Graduate Student Mentors

As part of the GSAS Summer Research Program, each year OADI hires 4-6 Graduate Student Mentors to co-teach weekly seminars and workshops and provide one-on-one mentoring to visiting undergraduate students from underrepresented groups. The program hosts approximately 15 undergraduate interns each year. The interns live on campus for 9 weeks and conduct independent research under the supervision of Columbia faculty in arts and sciences disciplines. 

Graduate Student Mentors work with OADI staff to create and deliver lesson plans and activities for undergraduate participants on building research skills, writing a research statement or proposal, and creating and delivering research presentations. Mentors also provide research and personal mentoring to undergraduate students, sometimes mediating faculty mentor expectations for the students.

Professional Development

OADI collaborates with other GSAS and Columbia offices such as the GSAS Writing Studio and the Center for Teaching and Learning to provide relevant training to Graduate Student Mentors, including but not limited to:

  • Co-facilitation and team-teaching
  • Curriculum planning and syllabus design
  • Effective mentoring
  • Mediation
  • Reading and responding to students’ work
  • Managing online platforms such as Canvas CourseWorks and Google Classrooms

Commitment

The program typically runs from the first week of June through the beginning of August. Graduate Student Mentors receive a $4000 salary for the summer. They are expected to participate in a full-day orientation approximately two weeks before the program start date and to be present on-campus for the duration of the 9-week program.  

Check back here in March 2021 to apply.