Summary of SEEDS program for Sonia Yoo
SEEDS Proposal:
“I propose to establish a formal mentoring program in my department which pairs junior women faculty with more senior faculty. The program will involve 3 sessions throughout the year where a senior faculty member will make a presentation about her career path and experiences along the way. This will be followed by junior faculty members posing questions to senior faculty members regarding career development. Finally, there will be time for junior faculty members to pair with their mentors to discuss individual academic progress and goals.”
I held 3 SEEDS events. The first was held on March 8, 2011 with guest speaker, Dr. Hilda Capo, Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology. She spoke about “Some Basics About Academic Careers.” She talked about her personal academic path at the University of Miami. Junior faculty members present had the opportunity to ask her questions about her career development.
The second event was held on January 5, 2012. The guest speaker was Dr. Carol Karp, Professor of Ophthalmology who spoke about “Getting the Promotion You Deserve.” She talked about the nuts and bolts of the promotion and tenure process at the university and the approximate timeline for this process.
The third event was held on May 22, 2012. The guest speaker was Dr. Wendy Lee, Associate Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology. She spoke about “Balancing Work Life and Life Outside of Work.” Junior and senior faculty spoke about time management and achieving a fulfilling career while maintaining time for life outside of work.
During the time period of this SEEDS grant, our department has instituted a formal mentor/mentee program pairing junior faculty with senior faculty mentors. We have quarterly meetings as a group in our department and each mentor/mentee pair meets privately to discuss specific issues pertinent to the individual mentee.
This SEEDS award has served me personally by providing resources for a program in my department that I wish I had had during my promotion and tenure path. It allowed me to contribute to my department by sharing my personal experiences with junior and senior faculty, particularly women faculty, in their efforts to move their academic careers forward. I hope that these meetings will serve as a springboard to encourage other faculty in my department to be involved in mentoring and seeking out a mentor to improve their satisfaction with their academic careers.