up to a  $5000 stipend over the summer and academic year  to attend a two-week intensive Petascale Institute at NCSA, May 23 through June 5, and support to attend the Supercomputing 2010 Education Program and conference in New Orleans. Click here to see the flyer, and visit the website for general information. Research Experience The Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) project is a nine-week program for students to work collaboratively on computational science projects and learn how to use the most current cyberinfrastructure tools with individually designed training sessions. This program will run from May 31, 2010 through July 30, 2010. Each student will receive a stipend of $4,500, free housing in university dormitories, and up to $500 in travel expenses to and from Baton Rouge, LA. Click here for more info. AT&T and MentorNet's Launch Mission to the HBCUs $75,000 grant will help MentorNet reach black engineering and science students This week, AT&T announced that it is supporting MentorNet's goal to open its program to Schools of Engineering and Science at historically black colleges and universities. Dr. Porush, CEO of MentorNet, met with several deans of these schools at the Black Engineer of the Year Award ceremony in Baltimore, and the MentorNet team will pursue partnerships through the Association of Minorities in Engineering and with individual instituions throughout the coming year. Click here to read the full press release. Richard "Shrimp" (left) and protege Shelley "Shrimp" get key advice from Training Manager Saty Raghavachary at Dreamworks. Don't Take 'No' For an Answer—With Style Shelley "Shrimp" Dangoor learns some valuable lessons about persistence from her mentor, Richard Wolf By Leila Armush, Media and Communications Consultant Richard Wolf, one of our dedicated veteran mentors, has broken new ground in many directions. He has taken on several protégés simultaneously and made them into a team. In addition, he encourages a shadow day and added a valuable new lesson to the mentor’s curriculum: don’t take no for an answer, and do it with style. “Team Shrimp” as Richard cleverly calls three MentorNet protégés and himself, share common questions while maintaining a confidential and supportive relationship with their mentor. A retired entertainment engineer, Richard understands the challenges of getting the big break in the entertainment industry. “Thousands of applications are likely to hit the recycle bin before the ink is dry,” Richard says, noting that a career-making internship is a critical element of a student's success. Fortunately for Shelley “Shrimp” Dangoor, a senior in mechanical engineering at Cal Poly, the feature film company Lola FX doesn't let applications sit in their recycle bin. They offered Shelley a paid internship with an award-winning special effects supervisor as her boss, working on a major budget feature film. She now reports directly to Edson Williams, co-owner and special effects supervisor with multiple awards and credits in over 100 films. Shelley’s first assignment is on the production of "The Social Network", a major feature film currently in production, with Oscar-nominated director David Fincher. Story continues here. From the Vault: The Impact of MentorNet Click on the video thumbnail above to watch heartfelt testimony about MentorNet's program—from professionals in industry and current college students. Alejandra Velásquez, Director of Media and Communications MentorNet Joins Global Marathon MentorNet joined the engineering community in its annual Global Marathon, an extension of the National Engineers Week Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day. MentorNet’s Alejandra Velásquez, Director of Media and Communications, conducted the Marathon’s first presentation on e-mentoring for girls interested in engineering and technology. The Global Marathon was one in a series of Eweek activities hosted by the National Engineers Week Foundation to increase the public’s understanding of engineering. WEPAN Conference The Women in Engineering ProActive Network (WEPAN) and the National Association for Multicultural Engineering Program Advocates (NAMEPA) will host their 4th joint conference at the Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor Hotel at Camden Yards in Baltimore, MD, April 12-14. This year’s conference theme “Setting Sail for the Future:  Leveraging Diversity for a Stronger Crew” will investigate ideas that diversify the field of engineering through increasing the participation of women and minorities, and MentorNet will be onboard. Click here for more info, and be sure to check April's newsletter for details on MentorNet activities!   MentorNet is a 501(C)(3) California non-profit educational organization. Our mission is to help engineering and science students at the university level - especially women and underrepresented minorities - achieve their career goals by matching them with mentors and guiding their one-on-one relationships over the Web. We are funded by fees from our campus, corporate, government laboratory and society partners and by grants from public and private foundations. 840 W. California Avenue Suite 200 | Sunnyvale, CA 94086 US

MentorNet News – March 2010 Volume 1

Featured Opportunities Grace Hopper 2010 The 10th Annual Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing (GHC) has opened its Call for Participation. The Grace Hopper Celebration will take place from September 28 - October 2, 2010, in Atlanta, Georgia. This year's theme "Collaborating Across Boundaries" recognizes the significant role women play in using technology to work across scientific, social, geographical, racial or political borders. The submission deadline is March 16, 2010. For more information, please visit their website. Global Marathon Each year, the National Engineers Week Foundation launches Engineers Week, a series of annual outreach programs and events designed to raise the public’s understanding and appreciation of engineering and the work of engineers. The Global Marathon, an extension of Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, offers a one-of-a-kind mentoring opportunity for girls interested in engineering and technology. Mark your calendar for the 2010 Global Marathon “Launching Tomorrow” on March 10-11. To learn more about the Global Marathon and join the live forum, click here. MIT Poster Contest At MIT, the School of Science is co-sponsoring a competition to make mentoring more visibly prominent in the minds of members of the science research community. The mentoring poster competition will recognize the best posters. Check out the website to see the wonderful ideas that emerged here and click on "browse posters." Get Mentor, Get More Grants? More female junior faculty in engineering and science have mentors, and when they do, they have a better chance of getting funding A recent study by the National Academy of Sciences showed that mentoring had a profound impact on the ability of women in academia to get grants, which in turn increases their chances of promotion and tenure. As a result, NAS issued a call to action for research institutions to initiate mentoring programs for new faculty. NAS was commissioned by Congress to assess gender differences in the careers of science, engineering and mathematics faculty. The study examined women’s participation and representation in the hiring process, professional activities, tenure, and promotions in science, engineering and math (SEM) disciplines. It found that 93% of women with mentors had a probability of receiving grant funding versus 68% women with no mentor. It also found that 49% of the males and 57% of the females had a mentor. The paper, Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, notes that “Institutional mentoring programs could help ensure that female faculty acquire grant funding, which in turn should have a positive effect on their promotion rates.” You can download the full study here. –Lisa Jennings, Senior Consultant for Strategic Partnerships and Outreach Obama Signs HBCU Executive Order On Friday, February 26, 2010, President Barack Obama signed an executive order to bolster the efforts of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. During the signing ceremony, Obama said, “This initiative originated in President Carter’s administration; it expanded under President Reagan; and its been renewed by each President since, to help these schools give their students every chance to live up to their full potential.” Dr. John S. Wilson will lead the Obama Administration’s efforts to partner with federal departments, agencies and offices. Wilson is chairman of the advisory board and a graduate of the historically black college Morehouse University. Access the full Executive Order here. –Lisa Jennings, Senior Consultant for Strategic Partnerships and Outreach MentorNet Congratulates the Black Engineer of the Year MentorNet extends its hearty congratulations to the winner of this year’s Black Engineer Award, John Harris, Vice President at Raytheon. Among his many professional roles in supply chain engineering, Harris also served as Raytheon’s Executive Diversity Champion. Thank You to February's New and Renewing Partners! • Foothill College •Milwaukee School of Engineering • Naval Research Lab • Rochester Community College • SanDisk • Santa Fe College • Surface Mount Tech Association • University of Nevada - Las Vegas Spring Recruitment Campaign Reminder In January, we launched our 2010 Spring Outreach Drive to recruit new proteges. The drive is off to a great start, with 495 new proteges signed up already! We are also recruiting mentors for our new proteges, so please help us out by spreading the word! The college or university with the highest number of newly recruited proteges will receive a 10% discount on their renewal fee. We will also offer a 10% renewal discount to the college or university with the highest ratio of recruits to school size. Does Hollywood Get Science Right? Television shows and movies may take you to worlds far away, but their makers, aware of viewers' need for believability, say they consult scientists to make things more real. "Audiences now demand that, or they hunger for it," Academy-Award winning director and producer Ron Howard said. Read more Follow Us on Our New Twitter Page! MentorNet is now on Twitter: twitter.com/mentornettweet. MentorNet is a 501(C)(3) California non-profit educational organization. Our mission is to help engineering and science students at the university level - especially women and underrepresented minorities - achieve their career goals by matching them with mentors and guiding their one-on-one relationships over the Web. We are funded by fees from our campus, corporate, government laboratory and society partners and by grants from public and private foundations. 840 W. California Avenue Suite 200 | Sunnyvale, CA 94086 US

MentorNet News – February 2010 Volume 2

Featured Opportunities 2010 C2B2-REU Program The Colorado Center for Biorefining & Biofuels (C2B2) is a collaboration involving over 200 principal investigators at four partner institutions. Join C2B2 in the Rocky Mountains this summer for the third annual C2B2-REU. The application deadline is February 22, 2010. Click here for more info and to apply. IMA Special Workshop The Institute for Mathematics and its Applications is having a conference in March entitled Career Options for Underrepresented Groups in Mathematical Sciences. The main goal of the workshop is to encourage underrepresented minorities in math-related fields to become prepared to work in the academics, industry or government labs. Talks will focus on the importance of networking, interviewing, negotiation and leadership skills.Click here for more info. FORWARD in SEM Focus on Reaching Women for Academics, Research and Development in Science, Engineering and Mathematics is a joint program of the George Washington and Gallaudet Universities. This workshop is provided for women and minorities who may be considering, or are currently in, a tenure track position in science, engineering or mathematics. Click here for more info and to apply. Building Collaborations for Research, Education and Outreach Save the Date! A one-day conference focusing on research, education and outreach collaborations in STEM disciplines will be held in Concord, NH, on June 9. College faculty, grants administration staff, and students engaged in research are invited, as well as science center staff and GK-12 math and science educators. Preregistration is required. For more info, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Women, Blacks and Latinos Lose Ground in Silicon Valley A report on Sunday in our local paper, the San Jose Mercury News, shared perplexing news: diversity in Silicon Valley tech fields is moving in the wrong direction. Between 2000 and 2008, women declined from 25.5 to 23.8% of the workers in computers and math; blacks from 1.9 to 1.5% (far behind the national average of 7.1%) and Hispanics from 5.3 to 4.7% – a poor showing in a region where the local population is 24.3% Hispanic. Even more curious, big companies – Apple, Google, Yahoo, Oracle, and AMD– fought successfully to withhold data about employment when the newspaper requested it under the federal Freedom of Information law. Their claim, which federal regulators agreed to, was that employment data was a trade secret and would reveal business strategy to competitors, causing the companies “commercial harm.” The good news is some companies are proud of their diversity and gladly shared their data. MentorNet’s partner Intel was one of them. Hewlett-Packard, between 2000 and 2008 – years in which they used MentorNet’s program – grew its women’s cohort from 49% to 53% and grew its Hispanic workforce as well. SYNNEX, a leading IT processes company, jumped from 37% to 49% and Calpine – a leader in building green power plants – was the outstanding winner in diversity, growing from an already remarkable 54 to 59%. The other good news is that MentorNet, nestled right here in Silicon Valley, creates a vital channel to women, blacks, and Hispanics in engineering, math and science fields. 10% of our protégés are black, 7% Hispanic, and of course, a majority of our protégés are women. Catch Up With David at BEYA This Week David Porush, MentorNet's CEO, will be attending the Black Engineer of the Year Awards Conference in Baltimore, MD, Feb. 18 - 20. If you'll be there, find David and say hi! According to the conference website, "BEYA STEM Global Competitiveness Conference is about opportunities to acquire and retain talent, to learn and network ... Since 1986, the conference has served as an invaluable tool to recognize outstanding achievement of African-Americans in companies across America." Announcing Our New Twitter Page!!! MentorNet is excited to announce we are now on Twitter at twitter.com/mentornettweet. Become a Follower and stay on top of our latest news, partnerships, recommended articles, internships and other opportunities. Thanks! It's National Engineers' Week! In recognition of National Engineers' Week (Feb 14 - 20), we are actively recruiting new engineering mentors! Please spread the word, and new mentors sign up here. Curious about National Engineers' Week? According to Wikipedia, "National Engineers' Week ... is observed by more than 70 engineering, education, and cultural societies, and more than 50 corporations and government agencies. The purpose of National Engineers' Week is to call attention to the contributions to society that engineers make. It is also a time for engineers to emphasize the importance of learning math, science, and technical skills. The celebration of National Engineers' Week was started in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers in conjunction with President George Washington's birthday. President Washington is considered as the nation's first engineer, notably for his survey work." Spring Recruitment Campaign Reminder In January, we launched our 2010 Spring Outreach Drive to recruit new proteges. The drive is off to a great start, but in case you haven't gotten involved yet, it's not too late! For details, and to learn about our incentives for campuses, click here.   MentorNet is a 501(C)(3) California non-profit educational organization. Our mission is to help engineering and science students at the university level - especially women and underrepresented minorities - achieve their career goals by matching them with mentors and guiding their one-on-one relationships over the Web. We are funded by fees from our campus, corporate, government laboratory and society partners and by grants from public and private foundations. 840 W. California Avenue Suite 200 | Sunnyvale, CA 94086 US

MentorNet News – February 2010 Volume 1

Opportunities and Announcements Avnet Tech Games Offer Real-World Experience and Scholarship Dollars Avnet, Inc., a leading global technology distributor, is hosting the fifth annual Avnet Tech Games (ATG). For the first time this year, the ATG is open to students nationwide through a number of virtual games, which complement the traditional onsite competition held in Arizona on April 10. The virtual games make the competition accessible to more students and provide thousands of dollars in new scholarships. The ATG requires students to work in teams or individually—testing their knowledge, creativity, problem solving and technical skills. Deadlines are fast approaching! For more information, visit www.avnettechgames.com. Summer Internships Applications are available for summer 2010 internships through the Research Alliance in Math and Science program. Please note that all fields are required for submission and for cyber security, there is no opportunity to save partially completed applications. Current student resumes should be uploaded as a Word (.doc) file with LAST NAME as the first word in the filename. Apply here. --source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory Engineer Mentors Sought on East Coast The regional Future City Competitions in Washington, DC, and Western NY (particularly Jamestown and Syracuse areas) are still looking for engineer-mentors. Write Bill Knight, Future City Program Manager, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. For more information, please click here. --source: National Engineers Week Foundation Professor Honored Sue Ion, a visiting professor at Imperial College London and chair of the UK Fusion Advisory Board, was named a dame for her services to science and engineering by the UK's New Year's Honours list. --source: BBC News What is the Most Diverse Company in the U.S.? Can you help us find the most diverse company in the world? Here are the stats on our first candidate: Gender 57/43 Female/Male Racial/Ethnic Identity 14% African American 14% Hispanic 14% Arabic 14% Indian 14% Chinese 28% Caucasian Religion by Birth 14% Muslim 14% Hindu 14% Buddhist 14% Christian 14% Jewish 28% Catholic Countries of Origin Alabama, Brooklyn, China, India, Mexico, Syria, Slovakia, U.S. (OK, OK, most people would say Alabama and Brooklyn aren’t really different countries.) English as a Second Language 60% Click here to find out who it is. Help Us Welcome New Board Members Please help us welcome and congratulate three new outstanding members of MentorNet’s Board of Directors: Mary Fernandez of AT&T, Ginna Raahauge of Cisco, and Sarah Saltzer of Chevron. All three women are distinguished in their fields and in their companies and have already brought growth and fresh perspectives to MentorNet and our mission. We are grateful for their volunteerism and look forward to the benefit of their considerable and distinguished leadership. You can view their profiles here and send messages of welcome to them This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. MentorNet's Spring Campaign In January, we launched our 2010 Spring Outreach Drive in recognition of President Obama's declaration of National Mentoring Month. To read how our drive works, and to learn about our incentives for campuses, click here. Earthquake in Haiti: In Brief • Read Architecture for Humanity's 7-point reconstruction plan for Haiti here. • UW-Madison's chapter of Engineers Without Borders returns from Haiti. Read it here. • The women's movement mourns the deaths of three Haitian leaders. Read it here. • NASA is sending an airborne radar to map Haiti's faults in 3D. Read it here. To donate to Haiti through the American Red Cross, click here. Thanks to January's New and Renewing Partners • American College of Sports Medicine • Association for Women in Science • Land O'Lakes • North Star STEM Alliance • University of New Mexico Recommended Reading Study: Women Scientists Do More Housework than Men When the biologist Carol W. Greider received a call from Stockholm last fall telling her she had won a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, she wasn't working in her lab at the Johns Hopkins University. The professor of molecular biology and genetics was at home, folding laundry. Read more MentorNet Editor's Note: The above article addresses one of the many topics our mentor/protege pairs are encouraged to discuss in their weekly communications: work/life balance. Mentoring Matters Many discussions of efforts to diversify the faculty ranks include concerns about whether female and minority academics need mentors. Advocates for female and minority professors say that white men are more likely to learn informally from senior (male) colleagues about how to get ahead. Read more 'The Unchosen Me' What challenges do students of color face during their years on campus, and how do these challenges affect their college success—or lack thereof? In her new book, The Unchosen Me: Race, Gender, and Identity Among Black Women in College (Johns Hopkins University Press), Rachelle Winkle-Wagner explores these questions from the students' perspective. Read more 840 W. California Avenue Suite 200 | Sunnyvale, CA 94086 US

MentorNet News – January 2010 Volume 1

Featured Opportunities Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is hosting a series of outreach workshops to provide information about submitting proposals to the National Science Foundation (NSF) Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. Read More SECuR-IT Program The Summer Experience, Colloquium and Research in Information Technology (SECuR-IT). This is a ten-week residential program with paid internship co-located at Stanford University and San Jose State University. Read More We’ve Moved! In keeping with our own advice to trim the fat, MentorNet has moved to new headquarters. Please note our new address: 840 W California Ave, Suite 200, Sunnyvale CA 94086 Four Reasons to Love the Recession Tough times, great lessons By David Porush, CEO Last night I saw Doug Leone, senior partner at Sequoia Capital and the VC largely responsible for their good bets on Yahoo, Google, and YouTube, address a crowd of MIT students and alums. Among his many great and startling comments was, “I love a good recession.” It got me thinking. Going for top-paying engineering and science majors (see story at right) is surely a good move. But this recession has other lessons beyond hard work and good grades and rational career choices that we should carry with us long after it’s over. If the sparks of recovery grow into a real flame, then especially for those of you who were smart, stayed in school, and weathered the storm, it will be easy to miss some of the valuable, if difficult, takeaways from these times. 1. Define what’s most essential and focus on it: Here at MentorNet we used the occasion to look really hard at the fundamental values of our mission: diversify the engineering and science workforce, help those who need help, build bridges between wisdom and talent, give people a place to express their highest motives of aspiration and generosity. 2. Trim the fat, save your cash: Americans, typically miserable at it, are now saving their money more than ever. Apply this wisdom of the crowd to your careers and businesses. MentorNet reduced staff, moved all our operations to the Cloud, and found new headquarters at half the rent. 3. To meet your material goals, embrace spiritual (or at least non-material) ones. Searching for the meaning of your connection to the world and others magically reduces the number of things you think you need. I promise. 4. Now’s the best time to take risks, especially that biggest risk of all: bet on yourself. When you’re besieged by difficulties, you’re competing against many more qualified desperados like yourself, and you’re scraping along the bottom, remember (a) you have a shorter distance to fall, and (b) nothing will distinguish you more quickly than passion. MentorNet Mentioned in New Book Cases on Online Tutoring, Mentoring, and Educational Services: Practices and Applications by Gary A. Berg, PhD, is now available from IGI Global. Click here to order a copy. College Degrees that Pay the Most in 2010 A recent study shows what most of you already know and have been working so hard to achieve: the college degrees that lead to the best paying jobs are in the engineering and science fields. This chart from Payscale.com shows the top ten degrees by starting and mid-career salaries. If you read the whole study (here) you’ll see 17 of the top 20 majors are in STEM (all but Economics,  Statistics, Finance). Recommended Articles President Obama Proclaims January National Mentoring Month The White House has released President Obama's proclamation stating that January is officially National Mentoring Month in America. Read More Engineering Flexibility By Pamela A. Eibeck Two years ago, my daughter, Katherine, and I appeared on the cover of ASEE Prism magazine. A feature story by the American Society for Engineering Education on two generations of women engineers, perhaps? Not quite. Read More 840 W. California Avenue Suite 200 | Sunnyvale, CA 94086 US