Mentoring

Our mentorship programs provide an opportunity for industry professionals and students to connect. These programs are based on direct requests from employers to have more opportunities to connect with students, from students who want to have a formalized method to meet and learn from people in industry, and from students interested in gaining experience.

Experience Circles Mentorship Circles

 

Experience Circles

Experience Circles Program

The Experience Circles program provides funding, resources, and mentorship to support undergraduate engineering students in completing personal projects and research goals. This program empowers students to delve into their personal engineering interests while gaining practical skills and real-world experience through project-based learning guided by an employer (or faculty) mentor. 

The sign up deadline is Monday, September 2nd at 11:59 p.m. Please sign up online via https://cglink.me/2uB/s1092.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Malloree Murdock at mdmuroc@uark.edu.

  • Please note that applying does not guarantee your participation in this program. Final mentor and student pairings will be confirmed by Wednesday, September 4th.
  • Preference will be given to students with low experiential engagement, GPAs of 2.8 or lower, and limited access to resources.

Application Requirements

The online application requires an upload of the following items:

  • A current copy of your resume (all group members must upload a resume)
    • If you need assistance with your resume before submitting your application, you can schedule an appointment with your Engineering Career Coach.  
  • Answers to the following prompts:  
    • In 700 words or less, describe the project/research that requires funding. Include: 
      • the project goal,  
      • your approach to accomplishing the goal, 
      • expected outcomes,  
      • and the genesis of your idea. 
    • In 300 words or less, describe how you will benefit from participating in this program. 
  • A completed Project / Research Budget Form 
    • Create a thorough, accurate, and reasonable budget and justify your estimated costs. 

Successful Proposals

  • Are self-motivated (i.e., not part of a course or sponsored faculty research) but are driven by your own interest(s).
  • Answer all questions and upload all documents as indicated on the application. Incomplete applications will not be considered
  • Have a STEM focus.

Group Projects / Research

Students may work individually or as a group.  All group participants must remain active and engaged to receive the program stipend. Groups may not exceed more than 3 students. 

Project Funds will NOT Support

  • Research in a professor’s lab 
  • Projects that are required for a course 
  • Travel expenses (check out the FOX Fund for support with travel – link) 
  • Projects completed by a Registered Student Organization (RSO) 

Application Process

  • Application Opens: Thursday, August 8th
  • Application Deadline: Thursday, August at 11:59 p.m.
  • Notification of Participation: end of day, September 4th
  • Up to $500 will be awarded to cover materials and other items needed to complete accepted projects or research (for all groups AND individual projects or research).  
  • Students will receive a $350 stipend, which will be deposited into their University of Arkansas account to compensate them for their time and work.   
    • If students work as a group, each student will receive a $350 stipend.  
  • Students may submit a proposal to complete a personal project OR conduct personal research.  
  • Students will be paired with an industry professional (employer) who will provide guidance, feedback, and support throughout the duration of the experience.
    • The steering committee will pair students and mentors based on the mentor's background and expertise related to the student project or research topic. 

  • College of Engineering (including data science and computer science) undergraduate students who are in good standing with the university
  • Projects and research must have a STEM focus.
  • Group projects and research may only include a maximum of 3 students. 
  • Mentor and Student Orientation: Thursday, September 5th at 5:30 p.m.
  • Project Duration: September  – November
  • Final Deliverables Due: Wednesday, December 4th
  • Spring 2025 - Optional: All project participants will be invited to showcase your project or research at the End of the Year event in April (date to be shared later)

 

 

Mentorship Circles

Mentees - International Doctoral Student Mentorship Circles

Each fall, Engineering Career Connections (with the Graduate School and International Students and Scholars) hosts mentorship circles for international doctoral students interested in going into industry upon graduation. Each circle, which contains 2-3 mentors and 4-6 students, will be organized by student degree status (first year, second or third year, ABD) to ensure that students benefit from each other’s questions. Mentors will be people in industry who are former international students and who have a doctoral degree and/or work closely with people who have doctoral degrees. Topics of conversation may include:

  • Networking
  • How to succeed at a conference
  • Identifying employers who are open to sponsorship
  • How to discuss your dissertation with industry

Become a Mentee

Students are eligible to participate in the mentorship circles if they:

  • Studying on an F-1 visa
  • Pursuing a doctoral degrees
  • Enrolled in the College of Engineering OR have a Principal Investigator in the College of Engineering
  • Commit to participating in entirety of program

Below is the anticipated timeline for the 2024-2025 mentorship circles.

  • June and July: Recruit mentors
  • July 15: Mentee Application Opens
  • August 28: Mentee Application Closes
  • August 30: Mentees notified of selection status and introduced to circles
  • September 3: Kick-off event to introduce everyone and set expectations
  • September – October: Circles meet every other week
  • November 4: Survey sent out to mentors and mentees

The signup period for the 2024-2025 mentees to participate is July 15 to August 28. To complete your application, you will need to fill out the availability worksheet, which is linked below. The signup process should take 10-15 minutes to complete (including the availability worksheet).

Availability Worksheet

Sign-Up Form

To support our mentor volunteers, we have developed and found resources. You can find links to the resources below. You can also contact Malloree Murdock at mdmurdoc@uark.edu for support.

 

If you have any questions, or need any additional information regarding these opportunities, please contact Malloree Murdock at mdmuroc@uark.edu.