The Mentor Leadership program at the Center for Science and Engineering Partnerships (CSEP) was established in 2022 to support student-driven innovations and skills required to be an effective and trusted mentor.  The program was born out of the dedication to mentoring excellence and recognition for the efforts of graduate student and postdoc mentors that CSEP founding Director, Dr. Fiona Goodchild, spearheaded, and that is at the core of CSEP. The CSEP Mentor Leadership program provides an annual fellowship in the amount of $5K ($4K stipend, $1K activities/supplies) awarded to one science, engineering or mathematics graduate student to serve as a CSEP Mentor Leadership Fellow. The selected fellow acts as a lead mentor for graduate students and postdocs across a wide range of STEM disciplines, serving as a role model and guide for developing mentoring expertise. During their tenure as a Fellow they develop and lead a suite of mentoring activities and resources. In addition to implementing well-established activities, the fellow has the ability to create timely resources and activities that align with their interests. Fellows become a part of the CSEP mentor training team, working alongside and receiving support from CSEP staff and affiliated faculty. The program is generously supported by a gift from the Goodchild family and the UCSB Graduate Dean.

CSEP Graduate Student Engagement

CSEP was created in 2010 to serve as a campus-wide nexus for the development and implementation of innovative projects that address state and national needs of broadening participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), for K-12 through graduate student and postdoctoral scholar levels. As such, CSEP offers many points of engagement for graduate students and opportunities to develop mentoring and leadership skills, teaching and science communication skills, and career and general professional development support.